Sleepers: Kansas City Royals

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Coco Crisp – Outfield (CF)

AKA Covelli Loyce Crisp, the “Breakfast Cereal”, at 29-years of age, has an opportunity at a re-birth, and the ability to influence some fantasy buzz should he get back on track after three forgettable seasons in Boston. Crisp will be depended on to leadoff what should be a more potent Royals attack, and could return to the level that made him very valuable in the fantasy world when he was with the Cleveland Indians.

This well-traveled original draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals was climbing his way to 20/20 type consideration before nearly derailing his career in Beantown. No one is certain as to what happened when he wore the Red Sox jersey; however, the ability to wipe the slate clean can be a refreshing, career-rescuing exercise.

Never one to strike out, or walk a bunch, Crisp relies on his high contact rate to get on base, and on his speed to move along around the bases. Should he add patience to his skill-set, this native of Los Angeles could be even more valuable.

Injuries have been a bit of a concern in recent years, but Crisp appears to be healthy and happy to be given the opportunity at hand. Kansas City can sometimes be a drowning pool for talent, as players can get uninspired by the lackluster play and constant battle to stay out of the basement. However, they are rounding out some talent in Missouri, to play at the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium, and could slowly creep up on the rest of the AL Central. Coco is hoping that he will be a big player in that shift, and motivation can do wonders. Crisp is a solid third of fourth option in a deep fantasy outfield, and can be depended on to raise his statistical value a notch in his new situation.

The Deep

Kila Ka’aihue – First Base

The big Hawaiian, drafted in 2002, has taken the long straining path to the majors. Ka'aihue got his first taste of a cup of coffee producing six hits (including his first MLB home run) in 21 AB’s at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

Still only 25-years old, Ka’aihue has the potential to become a big part of the movement in K.C. With decent power and the ability to drive in runs, this left-handed hitter also has a tremendous eye, discipline at the plate, and walks nearly as much as he strikes out. He has a low BA in his seven year minor league career (.262), but has worked on a new batting stance, which improved his numbers last season, where he split time in AA-Northwest Arkansas and AAA-Omaha, en route to a .314 BA in just over 400 AB’s.

His patience influences his effectiveness though, as he gets on base nearly two of every five AB’s (.380 career OBP). There are several roadblocks in his way before he can be an everyday consideration for the Royals line-up. A trade may be necessary for Ka'aihue to get a true shot, as the newly acquired Mike Jacobs, Ryan Shealy, top-prospect Eric Hosmer and even Billy Butler (even though he is probably going to be a career DH) are all higher in the Royals food chain. Time will tell, but with one of the cooler names in the rounds of baseball (his brother Kala Ka'aihue is also a first baseman toiling in the Atlanta Braves system, with the AA-Mississippi Braves) hopefully he’ll get a chance to display that there is more to him than his name.

Sleepers: Colorado Rockies

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Carlos Gonzalez – Outfield (CF/RF)

Uncertainty of who was going to start the season in the Mile High city as the Rockies everyday center fielder have slowly worked themselves out through spring training. It appears that they are choosing experience over potential, as rumours have them sending both Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler off to AAA-Colorado Springs. Gonzalez was introduced to major league pitching in 2008, making 302 plate appearances in 85 games of exposure. His success was limited in batting .242 and striking out at a frequency too high (3.72AB/K) to tolerate for a player they project as a top of the order guy.

His speed wasn’t really fitting in the typically sound running game found in Oakland, as he swiped only four bags in five attempts. A shining statistic that brings solace to fantasy managers waiting for Gonzalez to flourish, as he did in his six minor league seasons, is his .313 BA with RISP. He seems to be comfortable at the plate when he is ahead in the count, which may be something that experience will settle down; however, for now the Rockies are choosing to have him play every day and grow with another year of minor league seasoning.

Still only 23-years of age, this native of Maracaibo, Venezuela is going to get his shot on a full-time basis. Partnering with our “The Deep” outfield prospect, Dexter Fowler, I imagine that the Rockies outfield will begin to flourish with production in the near future.

