Kuzul

Here are the depth charts for the National League West this season.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Starting Lineup

SS Stephen Drew

RF Justin Upton- 43 HR, 155 RBI last two seasons combined

2B Kelly Johnson

CF Chris Young

C Miguel Montero

LF Xavier Nady

3B Melvin Mora

1B Juan Miranda

Bench

C Henry Blanco

1B Russell Branyan 2009: 31 HR, 76 RBI

IF Geoff Blum

IF/OF Willie Bloomquist

OF Gerardo Parra

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C John Hester

C Mark Reed

C- Konrad Schmidt

C P.J. Pilittere

UTIL Robby Hammock

1B Andy Tracy

1B Cody Ransom

1B/OF Brandon Allen

1B David Winfree

IF Tony Abreu

IF Ryan Roberts

OF  Cole Gillespie

OF Willy Mo Pena: Former Washington National

Rotation

1. Daniel Hudson

2. Joe Saunders

3. Ian Kennedy

4. Zach Duke: Former Pittsburgh Pirate

5. Armando Galarraga: Former Detroit Tiger

Potential Bullpen

Mike Hampton 1996-2001: 87 total wins

Joe Paterson

Esmerling Vasquez

Aaron Heilman: Former New York Met

Sam Demel

Barry Enright

Kam Mickolio

Kevin Mulvey

Micah Owings

Rafael Rodriguez

Carlos Rosa

Daniel Stange

Brian Sweeney

Zach Kroenke

Jordan Norberto

Leyson Septimo

Clay Zavada

SU David Hernandez

SU Juan Gutierrez

CL J.J. Putz 2006-2007: 76 total saves

Colorado Rockies

Starting Lineup

CF Dexter Fowler

RF Seth Smith

LF Carlos Gonzalez- 2010: 34 HR, 117 RBI, .336 BA, 3^rd in MVP voting

SS Troy Tulowitzki- 2009-2010: 59 HR, 187 RBI, 190 Runs

3B Ian Stewart

1B Todd Helton

2B Jose Lopez

C Chris Iannetta

Bench

C- Jose Morales

1B- Jason Giambi- 415 career HR

IF- Ty Wiggington

IF/OF- Jonathan Herrera

OF- Ryan Spilborghs

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C- Eliezer Alfonzo

C Michael McKenry

C Chad Moeller

C Matt Pagnozzi

C Brandon Yarborough

1B Mike Jacobs

IF Eric Duncan

IF Tug Hulett

IF Matt Macri

IF Chris Nelson

IF/OF Alfredo Amezaga

IF/OF Hernan Iribarren

IF/OF Eric Young Jr

OF Cole Garner

OF Jeff Salazar

OF Willy Taveras: 195 career SB

Rotation

1. Ubaldo Jimenez 2009-2010: 439 IP in two seasons combined

2. Jorge De La Rosa

3. Aaron Cook

4. Jhoulys Chacin

5. Jason Hammel

Potential Bullpen

Franklin Morales

Matt Daley

Matt Lindstrom

Matt Reynolds

Billy Buckner

Jesus Colome

John Maine

Jim Miller

Dustin Molleken

Clay Mortensen

Felipe Paulino

Greg Reynolds

Esmil Rogers

Chris Sampson

Claudio Vargas

Sean White

Edgmer Escalona

Geno Espinelli

Josh Muecke

Eric Stults

SU Matt Belisle

SU Rafael Betancourt

CL Huston Street: 149 career saves

Los Angeles Dodgers

Starting Lineup

SS Rafael Furcal

3B Casey Blake

RF Andre Eithier- 98 HR in 5 MLB seasons; 10+ HR every season

CF Matt Kemp

1B James Loney

2B Juan Uribe

LF Jay Gibbons

C Rod Barajas

Bench

C Dioner Navarro

1B/OF Marcus Thames: Former New York Yankee and Detroit Tiger

IF Jamey Carroll

OF Tony Gwynn Jr

OF Gabe Kapler

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C J.D. Closser

C A.J. Ellis

C Hector Gimenez

C Damaso Espino

1B John Lindsey

1B/3B Russ Mitchell

2B Ivan DeJesus Jr

IF Juan Castro

IF Aaron Miles

IF Justin Sellers

