Complete SP Rankings: Week 11

Source: Fake Teams by Brian Creagh

Rank

Player

First Opponent

Opponent

Second Opponent

Opponent

1

Clayton Kershaw

Wade Miley

ARI

Gerrit Cole

PIT

2

Anibal Sanchez

Samuel Deduno

MIN

3

Adam Wainwright

Matt Harvey

NYM

4

Max Scherzer

Wade Davis

KC

5

Cliff Lee

Kevin Correia

MIN

6

Justin Verlander

James Shields

KC

7

Yu

Shuffle Up: Max Scherzer makes the leap

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, gamers, this is the one Shuffle Up that matters the most. If you could consistently figure out the fickle sighs and signs of these sirens, everything else would be a breeze.

Our goal is to rank all the roto-relevant starting pitchers for the rest of 2013, thinking 5x5 value in a mixed league. The prices are used for comparison tools; don't worry about the numbers in a vacuum. Players at the same cost are considered even.

I'll add commentary later today and I welcome your intelligent disagreement. Win the debate, win the rank. But remember to support your dissent, and never forget the golden rule of roto: a player doesn't gain (or lose) 15-20 percent of bonus value simply because you're

Complete SP Rankings: Week 9

Source: Fake Teams by Brian Creagh

Rank

Player

First Opponent

Location

Second Opponent

Location

Last Week's Ranking

1

Matt Harvey

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

Kevin Slowey

NYM

8

2

Adam Wainwright

James Shields

STL

Madison Bumgarner

SF

4

3

Yu Darvish

Trevor Cahill

TEX

James Shields

KC

9

4

Justin Verlander

Francisco Liriano

PIT

Jason Hammel

DET

Fantasy Beat – 2 Start Pitchers

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

This week on “The Fantasy Beat” Justin ‘Fensty’ Fensterman and Trevor Ray talk about two-start pitchers for next week and how to add two-start pitching to your overall fantasy baseball strategy of stream-lining pitchers throughout the season.

Kevin Guasman, Kevin Slowey, Jose Fernandez, Ervin Santana, James Shields, Mike Leake, Dan Straily

LISTEN TO THE

Fantasy baseball Pitching Report: Santana driving Royals' success

Source: SI.com

Many baseball observers were skeptical of the Royals' offseason approach, trading super-prospect Wil Myers for James Shields and throwing tons of money at Ervin Santana and Jeremy Guthrie in an attempt to compete for the playoffs right now. Back in March when we were working feverishly on our season previews, I called the Myers-for-Shields trade part of "a quixotic run at the Tigers." Well, the Royals are competing and, at 18-16, are just 1.5 games behind Detroit in the AL Central. Their pitching has been the driver of their success, as they have allowed the fourth-fewest runs in the majors.

Vernon Wells’ two-run blast powers Yankees - Vernon Wells | NYY

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Vernon Wells blasted a two-run homer off James Shields on Saturday, powering the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Royals.

Mostly MLB Notes: James Shields hot start, examining bullpens and prospect talk

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Leaving a home park that ranked first, second and seventh when it comes to suppressing runs scored over the past three years respectively (according to Park Factors) and a defense that has the highest UZR over that span as well, I was down on James Shields entering 2013. After all, he was just two years removed from a season in which he posted a 5.18 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. But I’ve been dead

Shuffle Up: The Tony Cingrani Problem

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, gamers, settle in and let's get to work. Of all the baseball shuffles, this is the one that really matters: the starting pitcher shuffle. The fickle men of the mound are sure to define our season, for good or for bad.

We're trying to gauge everyone's 5x5 value going forward - everything to this point is merely an audition. We're only playing for 2013 here, and we're assuming a mixed-league environment. Don't worry about what the prices mean in a vacuum - they're only tools to compare the players with one another. Players at the same price tag are considered even.

I'll add comments as the night goes along, and I reserve the right to make rank changes over that time frame. Your intelligent

Shields does well as Royals topple Rays 8-2 - James Shields | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

James Shields allowed only two runs in seven innings, leading the Royals to a 8-2 win over the Rays on Tuesday.

