2009 Fantasy Baseball for Beginners Part 2 of 3

Part 2: The Draft - Preparation and Execution

1. Participate in Mock Drafts and Mock Auctions - The single best way to prepare for a draft is to participate in mock drafts. I live by mock drafts and no matter how much you know about players, mock drafts show you hints as to when you could realistically expect a player to be taken in a draft. Mock Draft Central provides the best software, it's free to register and participate but if you are gung-ho about this, you'll invest the few bucks it costs to do unlimited mocks. Are you playing in a 12 team league this year? Do 12 team mock drafts! After you do two or three drafts, you start to see trends. You'll see when a closer run usually starts. You'll see how quickly shortstops fly off the board. You'll see the few quality third baseman that continue to last past the 15th round. You'll get an idea as to when players are normally picked, as I mentioned above. I know that Johan Santana will rarely make it into the 3rd round in 2009, so if you want him, you might have to take him with your second round pick. If you know that and you plan to build your staff around Santana, you can plan accordingly. When the draft gets here, you make your first pick, steal Santana in the second and then you dish out a plan from there.

Same goes for auctions. You can read the magazines and websites all you want but most of them don't really give you true values. Many of them base their values off stats. So you'll find when you get into an auction, many of the top players go for much more or much less than the magazines/websites indicated. This is because most people bid on players based on emotion. Many have a set price they are willing to spend on certain players and many times, it's much higher than the average magazine/website value. Those values also don't factor in bidding wars between two or three owners on any one player. You will soon be able to read and print real auction values based on what people are actually paying in real leagues I participate in here soon. A quality auction website is Fantasy Auctioneer.

2. Draft Tools - Scour the Internet for free Draft Tools. Draft tools are sets of rankings and analysis provided by an expert or an experienced and respected fantasy baseball manager(s). Usually you can print them out without having to waste too much paper. The Fantasy Man and Fantasy Baseball Express will be providing a FREE printable Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide sometime in the next few weeks. Here is what we did in 2008. Check the link list in the right side bar of this blog for some other recommended sites.

3. The Draft - Usually, most people don't have time to do the research so they grab a fantasy baseball magazine and try to "wing" it at the draft. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The magazines provide fantastic information, rankings, and stats. I always have a magazine at the draft with me mainly for the stats and sometimes I like to compare their rankings to my own. The magazine I trust most is Fantasy Sports Magazine . It's a sentimental pick. I have been buying this magazine for years! I am also featured as one of the experts in their expert mock draft. Other than the mag, I might have a printable fantasy guide from a favorite website that I can write on, cross out players choosen , and to keep track of my team. Check out The Fantasy Man's 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide.

4. Keep Emotions in Check - Every fantasy manager has a favorite team and a few favorite players. Although every team has solid players in real life, not every team has more than one or two solid fantasy player (i.e. Pittsburgh Pirates - Nate McLouth & Ryan Doumit in 2009). You have to find a way to keep your emotions in check and separate real life baseball from fantasy baseball. For example, my favorite player is Derek Jeter. I was 16 years old in his rookie year and I can tell you that in every fantasy draft, I want to pick Jeter early to make sure I get him simply because he's my favorite. Problem is, Jeter is a good fantasy player but only when chosen in the right circumstances (i.e. the 5th round of a roto draft or for about $20 in an auction). You don't want to overpay for your favorite players unless they are top-tiered fantasy talent. Since I am a Yankee fan, I'll always jump on A-Rod at the top, but everyone else has has a better place and time, even Joba Chamberlain. What makes fantasy baseball fun is to be able to cheer for your players, but if you pick all the players from your favorite team, it'll be unlikely that you could win your league. Now, I'm not saying you can't pick your favorite players, but you need to do some homework and figure out when is the best time to draft/bid for your favorite players in order to get the most value out of them.

5. Drafting Players on the Same Team - If you ask me now, I'd say in an active offensive roster of 10-13 starting hitters, you don't want to have more than 3 players from the same team. An example would be the Phillies and drafting Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Shane Victorino. If you add Pat Burrell, Jayson Werth or Jimmy Rollins to that mix and the Phillies go on a losing streak, your team is pretty much sunk. Same goes for your active pitching staff. I like to stick with 2 of the best starters (if my draft falls that way) and if I wanted a third from the same team, then maybe as my 9th pitcher or as a bench guy for emergencies would be okay. Except for keeper leagues, it's unlikely that you'd be able to draft 3 star fantasy players on the same team anyway, but yes, it will affect your overall outcome as the season rolls along.

