Fantasy Sports 2008

Welcome to SportsOverdose fantasy football 2008. The most useful and comprehensive player rankings, mock drafts and analysis on the web. We search the web for all the fantasy information we can find and compile it into one nice, easy-to-read summary so you don’t have to.

Check back throughout the year for our weekly player rankings, weekly pickup advice and many more useful features. This is the only page you’ll need to bookmark for fantasy football advice in 2008.

Enjoy!

-The SportsOverdose Fantasy Team

This week’s most recommended Waiver Wire pickups from the best fantasy sources on the web.

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Look for Gio Gonzalez to have an instant impact on your fantasy staff.

Gio Gonzalez | SP | Oakland Athletics | AL

• It appears to be only a matter of time until Gonzalez is called up and inserted into the A’s rotation. The lefty possesses a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball. He will be able to provide fantasy staffs with solid strikeout numbers the rest of the way and other than Francisco Liriano might be the best AL pitcher called up the rest of the season. Monitor the SportsOverdose A’s page for the latest information on Gonzalez from the local Oakland papers.
• The team hasn’t announced an official replacement for Joe Blanton, but the speculation seems to be that Gonzalez will be recalled. His 11.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, and 52% ground ball rate in Double-A last year was very good, but he’s fallen off a little at Triple-A this year: 9.6 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 41% ground ball rate. He’s got potential, and in his last 10 games, he has posted a 10.7 K/9 and 3.96 BB/9. The Hardball Times

Jonathan Broxton | RP | Los Angeles Dodgers | NL

• Takashi Saito is out into September and could miss the whole year. Assuming they don’t make a trade, Broxton could be one of the top 10 or 15 closers the rest of the way. -The Hardball Times
• The Dodgers placed veteran closer Takashi Saito on the 15-day DL with a right elbow sprain that will keep him out 6-to-8 weeks but it is very likely that the 38 year old will miss then rest of 2008. In steps fireballer Jonathan Broxton, who has the electric arsenal of pitches to finish the season as a top 10 or 15 closers for a team fighting for a playoff spot. -FFToolbox.com

Joel Hanrahan | RP | Washington Nationals | NL

• Joel Hanrahan is the first option to replace departed Jon Rauch as closer for the Washington Nationals. The skill set is evident in the fact that Hanrahan possesses a mid- to upper 90s fastball (65 K’s in 59 1/3 innings). Hanrahan holds a 3.94 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 rate on the year, but walks have been a problem (4.9 BB/9). -FFToolbox.com
• He’s expected to get the lion’s share of the Nats’ save opportunities moving forward, as he’s the best of an uninspiring group that also includes Saul Rivera and Luis Ayala. The 26-year-old has his good (.222 BAA, 9.9 K/9) and his bad (4.9 BB/9, 1.33 WHIP) points, so don’t expect a perfectly seamless transition. Still, saves are saves. Yahoo! Sports.

Francisco Liriano | SP | Minnesota Twins | AL

• Although his early-season struggles were well documented, Liriano has looked like his old self over his last five starts with Triple-A Rochester. During that span, the 24-year-old southpaw has allowed just one run in 35 innings of work while striking out 42! -Yahoo! Sports
• In Liriano’s last ten minor league starts, he has posted a 9.56 K/9 and a 1.54 BB/9 in 64 IP. It’s absurd that he hasn’t been recalled yet, and his agent is talking about filing a grievance. I expect he’ll be called up soon, and when he is, he could easily be one of the second-half’s most dominant pitchers. -The Hardball Times

Willie Harris | 2B, 3B, OF | Washington Nationals | NL

• Harris has provided a spark at the top of the Nationals’ lineup in the wake of Elijah Dukes’ injury. He’s batted .500 (14 for 28) over the past eight games, with 10 runs, three home runs, 10 runs batted in and a 7:1 BB:K ratio. -Yahoo! Sports
• Harris has been the savior in center field for the Nationals since Lastings Milledge went on the DL. His glove has been a real asset to Washington, but his bat has also come around. Harris has hit safely in seven of his last eight games. Milledge is on the rehab trail and should be back in the majors shortly. Harris will then likely move to left field as long as he is still swinging a hot bat. -CBS Sports

With half the season already over, we thought it be a good time to go back and see how our 2008 sleeper picks are doing. Read what we said back in March and see who we got right and who we got wrong.