Mostly MLB Notes: A 2013 Season Preview

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Editor’s note: I wanted to get this posted much earlier, but I had my first kid recently (well, technically my wife had her), so that’s my excuse for the delay.

National League East

1. Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves (WILD CARD)
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. New York Mets
5. Miami Marlins

Comments/Fantasy Predictions: Both Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are top-15 fantasy players, while Dan Haren is a top-25 starting pitcher. Ryan Zimmerman proves to be a better pick than Evan Longoria, while Drew

Shuffle Up, Starting Pitchers: Exhuming McCarthy

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Alright, amigos, let's get to the prices on the mound. Here's how I rank the Top 90 arms or so for the 2013 season, 5x5.

Players at the same prices are considered even. Don't worry about the numbers in an isolated sense; what matters is how the players relate to one another. I reserve the right to tweak the list as the evening goes along. Win the debate, win the rank.

And remember the golden rule: a player doesn't gain 15-20 percent of bonus value simply because you roster him.

I'm sure there's more to the preamble but it's not coming to mind right now. I'll add commentary after the US and Mexico are done on the pitch. Make the jump, jumper.

$33 Clayton Kershaw
$32 Justin Verlander
$30

2013 Minor League Preview: Kansas City Royals

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America 2012 (3) | 2011 (1) | 2010 (16) | 2009 (11) | 2008 (24) 2012 Affiliate Records MLB: [72-90] AL Central AAA: [83-61] Pacific Coast League – Omaha AA: [58-81] Texas League – Northwest Arkansas A+: [66-74] Carolina League – Wilmington A: [68-72] Midwest League – Kane County (SAL Lexington beginning 2013) Graduated Prospects Will Smith (LHP); Kelvin Herrera (RHP); Everett Teaford (LHP) The Run Down The Royals traded away a decent chunk of their upper-levels talent in the James Shields deal with the Rays. Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, and Mike Montgomery are all gone, and what's left is a very young system. It also

Tip Drill: Crossing Zack Greinke off my cheat sheet

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

To some fantasy owners, Zack Greinke is a target player, a guy to chase after. Some other rotoheads consider him more of a fantasy conundrum, a tricky case that's not easily solved.

I'm not losing any sleep with Greinke this spring; I'm not swimming in the spreadsheets and trying to read the tea leaves. Just give me a red pen and I'll do all I need to do with this commodity – strike him off my list. None for me, thanks.

Zack Greinke.

Okay, it's not quite that simple. I never really say never with any player who will post value. If I found myself in a draft or auction where

2013 SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio – Experts Draft

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

I just keep doing fantasy baseball drafts don’t I? Seems like every time I wake up I get my bowl of cereal, my Red Bull (sometimes there is vodka in it), answer a plethora of tweets and emails, and then I end up being in a draft of some kind. Which draft am I talking about in this article? It’s the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio draft, populated by the genius minds of the network. How did my team turn out? Before I get to that, here are the rules.

12 team mixed

The Value of Relief Pitching

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

 

I recently detailed how my team turned out in KFFL’s K -BAD League. As a review of that club will show, I waited in pitching and assembled what I believe to be a strong group of starting pitchers –

Player Profile: Max Scherzer

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Max Scherzer is a flame thrower for the Tigers who has had a difficult time early in his career flashing start to start consistency. That somewhat uneven effort has caused many to not look closely enough at his dynamic right wing. In what follows I’ll hope to be able to make the point that given his draft day cost that he is a hurler you should be targeting for inclusion on your fantasy squad (he’s barely being taken inside the top-20 at the starting pitching position).