IF/OF Eugenio Velez

OF Bradley Coon

OF Jamie Hoffman

OF Trent Oeltjen

OF Xavier Paul

Rotation

1. Clayton Kershaw

2. Chad Billingsley 2008-2010: 551 K, 39 HR allowed

3. Ted Lilly

4. Hiroki Kuroda

5. Jon Garland: Former San Diego Padre

Potential Bullpen

Blake Hawksworth

Ramon Troncoso

Ron Mahay

Kenley Jansen: Potential Prospect

Ronald Belisario

Roman Colon

Lance Cormier

John Ely

Javy Guerra

Jon Huber

Josh Lindblom

Jon Link

Mike MacDougal: Former Kansas City Royal

Carlos Monasterios

Scott Nestor

Tim Redding

Juan Rincon

Travis Schlichting

Merkin Valdez

Oscar Villareal

Dana Eveland

Scott Elbert

SU Matt Guerrier

SU Hong-Chih Kuo

CL Jonathan Broxton

San Diego Padres

Starting Lineup

SS Jason Bartlett

2B Orlando Hudson

3B Chase Headley

LF Ryan Ludwick- Former St. Louis Cardinal

1B Brad Hawpe- Former Colorado Rockie and Tampa Bay Ray

RF Will Venable

CF Cameron Maybin

C Nick Hundley

Bench

C Gregg Zaun

1B/3B Jorge Cantu 2008: Florida Marlin, 29 HR, 95 RBI

IF Kevin Fransen

IF/OF Eric Patterson

OF Chris Denorfia

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C Rob Johnson

C Guillermo Quiroz

C/1B Kyle Phillips

1B/3B Jesus Guzman

1B/OF Kyle Blanks

1B/OF Mike Baxter

SS Everth Cabrera

IF Jarrett Hoffpauir

IF/OF Oscar Salazar

OF Aaron Cunningham

OF Luis Durango

OF Cedric Hunter

OF Bobby Kielty

Rotation

1. Mat Latos 2010: 14-10, 2.92 ERA

2. Clayton Richard

3. Aaron Harang: Former Cincinnati Red

4. Tim Stauffer

5. Wade LeBlanc

Potential Bullpen

Dustin Moseley

Ernesto Frieri

Chad Qualls 2009-2010: 36 saves for Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays

Joe Thatcher

Greg Burke

Samuel Deduno

Geoff Geary

Craig Italiano

George Kontos

Mike Koplove

Scott Munter

Luis Perdomo

Evan Scribner

Randy Flores

Cory Luebke: Potential Prospect

Aaron Poreda

SU Luke Gregerson

SU Mike Adams 2010: 66.2 IP, 1.76 ERA

CL Heath Bell 2009-2010: 89 saves

San Francisco Giants

Starting Lineup

CF Andres Torres

2B Freddy Sanchez

1B Aubrey Huff

C Buster Posey

RF Cody Ross- 2010 World Series MVP

LF Pat Burrell

SS Miguel Tejada- 2,285 career hits

3B Pablo Sandoval

Bench

C Eli Whiteside

1B Travis Ishikawa

IF Mike Fontenot

IF/OF Mark DeRosa

OF Aaron Rowand

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C Chris Stewart

1B Brandon Belt: Top potential prospect

1B/OF Brad Eldred

IF Emmanuel Burriss

IF Ryan Rohlinger

IF/OF Edgar Gonzalez

OF Justin Christian

OF Terry Evans

OF Darren Ford

OF Nate Schierholtz

Rotation

1. Tim Lincecum 56-21 career W-L record

2. Jonathan Sanchez

3. Matt Cain

4. Barry Zito

5. Madison Bumgarner

Potential Bullpen

Ramon Ramirez

Dan Runzler

Santiago Casilla

Javier Lopez

Josh Banks

Casey Daigle

Steve Edlefsen

Waldis Joaquin

Marc Kroon

Brian Lawrence

Shane Loux

Guillermo Mota

Jeff Suppan

Ryan Vogelsong

Alex Hinshaw

SU Jeremy Affeldt

SU Sergio Romo

CL Brian Wilson 2008-2010: 127 total saves

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How many of you remember how the Houston Astros did in the second half of the 2010 MLB season? I’ll give ya a minute.