6. Don't "Punt" a Category - If you are a beginner fantasy player, punting categories is a no-no. Always make sure that every position and every category is represented in ALL 5x5 leagues. Why would you want to start your season with a hole in your roster? Why start the season with a category that is not accumulating points? Some experienced players might be able to devise a plan that works and punt a category in drafts, but they have to get super lucky with the other players they choose. Winning a league while punting a category is possible and has happened before, but the odds are extremely low. In most 5x5 leagues, Saves is the category that's most often punted. If you play in leagues that are 7x7 or more, then punting a category is not as much a problem since there are many categories that can pick up the slack. The thought here is this.... If you don't draft any closers, then during the season you won't accumulate saves and points for saves. If you were the unlucky one to get hit with a major injury or two to your star player(s) or you made a few bad choices in the draft with underperforming players, then your team is sunk. On the other end of that, if you drafted say two closers who turned out to be fantastic, and you still suffered those injuries and under-performance, you could trade those closers to upgrade elsewhere. I guess the same could be said the other way, but it's much harder to obtain good closers via trade during the season than it is to actually trade them away!

Part 3 of 3 will emphasize more on In-Season Team Management Strategies....

The Fantasy Man's 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza Podcast is NOW PLAYING!

The Fantasy Man officially kicks off the 2009 Fantasy Baseball Season with his 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza Fantasy Baseball Podcast!!! You can download/listen/subscribe to the podcast here! If that doesn't work, try here!...or vice-versa...

This T-Day Extravaganza is a 3-hour/3-part podcast featuring the best, laidback, down-to-earth, honest, and realistic fantasy baseball advice. The podcast lineup looks like this.....
Part 1 - The Fantasy Man's Top 50 Draft Picks with some basic 2009 specific draft strategies
Part 2 - The Fantasy Man's Sleepers of 2009
Part 3- The Fantasy Man picks out a couple of prospects and potential rookies from all 30 major league teams.

As for the podcast itself, please remember that I am a lone ranger who stares at the wall and talks to myself for an hour at a time. It's great, I love it. However, I was battling the flu as I did these three podcasts so I apologize ahead of time if my voice sounds off or if I get too monotone at some times. I actually have no idea how it sounds, I never actually listen to my podcasts after they are complete but I do know there may have been times I wasn't as enthusiastic as I could have been! Otherwise, I had a blast as always!

If you could, please feel free to write a nice review on iTunes or any of the podcasting sites you use. Also, feel free to blast me, attempt to destroy me, tell me how much I suck, blah blah, blah. I already know. I'm not a jounalism guy, I'm not a broadcasting guy or anything like that. I'm just a podcaster, a guy with a microphone.

So enjoy 3 hours of fantasy baseball heaven. Now you have the ammo to tune out your wife/girlfriend on the way to the in-laws for thanksgiving dinner! Feel free to posts comments or email me your fantasy baseball questions!

The next podcast will be a few days after the Winter Meetings to discuss players and possible trades/signings and how they individually affect you fantasy drafts and teams!

Eric Stashin writes about Draft Strategy and Risk vs. Dependability

If you haven't had a chance yet, please check out Eric Stashin's fantasy baseball blog at Roto Professor. Eric did a great article on Draft Strategy and drafting for Risk vs. Dependability.

Eric Stashin runs RotoProfessor.com. Having been playing fantasy sports for as long as he can remember, he thought that it was as good a time as any to share his opinions and strategies with the rest of the world. Feel free to contact Eric at RotoProfessor.com.

Chat "LIVE" with The Fantasy Man TONIGHT!!!

Need some quick fantasy football or baseball advice?? Join The Fantasy Man tonight and chat live at Live Person from 7pm - 8pm EST!

Go to Live Person and search "Fantasy Baseball" and you'll find me!

Or, click this link:
http://www.liveperson.com/expert/home-leisure/sports-fitness/sports-betting/the-fantasy-man/?thid=26

See you there!

When do I draft Chase Utley??

Bummer. I feel like I was walking down the street, minding my own business, and some dude just punched me in the face for no reason. So now what? What do you do if you planned to draft Utley? Nothing yet! It's still November so it's hard to imagine many of you completing your 2009 fantasy baseball league drafts just yet. ESPN reported today that Philadephia Phillies 2B Chase Utley could be out until June after he goes under the knife for hip surgery. Since we all play in different types of leagues, let's see if we can touch upon all of the different fantasy scenarios involving Utley. At this point in November, this should give you plenty of time to plan accordingly.