Jacoby Ellsbury | OF | Boston Red Sox | AL
What we said: “Look for Ellsbury to solidify himself at the lead off spot, hit for average, steal bases, and score a lot of runs.”
Half way point: Hitting .269, tied for 10th in runs scored with 60, and leads the league in stolen bases with 35. At one point, it looked like he was going to end up swiping 100 bags, but slowed down a bit in June when his batting average dropped and wasn’t getting on base to steal those bases.
Did we get it right? I’d say so. Although the average is a bit low, he’s doing everything we’ve predicted: hitting leadoff, stealing bases, scoring runs, and winning the heart of ever pink hat wearing Red Sox female at Fenway. And this does not seem to change because despite his most recenty hitting slump, Francona has repeatedly said he would stand by the Red Sox rookie, and not remove him from the top of the order.

Phil Hughes | SP | New York Yankees | AL
What we said: “Look for Hughes to be in the 15 win range this season and provide an excellent source of K’s and WHIP.”
Half way point: 0-4 record, 9.00ERA, 2.14WHIP in 6 starts. He went 6 innings only once. He’s been sidelined since the end of April with a broken rib. And the only thing keeping Hal Steinbrenner from going Joey from Real World Hollywood on us is Johan Santana’s mediocre first half.
Did we get it right? Nope. Even if on his blog he says that he’s throwing and feels great, Joe Girardi is saying that he’ll probably be back some time in late August. He has no fantasy value at this point for this season.

Ubaldo Jiménez | SP | Colorado Rockies | NL
What we said: “He’ll be a good source of Ks and his ERA and WHIP are not going to hurt you and if he continues to develop like most scouts believe he could wind up being a steal while holding down the 3rd or 4th starter spot on your fantasy staff.”
Half way point: 4-9 record, 4.22ERA, 1.54WHIP, 94K. Started the season rather unspectacularly, but has thrown in some good outings as of late.
Did we get it right? Let’s wait and see. He’s definitely not a 3rd or 4th starter on your fantasy staff at this point, but seeing how the entire Colorado staff and team has been a big disappointment so far this year, maybe Jiménez and Colorado we will go on another magical run like they did last year. Er, maybe not.

Nick Swisher | OF | Chicago White Sox | AL
What we said: “Swisher has been on the cusp of a breakout for a couple years now. One of the stars of Moneyball has never gotten his average above .265 but he is still a solid source of OPS, R, HR and RBI.”
Half way point: .754OPS, 55R, 12HR 41 RBI. When he was hovering just above the mendoza line in batting average in the beginning of June, hitting .236 at the break doesn’t sound so bad does it?
Did we get it right? No. He’s on pace to produce the same number’s he’s had all his career. We expected more from him, we were wrong.

Johnny Damon | OF, DH
Bobby Abreu | OF
Jason Giambi | 1B, DH
New York Yankees | AL
What we said: “Look for Abreu to not have his early season slide. Look for Giambi to get most of the teams ABs at DH as Matsui is still hobbled by his knee injury. And look for Abreu and especially Damon to run a lot more under new manager Joe Girardi’s aggressive NL style of play.”
Half way point: Abreu started the season strong, but is on pace for similar numbers he had last year. Giambi, after struggling early on, grew a mustache and almost became an all star. And Johhny Damon is hitting .319 although on pace for the same amount of steals he had last year.
Did we get it right? We think so. Especially Giambi, who was probably available on everyone’s waiver wire when he was hitting .150 in May, but has put up fantastic power numbers since.

Ryan Garko | 1B | Cleveland Indians | AL
What we said: “He looks to be firmly entrenched as the teams 5th hitter and will be a nice consistent source of Rs, HRs and RBIs throughout the year. His AVG and OPS are also above average.”
Half way point: 33R, 7HR, 45RBI, .241AVG, .668OPS. Currently hitting towards the bottom of the order and struggling for playing time on a Cleveland team without Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.
Did we get it right? Dead wrong. Garko had one solid week in early June and that was about it.