Okay, time’s up! They did pretty well, finishing 40-33, and a lot of that had to do with the emergence of third baseman Chris Johnson.

Who, you ask?

Well, don’t feel bad, because you can’t even find this guy on most fantasy baseball owners’ maps right now, and that’s a really good thing.

But let’s evaluate him first, and don’t forget to cross-reference this analysis with our more in-depth analysis from our FREE fantasy baseball draft kit.

Among first-year players with at least 200 plate appearances, Johnson ranked third behind Jason Heyward (131) and Buster Posey (129) in adjusted OPS (123). Johnson did that hitting .316 and slugging at a .510 mark in the second half.

But this is a guy who is as consistent as they come. In five seasons in the minors, Johnson was a .315/.429/.744 hitter with 49 home runs, 259 RBI and 18 pilfered bags to eight denied in 1,681 AB.

Let’s go a bit deeper.

 

Assets

• Played so well that he has now solidified himself as the everyday man at the hot corner.
• Excellent power bat that should be good for 20 taters in 2011 easily.
• Hit .300 everywhere he played last year, including spring training, the minor leagues and the major leagues.

Flaws

• Is subject to strikeouts (316 in 1,681 AB over five seasons as a minor leaguer) and needs to work on the ratio between them and his walks.
• Not the fastest guy in the world, so not a lot of SB value.
• Some growing pains are sure to come with Johnson.

 

ADP: 356.54 / 3B Rank: 20 / OV Rank: 294 / Round: 20/21

 

2010 Stat Line

AB	R	H	DBL	TRPL	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
341	40	105	22	2	11	52	15	91	3	0	.308	.337	.481

2011 Projected Stat Line

AB	R	H	DBL	TRPL	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
504	55	158	28	2	20	82	39	148	6	3	.315	.348	.500

 

Fantasy Outlook

I don’t think I need to tell anyone that this guy is currently NOT a fantasy stud, but with so much damn consistency, Chris Johnson has the ability to defy normal fantasy peripherals…a feat not commonly found in ANYONE!

One of the players we have touched on at the somewhat thin position of third base has been Pedro Alvarez, and with good reason.

But Alvarez is going a lot earlier than even we thought, so securing a solid player at third for your bench will be extremely difficult towards the back end of your draft.

That’s precisely where you’ll find this guy.

The next three guys ABOVE Johnson at third are Casey Blake, Neil freaking Walker and Chase Headley…three players who WILL NOT come close to Johnson’s performance in the 2011 fantasy baseball season.

Take the back door in your draft and scoop this guy up if you are in need of a Utility roster guy or an additional player at third, and thank me in October.

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I want everyone to take a deep breath. What I am about to say is nothing short of shocking, mind-bending and literally unbelievable.

Royals first baseman Billy Butler stole a base Sunday in the Royals’ spring opener against the Texas Rangers.

I know—incredibly strange news considering Butler only has one career stolen base in 533 games in the majors, but manager Ned Yost told MLB.com that he wants to see his players running more this season.

“Billy got one in the intrasquad game the other day, too,” Yost said. “You can pick your spots in those situations, and we’re looking to do that whenever we can.” Yost believes that Butler could reach double-digit steals this season.

“I have one in my career, and Ned’s going to be a little more aggressive than managers we’ve had in the past,” Butler said.

Butler went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk in his debut only to follow that up with an identical line on Monday with an added run scored.

Billy Butler is an interesting player with a lot of tools that are just beginning to maturate. He can obviously hit for power, get on base and drive in runs, and in 2011 Butler is primed for an explosion.

Let’s take a look.

 

Billy Butler, 1B-DH, Kansas City Royals

Assets

• Strong power bat who can drive in runs.
• Consistent hitter with a well-trained eye; won’t hurt you anymore on SO.
• Should afford fantasy baseball owners about 10 to 15 bags this year for some unexpected value.

Flaws

• Defensively, not that good.
• Needs to prove that last year’s drop-off was a fluke and not a sign of things to come.

