Arizona Diamondbacks.

Best Bet Hitter:  Stephen Drew.  SS with solid power and decent speed.  He started so young and it took him some time to figure out MLB pitching.  Now that he has (and he is the NL West!) Drew is a great pickup for any team.

Worst Bet Hitter:  Conor Jackson.  Not enough power.  10/10 or 15/10 ability is not enough for his position eligibility.  Note:  Last year, he was on my sleeper list and failed – you win some, you lose some.

Best Bet Pitcher:  Brandon Webb.  So much consistency.

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Doug Davis.  No K’s to add to a sub-par ERA.

Sleeper:  Max Scherzer.  66 K’s in 56 IP.  He had a good WHIP and he is in the rotation now.  Give him the late round pick and hopefully he comes through big time.

Colorado Rockies.

Best Bet Hitter:  Garrett Atkins.  He is always healthy and he gets 20+ HR.  The only worry is that his HR total is decreasing each of the past couple years.  Hopefully he picks it back up this year.

Worst Bet Hitter:  Todd Helton.  Inevitably there is always a guy at the end of the draft who remembers the 6 consecutive seasons of 30+ HR (99-2004).  Let them waste the late round pick while you grab value guys (1st Round Picks are easy – it is who can find the late round values that win leagues).

Best Bet Pitcher:  Ubaldo Jimenez.  He has a bad WHIP but he kept an under 4.00 ERA calling Coors home.

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Come on…it’s Coors Field.  Leave them all out of your roster.

Sleeper:  Clint Barmes.  If he stays healthy this year, you have one heck of a 2B for a very late round.

LA Dodgers.

Best Bet Hitter:  Matt Kemp.  Just huge potential for the coming year.  I believe you will have a 20/35 guy next year (especially if Manny comes back).

Worst Bet Hitter:  Andre Ethier.  This is two-fold, (1) if Manny comes back, I take back what I am saying.  Ethier could hit 25+ HR if Manny is behind him protecting his bat.  (2) If Manny does not come back to the Dodgers, you will see Ethier go far too early.

Best Bet Pitcher:  Chad Billingsley.  Huge K’s and solid other roto stats.

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Rotation members not named Chad, Clayton, or Hiroki.  Worrisome to see so many holes in that staff.

Sleeper:  Clayton Kershaw.  100 K’s in 107 2/3 IP.  Not to mention a 4.26 ERA is not shabby for a guy who is wet behind his MLB ears.  He’ll get you what you want out of a fantasy pitcher.

San Diego Padres.

Best Bet Hitter: Jody Gerut?  I don’t know if he is draft worthy but he could be (under the perfect circumstances) close to a 20/13 guy next year. 

Worst Bet Hitter: I can’t take AGon because for him to be a good bet he would have to have value at the position he is being drafted.  Has he shown 35 HR power before?  Nope, and last year may have been the career year and he is being drafted like 36/110+RBI is a guarantee.  He is going crazy early right now in the mock drafts.  Buyer beware (although if he wanted to play for my favorite team in real life he is a welcome addition!).

Best Bet Pitcher: Jake Peavy.  He continues to pitch lights out and as long as he is in SD’s Petco, you should be happy with the results.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Josh Banks.  He got 14 starts last year but even with Petco being home, stay away for now until he can prove himself.

Sleeper: Kevin Kouzmanoff.  His .299 OBP probably will not affect you because the stat is not a normal roto stat.  His 20+ bombs will look good, though.

San Francisco Giants.

Best Bet Hitter:  Randy Winn.  Not a ton of power, but three stats (R/AVG/SB) aren’t bad!  (Although I do believe that Edgar Renteria will be a solid pick this year, AL-to-NL switches!)

Worst Bet Hitter: Aaron Rowand.  Let someone else overdraft for a name player.

Best Bet Pitcher: Tim Lincecum.  Come on…200+ K’s already!

Worst Bet Pitcher: Barry Zito.  Am I kicking a 126 million dollar man when he’s down?  Nope, because there is always some genius in a draft who will grab a Zito type even though he has not performed to the standard for quite some time (Amazing what a past Cy-Young does to Fantasy Owners).  Let’s call it the “Bernie” effect.  How many last round picks were used on Bernie Williams in his last couple of seasons?  Seriously, grab the high-reward guys late, not the “possible middle”-reward guys!

Sleeper:  Randy Johnson.  Seriously, the guy is going late in mockdraftcentral’s drafts.  How can people let these K’s get away from them when the guy is still pitching solid.  He can be yours!

Chicago Cubs.

Best Bet Hitter: Alfonso Soriano.  Yes, he has battled a couple of up-and-down streaks along with injuries…but even with that he puts up very solid numbers.  As always, when he starts off cold (just like the weather in Chicago) start putting out feeler bets for under value of a guy who will finish with a 25/20 year.

