Win My Fantasy League

15 Draft Prospects that can make an impact in 2012 Fantasy Football

Rizzla — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:37:44 +0000

For this lists purposes we will take a look at the top two prospects at quarterback, seven at wide receiver and six at running back.

We will try to focus on the players projected to have the biggest impact in year one and not over the entire course of their career.

Andrew Luck – By now we have all heard of Andrew Luck; Luck is being hailed as perhaps the most NFL ready QB in years and is all but destined to be Peyton Manning’s successor in Indianapolis. The only way Peyton stays with the team is if he restructures his contract and allows roster bonus money to be converted into incentives.

Robert Griffin III – RG3 beat out Luck for the Heisman this year and has many asking if he is the next Cam Newton. RG3 has an impressive pedigree but is no Cam Newton. RG3 projects as a better passer than Newton did (prior to breaking NFL rookie passing records in 2011) but as an inferior runner. He still has good speed as evidenced by his nine rushing touchdowns and 4 yards per carry clip, but is in the first overall conversation largely due to his passing ability. Griffin may well have a better fantasy season than Luck due to his ability to scramble.

Other QB’s to watch: Brandon Weeden, Ryan Tannenhill and Brock Osweiler.

WR’s

Justin Blackmon – Blackmon seems destined to be the first wideout off the board in April and with good reason. Blackmon looks like a cant miss prospect who will be a serious asset in PPR leagues next year.

Alshon Jeffery – Jeffery is a big time prospect whom scouts are waiting to see a 40-time from, if he can run a 4.4, he will likely be the 2nd wideout drafted and potentially have a career as a number one in the NFL. 4.5 or slower will likely mean he is destined for a role as a number two receiver.

Michael Floyd – Floyd, like Jeffery is a prospect scouts are waiting to see an official 40-time from. He has great hands and can be lined up out wide or in the slot. He has off-field concerns but none of that matters for fantasy owners. If he lands on the right team he can step right in as the teams number one receiver, especially if he can manage a 4.4 40-time.

Kendall Wright – Wright is a raw receiver who if he can put it all together is primed for a bright future in both real and virtual gridiron. Separation and ball skills were notable issues in college so he will have to add some muscle without sacrificing the speed that makes him a top prospect. If he can run a sub 4.4 speed as predicted he may be the second receiver taken in the draft.

Reuben Randle – His 17.3 yards per catch at LSU this past season is more indicative of his talent level than were his total receptions or yardage on the season. Randle will be a better pro than a college player and could really shine in a west coast offense where he could potentially pile up the receptions.

Mohamed Sanu – Sanu looks to be a very interesting prospect and was a prolific receiver at Rutgers. Sanu is a play-maker who can solidify himself as a first round caliber talent with a good 40-time at the combine.

Dwight Jones – Jones is a sleeper in the respect that his college stats are not indicative of his skill level. Jones has the measurables coaches dream of and if he can run a good 40-time he could go ahead of many of the names ahead of him on this list.

Trent Richardson – Trent Richardson is the most NFL ready first round talent running back we have seen in the last few years. He is primed to become an instant starter for most teams in the NFL and has the makings of an every-down back. Put him atop your dynasty league cheat sheets if you happen to have the first overall pick.

LaMichael James – He is projected as nothing more than a change of pace/third down back but James has the talent to force his teams hand. Ideally he would be paired with a power back with both runners getting about 15 carries a game. James has PPR stud written all over him, especially if he lands on a potent offense.

Lamar Miller – Miller looks like a first round talent and has feature back written all over him. Of course as we all know, his landing spot will dictate his fantasy success for the 2012 season but this is a name to remember regardless of where he lands. Miller will be a good end of the draft sleeper for those of you who take advantage of the early August drafts.

Chris Polk – At 5’11, 224 lbs Polk has the measurables to potentially put up one of the best speed scores of any running back in this draft class. The speed score rating correctly predicted the lack of elite skills on the part of Knowshown Moreno and also predicted that Ben Tate and DeMarco Murray were among the best prospects in their draft classes, something we all know to be true.

