Fantasy Baseball Tools Will Return in October is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

Here is a look at some of the other notable names from Monday’s baseball contests:

Ryan Ludwick (CIN) – suffered a dislocated shoulder while sliding headfirst and will have an MRI on Tuesday. Chris Heisey becomes an immediate add in mixed leagues if Ludwick is out for an extended period of time.

Kyuji Fujikawa (CHC) – picked up his first major league save after closer Carlos Marmol was pulled in the ninth inning after allowing two hits and a walk. I had Fujikawa projected for more saves than Marmol so no real surprise here. Given that the Cubs are going to want to build up Marmol’s trade value as much as possible, he will probably have a little longer leash but Fujikawa is the guy to own.

John Axford (MIL) – had flashbacks of 2012 after Axford, who blew nine saves in 2012, blew his first save of the season against Colorado Monday. Hopefully if you own Axford you drafted / bought Jim Henderson as a handcuff.

Phil Coke (DET) – took the early lead in the closer by committee competition for the Detroit Tigers by retiring the final two Minnesota Twins to pick up his first save of the season.

Fantasy Baseball Opening Day – Collin Cowgill Slams Padres is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

Here is a look at some other names that had their fantasy value impacted on Friday.

Jackie Bradley (BOS) – no official announcement yet, but it looks like he makes the team and will start in left field with Jonny Gomes moving to designate hitter while David Ortiz is out of action. Given Bradley’s defensive abilities, I would expect him to have a chance to stick around in the major leagues once Ortiz return.

Kyle Blanks (SD) – the power-hitting outfielder was sent to Triple-A by the San Diego Padres Friday, despite hitting .359 this spring with three home runs. He was looking like a nice $1 play late in NL-only auctions until his demotion.

Jedd Gyorko (SD) – his overall value wasn’t impacted, but his position eligibility was with news he will start at second base against left-handed pitching until Chase Headley returns to action. That puts the timetable for when Gyorko will qualify at second base depending in your league requirements sometime in mid to late May.

Michael Fiers (MIL) – originally it looked like he was headed to the bullpen with the arrival of Kyle Lohse, but Friday the team announced Chris Narveson will be headed to long relief instead.

Lyle Overbay (NYY) – it was announced he made the Opening Day roster and he will start at first base against right-handed pitching. Not much value except in deeper AL-only leagues.

Eric Sogard (OAK) – will see the majority of at bats in a second base platoon with Scott Sizemore since he hits left-handed. Sogard was on fire this spring, hitting .480, but he carries little value in fantasy leagues.

Roberto Hernandez (TB) – named the 5th starter despite being outpitched by Jeff Niemann this spring. Given the depth of young arms in Tampa’s farm system, I would expect the trade to look to deal Niemann in the next week.

Andrew Cashner (SD) – looks to be headed to the bullpen with Tyson Ross getting the nod as the 5th starter. With a lack of talent at the back of the Padres rotation, I expect Cashner will still see a decent amount of starts in the rotation by the time the season ends.

Fantasy Impact of Roster Cut Downs – Tyler Colvin’s Value Takes a Hit is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

With the last week of fantasy baseball drafts nearly upon us, here is a look at some recent players in the news and the impact to their fantasy value.

American League:

Erasmo Ramirez – the Seattle Mariners made a surprising move by sending him to Triple-A and keeping Blake Beavan and Brandon Maurer for the last two spots in the rotation. I would still reserve Ramirez in AL-only formats if you have room, but I would drop him in mixed league play.

Rick Porcello – named 5th starter by the Detroit Tigers thanks to a 21/0 strikeout / walk ratio this spring. Drew Smyly will move to the bullpen to being the season. Regardless of the spring stats, it doesn’t change from ranking of Porcello. Smyly I would hold on to in AL-only formats on reserve if you have space.

Dylan Axelrod – named 5th starter by the Chicago White Sox, really has no fantasy value except in deeper AL-only leagues. He takes the rotation spot of John Danks who was placed on the disabled list to start the season.

J.A. Happ – named 5th starter by the Toronto Blue Jays with Ricky Romero being sent to Triple-A. Happ carries value in AL-only formats while Romero had a rough spring and should be off the fantasy radar for now.

Nick Tepesch – won the 5th starter job for the Texas Rangers but offers no fantasy value, even in AL-only formats.

National League:

David Freese – the third basemen will start the season the disabled list for the St. Louis Cardinals with a strained lower back. He should be back by the second week of the season, with Ty Wigginton or Daniel Descalso filling in while he is out.

Logan Forsythe – will start the year on the disabled list for the San Diego Padres which pushes Jedd Gyorko to third base and installs Alexi Amarista at second. Gyorko will have some nice position flexibility by qualifying at second and third base the first or second week of the season depending on your league position qualifications.