 

ADP: 84.26 / 1B Rank: 13 / OVRL Rank: 82 / Round: Four or five

 

2010 Stat Line

AB	R	H	DBL	TRPL	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
595	77	189	45	0	15	78	69	78	0	0	.318	.388	.469

 

2011 Projected Stat Line

AB	R	H	DBL	TRPL	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
585	83	191	42	0	21	90	72	88	10	4	.327	.393	.510

 

2011 Fantasy Outlook

Many owners were scorned by Billy Butler last year in what they felt was going to be his breakout year. But the fact of the matter is the Royals had him working on some specifics. While Butler did decline in RBI (93 to 78) and home runs (21 to 15) last year, he improved his average and on-base percentage and significantly decreased his strikeout count (103 to 78).

Combine that strikeout count with the fact that the kid hit a career-high .318 last year—not to mention being a lifetime .299 hitter—and suddenly this 25-year-old near-elite power bat is already doing things middle-of-the-order guys only dream of.

If you decline on Butler in the first round of your draft, consider him a high-end early second-rounder with huge upside, especially with news that Yost wants his boys running the paths this year.

Something that Butler appears to be good at.

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The Giants have some significant issues at first base whether they like it or not. Aubry Huff is not getting any older, and Pablo Sandoval is going to have to prove that his weight loss experiment, and eye surgery from a year ago, is enough to force the San Francisco Giants to make him a new contract offer at the end of the season.

But if Huff’s age catches up with him and Sandoval falls by the wayside, the Giants have some significant insurance at the hot corner in Brandon Belt; insurance that is incredibly buy-low stock for your fantasy baseball team and fantasy baseball draft.

Brandon Belt showed last year just why the Giants view him as their future power bat, hitting a combined .352 with 23 home runs and 112 RBI with 93 walks, a .455 on-base percentage and a .620 slugging percentage in just around 136 games. What?

He also had a respectable 99 strikeouts in 492 at-bats, but it doesn’t stop there.

In the Arizona Fall League, Belt hit .372 with 16 RBI and a .427 on-base percentage in just 22 games.

While I firmly believe the Giants will do their best to improve upon their patchwork outfield in the coming years, I can surely see them calling up Belt in an effort to provide some run assurance for an entire season; run assurance that has limited liability, that is.

For those of you in deeper or keeper leagues, Belt is a fine option to consider for rounding out your roster spots, and when he does get the call up this season, you’ll be a happy clam knowing you have the ability to plug him in and try him out.

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Someone with a name as big as Jason Bay‘s can hardly be considered a sleeper. Perhaps “bounce back candidate” is the better term. I mean, do we really believe Bay’s disintegration last season is a long-term issue?

The fact is Bay has both comeback and sleeper potential. If he had played last season in Boston, they’d have blamed his collapse on a slow start and a season-ending concussion. However, pessimists, or realists (if you prefer), would point to the impact of playing within Citi Field’s vast confines as the source of his steep decline in production.

Citi Field certainly doesn’t offer the same short porch that Bay took advantage of at Fenway Park.

Fantasy GMs and “experts” seem to have more faith in a return to fantasy prominence for Grady Sizemore than Bay, who is currently being drafted with the likes of supposed fantasy writeoffs Magglio Ordonez and Manny Ramirez.

In truth, Citi Field will likely temper Bay’s power numbers, but 20-25 dingers is not unrealistic. He should be healthy this season, and we should all remember that injuries and poor play decimated the entire Mets lineup in 2010. As the team regroups, so should Bay’s numbers.

While it’s not likely Bay will ever replicate his 2009 fantasy season, he can certainly get more in line with his career production, and 100 runs and RBI is certainly obtainable, though I’ll stick with a more conservative estimate below.

My Projected Stats for Bay’s 2011 Season:

504 AB, 88 R, 22 HR, 91 RBI, 69 BB, 134 K, 14 SB, .272 AVG

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Michael Brantley’s 2010 curse may be your 2011 blessing.

The young speedster had a hell of a time getting into any sort of rhythm last season. He struggled out the gate and battled a string of ailments, including shoulder, hamstring and ankle injuries.

And to rub salt in the guy’s wounds, the Cleveland Indians demoted the kid twice. His April and July numbers were deplorable.

However, all of that could be a good thing for fantasy savvy GMs.

The Indians handed the 23-year-old the role of leadoff hitter and center fielder in August, and Brantley closed out the season by hitting .290 down the stretch and stealing eight bags in nine attempts.