Let’s hope for the Rockies sake that the key ingredient to the deal for Matt Holliday bounces back and gets his career on the right path. Expect Gonzalez to be a .280 hitter, with 20/15 contributions throughout his career. Not exactly Holliday-esque; however, good enough to be a solid third of fourth outfield option in deep leagues.

The Deep

Dexter Fowler – Outfield (CF)

Drafted in the 14th round, this 6-foot, 5-inch tall, slender switch-hitting talent wasn’t exactly sure how he’d fit in the Rockies system, which was seemingly overwhelmed with outfield talent. Fortunately the Rockies have big plans for the 23-year old Georgia product. If his steady year to year improvements are any indication on his plans to make the leap to the bigs, Fowler wants to make that leap sooner than later.

A career .301 hitter, Fowler doesn’t have tremendous home run power; however, he does have a knack for legging out a lot of doubles, and has used his speed on the base paths averaging 26 swipes a season. Dexter has a great eye at the plate, and walks almost as much as he whiffs, averaging 1.7K/BB, which makes him a valuable commodity in leagues that tally OBP. It is the finer qualities like this that allow players like Fowler to be valuable components on teams, as his ability to get on base provides the opportunities to steal bases with regularity, and also puts him in position to score an abundance of runs, as he averaged nearly a run a game (.81R/GP) throughout his four years riding the buses.

Fowler is everything that the Rockies would want and more in replacing Juan Pierre, a great lead-off type hitter that can get on base, move along and can be the catalyst to an offense that could use some flair right now. If injuries or slumps persist, don’t be surprised to see the Rockies go with a youth movement, as they have some chips in place to make a move such as that. I’m a fan of Dexter, and think that with a bit more exposure, you will be as well.

Sleepers: Cincinnati Reds

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Chris Dickerson - Outfield (LF/CF)

With below-average pop, and above average speed at the minor league level, Dickerson made the most of his brief opportunity in the post Adam Dunn era in Cincinnati in his 31 game audition. He made so much of an impression that he has not only shot up the ranks of Reds outfielders, but has basically been handed the job of starting left fielder by Reds’ brass. While manager Dusty Baker usually isn’t the greatest developing coach of talent, he is a noted fan of Dickerson, probably due to the fact that he will be a 26-year old rookie, with six seasons of minor league tweaks worked out. Regardless, the nephew of football great Eric Dickerson is on his way to deeming his own direction with his baseball career.

In last years’ debut, Dickerson showed some pop by knocking six longballs in only 102 AB’s (17AB/HR), which more than doubles the 38AB/HR in the minors. His .304 BA is also an increase to a mediocre .260 career average. Sometimes players that produce mid-level numbers are able to put it together in the big leagues. Is Dickerson one of those talents? Perhaps.

Playing in the launching pad called “The Great American Ballpark” is a huge advantage for a player with decent power. Considering that the Hollywood, California native has patience at the plate, and tends to walk at a decent rate, indicates the maturity in his plate presence. His speed can also get him out of trouble at times. Don’t expect the world from a player like Dickerson, but take a chance on him if you’d like a boost in the SB category, with some strong upside, and three category sleeper potential.

The Deep

Yonder Alonso - First Base

Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2005, Alonso went the college route and decided to attend the University of Miami, and was extremely successful along the way. With a career line of 185-.344-52-215-26, while playing 191 games, the 21-year old made the decision pay off big-time, as Alonso shot up the ranks and ended up being the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2008 draft. His wallet graciously thanks him, with the Reds deciding to lock him in with a deal that guarantees him $4.55 million, and keeps in him in Cincy through the 2012 season.

With a couple of prime left-handed bats (Joey Votto, who is also a first baseman, and outfielder Jay Bruce) already in their every day line-up, it may take a bit of time before he is exposed to any major league pitching. It is very clear though that the Reds are shoring up their attack against right-handed pitchers. Their assault will only be assisted further by playing their home games at such a hitter friendly park. In order to get the young Miami native into their line-up, perhaps a shift back to left field for Joey Votto is due. Either way, the Reds are slowly creating a 21st century version of the “Big Red Machine”, and are hoping the same amount of success is next to follow.

