Big Board: Baseball
By Brandon Funston, Yahoo! Sports Aug 9, 1:01 pm EDT
Big Boards: Football | Baseball | Basketball | Hockey
The Big Board takes into consideration past returns, current performance and expected future gains in determining who should be included among the top 50 fantasy baseball players. Essentially, the Big Board is a cheat sheet designed for a fantasy owner who is planning to participate in a draft today. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Baseball default scoring settings are used as the baseline for the Big Board, which is updated on a regular basis.
| Big Board 50: Baseball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Stock | Pvs. |
| 1 | Albert Pujols(notes), StL, 1B | Projected pace says it all: .324, 53 HR, 144 RBI, 126 R, 15 SB | 1 |
| 2 | Hanley Ramirez(notes), Fla, SS | NL BA leader (.343) keeps on delivering despite up-n-down health | 2 |
| 3 | Chase Utley(notes), Phi, 2B | All 5 roto stats positive value, and top 4 among MI in HR, RBI, R | 3 |
| 4 | Alex Rodriguez(notes), NYY, 3B | Top 5 value since June 24: .315, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 30 R, 6 SB, 37 G | 4 |
| 5 | Tim Lincecum(notes), SF, SP | No. 3 in Y! has fanned 8+ in 10 consecutive starts | 8 |
| 6 | Ryan Braun, Mil, 3/O | On way to 3rd straight 30-HR season to start career, 6 behind Pujols | 6 |
| 7 | Carl Crawford(notes), TB, OF | No. 1 roto value in combined BA/RBI/Runs/SB | 9 |
| 8 | Miguel Cabrera(notes), Det, 3B | Production less than we’d hoped, but recall 18 HRs in Aug/Sept. ’08 | 5 |
| 9 | Prince Fielder(notes), Mil, 1B | Top 3 player since May 3 (.321, 24 HR, 80 RBI, 62 R, 2 SB, 83 G) | 11 |
| 10 | Mark Reynolds(notes), Ari, 1/3 | Only 30/20 player, and Ian Kinsler(notes) only other in 20/20 club | 20 |
| 11 | David Wright(notes), NYM, 3B | Top 5 roto value in combined BA/Runs/SB | 10 |
| 12 | Joe Mauer(notes), Min, C | Past 15: .403, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 13 R | 16 |
| 13 | Justin Morneau(notes), Min, 1B | Career-best pace (.303, 41, 134, 109) if no typical Aug/Sept slide, | 13 |
| 14 | Mark Teixeira(notes), NYY, 1B | After enduring 23-game HR drought, has 8 HR in past 26 games | 15 |
| 15 | Evan Longoria(notes), TB, 3B | Like Teixeira, followed 18-game sans a HR w/ 8 in past 24 games | 19 |
| 16 | Jimmy Rollins(notes), Phi, SS | J-Roll(in’): Top 3 player since July 2nd (.322/7/25/27/12) | 50 |
| 17 | Matt Kemp(notes), LAD, OF | Consistent, 5-tool production has vaulted him into Y! top 15 | 34 |
| 18 | Raul Ibanez(notes), Phi, OF | Hardly skipped beat upon return from DL (.285/4/15/15/0 in 22 G) | 25 |
| 19 | Ichiro(notes), Sea, OF | Top 10 since May 15: .383, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 53 R, 18 SB, 75 G | 30 |
| 20 | Matt Holliday(notes), StL, OF | OPS at 1.316 in 1st 14 games following Pujols in the order | - |
| 21 | Derek Jeter(notes), NYY, SS | After 2-year hiatus, back among top 2 ranked roto SS | 21 |
| 22 | Ian Kinsler, Tex, 2B | Return from hamstring injury should be within the week | 7 |
| 23 | Dan Haren(notes), Ari, SP | Has allowed 5 R in back-to-back starts for 1st time since Sept. ’07 | 18 |
| 24 | Ryan Zimmerman(notes), Was, 3B | No. 1 hitter for past month: .327, 11 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 26 G | - |
| 25 | Bobby Abreu(notes), LAA, OF | Y! No. 12, July AL POM has been huge amidst LAA OF injuries | - |
| 26 | Johan Santana(notes), NYM, SP | 2.00 ERA in his 1st 11 starts, 4.19 ERA in past 11 starts | 14 |
| 27 | Roy Halladay(notes), Tor, SP | 2 straight losses (3.94 ERA) in his still-a-Blue Jay hangover | 26 |
| 28 | Manny Ramirez(notes), LAD, OF | As a Dodger: .347, 29 HR, 94 RBI, 72 R, 111 G | 31 |
| 29 | Nelson Cruz(notes), Tex, OF | Sprained ankle has put 20/20 (25/17) club induction on hold | 29 |
| 30 | Aaron Hill(notes), Tor, 2B | BA has dropped each month, but counting stats have stayed strong | 46 |
| 31 | Kevin Youkilis(notes), Bos, 1/3 | No. 38 in Y! trails only Pujols, Mauer, Fielder in OPS (.996) | 32 |
| 32 | Ryan Howard(notes), Phi, 1B | 11 G sans HR puts 4th straight 40+ HR campaign in doubt | 27 |
| 33 | Chone Figgins(notes), LAA, 2/3 | No. 35 in Y! has hit a bump in the road (0-for-16 in past 5) | 39 |
| 34 | Zack Greinke(notes), KC, SP | Just 3-6 with a 3.84 ERA since start of June | 17 |
| 35 | Chris Carpenter(notes), StL, SP | Injury fear factor is high, but you have to give it to him (Y! No. 9) | - |
| 36 | Pablo Sandoval(notes), SF, C/1/3 | Only C-eligible keeping Mauer from lapping the position | - |
| 37 | Nick Markakis(notes), Bal, OF | Expected late-season run underway: .330, 5 HR, 22 RBI past 24 G | 41 |
| 38 | Javier Vazquez(notes), Atl, SP | No. 26 in Y! is top 4 in K (164) and WHIP (1.05) | - |
| 39 | Adam Jones(notes), Bal, OF | Sweet 16: .290, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R, SB in past 16 G | 48 |
| 40 | Victor Martinez(notes), Bos, C/1 | Strong 1st week in BOS: .333, HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 7 G | 36 |
| 41 | Johnny Damon(notes), NYY, OF | Y! No. 37 on pace for career best 30 HR, 97 RBI, career-low 12 SB | 38 |
| 42 | Andre Ethier(notes), LAD, OF | Great 2nd-half hitter, and Manny’s return a big value saftey net | - |
| 43 | Justin Upton(notes), Ari, OF | DL halted .385, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R, 3 SB run in previous 13 G | 44 |
| 44 | Robinson Cano(notes), NYY, 2B | Top 5 2B in Y! has hit .350 in past 35 games | 47 |
| 45 | Josh Hamilton(notes), Tex, OF | Some signs of life of late keeps him hanging on the BB, barely | 24 |
| 46 | Brandon Phillips(notes), Cin, 2B | BB demotion spared by current 9-game run: .343, HR, 8 R, 2 SB | 33 |
| 47 | Carlos Lee(notes), Hou, OF | Past month turnaround: .351, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 13 R, SB | 42 |
| 48 | Felix Hernandez(notes), Sea, SP | Paltry past 3: 1-1, 5.80 ERA, 22 H, 4 HR, 11 BB, 11 K, 18.2 IP | 45 |
| 49 | Dustin Pedroia(notes), Bos, 2B | Power play: 4 HR, 8 RBI in past 13 G | 49 |
| 50 | Curtis Granderson(notes), Det, OF | Unsavory BA (.261), but soon to be 3rd 20/20 clubber (22/19) | 43 |