Brantley is a contact hitter with solid plate discipline, but the best part is he could very well swipe 30 bags in 2011, making him a very legitimate 2011 fantasy sleeper.

He has more athleticism than Juan Pierre, if that gives you any indication of what his blossoming potential could become. 

He reminds me of a former Indian—a young Kenny Lofton. I’d certainly rather take a shot on Brantley’s upside than waste a bench spot on Nyjer Morgan‘s one-category upside.

He’s currently only owned in about one percent of leagues at this point.

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Before we get to my subject for the article, we’re going to take a look at Rockies stud shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

In 2007, he broke out and put his name on the map by hitting .291/.359/.479, 24 home runs, and stealing 7 bases. He battled injuries and a nasty slump in 2008, playing just 101 games and managing a .263/.332/.401 line with eight homers and 46 RBI.

The next year, Tulowitzki got back on the map again, belting 32 home runs, swiping 20 bags, and hitting .297/.377/.552 with a .930 OPS.

Heading into the 2010 season, many wondered whether Tulowitzki was the injury prone clunker from 2008 or the super stud from 2007 and 2009.

With stand-out seasons in 2007, and 2009, the more savvy fantasy baseball owners decided he was the stud player, and in 2010 Tulo improved his slash line to .315/.381/.568 while blasting 27 long balls and driving in 95, providing the final answer as to whether 2008 or 2009 was an outlier in his stats.

Now let’s look to former Atlanta Brave and current Toronto Blue Jay Yunel Escobar.

Whether or not you bet on Escobar depends on one question: Who is Yunel Escobar? Is he the guy who hit .301 from 2007-2009, or the guy who it .256 in 2010?

In his only two seasons of 500+ at-bats, 2008 and 2009, Escobar hit an aggregate .294/.371/.418 with a .790 OPS, 24 homers, and 136 RBI. With 116 walks to 121 strikeouts, Escobar showed a great eye for the strike zone, and his young age (these were his age 25-26 seasons) and good glove guaranteed him airtight job security.

In 2010, Escobar got off to a slow start and wound up in manager Bobby Cox’s doghouse, and after performing miserably in the first two months he finally picked up the pace in June. After a much needed change of scenery, Escobar hit .275/.340/.356, bringing his season totals up to .256/.337/.318 with four home runs and 35 RBI.

Compare this to his career average of .289/.364/.397, 11 HR, and 64 RBI per season, and it’s not hard to spot to anomaly here. With a fresh start to be had with a potent Toronto lineup, expect Escobar to trend back towards his career norms in 2011, and at age 27, it is possible he might improve a little bit.

We all know playing in Toronto worked wonders for Alex Gonzalez’ and Jose Bautista’s power numbers last year, so who knows.

While Aaron Hill was brought up as a shortstop, concerns about his arm and defense led to a permanent shift to second base, and with John McDonald aboard as no more than a defensive fill in (he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat), Escobar has a very safe job with the Blue Jays even if he struggles out of the gate again.

However, the law of averages says that he probably won’t—that is unless Escobar’s 2008 and 2009 years end up being the flukes in his grand scheme of things. However, since extrapolation is not a reliable or beneficial method of procuring stats, I’m going to stick with Escobar’s existing track record instead of worrying about his prospects going forward.

For all practical purposes, this makes a great deal of sense, and if you don’t want to overpay for Alexei Ramirez at shortstop or don’t quite trust sleeper candidate Reid Brignac, then don’t be afraid to take a bet on Escobar bouncing back this year.

With his 223 ADP, he is a bargain in virtually all formats of fantasy baseball, but owners in AL-only leagues should especially keep an eye on him.

He should substantially outperform similarly or higher ranked shortstops Asdurbal Caberera (ADP: 220), Alcides Escobar (ADP: 203), and Starlin Castro (ADP: 163), so don’t worry if you miss out on getting an elite player for your shortstop hole.

Don’t overpay for one category guys like Erick Aybar or Elvis Andrus, and certainly don’t invest significantly in Derek Jeter or Jimmy Rollins. Instead, sit back and coast until the later rounds and fill the need with Escobar.

Just keep in mind, just like Tulowitzki before 2010, everyone will be torn on which guy they think Yunel Escobar is. Tulowitzki ended up proving his doubters wrong the past two seasons, and it’s a solid bet that Escobar answers the same concerns about his game with a solid bounce back this year as well.