1. Keeper Leagues - Don't panic! Utley will be back by mid-season. Best bet right now is to stash on your bench, especially in Dynasty Leagues. However, if you get a sweet offer you can't pass up, you might as well trade Utley. If it were my team and I had a deal involving my Chase Utley, I'm asking myself this question..... "Am I getting market value for Utley?" What I am saying here is, don't give up Utley easily just because he could mis two months or so because in the second half, he'll probably be stellar. Utley's value should not drop much no matter what anyone says. If you dump Utley because of this inury knowing he'll be back, you'll regret it later.....unless you get a super sweet deal you can't pass up!

2. The normal mixed league draft - The big question now is, when should I draft Utley? Well, it's definitely not the first round. Utley will most likely be solid in the second half, but you can't waste a first round pick on only the second half. I'd say if Utley slips into the late 4th or 5th rounds, that might be a good time to think about drafting him. Then, if you want to wait on 2B late in the draft (round 15 or so), look at a players like Jose Lopez or Placido Polanco or even later in the draft (After the 20th) look at players like Freddy Sanchez, Mark DeRosa, or Orlando Hudson. If you play in a league with a middle infielder, make sure your MI is a 2B, so when you put Utley on the DL, you already have the 2B to slide into that slot. Then, you can put whoever you want in that empty MI slot.

3. The Auction - Utley is no longer a $35+ player for 2009, but he's probably worth about $20-$25. A solid 4th-6th round player can go anywhere in the $20's usually. I think this is fair value for Utley considering the circumstances. I think you can expect to pay about $25 in non keeper leagues. In Keeper leagues, expect to still pay about $30. More than that is a bit overvaluing. Remember, you're still trying to win this year. You need those first half stats. You can't pay full price for Utley and expect to be okay. Utley is a great fantasy talent, but he's not A-Rod, Hanley or Pujols, so don't get caught up in a bidding war.

4. Trade Offers - In keeper leagues, if I own Utley, I want some kind of package that includes a young hitter with some flash and a top tier starting pitcher. I'm thinking of packages that include BJ Upton/John Lackey, Carlos Quentin/Edinson Volquez, Jacoby Ellsbury/Jake Peavy.... see where I'm going with this??? The value you get in a deal like these when you give up Utley is solid. A deal like say Upton/Verlander wouldn't work. Too much risk, but, upgrade that SP and now my ears are listening. Be smart. get as much talent and upside as possible. You can't be soft here. Don't make a trade just to make a trade. Utley still has plenty of value.

The Fantasy Man is now giving "Live" Fantasy Baseball and Football advice at Live Person on Friday, November 21st from 7pm - 8pm. Go to www.liveperson.com and search "Fantasy Baseball". Click "Chat Now" and ask your fantasy sports related questions!

Keep your eye out for The Fantasy Man's 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza! It's a 3 hour / 3 part podcast which will be available Thanksgiving morning!

The Joba Chamberlain Saga

Update 11/20/08

It's only November, but Brian Cashman has already come out and said that Joba Chamberlain will be a starter in 2009. What's interesting is what to make of all of this, especially if they sign C.C. Sabathia AND either Derek Lowe or A.J. Burnett. It's not likely they get both, but there is also a slight chance the Yankees trade for Jake Peavy. You have Mike Mussina retiring which opens up a spot and we're still unsure whether or not Andy Pettitte will resign at a discount. With all of that said, my estimated rotation for the Yankees looks like this....

1. C.C. Sabathia
2. Chein-Ming Wang
3. Joba Chamberlain
4. Derek Lowe or A.J. Burnett
5. Andy Pettitte
6. Phil Hughes (if he's not traded)

My dream rotation:
1. C.C. Sabathia (Sign as a FA)
2. Chein-Ming Wang
3. Joba Chamberlain
4. Jake Peavy (Acquire via trade)
5. Andy Pettitte

By acquiring Peavy (if he agreed to a trade...and why wouldn't he?), that would get you a better starting pitcher than Burnett or Lowe and also free's up money to then sign Mark Teixiera instead on spending it on Lowe or Burnett.

When it's all done, Joba is still a starter. What does that mean for your fantasy draft? As of right now, it looks like Joba is an average 8th-9th round draft pick in most normal mixed leagues. That seems like market value. Just after Joba you start to see players like David Price and Yovani Gallardo flying off the board. That's what you should expect. At the auction, I'd probably expect to pay approximately $15-$23 depending on emotion, a bidding war, and if it's a keeper league.

