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| Fantasy Baseball Draft |
HITTER VALUES
3 UP
1. Starlin Castro, SS, Cubs. Castro is hitting .392 and is showing power that was uncharacteristic for him in his rookie year. But he's only 21 so he has time to develop into an extra-base threat, making him the perfect mid-round pick at a thin position.
2. Pablo Sandoval, 3B, Giants. Sandoval lost 40 pounds, came back refocused after a disappointing 2010 season and is hitting .303 this spring. If Kung Fu Panda can lay off the outside pitches like he has the French fries, order up a bounce-back season, please.
3. Kila Ka'aihue, 1B, Royals. Ka'aihue is hitting .449 with five homers in spring training and has earned the majority of the at-bats at first base in Kansas City. He tore up the minor leagues; now Ka'aihue just needs to prove he can do it on the big stage.
3 DOWN
1. J.P. Arencibia, C, Blue Jays. After John Buck signed with Florida, it looked like Arencibia would be a great late-round sleeper. But our jets have cooled after the 25-year-old started out hitting just .156 in spring training.
2. Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Cubs. Fukudome is hitting .195 this spring. Who's looking over his shoulder? The Cubs have Tyler Colvin and prospect Brett Jackson if Fukudome continues to falter.
3. Nyjer Morgan, OF, Nationals. Rick Ankiel has the edge on Morgan for the starting job in center field. Keep that in mind when you're searching for steals late in your draft and see Morgan's name pop up.
PITCHER VALUES
3 UP
1. Gio Gonzalez, SP, A's. He looks primed for a breakout season after recording 25 strikeouts in 21 spring innings. This coming after a stellar second half in 2010 when he went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA.
2. Jonathan Sanchez, SP, Giants. Like Gonzalez, Sanchez could be prone to some inconsistent days. But you can't argue with the strikeout power, which Sanchez flashed with 14 in 14.2 spring innings.
3. Matt Thornton, RP, White Sox. He's officially the new White Sox closer. That's great news, considering the Sox are expected to contend in the AL Central and should provide plenty of save opportunities.
3 DOWN
1. Gavin Floyd, SP, White Sox. Floyd is known for slow starts, and he's doing it again with a 4.91 ERA this spring. In most mixed leagues, you can wait to pick him up off the wire once he's hot again.
2. Carlos Silva, SP, Cubs. Silva is holding on to his fifth-starter job by a thread. Another mound blowup or nasty dugout incident, and it could be time to say, "So long, Silva, away!"
3. Drew Storen, RP, Nationals. Washington's closer spot was Storen's to lose, and apparently he did just that by compiling a 10.38 ERA in spring training. Now, Storen could find himself in a dreaded committee situation until further notice.
THREE SLEEPERS
1. Jordan Zimmermann, SP, Nationals. Zimmerman is a good lottery-ticket pick for the late rounds. The 24-year-old came back from Tommy John surgery last year and pitched 11 scoreless innings to start with this spring. He has a mid-90s fastball to go with all that upside.
2. Brett Wallace, 1B, Astros. Wallace has 17 RBIs in 17 spring games and is hitting .367. He's only 24 years old so some inconsistency is bound to crop up, but Wallace is an intriguing late-round pick.
3. Ike Davis, 1B, Mets. Like Wallace, Davis is another 24-year-old with upside that could end up being a good play as a corner infielder in fantasy. Look for him to eclipse 20 homers and bring 80 runs, 80 RBIs and a .280 average to your table.
THREE BUSTS
1. Trevor Cahill, SP, A's. The A's named Cahill their opening-day starter, but advanced stats indicate he's in for a correction this year. A FIP (fielding-independent pitching) of 4.19 last year made Cahill's 2.97 ERA appear unsustainable.
2. Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, Blue Jays. Every year he's tabbed as a sleeper, and every year he disappoints. He's 28 years old, so a late breakout isn't out of the question, but I'm not buying it.
3. Delmon Young, OF, Twins. Young's value came mainly from his 112 RBIs last year, and those can fluctuate based on opportunity. Plus, Young has been dealing with turf toe this spring.
MEDICAL REPORT
Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals. He's out for the season with Tommy John surgery. Don't be the one who forgets and thinks he's a value in the 20th round.
Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies. He'll likely start the season on the DL, and from there it's anyone's guess. Knee tendinitis has bothered Utley, and the Phillies have yet to give a definitive timetable for return.
Zack Greinke, SP, Brewers. Greinke fractured a rib playing pickup basketball and is out until mid-April at the bare minimum. He can no longer be considered a No. 1 fantasy pitcher.
Kendrys Morales, 1B, Angels. Morales won't make it back for opening day as he continues to have foot problems after missing most of last season with a leg fracture. We're hopeful of seeing him in April, meaning he could bring value in the middle rounds.
Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins. Morneau has cleared most of the hurdles concerning his post-concussion symptoms and could be ready to go for opening day. He's still an injury risk, but we're feeling more comfortable about him as a sixth- or seventh-round value pick.
Grady Sizemore, OF, Indians. Sizemore is making progress after returning from microfracture knee surgery. He will likely start on the DL, but he could return in April. Because of his surgery, though, don't expect the same basestealing prowess.
KEY POSITION NEWS
Neftali Feliz's role. Feliz is officially the Rangers' closer. We like that move; he's ranked as one of our top three at the position. Plus, we know what he can do there, as opposed to starting, where he'd be more of a question mark.
Phillies' RF fill-ins. Prospect Dominic Brown looked like he was the heir apparent to Jayson Werth, but then he broke his hamate bone. That left Ben Francisco and John Mayberry battling for at-bats in a mostly unappealing situation fantasy-wise.
Twins' fifth starter. Kevin Slowey lost to Scott Baker and could be headed out of Minnesota via a trade. Baker, meanwhile, is a solid late-round grab who could do well in pitcher-friendly Target Field.
Sources: http://aol.sportingnews.com
