Photo Credit: Mel Rowling

This time of the year, fantasy writers usually instruct owners not to panic about star players off to slow starts (sans the overtly obvious declining dudes like Roy Halladay). In this case, however, there is serious reason to panic if you are a Cole Hamels owner. The time has come to sell, so throw on a throwback Willy Loman jersey and start taking that ass door-to-door, because it’s time to fetch a return while the value is still high.

More after the jump:

My favorite Native American women? Nava-hoes. 
Photo Credit: UCinternational

Most fantasy writers have no problem recommending players you should go after, but do they really pick up all the players they hype up? I’ll answer for them: no. Here on “Star’s Shares,” we’ll discuss players yours truly has personally invested in. If a player is good enough to sit on one of my three teams, then surely they are worthy of your attention. 

Admittedly, I didn’t get too crazy on the free agent moves this week since I usually like to give my draft day investments more than a week’s worth of games before dropping them. Yet I still made a couple moves in an effort to aid my already stacked rosters. 

More after the jump:

It’s Josh Native-American-Dick!
Photo Credit: Keith Allison

Most fantasy writers have no problem recommending players you should go after, but do they really pick up all the players they hype up? I’ll answer for them: no. Here on “Star’s Shares,” we’ll discuss players yours truly has invested personally in. If a player is good enough to sit on one of my three teams, then surely they are worthy of your attention. 

Welcome to another Starbonell Production (in association with Stats Bundles Entertainment). Seeing as how it’s Opening Day, it’s only right that the first episode of Star’s Shares introduces the players I’ve hand-picked to carry my glorious ass to three titles. Think fast bitches, the jump’s up:

Of Thrice And Men

These are the only two players who are rostered in all three leagues that I’m in.

Stephen Strasburg

You better believe I got all up in that “Stras” (pause). To be fair, I was able to get Strasburg for $3 in one of the leagues I’m in (a keeper format in which I inherited someone else’s team). However, I paid the premium for his services in the two other leagues and I truthfully would’ve paid a little more. As I wrote in my starting pitching post, Strasburg is the best SP in fantasy for 2013. 

Josh Reddick

It was surprising to see such a cheap price tag on a player coming off a 32/11 season, but I didn’t have to pay more than $7 to land him. His ISO was actually better at Oakland than it was on the road, so I don’t see any reason to expect a big power drop-off. His stolen base totals might improve as well since Reddick was very efficient on the base paths last year (11 swipes in 12 tries). So.... yeah, I’m cool with him sitting on all three of my teams.

Doubling, Ireland

I doubled up on shares of these players, and Ireland is green, like money. Money also happens to be what these players are. Thus, “Doubling, Ireland.”

Giancarlo Stanton

Maybe it was just the leagues I was in, but Stanton didn’t elicit the same amount of eager spending that he did last year. Perhaps people aren’t as amped about Stanton because the Marlins look atrocious. Whatever. We’re talking about a lock to be among the league leaders in HRs who is just scratching the surface of his talent (only 23 years old). He cost a very fair $37 in the two leagues I purchased him and I expect him to actually outperform that value.

Ike Davis

Davis essentially put up a season’s worth of top seven first base numbers in just four months (after shitting the bed in April and May). So imagine what he can do if he’s firing on all cylinders for the entire season. The power is legit and 35 HRs (or more) are possible. The most I paid for him was $16, which leaves plenty of room for profit. 

Ben Zobrist

I didn’t see a Ben Zobrist price I didn’t like this draft season. I would’ve ended up with the Zorilla in all three leagues had I not purchased Starlin Castro at such a nice price (more on that later). 2B and SS are both lacking in talent, and Zobrist qualifies at both. He won’t win you any categories on his own, but he’ll contribute nicely in all 5x5 stats.

Emilio Bonifacio

He doesn’t have a starting job at the moment, but Maicer Izturis sucks. Even if Bonifacio doesn’t end up starting regularly at one position, the Jays have made it clear that he’ll play all around the diamond and should play enough to coast to 40 steals (although he can steal 60 if he ever wrests the 2B gig away from Izturis). Because of the playing time concern, I didn’t have to pay more than $5 to land this SB weight-bearer.

Alexi Ogando

It cost me just $2 to acquire his services, which looks like a steal. He was a success last time he took the mound every five days, so I’m not expecting the hard-throwing right-hander to struggle to acclimate to starting again. Plus, if he develops a following, I can call his groupies “Ogand-ho’s.”

Jaime Garcia

It was a bit surprising to see that Garcia landed on two of my squads, but when I looked back at the price it made perfect sense. He cost me $3 and $6 in the two leagues I took him in. That’s pretty good value considering that he’s been a successful fantasy SP during his entire MLB career. I’m not expecting him to make it through the season healthy, but I’ll take the SP3 production while he’s taking the field.