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Update: 8/1/08

Ummmmm ........ He's Awesome!

What else do I need to say? Joba Chamberlain is awesome! I think its safe to say that Joba will be a quality starter here on out, at least the first time through the league. I'd have to say that looking ahead into 2009, your looking at atleast a 10th round pick in most normal mixed fantasy leagues as of right now in August. However, don't be surprised if people are scooping up Joba in the late 7th round next season. My advice? In keeper leagues, Joba is one of the SP's of choice right now to build the team of the future around. His K/IP rate is staggering. Why hesitate? If your team is in the dumper and your holding onto Berkman or Santana and can't keep them next year whether their price is too high or their service term is over, sell them to a championship team and steal Joba Chamberlain!
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Update: 5/22/08

I was at last nights 8-0 Yankee victory and to my surprise, in the 8th, out comes Joba Chamberlain for a 2 inning stretch-out! Just when the game was getting boring and the crowd was emptying out of the stands, out comes Joba for a quick pick-me-up. I don't care what anyone says about Joba and his fist-pumping antics, it was 8 - zippo and if he had struck out that third batter in the 8th, I was praying for a fist pump! Say what you want, but if you are in the stadium when Joba pumps those fists, man, the stadium turns electric! I was there when he did it opening day, I was there when he did it against Delucci, and I was praying for a fist pump last night!

Anyway, onto the real topic. After the game, I was listening to the radio and it was reported by Susan "Goodness Gracious" Waldman that Joe Girardi came out and said "The process of turning Joba Chamberlain into a starter has begun". What does this mean? Well, obviously it won't happen overnight. They will work Joba up over the next few weeks to give him the time he needs to get his arm into 6-7 inning pitching shape. ESPN's Steve Phillips, who many New Yorkers have their own special feelings for, said that Joba would be sent down to the minors to get the innings work. I have to be honest, I don't see that happening. He'll work up those innings and before you know it, he'll pitch a 5 inning game and a way we go.

What this means fantasy wise?? Well, if you have Joba on your roster and you like to use the middle relievers to help lower ERA/WHIP, then keep Joba in your lineup. Otherwise, stash him on the bench for now or buy him before this story catches on nation wide. Right now, only New Yorkers are paying top dollar for Joba in fantasy leagues. This guy had 125K in 82+ IP last year in the minors, he's a guy you want! As for me, I am a huge Joba "Homer", and I have seen this guy in action and he is simply....nasty!

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Updated: 3.11.08

Joba Chamberlain starting the season in the bullpen??!!

Right out of the GM's mouth about five minutes ago in an interview with Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN Radio in New York, Brian Cashman, Yankees GM said exactly this......
(To listen, click the link above, then on the WFAN web site, click Podcasts, then click Mike and the Mad Dog, and then you should see the audio link for the Brian Cashman interview from today 3.11.08)

"If everyone stays healthy, Joba will start the season in the bullpen!"

He then went onto say....

"Assuming everyone stays healthy and Joba starts in the pen, the plan is to let him pitch half way through the season in the pen and the second half as a starter."

Now this is me summarizing.....
We all know that Joba will have the 150 IP limit. Obviously, starting the year in the pen and then letting him finish the year as a starter will allow Joba to remain under the inning limit or stick to the "Joba Rules". I would imagine if the Yankees staff stays relatively healthy and the Yankees are decent, they'll keep Joba in the pen as much as possible to save his arm for the post season, assuming they get there! I'm thinking there is no way all 5 Yankee starters will remain healthy all season. However, if the Yankees get an injury or extreme ineffectiveness early in the season (April or May) from say Mike Mussina, I think we might see a guy like Jeff Karstens or Ross Ohlendorf before we see Joba in an attempt to keep his IP limit down before the second half! Basically, to sum it up..........the Yankees see Joba Chamberlain as a starter but realize how effective he can be in the pen. So they'll let him keep his innings down and unleash Joba in the second half!

Here are some other quotes from Brian Cashman, Yankee GM....
" We get to see Joba on a daily basis and we know him better than any fan, media, etc.,. This guy has fantastic stuff, four major leagues pitches, and we feel overall, he is a top of the rotation, front-line type of talent, which is much tougher to find than a dominant set up guy." (I paraphrased that slightly)

He also said...

"Everyone remembers how fantastic Joba was in 24 innings late last season, but what was more impressive was the 80+ innings he had in the minors." (again, I slightly paraphrase because I can't remember the exact words used as I just listened to this a few minutes ago with NO pen and paper!)