Sleepers: Boston Red Sox

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Jed Lowrie – Shortstop/Third Base

An injury to Julio Lugo has opened the door to Jed Lowrie being designated the opening day starting shortstop. Rest assured, if he has anything to say about staying in such a position, Lowrie is banking on his performance keeping him in the full-time slot, once Lugo is back in good health.

Without power or speed, many may wonder why he is considered a sleeper? Hitting anywhere in the potent Red Sox line-up offers something that not many teams can brag about. Whether Lowrie is penciled in the bottom third of the line-up, or sneaks his way up to the top of the order, he is going to see some pitches, with the opposing pitchers wanting to avoid the big sticks of Pedroia, Youk, Big Papi and J-Bay.

In a line-up that is loaded with offensive dynamos, Lowrie may be able to see enough quality pitches to bring back some of the great numbers from his college career. After averaging 48-.338-10-55-5 numbers at Stanford (average 60 game schedules), Lowrie has lost a little luster with the bat. What he lacks in pop, he makes up with his glove, as he is a very versatile and shifty defender, who won’t miss a beat playing either at short or at the hot corner in Beantown.

Another similar sized middle infielder that had limited success at the minor league levels, with statistics that are eerily similar to that of Lowries’ up to this point, made his way to Boston in recent years, and things seemed to have turned out alright as he was just awarded an A.L. MVP award. I’m not going to go out on a limb and say that Lowrie is the second coming of Dustin Pedroia; however, I will say that the table has been set for Lowrie to become a regular fantasy contributor.

With a patient presence at the plate, as expressed in his career K/BB ratio of 1.28/1 in 1530 career minor and major league at bats, to go along with the ability to get into scoring position, it’s clear that Lowrie will most likely contribute to your fantasy roster with a solid BA, dependable run-scoring totals and a high OBP, which is always a plus. Keep an eye on his early season production, and on both Lugo and Lowell’s rehab, to see if the former first round (supplemental round) draft pick will be a full season, 600+ AB contributor.

The Deep

Michael Bowden – Starting Pitcher

The Red Sox have certainly been producing some nice looking starting pitching talent in recent years. From no-hit kids Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, to Justin Masterson, to prospects with a promising future, such as right-hander Stolmy Pimental, and lefty Nick Hagadone. Add Bowden to the top of the list as the leader to climb on the mound regularly at Fenway, as he already has a start in Boston under his belt, in an impressive late season start against the White Sox, as reflected by his line of 5.0IP-7H-2ER-3K-1BB for his first major league win.

Bowden has top-of-the-rotation goods with three big league ready pitches. He has a dependable four-seam fastball that tops out in the mid-90’s, and has tremendous movement, followed up with a big breaking curve that seemingly handcuffs batters thinking it is out of the strike zone, with a big 12-to-6 break. He compliments those two with a mildly used circle change-up.

With excellent command of the zone, Bowden has been a K/IP type pitcher that walks 2.35/9IP. A full season in Pawtucket is more than likely the course, with the Sox having a log-jam for the fifth starters' position, which will allow Bowden to work on his secondary stuff. I’m certain that they will work him on his mechanics, and have him use the core of his body a bit more, so that he is not relying solely on his arm strength, which could improve his velocity and effectiveness to go deep into games.

Bowden doesn’t have too much to prove at this point in his minor league career. The Sox will probably want him to fine tune some of the aforementioned things. Once some of the final-year deals work themselves out, and older arms prove unworthy, he will suit up and be part of the rotation.

Turn off your lights Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m (local time). Unplug your TV, your computer, your DVD player - or just flick off the power bar you have them all plugged into.

Come on....we've got all season to check stats and change our rosters, right?!