Edwin Jackson

He didn’t cost me more than $5 despite coming off a career-best season and staying in the National League. I know he’s been crazy inconsistent as a fantasy option, but you can’t turn away from cheap strikeouts.

Ernesto Frieri

Since one of the leagues I’m in does not count saves, I technically own Frieri in all leagues that use RPs. Ryan Madson is not a threat thanks to his shitty healthy. With the Angels expected to pile up the wins, there should be plenty of save opportunities coming Frieri’s way. Plus, he was excellent last year and there’s no reason to expect a drop-off in performance.

One and Done

I don’t own these players in multiple leagues, but they’re all worth mentioning.

Paul Goldschmidt

I really wish I had more shares, but the price got insane in a couple of leagues. Somehow, I was able to get him for just $25 in Blog Wars (the Sons of Roto-run league that features writers from Yahoo!, Razzball, and Fangraphs, among others). He’s a solid dark horse bet to finish the season with the most HRs in baseball.

Starlin Castro

For some reason, the price was never too steep with Castro. I got him for $23 and might’ve landed him in my other two leagues had I not scooped up Zobrist. The most intriguing thing about Castro is that we still don’t know his upside. A step forward in power and speed numbers is possible, and his counting stats should be quality yet again as he’ll hit towards the top/middle of Chicago’s lineup.

Robinson Cano

This is the first time in many years that I have just one share of Cano (who normally sits on most, if not all, my rosters). The chief reason is economics: I just didn’t feel comfortable giving up such a large portion of my money for his ceiling. That said, I expect him to be a top five fantasy option in 2013.

Kris Medlen

Medlen was one of the tougher players to predict when it came to what people were willing to spend for him. I got him for $16, and even though I’m not upset about the price, I do feel that I might’ve been able to spend that money more wisely. Keep in mind, I’m a believer in Medlen (he’s got that Cliff Lee swagger about him), but it sucks to pay decent coin on a 12-start sample size.

Kevin Youkilis

Injuries will always be a concern, but I’m expecting a significant bounce-back for Youkilis. Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long helped cut down on Youkilis’ pre-swing mechanics to allow him to get to the ball quicker, and his power has been much improved since. I think 25 HRs is very possible.

Jose Bautista

I really wanted more of Joey Bats (pause), but the price got a bit out of hand. Still, you have to pay for power and Bautista has that in spades. He’s a threat to lead the league in HRs and now has a much better offense around him.

Aaron Hill

There really wasn’t a whole lotta love for Aaron Hill this year. Why? I have no fucking clue. You would think that a power-hitting second baseman would generate more interest, but the price always ended up being rather fair. I probably would’ve had at least another share had he not been nominated so late (my 2B position was either already filled or my needs dictated getting a base burner at that spot).

Mark Trumbo

It’s kind of shocking that a player I so openly endorsed only wound up on one of my squads, but that’s just how the auctions played out. In the two leagues I didn’t draft him in, he came up for nomination at a time that I had already spent a good chunk of my dough and had no need for another power bat. I still think Trumbo will prove to be a good buy for fantasy owners and should be a quality HR/RBI source.

Pedro Alvarez

The strikeouts scared a lot of people away, but the power is legit. I got him for a humble $6, but he was affordable in all the leagues. People are worried that he’ll whiff his way back to the bench or minors, but at that value, it’s worth rostering him.

Pedro Ciriaco

He only cost a $1, but in a 15-team league, I think he could be a nice bargain. Stephen Drew is concussed and Jose Iglesias is a terrible hitter, meaning Ciriaco could wind up being the team’s regular shortstop. His eligibility at 2B, SS, and 3B gives his value a boost and I’m willing to let him sit on my bench a few games to see how Boston’s SS situation plays out.

Nick Hundley

This is really meant for my two-catcher homies out there. Hundley is still available in many leagues, but has shown plus power before and will have a nice run as the starter with Yasmani Grandal on suspension. He’s got an outside shot at finishing the season as a top 12 fantasy catcher.

Tyler Moore

The power is real and he’s only a Denard Span or Jayson Werth injury away from being a fantasy star. In the 15-team league I own him in, he has value as someone I can play whenever Washington plays in an AL park (he’ll most surely be their primary DH). And, again, he’s just one injury away...

Jason Hammel

He’s been dirt cheap in leagues this year despite putting up the best numbers of his career in 2013. He’s crazy injury-prone, but he’s healthy at the moment and is worthy of rostering right now.

Photo Credit: Keith Allison

I don’t know about you, but I am getting wet as hell with Opening Day right around the corner. As an aside, when the shaman pulled me out of my Mom’s vagina, he severed the umbilical cord with his teeth, and proclaimed to the members of my village that the gods had sculpted me themselves to ensure that the prophecy would be proclaimed. The divine forecast was that humanity would open their hearts and minds to middle relievers and the statistic baseball minds would soon proclaim as a hold.  

