WBRS Sports Blog

In the midst of NCAA conference tournaments, many sports fans still find themselves with scheduled fantasy baseball drafts that they must attend to. Therefore, throughout the day today I will post fantasy baseball previews for the National League, with the American League coming in a few days. The previews, written by WBRS' own Brian Rabb, include a small tidbit on nearly every player in the National League. And with that I give you the National League East Division...




Atlanta Braves

C Brian McCann – Was it a breakout year or a fluke? Either way, he’s a good option at a weak position.
1B Craig Wilson – Will have stiff competition. Avoid this battle until there is a clear winner.
2B Martin Prado – No guarantee he even makes the team, but the Braves are very thin in 2B.
3B Chipper Jones – Good numbers last year (.324-26-86), but at 34 he is likely to miss some games.
SS Edgar Renteria – Bounced back from Red Sox struggles, decent late-round option at shortstop.
LF Ryan Langerhans – Will compete for At-Bats with Matt Diaz and Kelly Johnson.
CF Andruw Jones – Great power numbers (42 HRs, 129 RBIs), low batting average (.262).
RF Jeff Francoeur – Tempting for his power, but struggle to get on base last season (.293 OBP).
SP John Smoltz – Despite his age (39) he’s thrown 200+ innings each year since rejoining the rotation.
SP Tim Hudson – Coming off his worst season (4.86 ERA), he should return to ’05 form.
SP Chuck James – Left-hander struggled against left-handed hitting…not a good thing in the NL East.
CL Bob Wickman – Pitched great down the stretch for Atlanta. Age and health are concerns.




Florida Marlins

C Miguel Olivo – Will continue to be unproductive. Not worth a pick.
1B Mike Jacobs – After hitting 20 HRs in his first full year in the majors, he could be a sold late pick.
2B Dan Uggla – He received strong ROY consideration, but struggled after the All-Star break.
3B Miguel Cabrera – One of the top fantasy options around, despite the lack of protection.
SS Hanley Ramirez – Rookie of the Year got better as the year went on and could improve in ’07.
LF Josh Willingham – He’s the lack of protection I was talking about. Good for another 25 HRs.
CF Alfredo Amezaga – Put up unimpressive numbers last year and is unlikely to improve at 29.
RF Jeremy Hermida – Highly-touted prospect was playing hurt for much of the year. Potential sleeper.
SP Dontrelle Willis – Finished with a measly 12 wins due to lack of run support.
SP Josh Johnson – Strong rookie season, but he’ll miss the first two months of this season due to injury.
SP Scott Olsen – Another strong rookie season, but may not be good for many wins because of the ‘pen.
CL Ricky Nolasco – This is just a guess as to who will be closing for Florida. They don’t know either.




New York Mets

C Paul Lo Duca – May hit for a high average again, but poor power numbers make him a late-rounder.
1B Carlos Delgado – Aging slugger is still good for HRs and RBIs, but his average dipped in ’06.
2B Jose Valentin – 37-year old is unlikely to repeat his surprising 2006 season.
3B David Wright – One of the best options at 3B, coming off .311-26-116 plus 20 steals.
SS Jose Reyes – Should be good for another 60+ steals and 100+ runs, especially if he walks more.
LF Moises Alou – Only played in 98 games last year and, at 40, is likely to miss significant time again.
CF Carlos Beltran – Might actually improve on MVP-caliber numbers if he can avoid nagging injuries.
RF Shawn Green – Unlikely to improve on last season’s numbers, but he’ll have plenty of RBI chances.
SP Tom Glavine – He’ll be under a lot of pressure to anchor the Mets’ staff. It’ll be tough at age 40.
SP Orlando Hernandez – Whatever is real age is, he’s over the hill.
SP John Maine – May not have as much success as last season, but good offense could mean Ws.
CL Billy Wagner – Should be good for another 35+ saves if Mets stay competitive.



Philadelphia Phillies


C Rod Barajas – Will split time with Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste.
1B Ryan Howard – Reigning MVP may see drop in HRs, as pitchers give him the Bonds treatment.
2B Chase Utley – Best second baseman in baseball may even improve on last year’s numbers.
3B Wes Helms – Unlikely to duplicate last season’s success (.329 BA). HRs may go up in hitters’ park.
SS Jimmy Rollins – Good power numbers for the position and should get 30-40 stolen bases.
LF Pat Burrell – If he can stay in the lineup, he should hit about 30 HRs, but that’s a big “if.”
CF Aaron Rowand – Might be the best defensive CF in the game, but that won’t help your fantasy team.
RF Shane Victorino – Potential sleeper pick. Will look to increase his steals; he’s got the speed to do it.
SP Brett Myers – Solid numbers last year despite off-field troubles. Expect a 3.50 ERA and 13-15 Ws.
SP Freddy Garcia – Has at least 200 IP every year since 2000. Playing in Philly won’t help his ERA.
SP Cole Hamels – Has the ability to be the best pitcher on this staff and maybe in the division.
CL Tom Gordon – Inexperienced bullpen and age concerns make him a risky pick.



Washington Nationals

C Brian Schneider – Known mostly as a defensive catcher, so probably not worth drafting.
1B Nick Johnson – He stayed healthy in ’06, but may start this season on the DL.
2B Felipe Lopez – Eligible at 2B and SS, plus he should be good for about 40 steals again.
3B Ryan Zimmerman – Barely lost out to Ramirez in ROY race. He should only get better.
SS Christian Guzman – No guarantee he’s healthy enough to play. Even if he is, you don’t want him.
LF Ryan Church – May win the starting job by default with the Nationals lacking in outfielders.
CF Alex Escobar – Formerly highly-touted prospect would not start for many other teams.
RF Austin Kearns – Should finally get consistent playing-time now that he’s out of Cincinnati.
SP John Patterson – If he’s healthy and regains his ’05 form, he’ll post a good ERA, but not many Ws.
SP Mike O’Connor – Showed some promise last year, but probably won’t contribute to your team.
SP Billy Traber – Has a career ERA of 5.57 in 2 years in the majors.
CL Chad Cordero – Even if he returns to his ‘05 success, the Nats won’t get him many save chances.