REVIEW: 2008-09

Scherzer started out his

Fantasy baseball 2013 team previews: Kansas City Royals

Source: SI.com

If Atlanta and Cincinnati made a justified decision to go all-in this season, Kansas City made one of the more questionable decisions to sacrifice the future for the sake of 2013 and 2014. The one team in the entire majors that looks like a lock to win its division is Detroit. If you don't believe me, just ask Las Vegas: the Tigers are currently -300 to win the AL Central -- by far the best odds for any team to take home a division crown. Still, the Royals committed $25 million to Jeremy Guthrie over three years, and traded for Ervin Santana, as well as his $13 million price tag. If that weren't enough, they traded Minor League Player of the Year Wil Myers, a player who could have helped give them the best young core of hitters in the majors, for James Shields and Wade Davis. Will that trade make the Royals better for the next two seasons? Perhaps, but it likely won't be enough to get them over the playoff hump.

AL LABR 2013

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Phoenix Arizona.

Not many fantasy baseball leagues mean more than LABR in the world of fantasy sports. Started by John Hunt 20 years ago, it was the first exposure many of us had to fantasy baseball, at least the first chance to really dig into the mind of the experts in the field to find out why they did what they did on draft day (for more on the history of the event see Steve Gardner’s wonderful piece). I’m honored that I’ve been asked to be a part of the event.

Last

2013′s Top 5 American League Rookie of the Year Candidates

Source: Fantasy Baseball Dugout by BeeZee

American League Rookie of the Year candidates will be plentiful for the 2013 season. Several young prospects saw brief looks with their major league clubs late last season while others look to make their mark in the big leagues starting this spring.

Here are five names to watch out for who could be vying for Rookie of the Year Award honors at the end of the season.

1. Danny Hultzen: Seattle Mariners

Selected by the Mariners with the second overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft, left-handed pitcher Danny Hultzen made a strong debut in his first professional season. He posted a 3.05 ERA in 25 starts

K-BAD – 2013: Part III, BBGuys Team

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

James Shields' or find free 'james shields' pictures via Wylio" href="http://www.wylio.com/credits/flickr/7652994662">

The fellas over over at KFFL.com have a fantasy baseball league nicknamed K-BAD, for Baseball Analysis Draft, and for the 5th straight year I’m honored to have been asked to participate (the proceeding link takes you to an analysis by every participant on the league). In Part III of this three part review I’ll break down how my squad turned out.

C:

K-BAD – 2013: Part I, Rounds 1-14

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

For the fifth straight year I was invited to play in an expert’s league by the folks over at KFFL.com (you can click on the link to see how everyone else in the draft evaluated their own selections). Nicknamed K-BAD, for Baseball Analysis Draft, the league pits 11 of the top minds in the game against one flunky (that would be your truly). I thought I would give my analysis

Fantasy baseball 2013 team previews: Tampa Bay Rays

Source: SI.com

The Rays had the best year of any team to miss the playoffs in 2012, going 90-72, but finishing three games behind the wild-card winners, Baltimore and Texas. This will be a different outfit from years past. Gone are B.J. Upton, James Shields and Carlos Pena. In are James Loney, Yunel Escobar and super-prospect Wil Myers, whom the Rays received from the Royals for Shields. Sam Fuld will likely start every day in place of Upton. Alex Cobb and Jeff Niemann figure to be in the rotation on Opening Day, and Chris Archer, the centerpiece of the deal that sent Matt Garza to the Cubs two years ago, could also factor into the mix.

2013 Minor League Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

Source: Razzball by grey@razzball.com (Grey Albright)

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America 2012 (11) | 2011 (3) | 2010 (1) | 2009 (4) | 2008 (1) 2012 Affiliate Records MLB: [90-72] AL East AAA: [66-78] International League – Durham AA: [74-63] Southern League – Montgomery A+: [55-79] Florida State League – Charlotte A: [80-60] Midwest League – Bowling Green A(ss): [52-24] New York-Penn League — Hudson Valley Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Desert Dogs Lenny Linsky (RHP); Tim Beckham (2B); Hak-Ju Lee (SS); Richie Shaffer (3B); Kevin Kiermaier (OF) Graduated Prospects Matt Moore (RHP); Jake McGee (LHP) The Run Down The Rays' player development systems have

Toronto Blue Jays Preview

Source: SI.com

The Toronto Blue Jays clearly understand what it takes to compete in the AL East. The Yankees are the Yankees. Despite a few down years in a row, the Red Sox remain a constant threat. The Rays have turned themselves into a perennial contender and are still a dangerous team, even after losing James Shields and B.J. Upton. Now even the Orioles, who advanced to the ALDS in 2012, present a challenge. The AL Central, this is not.