As a bargain pickup in fantasy baseball drafts, why not take that bet?

2011 projected stats: .284 AVG, 10 HR, 54 RBI, 5 SB, 76 Runs

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The 2011 MLB season was supposed to be a season filled with promise and potential for the St. Louis Cardinals. It was supposed to be a season the was to afford the Cardinals a bit of retribution after missing the playoffs in 2010, despite finishing 86-76—heck, even fantasy baseball fans were champing at the bit over the St. Louis Cardinals’ net fantasy baseball value in 2011.

But now? The Cardinals’ potentially potent season is severely in jeopardy thanks to the latest news from GM John Mozeliak regarding staff pitching ace Adam Wainwright, and his apparent need for Tommy John surgery.

So now what?

Fellow pitcher Chris Carpenter now becomes the new head of the starting rotation, but how in the world are the Cardinals going to replace a pitcher who has won 19-plus games for the past two years?

It isn’t as if the Cardinals are out of options, but in the same vein, their options aren’t exactly stellar replacements either.

Kyle McClellan, Ian Snell, Lance Lynn, Brian Tallet and Miguel Batista are the immediate internal replacements.

But McClellan, Tallet, Snell and Bautista COMBINED hold a 39-50 record with a 4.30 ERA (record and ERA are averages for all four pitchers’ career numbers).

The young buck Lance Lynn, the only real potential bright spot, shows a bit of promise in his 25-15 record and 3.01 ERA as a minor league pitcher…but the thought of a hard-throwing rookie filling the shoes of Waino is a bit lofty to say the least.

The Cardinals could also explore other options outside the organization such as Kevin Milwood and Jeremy Bonderman—but again, not exactly the same caliber arms.

And the injury to Wainwright also has additional issues.

If you take a hard team analysis look at the division—as I am currently doing— nearly every team has upgraded in some department which is surely to increase the parity in competition—needless to say, losing your ace doesn’t help counter such offseason moves.

Not to mention the other National League powerhouses lurking in the background such as, but not limited to, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

“So frustrating.”

In any event, the one thing the Cardinals can rely on is their ability to hit. Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus, David Freese—great sleeper candidate—and of course Albert Pujols are more than capable swinging giants who will now be asked to do just a little bit more with the bat, in an effort to keep this team competitive.

The moral of the story is, the Cardinals will have a much tougher time getting to the postseason without Adam Wainwright, but it isn’t as if it’s the end of the world either.

And for all of you fantasy baseball fans, the aforementioned hitters could have some added value now that they will inevitably have to carry a heavier load, so keep that in mind on your draft day.

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After several years of providing fantasy baseball news and advice, we finally decided to do a fantasy baseball draft kit.

Here you’ll find draft guides, mock drafts, rankings, sleepers, team analysis, projected stats (statistics) and more—all for free.

Of course, we make a little cash on the ads but hey, we all gotta eat!

So, let’s jump right into the baseball draft guide. Bookmark this page, we’re updating it daily!

 

Fantasy baseball rankings: Our 2011 rankings will be updated until the beginning of the season.

Fantasy baseball projected statistics: These stats will also be updated until opening day.

(Coming soon…)

 

Fantasy baseball sleepers: Sleepers are rare gems in fantasy sports. Get a couple right during your draft and you’re well on your way to dominating to your league!

 

Fantasy baseball team analysis: We’re tackling the top 10 teams in MLB and breaking down the key players you’ll want to focus on.

 

Fantasy baseball depth charts: Call us crazy:

• American League Central
• American League West
• American League East – More to come…

 

Fantasy baseball mock drafts: Rotisserie mock draft – 10 Team head to head mock draft.

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Last week, I started to get into the fantasy baseball gear with my first mock draft of the season. In case you didn’t read, the strategy was simple.

The league setup was 10 teams, Head-to-Head. The strategy I employed was to target primarily offensive studs, a small handful of stand-out pitchers, and I filled out my roster with undervalued guys who are very likely to perform well above their draft position.

This week, I am mocking again, this time with a 12-team rotisserie setup and the fourth overall pick.

For those who are new to fantasy baseball, rotisserie style leagues pit you against the whole league for the whole season, with your daily stats adding up to a point total.

