2009 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Starting Pitchers

Explanation of FV.




Notes:

• My pitcher rankings will differ from the rankings of others more than at any other position.
• I generally don't like to draft pitchers very high because there are so many good ones to be had in the middle rounds, but if Haren or Hamels slips to the fifth round, I have to give them some serious consideration.
• Depite the fact that Halladay is ranked above Hamels and Haren, I would probably take either of those guys above him because I place such a high value on strikeouts.
• Rich Harden is the best pitcher on the planet. If he was always healthy, he'd be a perennial first round pick. I have him down for 150 IP, but if he logs 200 innings (unlikely, I know), he would rank first. So, basically, what I'm saying is that if you're a little bit of a risk-taker, draft Harden because he is really, really good.
• Javier Vazquez is a huge value this year. I feel like my projection for him is relatively conservative and it still ranks him 14th among starting pitchers. Yahoo has him ranked 28th and ESPN has him 32nd.
• I adore Kevin Slowey. Last year, I made the mistake of almost completely ignoring the WHIP category and it cost me a couple league championships. This year, if I draft a high-strikeout, high-WHIP guy like Billingsley, I want to team him with a cheap low-WHIP guy like Slowey.
• I'm neutral on David Price. I think he's very good, but I'm not convinced he'll dominate immediately.
• If Scherzer is healthy and gets a rotation spot, I like him a lot.
• Overvalued: Lackey, Oswalt, Lester, Zambrano.
• Undervalued: Beckett, Vazquez, Slowey, Lilly, Baker, Weaver.

2009 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Outfield

Here's an explanation of FV.




Notes:

• This position is incredibly deep, in my opinion. Possibly deeper than first base.
• I really like Dukes as a late-rounder. If he stays healthy, 20/20 is a near lock.
• If Kemp was hitting fourth or fifth in the Dodgers lineup, he'd probably rank in my top five outfielders. But, it sounds like he'll hit seventh which is terribly disappointing.
• I care a great deal for Rios who should hit third. He's the type of player who could very easily make a positive contribution in every category.
• I have never understood how Ichiro always gets drafted in the first three rounds.
• The upside potential of Bruce, Cruz, and Justin Upton excites me.
• McLouth and Hart seem to be slipping a little too far in most drafts. They'll both have substantial value.

2009 Projected Lineups - National League

Evidence:

• Melvin discusses Arizona Diamondbacks lineup
• Piniella gives a few hints as to the Chicago Cubs lineup
• Baker makes it pretty clear what the 3-4-5 spots will look like in the Cincinnati Red lineup
• Cooper sketches out the top of the Houston Astros lineup
• Torre gives us a pretty good idea about the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup
• This doesn't tell us much about the Philadelphia Phillies lineup but it's better than nothing
• A discussion of the issues facing the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup
• Bochy gives us a very good picture of the San Francisco Giants lineup

A commenter provided his thoughts on the St. Louis Cardinals lineup which I found helpful. The Padres are still a mystery to me and I'd be curious to get any insight on the Nationals.