David Wilson – Ball security notwithstanding Mr. Wilson looks the part of a tantalizing prospect. Very much the same as with Polk, Wilson is a 5’11, 222 lbs running back expected to run a sub 4.45 40-time which will likely land him one of the best speed scores in the draft. We are big on speed scores here at Win My Fantasy League as we believe in it as a effective utility to help predict future success in the NFL. Wilson had a prolific 2011 campaign and could emerge as a featured runner in his first year in the NFL.

Doug Martin – There was a time when people thought 5’9 was too short for an NFL running back. Enter bowling balls MJD and Ray Rice and the compact frame is coming back into ‘fashion’. Weighing in at 215-220 lbs Martin will be a load to take down and has displayed the reliable hands that will undoubtedly make him an every-down running back in the NFL someday.

Written by Win My Fantasy League Senior Sports Writer/Fantasy Sports Analyst Raju Byfield (Rizzla).

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Pitcher: Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees

zgreub — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:21:07 +0000

Kuroda has had only one winning season in his four year career, all previously with the Dodgers, but has a career ERA of just 3.45. He recorded 16 losses, a career high, for the Dodgers in 2011 but at the same time only gave up 3.07 runs a game while striking out 161 batters in 202 innings, all career highs.

The run support was not there at all for Kuroda last season. Fast forward to today and Kuroda has all the run support he could ever want in New York. If he can maintain his career ERA I wouldn’t be surprised to see 15 wins in 2012.

Written by winmyfantasyleague.com contributor Zach Greubel.

Week 16 Fantasy Basketball Pickups: International Edition

J-Has — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:36:11 +0000

In week 15, among the top fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups is a Mexican, a Turk, an Argentinian and an American that had been playing in China.

The New York Knicks continue to make headlines, signing sharpshooter J.R. Smith a few days ago after J.R.’s Chinese team was eliminated from the playoffs. Arguably the smartest backcourt in the NBA, Jeremy Lin (Harvard) and Landry Fields (Stanford) should remain in tact for the forseeable future, but look for J.R. Smith to be the first guard off the bench. Steal-machine Iman Shumpert will be most negatively affected by J.R. and will likely be relegated to a 2-category contributor – 3′s & steals. J.R. Smith has the fifth highest career three-point percentage among active players and in the up-tempo Lin-led offense, Smith should average at least two three-pointers per game. The anticipated return of Carmelo Anthony will not hurt J.R. as the reduced touches will be offset by the open threes as a result of Carmelo being double teamed.

Ersan Ilyasova has finally been inserted into the Milwaukee Bucks starting lineup. The versatile Turk should now be universally owned (currently 51% in Yahoo leagues and 75% in ESPN leagues). Over the past 2 weeks, Ilyasova has averaged 15 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1 three-pointers per game, while shooting over 48%. Ersan has always had the fantasy potential, the only issue has been the minutes and the consistency. With the long term injury to teammate Andrew Bogut, Ilyasova’s minutes has increased significantly and he has managed to average the extremely rare one three and one block average per game.

Gustavo Ayon is one of the more intriguing pickups as this Mexican rookie has been a huge beneficiary of the injuries to the New Orleans Hornets frontcourt. Carl Landry, Emeka Okafor and Jason Smith are all injured, none of whom are expected to return until after the All-Star break. Jason Smith may be the first to return (day-to-day with a concussion), but is also the weakest threat to Ayon. Gustavo Ayon has averaged 12.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block per game over the past three games. Yes, he may be a short term add because Okafor and Landry should be back on the court after the All-Star break, but don’t forget that New Orleans is among the worst teams in the NBA, meaning that the young players should get more minutes than normal. Also, current Hornets starting center Chris Kaman may be traded, further opening up the frontcourt minutes. Gustavo is an ideal pickup for leagues with weekly game limits because he will produce as long as he continues to start, but will be irrelevant with a healthy Hornets frontcourt.

Whether it was erratic minutes or shooting slumps, Carlos Delfino one of the most inconsistent players this season. However, over the past two weeks, the Argentinian has averaged a remarkable 17 points, 2.3 threes, and 2 steals per game. Even when Delfino is at his best, he is limited to a 3-category contributor, if you need help in those categories, he is a strong add. He is currently on the waiver wire of 47% of ESPN leagues and 34% of Yahoo leagues.