What this means fantasy wise: It means that in Holds leagues, you can draft Joba in the middle rounds and expect a nice burst in Holds early in the season keeping in mind that you will need a back up after the All-Star Break. Also, its not written in stone that Joba will remain in the pen. If someone gets hurt by the end of spring training, we'll most likely see Joba as a starter.

Here is what I wrote on February 16th, 2008:
Everyone knows I have a man-crush on Joba Chamberlain.... but don't tell my wife! To fed my baseball addiction I listen to sports radio everyday and read the papers everyday here in New York, and one thing is for sure, nobody knows what the heck the Yankees plan to do with Joba Chamberlain. Should he go to the bullpen or stay in the starting rotation? Just to get you going, here is the lastest from the New York Post.

At this point, the Yankees are going with Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, and Mike Mussina leaving Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain to duke it out for the 5th spot. They also have some other possibilities like Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, Humberto Sanchez, and Chase Wright to name a few. You just never know who could show up at Spring Training and impress. There is also the possibility that the Yankees could be looking for another starting pitcher via trade as rumors of Hideki Matsui to the San Francisco Giants were circling back in December after the Winter Meetings.

If I were the Yankees, I'd move Joba to the bullpen in an instant and give Kennedy a chance to start after proving he could handle it late last year. The rumor is they'll prepare Joba to be a starter and by the end of Spring Training he'll end up in the pen.

Yesterday, on WFAN 660 during the Mike and the Mad Dog show (My favorite by the way), Sweeney Murti reported from Tampa that the Yankees will limit Joba to 150 innings in 2008. I guess the "Joba Rules" are still in effect. Does this mean he is a starter? No. Does it mean he is a reliever? No. It could be any combination and we can sit here all day and speculate. We just won't know at least for another 2-3 weeks at the earliest. This of this as the same situation Jon Papelbon went through last year, whom Joba has been compared too.

What this means Fantasy Wise: If you are smart, I'd draft Joba as if he is a starter while making sure I drafted a few extra starters for my bench in the event he moves to the pen. If Mariano Rivera gets hurt, BAM!... Instant saves from Joba! If they move him to the pen, you can use Joba as a reliever to help lower ERA/WHIP in roto leagues and leagues that count Holds.

For 12, mixed, 5x5, roto leagues: Draft Joba sometime in rounds 12-14, he's usually gone by the 13th though, so if you really want him, you might have to stretch in the 11th or 12th. This is okay because you can draft a Jon Lester, Barry Zito, Kevin Slowey or Randy Johnson late in the draft in case Joba does get moved to the pen. You'll have to pay in the range of $7-$13 for Joba in $260 cap auction leagues.

In leagues that count Holds: Joba is much more valuable because you get his versatility. Its extremely likely he starts the year as a starter and then for whatever reason, gets moved to the pen. If at that point your team is suffering in the Holds category, BAM!.... Instant Holds! In Holds leagues, I'd draft Joba between rounds 10-12 to make sure he's yours but also after all of the top SP's are off the board. Once Dice-K and Carmona are gone, you can safely take Joba in the Matt Cain, Yovani Gallardo, Tim Lincecum, Rich Hill, Chad Billingsley group. But the opportunity that Joba could be a Holds hog, I'd draft him before these guys. Anyone who has played in a league that counts Holds knows you need a Holds hog in order to win, you can't punt Holds and Joba can be your savior!

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2009 Fantasy Baseball for Beginners Part 1 of 3

Part 1: Getting Started

I know what you're thinking, and I felt the same way when I first started playing about 13 years ago. You're probably asking yourself, where do I start? Maybe you're tired of finishing at the bottom of the standings year after year or could it be that you're brand new to the world of fantasy baseball and have no idea how to prepare. Let The Fantasy Man be your guide.

My goal is to help you win your fantasy baseball league. My goal is to help you manage your team throughout the season to ensure consistent success from April through September. My goal is to make sure you don't trade away Ryan Howard for Rickie Weeks or get ripped on deals that are clearly not in your favor. My goal is to help you create fantasy baseball success and earn that league championship prize whether it be cash or bragging rights. Let The fantasy Man be your guide.

