Acpevans' BLE 4 Blog: Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: High-Ranked Players You Should Avoid

2012年2月15日水曜日

Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2012: High-Ranked Players You Should Avoid

High draft picks have a way of either helping your fantasy baseball team soar or devastating it.

We've all had prized players throughout the years who have monumentally fallen off the Earth, taking our beloved fantasy teams with them.

Your top pick can't single-handedly lift your team to a championship, but it can certainly cripple your squad.

Here are high-ranked players who you want to avoid in 2012.

David Wright, 3B, New York Mets

Let me be clear: David Wright is one of the best third basemen in the game.

But, on another note, he's coming off a mediocre season and he's still the No. 4 third baseman this season, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Wright disappointed fantasy owners in 2011 when he hit .254 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. He also played in only 102 games.

I just don't see why you would spend a high draft pick on Wright this season when there are plenty of good third basemen on the board, including the Toronto Blue Jays' Brett Lawrie, one of the true up-and-coming players in the league.

Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals

In addition to coming off Tommy John surgery, the Nationals are reportedly only going to give Strasburg 160 innings this season.

Why would you spend a high pick on a player who isn't going to be with you every step of the way?

I agree that Strasburg is one of the most dynamic and devastating young pitchers in baseball, but he has injury concerns, and you already know he's not going to get a full workload. He's not going to sustain you for a full season.

Jose Reyes, SS, Miami Marlins

Yes, I know Jose Reyes was an MVP candidate last season.

Yes, I know he hit .337 with 101 runs and 39 stolen bases.

But he also played in 126 games and he's 28 years old, going on 35. We know by now that Reyes can't hold up for an entire season. When he's with you, he's going to be a big help at shortstop. But when he's not, it's basically like throwing away a top draft pick.

I love Reyes' game, but when you're looking at the big picture, he's not going to help you over the long haul.

Kevin Youkilis, 3B, Boston Red Sox

I hate to say this, because I love the Youkster, but he's 32 years old right and he hasn't played close to a full season in the past two years.

He hit .258 with 17 home runs and 80 RBI last season in the 120 games he did play. and he hit .199 after the All-Star break.

This is not the same Kevin Youkilis. And it makes me sad.