Written by Justin Hasan exclusively for WinMyFantasyLeague.com

Comment below or e-mail him at JHas@WinMyFantasyLeague.com

Fantasy Baseball 2012: Starting Pitcher Tiers (Updated)

zgreub — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:02:45 +0000

Your fantasy baseball drafts are right around the corner. Here’s my attempt at separating 40 starting pitchers into eight tiers.

Tiers are very subjective and one player could easily be considered just good enough or just bad enough to be in the next higher or lower tier.

Let me know what you think. Also check out my fantasy baseball first basemen tiers, second basemen tiers, shortstop tiers, third basemen tiers, and catcher tiers.

Tier 1: Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee

Halladay had his usual Cy Young award-worthy season and is the most consistent pitcher in baseball. I wouldn’t consider it crazy to take him with any pick in the first round.

Tier 2: C.C. Sabathia, Jered Weaver, Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum

Since when does Tim Lincecum record more losses than wins? He went 13-14 in 2011 but still had the strikeouts he usually gets (220) and a great ERA (2.74).

Tier 3: Dan Haren, Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, Josh Johnson, David Price, Matt Cain

Haren didn’t get a lot of attention because of Jered Weaver’s success last season, but he actually had only two fewer wins (16) and more IP than Weaver. Cain is a very Abel pitcher, especially in the NL West, except for at Coors Field. He doesn’t get the attention he deserves in a deep Giants pitching staff, but fantasy owners can appreciate 221.2 IP and a 2.88 ERA. His 1.083 WHIP was a career high

Tier 4: C.J. Wilson, Ian Kennedy, Yovani Gallardo, Jon Lester, James Shields

Last season was the first time in three years that Lester didn’t pitch at least 200 innings, but he still had great numbers with 15 wins, 3.47 ERA and 182 Ks.

Tier 5: Madison Bumgarner, Daniel Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Stephen Strasburg, Yu Darvish, Michael Pineda, Adam Wainwright

There are a lot of questions with this group, but a lot of potential as well. Strasburg and Wainwright are coming off Tommy John surgery but when they’re healthy they’re two of the top 10 pitchers in the league.

Tier 6: Josh Beckett, Ricky Romero, Brandon Beachy, Mat Latos, Chris Carpenter, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmerman, Hiroki Kuroda, Matt Moore

Romero should be proud of himself. He pitches in the AL East, he’s not on the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays, and he still posted an ERA under 3.00. That’s pretty impressive, especially for pitching 225 innings. Latos was 9-14 last season but he has a career 3.37 ERA. Cueto missed some time due to injury in 2011, but in 24 games he still posted a 9-5 record and a 2.31 ERA. Kuroda will finally get the run support he’s been looking for with the Yankees; 15 wins aren’t out of the question for him. Cueto missed some time due to injury in 2011 but in 24 games he still posted a 9-5 record and a 2.31 ERA. Kuroda will finally get the run support he’s been looking for with the Yankees. Fifteen wins aren’t out of the question.

Tier 7: Matt Garza, Gio Gonzalez, Anibal Sanchez, Cory Luebke, Shaun Marcum, Brandon Morrow, Jeremy Hellickson, Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez hasn’t been his same self since his All-Star worthy 19-8 record in 2010 with the Rockies. He gives up too many runs but his strikeouts are still up there (62 Ks in 65.1 IP with the Indians).

Tier 8: Jaime Garcia, Max Scherzer, Ervin Santana, Alexi Ogando, Jhoulys Chacin, Justin Masterson, Jair Jurrjens

Santana had the lowest ERA and most innings pitched of his career in 2011, 3.38 and 228.2, respectively.

Written by winmyfantasyleague.com contributor Zach Greubel.

Fantasy Basketball Week 15 Pickups: Contenders vs. Pretenders

J-Has — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:29:04 +0000

In a season where teams are forced to play back-to-back-to-back games, injuries have understandably been piling up in the NBA. At the beginning of the season, after the Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups acquisitions, who would have thought that Mo Williams would be a 5-category producer?