So consider lighting some candles, and spending some time AWAY from the computer tonight! Maybe enjoy a little romance with someone special? Or take your dog for a walk through your neighbourhood that hour? It might give us all a chance to converse with some fellow homo-sapiens. Surviving ala " Little House on the Prairie " might be kind of fun. Afterall Charles Ingalls always seemed happy, and he didn't have an iphone!

Smile Planet Earth! Today between 8:30-9:30 p.m, we're all giving you a quiet candle-lit hug.

More Earth Hour Info Here.

Part I (The Basics)

This is the first in a series of articles on winning at daily fantasy baseball contests. For those who aren’t familiar with them, daily fantasy contests allow you to pick a team and win (or lose) based on the results of that day’s games. They’re perfect for those who like fantasy sports, but don’t have the time to maintain their team throughout the season. They’re also a great (legal) alternative to sports betting.

The most common format for daily fantasy contests are ‘salary cap’ contests, although some sites also offer a ‘live draft’ format for those who like the feel of a traditional draft. This article will cover some of the basis strategies needed to succeed in these contests. Future articles in the series will look at some more advanced topics.

Look for bargains – This is kind of obvious, but the salary cap limitations in these contests means that you’re not usually going to be able to use an all-star type lineup. You’re going to need to search out some undervalued players and use them. One common source of these is players who will have an expanded role today due to an injury to another player.

Check the news – Check the news to make sure that you’re not using anybody in your lineup who won’t be playing today. Lineups in these contests typically lock in after starting lineups are announced, so ideally you should make sure that your players are actually in the lineup.

Understand the rules – This goes for any format of fantasy baseball – you should always know the rules thoroughly. In particularly, the scoring system vary in different daily contest formats, and you should make sure you’re selecting players who fare well in the scoring system your contest uses. A player like Jason Giambi is a pretty valuable if your system uses walks, but not so much otherwise.

Larger contests require more risks – In a two person contest you should just go with the best possible lineup. In a larger contest (say 100 people), where the prize payouts are typically very top heavy, you’re going to need to take some chances to have a shot at the top spot. Play for 1st place…not 10th.

Take opponents into account – When you evaluate players for your team, consider who their opponent is today. For pitchers, how strong is the opposing lineup? How strong is the opposing starting pitcher? For hitters, how strong are the opposing starting pitcher and bullpen?

Take park factors into account – Where is the game being played? Ideally you want pitchers to be in favorable pitchers’ parks and hitters in favorable hitters’ parks, although there are plenty of cases when other factors may override this.

Alex Zelvin runs three websites. Draftbug offers daily fantasy sports contests.

Draftbug Millionaire tracks the progress of a group of fantasy baseball enthusiasts seeking to ‘go pro’ as fantasy sports players.

The Waiver Wire contains general fantasy baseball advice.

With the regular season just 9 days away we thought we’d give another quick preview of our daily pick-up column: The Shallow & The Deep.

The Shallow

Fred Lewis – Outfield (LF/CF)

Last season “Fast Freddy” Lewis swiped 21 bags while playing 133 games with the San Francisco Giants. He also hit a respectable .282 avg. – and banged out 9 homeruns in 468 AB’s before prematurely ending his breakout campaign with a bad case of bunions. Ouch. Lewis is not a power hitter by any stretch – but he should bat towards the top of an improving Giants line-up – and could easily elapse his production numbers from 2008 if he remains healthy all year. If you can spare the lack of big homer pop – Fred makes for a sweet 4th outfielder in most leagues.

Bonus: Lewis is also a serious triples threat! If you play in a league that counts triples as a stat - the lanky lefty hits the gaps of AT&T Park with fair regularity, and so it wouldn’t be out of the question if he slid his cool Oakley Radar Path shades into third plenty of times during ’09! Especially now that he’ll be doing so without them nagging bunions!

The Deep

Justin Masterson - Starting/Relief Pitcher

Depending on the health of Big Bad Brad Penny, the Boston Red Sox may start the year with the likeable Justin Masterson in the bullpen. A seemingly improved Clay Buchholz remains in the mix for the Bostonians rotation as well.