Elliot Johnson: Sent to Royals

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Elliot Johnson: Johnson has been sent to the Royals as the player to be named later in the James Shields-Wil Myers trade in December. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Yunel Escobar (SS-TB)

Source: TG Fantasy Baseball

Pressing Questions: The Tampa Bay Rays (Roto Arcade) - Tampa Bay's pitchers were ridiculous last season, leading all of baseball in both team ERA (3.19) and WHIP (1.17), ranking third in total strikeouts (1383). Basically, they rolled out an entire staff of Stephen Strasburgs (3.16 ERA, 1.15 WHIP). Hardly seems fair, but they did it. In four of the past five seasons, the Rays have ranked either first or second in the American League in team ERA, so we've come to expect pitching dominance from this group. Not coincidentally, Tampa has also won 90 or more games in four of the last five years. This is a design-on-a-dime team that seems to shed high-priced players each season, yet always returns to the pennant race. It helps, obviously,

Pressing Questions: The Tampa Bay Rays

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

Tampa Bay's pitchers were ridiculous last season, leading all of baseball in both team ERA (3.19) and WHIP (1.17), ranking third in total strikeouts (1383).

Basically, they rolled out an entire staff of Stephen Strasburgs (3.16 ERA, 1.15 WHIP). Hardly seems fair, but they did it.

In four of the past five seasons, the Rays have ranked either first or second in the American League in team ERA, so we've come to expect pitching dominance from this group. Not coincidentally, Tampa has also won 90 or more games in four of the last five years. This is a design-on-a-dime team that seems to shed high-priced players each season, yet always returns to the pennant race. It helps, obviously, that the farm system coughs up

Fantasy Beat – Baseball, Hockey, & Hoops Oh My!

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Justin Fensterman and Trevor Ray are joined by the one and only Ray Flowers. They will discuss some fantasy hockey, breaking down goaltenders and the FSTA draft where Ray drafted. The guys will also make sure you get your Fantasy Basketball fix as Trevor and Justin break down waiver wire guys like; Royce White, Ed Davis, Tiago Splitter and more.

NHL Talk: Braden Holtby, Michael Neuvirth, Henrik Lundqvist, Saku Koivu, Vladimir Tarasenko, P.K. Subban, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Smyth, Jay

tasy Beat – Baseball, Hockey, & Hoops Oh My!

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Justin Fensterman and Trevor Ray are joined by the one and only Ray Flowers. They will discuss some fantasy hockey, breaking down goaltenders and the FSTA draft where Ray drafted. The guys will also make sure you get your Fantasy Basketball fix as Trevor and Justin break down waiver wire guys like; Royce White, Ed Davis, Tiago Splitter and more.

NHL Talk: Braden Holtby, Michael Neuvirth, Henrik Lundqvist, Saku Koivu, Vladimir Tarasenko, P.K. Subban, Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Smyth, Jay

2013 FSTA LEAGUE

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

In 2011 I was the FSTA Champion even though I selected Carl Crawford in the first round (he appeared in just 130 games hitting .255 with 65 runs and 18 steals in his worst season of more than 100 games played.). In 2012 I had another first round selection fail to live up to expectations as

Pressing Questions: The Kansas City Royals

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Controversial, lopsided trades are a staple in baseball. Over the years, numerous unbalanced swaps have occurred, leaving fanbases both perplexed and pissed. Pittsburgh’s shipping of Jose Bautista to Toronto for ‘iconic’ catcher Robinzon Diaz back in 2008 immediately comes to mind.

Soon, Royals GM Dayton Moore’s December shipping of uber-prospect Wil Myers to Tampa, along with pitchers Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi and Patrick Leonard, in exchange for James Shields and Wade Davis may be viewed with similar bewilderment.