James Loney | 1B | Los Angeles Dodgers | NL
What we said: “Loney is currently being drafted after the likes of Todd Helton, Alex Gordon and Carlos Pena and has more upside than all three of those players”
Half way point: James Loney: .291AVG, 7HR, 50RBI, 43R compared to
Carlos Pena: .236AVG, 14HR, 47RBI, 38R
Alex Gordon: .253AVG, 11HR, 45RBI, 49R
Todd Helton: .266AVG, 7HR, 29RBI, 39R
Did we get it right? Yes. Compared to those guys drafted ahead of him, he has almost identical RBI and runs numbers, less HRs but a much higher batting average. You would have done well if you saved your higher pick and waited for Loney.

Billy Butler | DH | Kansas City Royals | AL
What we said: “Look for Butler to hit .290 this year with 20HR, 80R and 90RBI which for a later round 1B/DH pick is very serviceable”
Half way point: He’s hitting .249, 2HR, 19R, and 15RBI. Pretty low totals all around. But hey, he was in the minors for a month, so it’s not all his fault.
Did we get it right? No, but a lot of other people didn’t too. A dark horse on many pre-season fantasy sleepers lists, Billy Butler was sent down for the month of June, and came back up just to lower is average by 10 points more. But you know what Billy, it’s so damn hard for us at SportsOverdose to quit you.

Delmon Young | OF | Minnesota Twins | AL
What we said: “While still a young player the change of scenery will serve Delmon well as the Twins are committed to him as a future source of run production in the middle of their lineup.”
Half way point: Hitting .286, with 3HR, 36RBI, 47R, and 10SB. Apparently the change of scenery didn’t do a damn thing.
Did we get it right? No. His first home run came 2 months into the season, and Young has been hitting comfortably in the 6th spot much of the season. The 10 stolen bases so far are a pleasant surprise, but you have to wonder what kind of numbers he could have put up if he was still hitting in that young, talented, Tampa Bay lineup.

Geovany Soto | C | Chicago Cubs | NL
What we said: “Expect him to climb into the top tier of offensive catchers in 2008 and will be a nice later round grab in fantasy drafts”
Half way point: Amongst all major league catchers, he ranks 1st in HRs, 2nd in RBIs, and OPS, and 5th in AVG.
Did we get it right? Yes. There’s no better feeling in the world then when your pre-season sleeper pick goes to the all star game. But then again, which Cub isn’t going to the all star game? (And if you answered Cub’s middle reliever Carlos Marmol, you’re actually wrong).

Francisco Liriano | SP | Minnesota Twins | AL
What we said: “But a year removed from arm surgery Liriano will be the ace of the Twins staff and has the potential to regain his status as a top 5 fantasy performer.”
Half way point: These numbers are a bit ugly: 0-3, 11.32ERA, 2.71WHIP, 7K in 3 starts.
Did we get it right? Not so far, but we will be and here’s why: Liriano has been dominating in his rehab outings, with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporting he’s “walked three and struck out 24 over his last three starts. And he’s on a run of 21.1 scoreless innings.” Liriano during spring training looked awful, and I think the Twins rushed him back too soon. He’s had a lot of time to work himself back now, and see him returning to the rotation and back to form after the all star break.

Mike Mussina | SP | New York Yankees | AL
What we said: “Look for Mussina to approach 13-15 wins with an ERA in the low 4s and respectable K and WHIP numbers.”
Half way point: 11 wins, 3.61ERA, 1.23WHIP. Wait, are these 2001 Mike Mussina numbers?
Did we get it right? Yes, more so that we ever hoped. Mussina continues to be the most reliable starter in the Yankee rotation.

Dan Haren | SP | Arizona Diamondbacks | AL
What we said: “He’s not a sleeper in the traditional sense since most people expect him to have another outstanding season but if I’m choosing between Haren and other top shelf pitchers in the same class, I’m going with Haren.”
Half way point: He’s 8-5, 2.72ERA, 112K, and a 0.95WHIP.
Did we get it right? Yes, but it was a gimmie. Haren is putting up top tier starter’s numbers, but that was expected. It’s not like we picked Edinson Vólquez here.