But really - No matter how the Opening Day pitching line-up looks – we think the tall righty with the ‘Eckersley like’ delivery will carve his way into the Red Sox rotation sooner than later. Seriously, does anyone feel for a second that Brad Penny, Tim Wakefield and Josh Beckett will cruise through 2009 injury free? We wouldn’t take that bet. But we would bet on Masterson capitalizing on his 2008 audition, and feel he’ll take to the hill to start games in Beantown during the ’09 season.

Bonus: Hey Mon - Did you know Justin was born in Kingston, Jamaica? Maybe he’ll lose the bic, and grow some Marley dreads? Let’s hope not. Jon Papelbon might mistake him for another “clubhouse cancer!”

Watch Justin Masterson mow down Jose Tabata in a Minor League Game. If you listen closely you can hear Tabata’s 43 year old wife in the stands selling infants!

“Popcorn! Peanuts!…Babies!”

Sleepers: Tampa Bay Rays

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Matt Joyce – Outfield (LF/RF)

Why, oh why would the Detroit Tigers deal this left-handed potential power house when he was seemingly coming into his own? Especially when one of their issues throughout the 2008 season was the need for another left-handed bat in their line-up?

I understand all of the hype and love for the 25-year old Edwin Jackson that he was dealt for. However, thinking that Jackson will turn into anything more than a decent third rotation option is simple hype-machine madness. I get it, the potential just oozes out of his skin; but eventually, we will all see that this move will be chalked up as yet another miscue in the reign of Dave Dombrowski.

Back to Joyce…Yes, his .252 average makes you a bit uneasy in the stomach. Yes, the more men on base or in scoring position, the lower that that sub-standard average dipped. Yes, he strikes out at a 3.72AB/K ratio. So then why in the world would we be voicing our outrage towards Dombrowski for what seems to be a good move considering the Tigers pieced together rotation has more holes than A-Rods’ stories in his on-going fight to save his “image”? All Joyce has done is shown that he was built for Comerica’s vast outfield by showing monster extra base strength as more than 50% of his hits were for more than one bag (61H, 16-2B, 3-3B, 12-HR).

The strikeout ratio may be attributed to youth, as in his four seasons of minor league ball he had a much easier to swallow 4.75AB/K ratio. At 25, he was thrown into a line-up with immense talent and surrounded by great hitters, which will only help his development. He has a great glove and can play any outfield position, not to mention going to a much younger Tampa team will probably boost up his value even more.

His spring training debut was held up due to injury, which may affect his positioning on the opening day roster; however, with a pair of Gabes' in right-field (Kapler and Gross), and all-star Carl Crawford in left, Joyce may have to earn his keep in a limited role to start. Once given the opportunity though, we at WaiverSharks.com feel that this kid is for real. Keep a close eye on the Rays outfield situation, as Joyce may see regular action soon.

The Deep

Jeremy Hellickson – Starting Pitcher

This fourth-round pick from 2005 has been slowly meandering through the minor league ranks, and is now ready for a break-out. Hellickson is a very intriguing right-handed pitcher with pinpoint control, as expressed in his career K/BB ratio of 5.28/1. As with most of the Rays stockpile of young pitchers, they have been both patient, and willing to have him dominate year after year, as not to throw him to the wolves prior to being ready both mentally and physically. He may be en route to a full year of development at the AAA level in Durham to work on his apt to give up the long ball (15HR in 75.1IP in AA-Montgomery last season).
With an impressive four year record of 28-11, along with an ERA of 2.80, this 21-year old product of Hoover High (Des Moines, Iowa) still has some seasoning, as he looked out of place at times after dominating the lower levels of the minor league. That’s why a season in Durham may be required for him to work on his slider and change-up in getting it major league ready.