Myers, the organization’s 2012 Minor League Player

Player Profile: Luis Mendoza

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

I’ve outdone myself this time. Luis Mendoza, he pitches for the Royals if you were unaware, went 8-10 with a 1.42 WHIP last season. That type of pitching line points to a hurler being barely usable in a league specific setup. So have I run out of things to write about at BaseballGuys? Am I part

Wade Davis (P-KC)

Source: TG Fantasy Baseball

Shields, Davis, Santana to attend Royals FanFest - The three offseason additions to Kansas Cityand#39;s rotation -- James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana -- will attend the 2013 Royals FanFest on Jan. 19 at the Overland Park Convention Center. Source: http://mlb.mlb.com

James Shields (P-KC)

Source: TG Fantasy Baseball

Texas Rangers Rebuilding Already? (Yahoo! Contributor Network) - COMMENTARY | Zack Greinke, James Shields, R.A. Dickey, Justin Upton, Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, Ryan Dempster. Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com

Trade Impact: Wil Myers and Trevor Bauer

Source: Fantasy Baseball 365

The baseball hot stove is heating up, and it's not simply the result of free agent signings. This week we saw two blue chip prospects dealt. The Royals sent Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard to the Rays for James Shields and Wade Davis on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Indians were busy orchestrating a three team trade that saw them first send Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald to the Reds for Didi Gregorius and Drew Stubbs. They then turned around and sent Gregorius packing along with Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson to the Diamondbacks for Trevor Bauer, Bryan Shaw, and Matt Albers. For the purpose of this article, I'll be discussing the impact of the trade only on Myers and Bauer.

Myers was named the

Flames: Go-shon! Moreno to fuel playoff charge

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Each week the Noise highlights 12-13 somewhat obscure, unobvious names who he believes are destined to torch the competition. To qualify, each player must be started in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Speaking as an accountability advocate, I will post the results, whether genius or moronic, the following week using the scoring system shown here. If you're a member of TEAM HUEVOS, post your Week 15 Flames in the comments section below.

Josh Freeman, TB, QB (32-percent started)
Matchup: at NO
Just weeks ago internal

Wade Davis: Headed to Royals

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Wade Davis: Davis has been traded to Kansas City along with James Shields and a player to be named or cash from Tampa Bay in exchange for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and another prospect, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Royals acquire Shields and Davis from Rays - James Shields | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays have traded James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals.

Rays get Wil Myers from Royals in blockbuster - Wil Myers | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Rays acquired OF Wil Myers, RHP Jake Odorizzi, LHP Mike Montgomery and 3B Patrick Leonard from the Royals for RHPs James Shields and Wade Davis and a player to be named later.

Royals to acquire Shields and Davis from Rays - James Shields | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays have traded James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals.

Royals to acquire Shields and Davis from Rays - James Shields | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays have traded James Shields and Wade Davis to the Royals.

Wil Myers: Headed to Tampa Bay

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Wil Myers: Myers has been traded to the Rays in a deal that will send James Shields to Kansas City, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

James Shields: Traded to Kansas City

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

James Shields: Shields has been traded to Kansas City as part of a trade that will send Wil Myers to Tampa Bay, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

D'Backs targeting Shields in multi-team trade - James Shields | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Diamondbacks have been working to get James Shields in the rumored potential three- to four-team trade.

Royals balk at asking price for James Shields - James Shields | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Royals have balked at the Rays' asking price for James Shields.

Royals willing to deal Wil Myers for Shields? - Wil Myers | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star believes that the Royals "won't hesitate" to trade Wil Myers for James Shields.

Royals willing to trade Myers for Shields? - Wil Myers | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star believes that the Royals "won't hesitate" to trade Wil Myers for James Shields.

Nationals also have trade interest in Shields - James Shields | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Nationals are interested in trading for Rays righty James Shields.

Rangers discussing trade for James Shields - James Shields | TB

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

The Rangers are discussing a trade for Rays righty James Shields, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Royals dangling Myers for Shields or Lester - Wil Myers | KC

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals have had discussions about trading top prospect Wil Myers for either James Shields or Jon Lester.