Raúl Ibanez | OF | Seattle Mariners | AL
What we said: “You can basically pencil Ibanez in for .290AVG, 90R, 25HR and 100RBI which while certainly not top 10 for outfielders is still great production.”
Half way point: Hitting .273 with 41R, 11HR and 55RBI on an awful Seattle team.
Did we get it right? Yes, if only because he’s been doing it all year with the likes of Jose Vidro and Richie Sexon hitting behind him in that lineup.

Ryan Zimmerman | 3B | Washington Nationals | NL
What we said: “Look for Zimmerman to become a household name in his third full season in the big leagues and be one of the few bright spots in what will be another disappointing season for the Nationals.”
Half way point: Hitting .287 with 8HR and 27RBI and on the DL since late May.
Did we get it right? No, but we did get the disappointing season for the Nationals thing right. Zimmerman didn’t exactly become a household name, but he was starting to heat up until he got hurt. He could provide a nice second half jolt for you team.

Robinson Cano | 2B | New York Yankees | AL
What we said: “Joe Girardi will get Cano into the top 5 in this lineup as he has none of Joe Torre’s loyalty to the aging veterans. Look for Cano to be around .320AVG, 100R, 25HR, 100RBI this season.”
Half way point: Hitting mostly towards the bottom of the order, Cano has a .246AVG, 36R, 6HR, and 38RBI.
Did we get it right? Not even close. We probably overstated ourselves just a bit, especially when he was hitting below .200 for a month and half to start the season which really hurt his numbers. He probably won’t approach anywhere near his career numbers this year, let alone surpass them, and for that, we are sorry. But hey, at least we were right about those other Yankees on the list - well the ones not named Phil Hughes anyway.

This week’s most recommended Waiver Wire pickups from the best fantasy sources on the web.

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It’s time once again to see if Billy Butler can live up to the hype.

Elijah Dukes | OF | Washington Nationals | NL

• It’s about time to add the hot-headed Dukes in Fantasy leagues. He survived a heated confrontation with skipper Manny Acta in early June to remain in the starting lineup and his production hasn’t suffered. Dukes is hitting .322 with three homers and 13 RBI in 23 June games. He also has 12 runs, four doubles, two triples, 13 walks and five stolen bases. -CBS Sports
• In addition to huge power potential, Dukes has added eight steals with an 88% success rate. His 3 HRs in 140 ABs is disappointing but he takes a ton of walks and is batting second, so is in an ideal position for a lot of runs. Depending on the size of your league, he’s probably worth the gamble as the added steal potential makes him a solid all around #4 fantasy outfielder. FFToolbox.com.

Billy Butler | OF/1B | Kansas City Royals | AL

• Butler is being recalled from Triple-A and is definitely worth a look. He has the potential to hit over .300, but .290 might be more realistic. He could also hit 15 homers given 500 at-bats. Whether he has mixed league value might depend on where he bats. He was batting fifth, sixth, and seventh when he was sent down, so if he bats there again, he could probably be used in certain mixed leagues. -The Hardball Times
• The Royals’ designated hitter to start the season, Butler was sent down to the minors at the end of May to rediscover a power stroke that had deserted him up to that point. After raking against Triple-A pitching for almost a month, Butler was recalled to the majors Saturday, June 28. -Yahoo! Sports

Brian Buscher | 3B | Minnesota Twins | AL

• Buscher is starting at third for the Twins and playing pretty well. His .375 average is being propped up, however, by a .378 BABIP and an uncharacteristic 96 percent contact rate. These should probably be closer to .310 and 90 percent. -The Hardball Times
• The 27 year old was slowed by injuries early in his minor league career but over the last two seasons at Triple-A Rochester, he hit over .300 with 15 homers in 213 at-bats. As the youth movement continues, BB is worth the gamble. He’s not a mixed league option but he’s worth picking up in AL-only leagues. FFToolbox.com

Jim Edmonds | OF | Chicago Cubs | NL

• Apparently Edmonds still has something left in the tank. After hitting just .178 with six RBIs in 90 at-bats with the San Diego Padres earlier this year, Edmonds has posted a .302 average with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 11 runs since joining the division-leading Cubs. A big chunk of his improvement has come in June with his .338-6-19 line in 68 at-bats. -Yahoo! Sports
• Edmonds has been on fire hitting .339 in June with 6 HRs in 37 ABs at Wrigley Field. The 38 year old is always at risk for a DL stint (has struggled with plantar fasciitis) and his value is somehwat limited as he’s part of a platoon. At the very least, if you’re in a deeper mixed league, Edmonds might provide a decent stop gap for the next month. -FFToolbox.com