With a delivery similar to Brad Penny, but a frame more like Scott Kazmir, Hellickson more resembles a power pitcher and has the arsenal and goods to back it up. With a stable of primed young arms, and a cluster of 27-year olds, or younger starters, already taking the mound in Tampa (Shields-27, Kazmir-25, Garza-25, Sonnanstine-25, Price-23 and even Jeff Niemann-25), it appears that it may still be some time until Hellickson will get an honest shot.

The first few months of the 2009 season will be telling, as if he does well, he may be a valuable piece used as trade bait, because pending the position of the Rays, they may be active buyers when the dog days of summer arrive.

Sleepers: Texas Rangers

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

David Murphy - Outfield

Originally drafted in the first round (17th overall) by the Boston Red Sox, Murphy toiled away in the minors for nearly five full seasons prior to getting a shot at the bigs. And until a knee injury derailed what was turning into a wonderful rookie season for this Texas Ranger outfielder, the Houston native was on pace for an impressive 85-.275-20-98-9 line.

After putting up mediocre minor league numbers (average of 51-.273-8-52-9), which led to the BoSox giving up on his formidable talent, it seems that the 27 year-old has peaked at the right time, and provided the Lone Stars with a pleasant dilemma to solve heading into the 2009 season. The reason they have an issue on their hands is because the injury gave way to Nelson Cruz, and allowed him to play every day, and with Marlon Byrd still in the mix, it has somewhat pushed the forgotten Murphy into a possible platoon situation. Projected to get the bulk of the starts, especially against right-handers, Murphy can use “The Ballpark at Arlington” to pump up his statistical drive, which may influence his fantasy value.

Keep an eye as spring training comes to a close, as both Byrd and Murphy have done well. With both coming back from off-season knee surgeries, a platoon may be a way of keeping them healthy. One way or the other, at some point, one will get more at bats. In hopes of watching his growth continue, we hope that it’s David Murphy’s name that gets penciled in the six slot of that potent Rangers offense more than naught.

The Deep

Neftali Feliz - Starting Pitcher

Still with the big club heading into the final stretch of spring training, Feliz is well aware that he is not going to start the season with the Rangers when they head to Texas. However, he is also aware that he has made quite an impression. The Rangers want to both keep and expose him to as much major league talent as they can, prior to shipping him to Oklahoma City for his first taste of AAA ball.

Since Feliz has had a large amount of success to this point in his three minor league seasons, going 12-8 with a 2.85 ERA, while striking out 250, and walking only 89, he still only has 198.2 IP to this point. There is no need to push the 20-year old product of Azua, Dominican Republic, into a situation in Arlington where he can get rocked around the notorious hitters’ park.

A key stat that sticks out like a sore thumb is the measly five HR’s that have been hit off of the right handed fireballer. Imagine if the work that he has been putting in, to add to his two pitch dependency (fastball, slider), pans out and he is able to add a major league level curveball, or a change-up. I smell trouble for anyone that steps up in the batters’ box upon his arrival that should take him lightly.

The Braves usually don’t give up too much of their young pitching talent; however, in squeezing Mark Teixeira away from the Rangers, it appears that they dealt away a kid that will pan out as part of another organization.

(August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009)

“Well, Good Evening everyone – and welcome to Tigers Baseball.”

“This ball’s hit deep! Waaaaaaaaay back! Could be! (pause) And it is!”

George Kell (seated) passed away today at the age of 86.

Just a couple phrases many residents of the Detroit/Windsor area grew quite fond of hearing as they settled in to watch a Tigers baseball game for several decades.

A few days ago, while heading out to run some errands, I broke into my best George Kell impersonation on the way to the grocery store. Although I hadn’t heard his friendly Arkansas drall for over ten years – the play by play announcer I grew up listening to call Tiger Ballgames was still firmly engrained in my brain.

The Detroit Tigers were truly blessed when they acquired the 10 time All-star. Despite being small in stature (He was 5’7”) George Clyde Kell – played with a gentleman’s tenacity, and enough heart & determination to become a Hall of Fame third baseman, as well as a legendary broadcaster.

Thank-you Mr. Kell. You touched the lives of many, and you will be sorely missed.