With five point guards on the New York Knicks roster (Shumpert, Douglas, Bibby, Baron, & Lin), who would have thought that Jeremy Lin would be fantasy relevant in 2012? For the record, I did introduce the basketball community to Jeremy Lin back in 2010. Usually, when a key player gets injured, fantasy owners are quick to pick up their replacements, but every situation and player is different.

Without further adieu, below is an analysis of the latest trending fantasy pickups and whether they are fantasy contenders or fantasy pretenders.

Randy Foye secured himself a spot in the Clippers starting lineup the day that teammate Chauncey Billups injured his Achilles tendon. With Mo Williams thriving in his sixth man role and with Eric Bledsoe still injured, Foye will get ample minutes playing alongside Chris Paul. So far this season, Foye has averaged 11.2 points, 1.9 three-pointers, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks per game as a starter this season. Expect similar across the board numbers as the full-time starting shooting guard in Lob-City. Foye is a fantasy contender and should be picked up from the waiver wire in almost all formats.

Daniel Gibson has started the last 3 games for Cleveland in place of Anthony Parker and has per game averages of 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.8 three-pointers, and 1 steal. Keep in mind that Kyrie Irving has been out with a concussion for the past three games. However, once he returns, he will likely take over for Ramon Sessions, meaning that Gibson should continue to start. Gibson’s fantasy value is tied to AnthonyParker’s health, whom has been out since January 9th with back spasms. As there is no timetable for the 36-year old’s return, Gibson should be productive for the next few weeks. He is extremely undersized for the shooting guard position, so he may not product against some of the bigger backcourts in the NBA. But if you are in need of three-pointers, he is one of the best options out there.

Chase Budinger has been on fire over the past three games, averaging 16 points, 5.3 rebounds and a whopping 3.3 threes per game. Although he continues to come off the bench for the Houston Rockets, he averaged just under 30 minutes per game over this span. Head Coach Kevin McHale punished his starters over the past few games, giving them less court time than the reserves and Budinger has benefited the most. Although Budinger will continue to be a source of threes (closer to 2 per game), his scoring and rebounds will drop as it is only a matter of time before the Houston starters get the message and return to their regular minutes. Budinger’s advantage is that he is backing up the often injured Kevin Martin and the inconsistent Chandler Parsons. Nevertheless, Bud is very limited in his fantasy value as his streaky shooting and lack of contribution across the board relegates him in the pretender group.

Corey Brewer started at Small Forward for the Denver Nuggets and scored 19 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, stole the ball twice and knocked down a three-pointer. With Danilo Gallinari out for at least a month with an ankle injury, Nuggets head coach George Karl elected to keep Rudy Fernandez in his familiar bench role and start the athletic Brewer. Although Brewer is a gifted defensive player, his fantasy value is limited to steals and occasional threes even if he continues to start. In 24 starts as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010-11, Corey averaged 9.7 points, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers per game. With his poor shooting percentages and limited upside (already in his 5th year), I would hold off on picking up Brewer unless you are in the deepest of leagues.

Written by Justin Hasan exclusively for WinMyFantasyLeague.com

Comment below or e-mail him at JHas@WinMyFantasyLeague.com

2012 Fantasy Baseball: Catcher Tiers

zgreub — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:28:17 +0000

Your fantasy baseball draft(s) are right around the corner. Here’s my attempt at separating 20 catchers into five tiers.

Tiers are very subjective and one player could easily be considered just good enough or just bad enough to be in the next higher or lower tier.

Let me know what you think and check out my first basemen tiers, second basemen tiers, shortstop tiers, and third basemen tiers.

Tier 1: Carlos Santana, Mike Napoli, Brian McCann, Buster Posey

Napoli was a fairly big surprise in his first season in Texas. He had career highs in AVG (.320), HR (30) and RBI (75).

Tier 2: Alex Avila, Joe Mauer, Matt Wieters, Miguel Montero

Avila shouldn’t have a problem being full time catcher for the Tigers in 2012. His numbers rivaled those of teammate Victor Martinez, and that’s saying a lot.