Below starts a step by step list on how to prepare for any fantasy baseball season. If you're an expert or an experienced player, this article is probably not for you. However, if you need a reality check, the information below could prove useful. What you see below is what I do personally as I prepare for each fantasy baseball season. Not to toot my own horn, but if I play in say 10 leagues in a year, 9 of those 10 leagues I always finish in the top 5. That is a fact. There is always a league or two that I just totally give away whether it's injuries or just unlucky picks. In some ways, fantasy baseball is a crapshoot, but at the same time, you do have 180 days or so to whip your team into shape, into a winner. That is where I excel personally. Maybe I draft a bad team in the beginning, but throw in a few key trades, a couple of timely waiver wire pick-ups, and I can literally go from last place in late May to first place in early September. I've done it many times. It's persistence and it's being active, it's a little bit of luck, and it's about making the right moves at the right time. You have to know the players! That's fantasy baseball. Here's how you get started, the way I get started....

1. Know the Players - Let's keep it simple, if you know how to read, you can get to know all the players. Here is my basic philosophy to winning a fantasy baseball league.... "Know the players! Know what they are capable of! Know where and when to draft them and how much to pay for them!" That is what I live by. I will get more into that as we go.

2. Preparing in November - Do you and your friends/family/co-workers do a live draft every year? Chances are, 7-8 of those 12 players in your league picked up a fantasy magazine at the last minute and tried to do a draft without really preparing. Trust me, it shows. I personally start preparing in November, but keeping up on "Hot Stove" trade talks, seeing where players are getting traded to, who is signing where, etc., is what I am looking for on a daily basis. Read newspaper articles, scour the websites for up-to-date-information, get the scoop on players while most fantasy managers are still fiddling with fantasy football. Pro Sports Daily is a website that organizes articles from all the major newspapers for free. Take advantage of the information that's out there. One great website for up-to-date trade talks and free agent signings and rumors is MLB Trade Rumors by a great fantasy baseball mind named Tim Dierkes. Tim constantly stays on top of the current talks and rumors but also includes articles from other sources who write about the hot topics. This is a great way to get your mind set on baseball. At the same time in November, The Fantasy Man (me) is preparing for the next fantasy baseball season by adding rankings, cheat sheets, draft tools, podcasts, etc. Start early and work up a base of knowledge.

3. Organizing Information - Did you know you can get all of your favorite articles and blogs and such organized into one page which continues to update 24/7. If you go to Google and register a free account (might as well get a gmail account) to service all of your fantasy baseball communications. Once registered, click "My Account" and then click the link for "Reader". Then, open a new browser and go to Fantasy Baseball Express . In the right side bar, you'll see a little orange icon that says "subscribe in a reader". This is my RSS Feed icon. If a column, blog, article, etc., offers an RSS feed, it will have this icon or a link to subscribe. Click the icon and copy the url. Go back to the Google reader and paste it where it says "+ Add Subscription" in the left side bar. This is where you add the FEED address. Now, go to any of your favorite columns, blogs, news geeds, etc., click the little orange icon, copy url, and paste in reader. On some, you may automatically be able to just "add" it to your reader by clicking one button.

Now, all you have to do is log into your Google reader (or whatever reader you want to use) and all of the updated articles are organized neatly for you. This helps so that you don't have to spend time searching for new articles by the same people or spend time constantly clicking on websites and possibly not getting updated information. Get all the info you need on one page and save that time for studying players.


Part 2: The Draft - Preparation and Execution will be posted next.

Join The Fantasy Man for a 2009 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft!

I'm hosting an early mock draft at www.mockdraftcentral.com on Monday, 11/17 at 10:00am sharp. To participate, go to MDC and sign up for a free account or pay for the fantasy baseball package so you can do mock drafts whenever you want!

This specific draft is a 12 team, 23 man roster, mixed league, roto, 5x5 with 2C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, MI, CI, 5OF, 1DH, 9P. I'll probably post this mock draft here at Fantasy Baseball Express. Also, I'd be happy to include any write ups about your strategies and thoughts of the draft. No need to email me (however, please feel free to post a comment here that says you will be attending), just go and sign up at MDC and be ready to draft by 10AM eastern on Monday morning. Feel free to let A-Rod slip to #12 which is where I will be picking!

If you ask me what the best way to prepare yourself for a successful rotisserie fantasy baseball season is, it's participating in mock drafts with serious people. Mock Draft Central has a fantastic platform to help you elevate your came. try it out and you'll see what I mean.....