To win the league, your team must accrue the most points over the course of the season, so the goal is essentially to out-manage the rest of your league by having a team that is dominant across the board, in every stat category, so one must take a different approach to drafting for this format.

Unlike in Head-to-Head, it is not in your best interest to sacrifice a category or two in an attempt to dominate all others, so the greater emphasis here is on the most well-rounded players, statistically speaking.

Round 1: Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers with the fourth pick. Pujols, Hanley Ramirez and Troy Tulowitzki were not options, and drinking issues or not, I’ll take Cabrera over Evan Longoria any time.

Round 2: Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners – Unlike in Head-to-Head, where you can rely on one or two ace pitchers and then go with fill-ins playing against favorable matches the rest of the way, you need to dominate as many stats as possible all year long.

With his dominance on the mound, Felix Hernandez will help me do just that.

Round 3: Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Cleveland Indians – This was the first pick that made me hesitate, because I couldn’t decide between Choo or Nelson Cruz. Despite the massive raw power and above average speed demonstrated by Cruz, his inability to stay healthy last year scared me off.

After hitting 22 home runs and stealing 22 bags last year, and getting his mandatory military service waived, Choo has the green light to keep up good, steady production for the next several years.

Round 4: Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies – There wasn’t much in the way of position players available here, and instead of making a reach I decided to add another dominant pitcher.

Ubaldo Jimenez had a fine 2010 season, and while he may drop off a little bit after his shaky second half last year, he is still an ace and will likely post very good numbers next year.

Round 5: CC Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees – I wanted to stop neglecting my offense and take one of the last hitters from the fringe of being considered elite, but my options were essentially Derek Jeter, Brian McCann and Andre Ethier.

Jeter is vastly overrated to be considered fifth-round material, and with all due respect to McCann and Ethier, Sabathia seemed like a much better value for the selection.

Round 6: Drew Stubbs, OF, Cincinnati Reds – I’m not exactly satisfied that my three position players to this point are a first baseman and two outfielders, but I do love the three guys I’ve got.

Cabrera and Choo are established beasts, and Stubbs very quietly had an excellent 2010. His batting average may not help, but I’ll take a 90-run, 20-home run, 30-steal guy every time I’m given the opportunity.

Round 7: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates – I wanted to round out my infield, and coincidentally, Alvarez, in my opinion, was by far the best player towards the top of the queue who plays a position other than outfield.

Like Stubbs, he may not be the best average hitter, nor is he known for being a speedster, but I like his power nonetheless.

This guy is supposed to be the next cornerstone of the Pirates and (hopefully) restore the tradition of winning to the playoff-starved franchise. This pick is a swing for the fences, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Round 8: Jonathan Papelbon, closer, Boston Red Sox – With all the other elite closers long gone, I wanted to make sure I had at least one guy who is almost guaranteed to have a big season.

His ERA may have been hideous for a relief pitcher last season, but I am more than willing to bet we see a bounce back from the…um, eccentric closer this year.

Keep in mind, his ERA may have been 3.90, but it still came with 37 saves.

Round 9: Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis Cardinals – It’s frustrating when you are trying to avoid taking a bunch of outfielders early, but when you go to look for offense the most productive position players worth drafting at the position are outfielders.

Regardless, I still feel the need for a bat and take another outfielder anyways. Rasmus displayed nice power and double-digit-steal speed in 2010, so he’s a pretty solid pick here.

Round 10: Ian Desmond, SS, Washington Nationals – With a batting average just under .270, 10 home runs, 17 steals, and 65 RBI, this Nationals youngster did a little bit of everything last year, and should only get better with more playing time.

Desmond is one of the more underrated members of an immensely talented base of young players being assembled in the nation’s capital.

Round 11: Brett Anderson, SP, Oakland A’s – At this point, it’s not easy to come across a pitcher of Anderson’s caliber, but given his bout with injuries to his arm last year, I can see why his draft stock isn’t quite as high as you’d think from someone with his talent.

Still, he’s a gem. Just wait and see.

Round 12: Angel Pagan, OF, New York Mets – Even though I’ve got plenty of outfielders, I am really happy to get Pagan in this phase of the draft. He may not be a very highly valued player, but guys who hit .290, score 80 runs, hit 11 homers, drive in 69 runs, and steal 37 bases don’t just grow on trees.