Gary Sheffield | OF | Detroit Tigers | AL

• Sheffield is back from the DL. Before his injury, he was striking out a lot more often than he normally does, so it will be interesting to see if that improves. His BABIP was also where it was at last year, which was much lower than his career and three-year average. There is a lot of uncertainty and risk with Sheffield, but when he’s himself, he’s a great player capable of hitting .280-.290 with 20 homers (given 500 at-bats) and can even steal double digit bases. -The Hardball Times
• Struggled mightly at the start of the 2008, hitting just .213 but he was a beast in 2007, hitting .320 with 21 homers in May, June and July (but faded big time towards the end of the season). If he can stay in the lineup, Sheff has the potential to hit 15 HRs with 40-50 RBIs from here on out. -FFToolbox.com

This week’s most recommended Waiver Wire pickups from the best fantasy sources on the web.

AP Photo/Matt York

Mike Aviles’ solid minor league numbers
are translating to major league success.

Mike Aviles | SS | Kansas City Royals | AL

• In case you missed it, Aviles has been on an absolute tear since he was inserted into Kansas City’s starting lineup in early June. He is hitting .306 this month in 49 at-bats. He has five doubles, one triple, three homers, six RBI and one stolen base. -CBS Sports
• You’d think a two time Royal’s Minor League Player of the Year who was hitting .336 while slugging .631 at AAA, and is making his major league debut, would make a ton of noise in fantasy baseball. Well, then again, it is KC. He’s been on fire out of the gate, hitting .339 and slugging at .644. -FFToolbox.com

Mike Gonzalez | RP | Atlanta Braves | NL

• Gonzalez, in his first game back in more than a year, was given a save opportunity this week. With Rafael Soriano a perpetual injury risk and out for a while longer, Gonzalez needs to be owned in all leagues. -The Hardball Times
• Pretty obvious one here. Mike is back from Tommy John surgery and appears to be taking over the closing duties for the Braves. He was activated and immediately thrown into duty, picking up his first save this past week. The Braves will give him some save opportunities and I think, barring any re injury, 20 saves for the remainder of the season would be a conservative estimate. -FFToolbox.com

Kenny Rogers | SP | Detroit Tigers | AL

• Who says a 43-year-old pitcher can’t perform in the majors? Rogers is putting all the doubters to bed with his latest run. He has a 1.76 ERA in his last six starts and has allowed a total of four earned runs in his last five appearances. -CBS Sports
• He needs to be on your roster, if he’s still available, consider yourself lucky and grab him. This is a wave you need to ride for a month or so. -FFToolbox.com

Russell Branyan | 3B | Milwaukee Brewers | NL

• Milwaukee management felt the lineup needed some new energy and turned to Branyan, who was toiling at Triple-A Nashville. Branyan has met management’s expectations. He has nine homers in 59 at-bats through Wednesday and is hitting better than .300. -CBS Sports
• If you can afford a low (read: really low) batting average, Branyan’s power is immense despite the fact that he strikes out a full 40 percent of the time. He’s hitting sixth behind Corey Hart, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun and should get plenty of RBIs as well, plus a bunch of runs with his 14 percent walk rate. The Hardball Times.

Marcus Thames | OF | Detroit Tigers | AL

• His contact rate is still improved after 137 plate appearances (78 percent), and he’s still getting a lot of playing time, so he would make a pretty good pickup now. The 25 percent HR/FB will drop, and the .214 BABIP will rise, but he should still be able to hit .250-.260 and hit over 30-35 homers (assuming 500 at-bats) given his excellent fly ball rates and good raw power. -The Hardball Times
• Thames certainly is making the most of his excess playing time, and the Tigers have few other options at this point, so enjoy the ride while you can. The power isn’t exactly new. He’s hit 57 home runs in 743 at bats since 2006, but he’s also hit .251 during that time. -Yahoo! Sports