Tier 3: J.P. Arencibia, Yadier Molina, Russell Martin, Geovany Soto

Just over one-fourth of Arencibia’s hits were home runs in 2011 (24/97). Soto has been inconsistent so far in his career but he has hit 17 HR each of the past two seasons.

Tier 4: Kurt Suzuki, Wilson Ramos, Chris Iannetta, Jonathan Lucroy

Believe it or not but Suzuki is one of the best fantasy options on the A’s. Ramos is a sleeper, hitting 15 HR and 52 RBI in his first season in the big leagues.

Tier 5: Ryan Doumit, Salvador Perez, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez

Perez is a guy to keep an eye on. He only played in 39 games in 2011 but he had a .331 AVG and 21 RBI in that span of time.

Written by winmyfantasyleague.com contributor Zach Greubel.

2012 Fantasy Baseball: Third Basemen Tiers

zgreub — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:07:24 +0000

Your fantasy baseball draft(s) are right around the corner. Here’s my attempt at separating 25 third basemen into six tiers.

Tiers are very subjective and one player could easily be considered just good enough or just bad enough to be in the next higher or lower tier.

Let me know what you think and check out my first basemen tiers, second basemen tiers, and shortstop tiers.

Tier 1: Jose Bautista*, Evan Longoria

In just 483 at-bats in 2011, Longoria hit 31 HRs and 99 RBIs.

Tier 2: Michael Young*, David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Adrian Beltre

The fences have been brought in and the walls have been lowered at Citi Field. If Wright can stay healthy, he could definitely be a top five-third baseman this season. Zimmerman was another star third baseman who missed a lot of time in 2011. But when he sees 600 ABs or more in a season, he’s good for at least 25 HRs and 85 RBIs, not to mention around a .300 batting average.

Tier 3: Kevin Youkilis, Alex Rodgriguez, Pablo Sandoval

Sandoval hit 23 HRs and 76 RBIs in just 426 ABs in 2011. Youkilis only played in 120 games in 2011 but still hit 17 HRs and 80 RBIs.

Tier 4: Brett Lawrie, Aramis Ramirez, Emilio Bonifacio*, Mark Reynolds, Jhonny Peralta

It’s hit or miss with Reynolds, but the past four seasons he has averaged 35 HRs. Peralta had one of the best seasons of his career while helping the Tigers to the playoffs. He eclipsed 20-plus HRs and 80-plus RBIs in the same season for just the second time in nine seasons.

Tier 5: Chipper Jones, Ryan Roberts, Martin Prado*, David Freese

Roberts came out of nowhere en route to 19 HRs, 65 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 2011. He was and is an integral part of Arizona’s lineup.

Tier 6: Pedro Alvarez, Danny Valencia, Mike Moustakas, Edwin Encarnacion*, Chase Headley, Daniel Murphy*, Lonnie Chisenhall

There’s a lot of upside in this group, specifically in Alvarez and Moustakas. They are each capable of 20+ HR and 80+ RBI.

*Not primary position but eligible for third base

Written by winmyfantasyleague.com contributor Zach Greubel.

Is Jeremy Lin for real?

Rizzla — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:54:41 +0000

This has been a hotly debated question since Linsanity begun and the answer here is a simple yes.

He has opportunity and the right system for him to flourish, so as long as he is getting the requisite minutes Lin should continue to put up fantasy starter worthy numbers for the New York Knicks.

Lin has averaged an amazing 25.5 points, 9 assists and 1.5 steals on .613% shooting in two starts for the Knicks and has stunned NBA fans the world over in the process.

He wont be able to maintain the scoring average once Carmelo Anthony and Amare return, but it is well within reason to be hopeful that his assist average may actually climb when the teams two best players return to the lineup.

Baron Davis also looms in the background but there is no reason to believe that Mike D’Antoni wont run with Lin until the wheels fall off.

In four February games to date Lin has averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 assists and 1.3 steals on .547% shooting as his skill set is proving a perfect mesh with Mike D’Antoni’s system.

Lin is currently available in 39 percent of Yahoo! leagues and should be picked up wherever available.

Written by Win My Fantasy League Senior Sports Writer/Fantasy Sports Analyst Raju Byfield (Rizzla).