Like Desmond, but to a greater extent, Pagan does a little bit of everything. Unlike other guys capable of upper 30s or low 40s steals totals, like Brett Gardner or Jacoby Ellsbury, you can count on Pagan to contribute towards every stat.

Round 13: Jose Valverde, closer, Detroit Tigers – Unlike most other drafters to this point, it’s now dawned upon me that I’ve neglected to get a second closer.

Because the other available players (Huston Street, Aaron Hill, Adam Jones, and Denard Span) don’t excite me, I’m more than willing to take Valverde, who had a fine season for Detroit last year and by all means should again in 2011.

Round 14: Gio Gonzalez, SP, Oakland Athletics – I drafted Gonzalez for the same reason I drafted his teammate Brett Anderson. This late in the draft, it is really hard to come by high-upside starters who have already shown they can perform at the major league level.

Gonzalez wasn’t just average last year, he finished with 15 wins, 171 punchouts, and a 3.23 ERA. Pitching may be a volatile position, but you cannot have enough of these guys around.

Round 15: Neil Walker, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates – In need of a starting second baseman and with not much to pick from, I happily settle for Neil Walker, who probably has a mid-teens power ceiling and the capability to hit for a high average. Very serviceable player.

Round 16: Ike Davis, 1B, New York Mets – This one is more of a swing for the fences, because it is just flat-out impressive that Davis was able to hit 17 home runs as a rookie situated in the Mets lineup at Citi Field.

This guy is only going to get better, which should mean a big return on the late-round investment.

Round 17: Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Colorado Rockies – There still are not too many intriguing position players on the board, so instead of making a reach, I’ll just keep building up my pitching.

Chacin, a graduated Rockies prospect, showed some flashes of brilliance last year and can definitely join Ubaldo Jimenez at the top of the Rockies rotation this year.

Round 18: Adam LaRoche, 1B, Washington Nationals – Twenty home runs and 100 RBI is very nice production, especially once you reach that point where all the hitters left either have very little left in their tanks or have just too much to prove to be depended on.

Given the other types of guys showing up on the draft board, LaRoche is a remarkably sturdy, consistent option.

Round 19: Sean Rodriguez, 2B/OF, Tampa Bay Rays – This one’s a bit of a reach to see if Rodriguez can build on his season from last year, which saw him reach double digits in both home runs and steals.

Another year of big-league experience under his belt should help boost his batting average, while all that is needed to remedy his trouble with scoring runs from last year is regular playing time.

It’s not out of the question to see a breakout from Rodriguez since he’s going to become a full-time player now.

Round 20: Tsuyoshi Nishioka, 2B/SS, Minnesota Twins– Just in case neither Walker nor Rodriguez work out at second base, I take a bit of a see-what-sticks approach and add another guy to the mix.

Nishioka, a Japanese import heading into his first MLB season, has a reputation as a very good hitter, so we’ll see this year how that translates over to our side of the Pacific Ocean.

Round 21: Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees – I still need a catcher, and with Jesus Montero near the top of the player queue, now is the time to jump.

Most people in this draft lobby overpaid for their catchers several rounds too early, which made acquiring a good catcher for the right price to this point difficult.

Because of his MLB-ready bat, I took a swing for the fences on Montero. I have a feeling this pick will turn out as a home run or a strikeout, with no in-between area.

We’ll see, but Montero seems to be so talented with the bat that I’m not betting against him.

Round 22: Chris Johnson, 3B, Houston Astros– Johnson had a quiet but productive season for the Astros last year, and depending on how deep of a fantasy league you’re going into this year, he may even be a fringe candidate as a potential starting player.

Still, that speculation on my part is up for debate, but nonetheless Johnson is a very capable fill-in player. It won’t hurt to have guys like him on your bench.

Round 23: Edwin Jackson, SP, Chicago White Sox – With the last pick, Edwin Jackson caught my eye. He had a phenomenal 2009 season, but struggled out of the gate in 2010.

After being traded to Chicago last year, Jackson seemed to regain that great form he had demonstrated in the past, so assume he can get back to even being within a shade of his 2009 production, Jackson is well worth the 23rd-round pick.

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