The Fantasy Man

The Yankees land Swisher and Texiera

No, not Mark Teixeira silly, check the spelling! On Thursday, the Yankees acquired Nick Swisher and minor league pitching prospect Kaneoka Texiera while the White Sox get prospect Jeffrey Marquez and utilityman Wilson Betemit. Marquez was highly touted but he was still way down on the Yankee pitching depth charts. Betemit can play any infield position and could possibly be a starter in Chicago with 20+HR power. To be honest, losing Betemit is tough for the Yankees because he's a solid player off the bench. However, if getting Swisher only costs a Wilson Betemit and a decent pitching prospect, then this deal was a no-brainer.

Anyway, this is great! I can't wait to get my Nick Swisher Yankee t-shirt! What I love about this deal is that the Yankees traded for someone young who still has some upside and us Yankee fans know we desperately need to fuse some youth into the lineup. Swisher, 28, has a ton of power and excellent on-base skills but he's a killer with the batting average. The Yankees are getting a younger version of Jason Giambi although Swisher isn't as good a hitter.... yet. Word on the street is that Swisher is a fabulous presence in the clubhouse so I can definitely see the upside in this deal.

As for Mark Teixeira, most analysts are saying that this Swisher deal is all but dead and that the Yankees won't go after Tex, but I think this opens up the possibility of adding Tex! Swisher is a decent outfielder as well as a first baseman and with Bobby Abreu realistically out of a Yankee uniform, you can reasonably slot Swisher in center field. He won't be the defensive centerfielder the Yankees covet but now you could have Johnny Damon, Swisher, Xavier Nady in the outfield with Hideki Matsui as your DH. I can live with that.

Since the Yankees acquired Swisher via trade and with the potential of adding a $150 million C.C. Sabathia, we all know the Yankees could afford a Mark Teixeira. By dumping the contracts of Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, and Mike Mussina and giving Andy Pettitte a pay cut, I find it hard to believe that the Yankees will pass up on Tex unless I hear otherwise from the Yankees themselves. Plus, they're opening up approximately $50+ million a year in payroll. That's plenty of dough for C.C., Tex, and that other starting pitcher they want in either Derek Lowe or A.J. Burnett. This of course, assuming you move Swisher into the outfield.

The Fantasy Man Says: This move to the Yankees pushes Nick Swisher up a few rounds in your 12-team mixed league draft from after the 17th round to maybe the 14th or 15th rounds if you really believe in the upside. I'd say Swisher is now a $5-$7 player in most auction leagues and his versatility could be useful in AL-Only leagues. Wilson Betemit's value rises a bit because of his versatility and makes for a potential sleeper in AL-Only leagues as he could provide 15+HR power if he gets 450+AB. Jeffrey Marquez and Kaneoka Texeira are not draftable except possibly in the deepest of Dynasty leagues.

GET READY!!! The Fantasy Man's 2009 Fantasy Baseball Advice Podcast is coming! Tune in to The Fantasy Man's 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Extravanagnza Podcast choc' full o' free fantasy advice to help you win your 2009 fantasy baseball league to included 2009 Sleepers, 2009 specific draft strategies, and much more. Go to iTunes or your favorite Podcasting website and search "Fantasy Baseball" or "The Fantasy Man"!

Tips for a GREEN 2009 Fantasy Baseball Season!

I am hoping we all do our part to try to save the planet whether it's recycling, carpooling, or conserving energy any way we can. Ridiculous gas/oil prices have been a killer to our economy lately despite the recent drops in gas prices over the last few weeks. Don't worry, just when you're finally fully recovered from this holiday season, gas prices will be sky high again by Memorial Day! Can we ever catch a break?!

As a Fantasy Sports Expert and Player, I realize that most of us who play fantasy sports probably don't take the steps to save energy and help our planet when we are actually participating in this fun yet frustrating game. Haven't you heard? The Fantasy Man is going "Green" for the 2009 season and wants to share some simple tips to help you at least get the process moving along. Although many of these tips seem to easy or small, anything little that we can do to help.....helps!

The Fantasy Man Goes Green!
Tip #1 - Blackle - When doing 2009 fantasy baseball research on the internet, can we agree that most of us are using Google? Why not try www.Blackle.com . It's Google, but it's Google just toned down a bit. Studies have shown that an all black computer screen uses less energy than a white computer screen. Yes, I'm being serious. Don't believe me? Check out the ever so trustworthy Wikipedia on Blackle. Then, click http://www.blackle.com/ and search "Fantasy Baseball Advice". Whooo! Whatta ya know.... look who's listed #1!

Tip #2 - Go Paperless - This should be an obvious one! Instead of printing out The Fantasy Man's 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide (COMING SOON) and wasting all that paper (Although I am coming out with a condensed version in 2009), why not save it to your laptop and bring your laptop to your draft? Remember to charge your battery so that you don't have to use excess energy at the draft site. Then again, you don't want to use energy that will cost someone else money, now do we?