Fantasy Basketball Hot Pickups – Week 14

Rizzla — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:49:04 +0000

Jeremy Lin – Former Golden State Warrior Jeremy Lin is tearing it up for the New York Knicks with eye-popping averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .513% shooting over the past week. Lin is available in 39 percent of Yahoo! leagues and is a must-add wherever available.

Marcus Camby - Despite a slow start to the season veteran center Marcus Camby has really picked it up as of late. He is averaging 12.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 4 points per game over the past two weeks (seven games) and is a top-15 player in the Yahoo! game over that time. Camby is still available in 34% of Yahoo! leagues.

Jared Dudley – Jared Dudley has cracked the top-25 with his inspired play over the past two weeks. He is averaging an incredible .516% shooting, 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.7 threes per game over his past seven contests and is now living up to his pre-season hype. Dudley is still sitting on the wire in 35 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Drew Gooden – Still available in 34 percent of Yahoo! leagues, it is obvious some owners did not get the memo about Andrew Bogut being injured and Gooden starting in his place for another two months. Gooden started really hot but has cooled recently, but has still managed to average 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and .8 blocks on .530% shooting over the past two weeks. Gooden should be acquired wherever available.

Trevor Booker – The Washington Wizards sophomore is making a name for himself in fantasy thanks to his 1.9 blocks, 1.3 steals and .667% shooting over the past two weeks. He added 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds to those totals and now finds himself as a top-30 player over his past seven games. Booker is available in 80 percent of fantasy leagues and should be an appealing option to those in all leagues sizes due to his steals and blocks numbers.

Vince Carter – The 66 percent available Carter has vaulted himself in the top-50 over the past two weeks (41) thanks to back-to-back 21 point games for the Mavericks. He is averaging 13.3 points, 1.7 threes and 1.2 steals on .516 shooting over the past two weeks and should be on fantasy rosters everywhere until his minutes decrease back to under 25 a game.

Nikola Pekovic – Pekovic has been shining for the Timberwolves over the past two weeks with averages of 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds on .642% shooting. Pekovic seems to have taken over the starting center job in Minnesota and is worth a pickup in all league sizes. Pekovic is available in 64 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Written by Win My Fantasy League Senior Sports Writer/Fantasy Sports Analyst Raju Byfield (Rizzla).

2012 Fantasy Baseball: Shortstop Tiers

zgreub — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:29:33 +0000

Your fantasy baseball draft(s) are right around the corner. Here’s my attempt at separating 25 shortstops into six tiers.

Tiers are very subjective and one player could easily be considered just good enough or just bad enough to be in the next higher or lower tier.

Let me know what you think. Also check out my: first basemen tiers and second basemen tiers.

Tier 1: Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez*, Jose Reyes

Ramirez and Reyes had short seasons in 2011 but I think they will both benefit from Reyes joining the Marlins.

Tier 2: Elvis Andrus, Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Jimmy Rollins

Cabrera doesn’t get enough credit for what he did in 2011- 25 HR & 92 RBI, both career highs by far.

Tier 3: Alexei Ramirez, Jhonny Peralta, J.J. Hardy, Derek Jeter

Hardy and Tulo were the only shortstops with 30 HR last season. Peralta had one of the best seasons of his career while helping the Tigers to the playoffs. He eclipsed 20-plus HRs and 80-plus RBIs in the same season for just the second time in nine seasons.

Tier 4: Erick Aybar, Emilio Bonifacio*, Stephen Drew, Dee Gordon, Yunel Escobar

Gordon was a late addition to L.A.’s lineup last season, but it didn’t take long for him to prove that he belonged. In just 56 games, he stole 24 bases.

Tier 5: Ian Desmond, Alcides Escobar, Rafael Furcal, Marco Scutaro

There’s not a lot to write home about from this group. Scutaro’s numbers should stay around the same as they were in Boston.

Tier 6: Jed Lowrie, Zack Cozart, Alexi Casilla, Cliff Pennington, Jason Bartlett

Cozart could be the sleepr from this group, other than that, pretty ho-hum.

Written by winmyfantasyleague.com contributor Zach Greubel.