Dee Gordon – it shows how little Dodger’s management thinks of Gordon that he could not crack the 25-man roster even with an injury to Hanley Ramirez. Gordon will instead start the year off at Triple-A and will need an injury or slow start from Luis Cruz or Juan Uribe to get a shot.

Shaun Marcum – expected to start the season on the disabled list with a neck injury with Aaron Laffey taking his spot in the New York Mets rotation. Marcum should be avoided in mixed league formats for now.

Jon Garland – recently signed by the Colorado Rockies to become their 5th starter with Drew Pomeranz being sent to Triple-A to make room for him. I would have no interest in either player in any format.

Fantasy Value Risers – Vernon Wells Has Relevance Again is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

The injury pushes Eaton down roughly 20 spots in my fantasy baseball outfield rankings in annual draft leagues after knocking him down to 400 at bats. For keeper leagues, the injury has no impact on his long-term value.

St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte could be headed for the disabled list to start the season with a strained elbow. There is no timetable for his return until the team is able to conduct some further examinations in the next few days. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has named Mitchell Boggs as closer while Motte is out of action. Rookie Trevor Rosenthal will take over as the setup man in the 8th inning of games while Motte is out.

The news is not getting any better for starting pitcher Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. He was sitting at 86 to 89 miles per hour in his last start on Saturday facing the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A team. Halladay allowed seven hits and two earned runs in four innings with just one strikeout. Given his name and past performances, it may be tempting to keep him high on your draft board but I continue to move him down my list and I will probably avoid him altogether in my fantasy drafts.

The New Fantasy Baseball Ranking of Adam Eaton is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

While the Dodgers say they will turn to Luis Cruz at shortstop and some combination of Nick Punto and Juan Uribe at third base, that does little for fantasy owners except in deep NL-only leagues. The player to watch from Ramirez’s injury is shortstop Dee Gordon. Gordon struggled as a rookie last season, but his stolen base potential offers more fantasy upside than any of the other options the Dodgers have and he should get a shot at some point if the other alternatives struggle out of the gate.

The injury to Ramirez places further stress on fantasy owners picking at the top half of the draft in mixed league formats. Say you are in a 15 team mixed league picking in spots 1-5. Unless you reach for Troy Tulowitzki early, by the time your pick comes up in the second round, Tulo, Jose Reyes and Starlin Castro will likely be off of the draft board.

Then you are faced with the dilemma of reaching for Ben Zobrist, Jimmy Rollins or Ian Desmond in the third round because they will all be likely gone by your pick in round four. In addition to Hanley being out, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees could also miss some time at the beginning of the season with inflammation in the ankle he had surgery on last year. Given Jeter’s age (38) and the way the New York Yankees players have been dropping due to injury this season, I would have Jeter off my draft board as well.

The New Fantasy Baseball Ranking of Hanley Ramirez is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

For his fantasy baseball projection, I knocked 90 at bats off of his totals which puts his new fantasy baseball ranking right around Martin Prado which is in the $12-$13 for 15 team mixed format leagues and knocks him down five rounds in 15 team mixed format draft leagues. In terms of replacing Headley in the lineup, Logan Forsythe seems the likely candidate assuming he is healthy to start the season. Forsythe would get the start at third base with rookie prospect Jedd Gyorko getting the start at second.

In other injury news, Mark Teixeira announced over the weekend that he has a strained tendon in his wrist and is likely out of actin until June. I had originally knocked him down to 410 at bats when news of the injury was first reported back in early March, but now with the potential of surgery looming at some point this season, I am crossing him off of my draft board. Speaking of the Yankees, they added outfielder Brennan Boesch after he was waived by Detroit this past week. Since he will likely be platooned, he does not have much value in mixed leagues, but he is worth a couple of dollars at the end of an AL-only auction league.

Shortstop Stephen Drew of the Boston Red Sox was plunked in the helmet almost two weeks ago and was ruled out with a concussion. He has not yet been cleared for on the field activities so it looks like he will not be ready for the start of the season. Jose Iglesias will get the start at short while Drew is out but he brings nothing to the table in a fantasy league.

Starting pitcher Scott Baker of the Chicago Cubs is getting an MRI later this week after experiencing soreness in his elbow today. Baker is attempting to come back from Tommy John surgery and was originally scheduled to appear in the Cubs rotation sometime in mid-April. Watch for an update later this week before deciding whether to keep him on your draft list or not.

The New Fantasy Baseball Ranking of Chase Headley is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

Home Runs:

Khristopher Davis (MIL) – the outfielder is hitting .361 in 36 at bats with five home runs and 13 RBI. The problem for his fantasy value is the Milwaukee Brewers only sees him as a left fielder right now given his defensive issues and unless Ryan Braun gets suspended, it relegates Davis to a pinch-hitting role if he makes the team out of spring training.