Unlike most normal human beings, I simply want to push fantasy baseball to the limit and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Adding depth and additional categories incorporates a beautiful complexity to this game we love, and makes it possible for the baseball scholar to develop an advantage over his competitors. And isn’t that the point? If I wanted to gamble I would bet the ponies.

So enough bullshit, see below for a list of late-inning arms that can help you pile up holds and/or drive down your ERA and WHIP. These studs contain untapped value even in leagues that don’t use holds, especially roto leagues with innings limits and H2H’s that use K/9 or have a very low weekly minimum innings pitched. 

More after the jump:

Brutus was an obvious inspiration behind Starbonell's wardrobe

Million Dollar Sleeper: The state of the fantasy baseball world is in a state of chaos. False prophets who preach the religion of Sabermetrics are running amok. We must lift the veil of fog and use numbers for the power of good. This is why I've invited myself onto Barber Shop Talk. It seems everywhere I look I see trendy FIPsters and members of the SIERA club. But the worst of these sabre toothed vampires are the Groundballers. These advocates of gopher genocide claim Flyballers are inferior, but they speaketh with forked tongue! Groundball pitchers record fewer strikeouts and give up more base hits. Let us not pretend that base hits do not equate to runs allowed. The lower number of fly balls are often counterbalanced with inflated HR/FB percentages. Worshippers of Westbrook....

Stabonell: HIT THE MUSIC!

::The entire 12-plus minutes of Beastie Boys’ B-Boy Bouillabaisse plays... uninterrupted::

Now what I’d like for you to do, MDS, is to stop flapping your trap. 

::pause for cheers from the crowd, followed by chants of “Star-bo-nell! Star-bo-nell!”::

You think that just because you have some sort of new-fangled projection system for predicting player value that you can just run out here and start flapping your gums? You got a lot of nerve standing in my ring, and as the resident baby-face of Sons of Roto, it’s time I put a stop to your heel shenanigans. 

You keep trying to use fancy words like “SIERA” and “FIP” to try to outsmart these good people, but we aren’t having it.

::pause for raucous reaction from crowd, followed by several arm and calf flexes to the delight of the crowd::

You really think Cliff Lee has more fantasy value than R.A. Dickey? Well prepare to take a trip to Starbone-hell!

The battle takes place after the jump:

Spend dem ducats wisely
Photo Credit: yomanimus

People prepare for auctions in a variety of ways... most of them terrible. This method, however, guarantees that you will accomplish the following:

1) Force your league-mates to spend big money on players you have no interest in (thus making them less likely to throw serious dollars at the players you really want)

2) Ensure that you fill your roster with either A) quality players you are willing to spend market-value on, or B) cheaper alternatives that you are comfortable taking a chance on (aka, sleepers)

Keep in mind that this auction cheat sheet is based on a mixed-league of about 15-16 teams, so if you play with different settings, you'll want to tweak this sheet to your liking. 

Greatness ensues after the jump:

Photo Credit: Keith Allison

Fuck all the other cheat sheets out there. This shit right here is your ticket to Title Town.

My top 464 after the jump:

Yuck it up Mo’, you still the shit
Photo Credit: Keith Allison

In the final installment of “Tiers, Not Fears,” we have landed at relief pitching. A lot of fantasy owners hate having to deal with closers, but not me. While you read a lot of “don’t pay for saves” idioms being thrown out there, the fact is, if you play in a league that uses closers, you HAVE to pay for saves. Me? I cast a wide net and try to come away with at least four (but preferably five) closers to ensure I have some insurance.

Sure there is a ton of turnover at the position, and you will probably watch at least one of your draft/auction day closers shit the bed or get hurt at some point. That’s even more of a reason to pick up a bunch of ninth inning options in your drafts and auctions. Trying to scour the waiver wire for saves is a frustrating endeavor in competitive leagues, as all the best handcuffs are usually rostered. You become a slave to fantasy news information sites, looking for every edge you can get. Then you end up picking up, like, eight relievers in the hopes that you can scrape up enough saves to stay in the race. Don’t be that guy. Suck it up, pay for saves, and win your goddamn league.

More after the jump:

No need to chase Headley
Photo Credit: SD Dirk

Third base is normally considered a shallow fantasy position, but that notion is being turned on its head. Not only is the position top-heavy, but there is ample depth available, which means you can actually wait on filling the 3B slot on your roster.

This may take some getting used to. Almost like coming to grips with the fact that, after careful consideration, there are things you would not do for a Klondike bar. There may be several stages to go through before you finally reach “acceptance,” but luckily, you have your boy Dudley Do Work here to guide you. I’ve ranked 33 third basemen in this edition of “Tiers, Not Fears,” so breathe easy homie. We got you.

More after the jump:

Austin 3:16 says "I just saved your ass!"
Photo Credit: RMTip21

The title says it all. After the jump, we'll run through a list of dudes who represent value picks based on their Yahoo! ADP: