| At FantasyPros911 a new countdown has begun. Its now 46 days until Outfielders have to mandatorily report on February 22, 2009! Yes, this column will cover the Outfield for the 2009 season and I am excited for that day to arrive. Until then, let the speculation begin!
Over the last few years we have heard how the Outfield is becoming a scarce position in our fantasy baseball drafts. If you are playing in a standard 12 team mixed league that has 5 outfielder slots and a utility slot that means 72 players could potentially be starters. Knowing this, it is not surprising that Outfielders are becoming scarce when you get to the bottom of your draft.
One of the best ways to prepare for your draft is to know who is being drafted and when, so you can then determine which of these players to target. If you can determine who the top 70 outfielders being drafted are, then you be can be prepared in many ways.
Prepare
- You can determine who you need to learn the most about and target your fantasy research on these players.
- Know who to target at which stage in the draft. Many fantasy players call this “Tiers”. Basically it is the ability to determine who will be available at different stages of your draft and be able to grab them when that stage comes up.
- If you know who the top70 are you now know any player who is not listed is a sleeper and is someone who should be available in the late rounds and the bench rounds of your drafts.
The List
To help you out here are the top 70 outfielders being taken according to MockDraftCentral.com as of Dec 31, 2008.
|
1 (7)
|
Grady Sizemore
|
|
36 (127)
|
Eric Byrnes
|
|
2 (9)
|
Josh Hamilton
|
|
37 (131)
|
Hideki Matsui
|
|
3 (11)
|
Ryan Braun
|
|
38 (136)
|
Brad Hawpe
|
|
4 (13)
|
Matt Holliday
|
|
39 (140)
|
Lastings Milledge
|
|
5 (17)
|
B.J. Upton
|
|
40 (145)
|
Xavier Nady
|
|
6 (20)
|
Manny Ramirez
|
|
41 (154)
|
Nick Swisher
|
|
7 (21)
|
Alfonso Soriano
|
|
42 (157)
|
Milton Bradley
|
|
8 (22)
|
Carlos Beltran
|
|
43 (168)
|
Jayson Werth
|
|
9 (23)
|
Ichiro Suzuki
|
|
44 (180)
|
Nelson Cruz
|
|
10 (25)
|
Carlos Lee
|
|
45 (183)
|
Jeremy Hermida
|
|
11 (29)
|
Carl Crawford
|
|
46 (186)
|
Pat Burrell
|
|
12 (33)
|
Nick Markakis
|
|
47 (192)
|
Denard Span
|
|
13 (34)
|
Jason Bay
|
|
48 (194)
|
Adam Jones
|
|
14 (36)
|
Carlos Quentin
|
|
49 (199)
|
Conor Jackson
|
|
15 (39)
|
Alex Rios
|
|
50 (206)
|
Willy Taveras
|
|
16 (40)
|
Vladimir Guerrero
|
|
51 (207)
|
Luke Scott
|
|
17 (42)
|
Matt Kemp
|
|
52 (211)
|
Justin Upton
|
|
18 (47)
|
Curtis Granderson
|
|
53 (213)
|
Ryan Church
|
|
19 (50)
|
Shane Victorino
|
|
54 (218)
|
Adam Lind
|
|
20 (53)
|
Magglio Ordonez
|
|
55 (219)
|
David Murphy
|
|
21 (56)
|
Corey Hart
|
|
56 (220)
|
Delmon Young
|
|
22 (58)
|
Nate McLouth
|
|
57 (222)
|
Andruw Jones
|
|
23 (61)
|
Bobby Abreu
|
|
58 (224)
|
Juan Pierre
|
|
24 (62)
|
Adam Dunn
|
|
59 (234)
|
Matt LaPorta
|
|
25 (73)
|
Jacoby Ellsbury
|
|
60 (235)
|
Jack Cust
|
|
26 (80)
|
Hunter Pence
|
|
61 (236)
|
Coco Crisp
|
|
27 (84)
|
Ryan Ludwick
|
|
62 (239)
|
Jose Guillen
|
|
28 (90)
|
Jermaine Dye
|
|
63 (240)
|
Cameron Maybin
|
|
29 (92)
|
Chris Young
|
|
64 (241)
|
Rick Ankiel
|
|
30 (104)
|
Vernon Wells
|
|
65 (243)
|
J.D. Drew
|
|
31 (106)
|
Jay Bruce
|
|
66 (244)
|
Jeff Francoeur
|
|
32 (109)
|
Torii Hunter
|
|
67 (248)
|
David DeJesus
|
|
33 (118)
|
Johnny Damon
|
|
68 (249)
|
Carlos Gomez
|
|
34 (119)
|
Raul Ibanez
|
|
69 (252)
|
Shin-Soo Choo
|
|
35 (123)
|
Andre Ethier
|
|
70 (259)
|
Michael Cuddyer
|
I highly recommend MockDraftCentral.com as a great place to practice your drafting and to premium members will get ADP info for all positions.
Now I may not agree with the way everyone is ranked above and I really don’t expect you to either. Lets take a quick look at the players who are NOT listed above.
Elijah Dukes, Michael Bourn, Ken Griffey, Aaron Rowand, Randy Winn, Mike Cameron, Josh Willingham, Ryan Spilborghs, Fred Lewis, Jason Kubel, Chase Headley, Carlos Gonzalez, Franklin Gutierrez, Kosuke Fukudome, Melky Cabrera, Gary Matthews, Skip Schumaker, Matt Joyce and Garret Anderson. Also missing are a few youngsters such as Travis Snider, Colby Rasmus, and Andrew McCutchen to name just a few.
See a few names in this second list worth drafting? Maybe a few more that I haven’t even mentioned yet? Well I do for sure. The Outfield doesn’t look so scarce now, does it.
Next week we will start dissecting these two lists a little more. In the meantime I have homework for you. List me your top five outfielders from that top 70 that you DON’T want in the comments below. See you next week.
Trackback(0)
|
(I'm a bit of a Cody Ross fan - I see him as much as better than Jack Cust - and I think Ross has a job and Cust might have to scrimp for ABs. But maybe I'm off.
McLouth worries me - I think he's top 50 - but I am not convinced that last year wasn't the top end rather than a baseline.
As a Cardinal fan - I worry about Ludwick too - but hope he was just a late bloomer...
Swisher/Nady/Matsui all worry me to some degree. I'm not sure what the ballpark effect will be on their stats and I'm not sure I trust they'll get enough ABs. I heard on one podcast that they're thinking about platooning Swisher/Nady?!
I heard it and if anybody could - the Yanks could - but I kinda hope not.
Not a believer in Brynes, Chris Young, or Brad Hawpe without Matt Holiday, but that's just me...