Domonic Brown (PHI) – remember him? Once hyped outfield prospect is now several years removed from his high minor league ranking, but he has been making some noise this spring with four home runs in 56 at bats. He has also shown good plate discipline this spring with six walks and seven strikeouts. Outside of Ben Revere, the Phillies have two open outfield spots which gives Brown some interesting value late in mixed league drafts.

Aaron Hicks (MIN) – has taken the lead in the battle for the center field job in Minnesota with four home runs, 13 RBI and three stolen bases. Hicks would be making the jump from Double-A where he hit .286 in 472 at bats with 13 home runs, 61 RBI and 32 steals. His power and batting average figures to be below replacement level, but he draws a lot of walks which will help his runs scored and stolen base totals.

Stolen Bases:

Darin Mastroianni (MIN) – it looked like he had a chance to win the center field job in Minnesota this spring before Hicks caught fire. Mastroianni is hitting .391 this spring with three RBI and six stolen bases, giving him some nice value still in AL-only formats at the end of drafts.

Dee Gordon (LAD) – seems destined for Triple-A but has a shot to see action the second half of the season which makes him worth a bid of a couple of dollars at the end of NL-only auctions. He is batting .214 this spring with six stolen bases and seven runs scored in 28 at bats.

Billy Hamilton (CIN) – one of the fastest players in the minor leagues, Hamilton has stolen three bases this spring, but has been bothered of late by a strained hamstring and he has also struggled to make contact with nine strikeouts in 22 at bats. With his transition from shortstop to center field, he figures to spend most of 2103 in Triple-A giving him very limited value except in NL-only leagues for steals late in August or September.

2013 Spring Training Stat Leaders – Khristopher Davis Leads in Home Runs is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

Julio Teheran (+69 spots) – a combination of better mechanics, a better slider and more two seam fastballs have been paying dividends for Teheran thus far in spring. He has a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 18 strikeouts while holding hitters to a .087 batting average. This comes on the heels of his encouraging performance in the winter leagues where he posted a 3.23 ERA in 30 2/3 innings with 24 strikeouts. He looks locked in as the number five starter in the Braves rotation and makes for an interesting upside pick late in fantasy drafts

Wade LeBlanc (+63) – with several spots open at the back end of the Miami Marlins rotation, LeBlanc looks ready to claim one with nine scoreless innings so far this spring with no walks allowed and seven strikeouts. More of a NL-only option still at this point unless you play in an extremely deep mixed league.

Andy Dirks (+27) – the Detroit Tigers released outfielder Brennan Boesch which further strengthens Dirk’s grip on the left field job. Dirks is batting .301 this spring in 29 at bats with a home run and two stolen bases. I like him late in mixed leagues as an upside play with the potential for double figure home runs and steals.

Joaquin Benoit (+27) – from his stats, it would have looked like Benoit would have been given the opportunity to close for the Tigers, but rookie Brice Rondon has been given the first shot. Given Rondon’s struggles and the lack of closing options in relief, Benoit has a good shot to own the closer role full-time at some point this season.

Erasmo Ramirez (+23) – pitched better in 16 games with Seattle last season than he did in the minor leagues with a higher strikeout rate and less hits allowed per nine innings. He has worked six scoreless innings so far in spring with five strikeouts and he has some late round appeal in mixed league formats given his low WHIP ratio potential.

2013 Fantasy Baseball ADP Risers – Julio Teheran Climbing Draft Boards is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools

Here is a look at the 2013 fantasy baseball tiers for closers.

Tier 1:

Craig Kimbrel

There is a decent sized gap between Kimbrel and the next closer on the list given Kimbrel strikes out more batters than some 4th and 5th starters do.

Tier 2:

Jonathan Papelbon
Jason Motte

Tier 3:

Joe Nathan
Mariano Rivera
J.J. Putz
Sergio Romo
Rafael Soriano

Tier 4:

John Axford
Jim Johnson
Fernando Rodney
Tom Wilhelmsen
Rafael Betancourt

Tier 5:

Greg Holland
Glen Perkins
Huston Street
Addison Reed
Joel Hanrahan

Tier 6:

Chris Perez
Casey Janssen
Grant Balfour
Kenley Jansen
Ernesto Frieri

Perez, Janssen and Balfour have all been nicked up this spring. If healthy, I would move Janssen and Balfour up one tier and Perez up two.

Tier 7:

Steve Cishek
Jason Grilli
Jonathan Broxton
Brandon League

Tier 8:

Carlos Marmol
Jose Veras
Ryan Madson

If you are looking for 2013 fantasy baseball projections in an Excel format, check out our Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide now on sale for only $9.99.

To get more great fantasy baseball analysis and advice, sign up for our free newsletter at the top right hand side of the page.

2013 Fantasy Baseball Tiers for Closers – Craig Kimbrel Sits on Top is a post from: Fantasy Baseball Tools