Tip #3 - Draft Online - It's always tough to find the best time and place to get every league member available for the draft. Now you can complete a 12 team fantasy baseball league draft on the Internet in your pajama's. Mock Draft Central offers all the features of a live online draft. Think about what else you are saving..... gas to get to the draft site, deadly fumes into the atmosphere from your car, money for extra food/drinks/gas, and time. Time is money these days, isn't it?


Tip #4 - Carpool/Public Transportation - If you must do your fantasy draft live, there is a good chance you are participating with friends, family and or co-workers. First, choose a central location to reduce travel for everyone. Then, why not carpool together? Save gas, mileage, and the environment by having one or two less automobiles on the road.

For me, many of my fantasy drafts take place in New York City ( I live about an hour north), although it can be expensive, I'd rather take the train into the city than drive an hour or so and waste all that gas, not to mention the $30 or so it costs to park when you can't find a parking space. If I spent $10 of gas and $30 to park, that's $40 (not counting food and league fee) to do a fantasy draft plus the carbon monoxide your car dumps into the environment for that hour and then back. A round trip train ticket costs about $20 and a subway ticket is about $2.50, I think, so save yourselves a few bucks and walk.

Tip #5 - The Draft - Draft day is the few hours a year we as men look forward to away from the wife, kids, girlfriend, mother-in-law, etc., and that means food, beer, wings, cursing, making fun, burping and more! It's better to have one or two people bring the snacks and everyone can chip in when they arrive. It's best to get a just few jumbo bags of chips or one or two 24 packs of beer instead of everyone bringing their own 6 or 12-pack. Think of all that extra cardboard that's wasted if all twelve of you bring your own 6-pack to drink during the draft.

Tip #6 - Fantasy Team Management - Did you know that if your computer is off and still plugged into the outlet, it's still sucking out electric? Did you know that if your laptop is off but plugged into the wall, the battery pack is still making sure your laptop is full charged. That's costing you extra dough and it's costing you while you sleep. So first, make sure your computer is off and when possible, keep it unplugged. With desktops this is tough, at least shut it off completely at night. If you leave it on with a screen saver, you are wasting energy and adding to your electric bill. It's also wasting energy when it's sleepeing too. If you have a laptop, you can always unplug it when you are finished. Laptops use 50-70% less energy per year than a desktop and monitor.

Tip #7 - Go Mobile - Last year I posted a great article by Courtney Hamilton of the NRDC about being eco-friendly when it comes to fantasy sports. Courtney mentioned about using your cell phone instead of a laptop or computer to manage your team. You can get stats and manage your teams through your cell phone now, and a cell phone uses much less power than a plugged in laptop.

Tip #8 - Water - STOP BUYING SO MUCH BOTTLED WATER!!!! Think of how much bottled water Americans drink every day, and then think about how many of those bottles find their way into trash cans and then into the environment. Too many. Let's be real people, bottled water is not necessarily any cleaner than tap water. That's just a marketing ploy to get you to buy the bottled water. You are better off just buying one bottle of water and then reusing that bottle by filling it with your own tap water. Best of all, your tap water is free (except for that small water bill you might get each month) and in this economy, every penny counts.

Tip #9 - Recycle - DUH! What were you going to do with all those empty beer bottles and soda cans from the draft? Throw them in the garbage? I hope not!

Tip #10- Fantasy Books/Magazines - When it comes to buying fantasy baseball books such as Sam Walkers Fantasyland (One of my favorites), try to purchase used books that you can get on Amazon or eBay. Or better yet, ask to borrow these from friends or the library. We all love to read but that tree would be better off if we manufactured one less book. As for magazines, you can get the same fantasy advice online that you could from a magazine. http://www.fantasybaseballexpress.com/ is a great start. Save yourself a few bucks and get great advice, some that you would never find in a magzine (like free personal advice via email) while at the same time saving a tree.

The Fantasy Man plans to do what he can to help save the planet in 2009 whether it has anything to do with fantasy baseball or not. If we all pitch in just a little bit, we can all make our world a better place for us and our children.

GET READY!!! The Fantasy Man's 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Day Extravaganza 3-part/3-hour Podcast is coming! Thanksgiving morning, wake up, eat breakfast and download The Fantasy Man show at iTunes or at over 65+ other podcast sites. You can listen to it on your way to the in-laws....if your wife will let you! ;)