Worst Bet Hitter: 2B Position.  This is in opposition to the talk out there that Mike Fontenot is the guy to grab late.  It does not mean that Fontenot should not be considered in NL-only leagues but until we know if he actually has the 2B job, there is no use in worrying about him being your 2B.  He and Miles both right now are in limbo and until that situations gets rectified, stay away.

Best Bet Pitcher: Ted Lilly.  He is one of the success stories of being “average” in the NL East, but superb in the NL.  As a fantasy pitcher, 180 K’s with a good ERA is great.  Not to mention playing on a team that will win quite a few games will help boost the W’s.

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Rich Harden.  Another health-related placement on this list.  Can he really stay healthy for 200 IP?  If he does, I would not be surprised to see a Cy Young in his cabinet…but I believe if he stays healthy for most of the year it would be more surprising.

Sleeper:  Carlos Zambrano.  Honestly, who cares about the no-hitter last year (that was a result of a lot of problems for Houston, more than his own greatness – Lilly had them no hit into the 7th the next day).  But, Z is getting criticized and looked down like he is nothing now, and you can get him in the 10th (possibly even later in some drafts).  Grab him late, let him be a good guy for your club.

St Louis Cardinals.

Best Bet Hitter: PUJOLS.

Worst Bet Hitter: Ryan Ludwick.  Can he repeat this insane performance?  He is drafted as high as the 5th round right now which should be more of a guaranteed spot for performance.  In the 10-11th round you can have an Ibanez who will put up some guaranteed powerful numbers this year.

Best Bet Pitcher: Adam Wainwright.  He’s the best of this crew.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Closer.  They seem to be a team that does patchwork.  They have a guy (Chris Perez) who should have the job, but they are discussing Chris Carpenter for the role.  Too much drama to take it on your team.

Sleeper: Rick Ankiel.  A 25-HR sleeper?  Certainly a contract-year guy to watch.  We will list all the contract year guys after the division previews are completed.

Milwaukee Brewers.

Best Bet Hitter: Ryan Braun.  By far…even with Fielder on the team…he’s the best by a mile for fantasy.

Worst Bet Hitter: Jason Kendall.  The entirety of this lineup is stacked.  Watch out for them, but leave Kendall on the sidelines.

Best Bet Pitcher: Yovani Gallardo.  At least Ned Yost cannot keep him in a game after he tears up his leg this year (It can always get better when your manager is the worst!).  When healthy, he will be a great asset…expect that this year.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Bottom 3 in the rotation.  Beyond Gallardo & Parra, there is no reason to think about this team (unless Sheets resigns!).

Sleeper: So many for them, this offense is stacked.  Rickie Weeks will be a 17/25 guy this year, Mike Cameron will be a 25/17 guy, and JJ Hardy is still one of the most underrated fantasy SS out there.

Houston Astros.

Best Bet Hitter: Lance Berkman.  Finally recognized because of his huge average for most of the season, but don’t forget he’s a 5-tool fantasy threat.

Worst Bet Hitter: Miguel Tejada.  He is looked at as much more than he truly is.  He is not bad for ****, but he’ll be drafted too early.  He has not been a fantasy value since 2006 and been drafted too early ever since.

Best Bet Pitcher: Roy Oswalt.  Continues to prove he’s the best they got and it ain’t close.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Any starter not named Oswalt or Wandy.  Even Rodriguez is not a good bet, but the rest of this rotation is terrible to think from a fantasy perspective.

Sleeper: Hunter Pence.  Did anyone else know he hit 25 HR?  His SB% was awful (11/21), but if they let him continue to steal like that…it doesn’t matter for you, you just want the stats .

Pittsburgh Pirates.

Best Bet Hitter: Nate McClouth.  20/20.  Power & Speed, that is how you win!

Worst Bet Hitter: Freddy Sanchez.  2B is weak, but even with a .300 AVG (he hit in the .270s last season) he does not put up the stats worthy of your roster spot.  (0 SB!!!!)

Best Bet Pitcher: Matt Capps.  Similar to the Nats…if they are going to win the game, it is going to be close.  Expect close to 30 Saves, but not as great a K Rate as Hanrahan.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Anyone not names Matt Capps.  I wish for the sake of great Pittsburgh fans that they would finally put together a team in the front office to get them what they deserve.

Sleeper: Adam LaRoche.  He is not much of a sleeper because he will not add much value to your team.  But if you need HR (and not much else) — he can’t hurt.

Cincinnati Reds.

Best Bet Hitter: Brandon Phillips.  He basically proved last year he is a 20/20 hitter – and that is not bad for a 2B.  I love this guy for any fantasy team (2B 20/20 is a huge rarity, right behind double digit steal C’s).

Worst Bet Hitter: Edwin Encarnacion.  I really do not believe in the 25 HR power from last year.  Why?  He had not broached 20 yet, and it seems to me that he is getting drafted a touch early.  3B is a spot you can get MUCH better value.

Best Bet Pitcher: Edinson Volquez.  Stud.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Bronson Arroyo.  He had a very high WHIP.  I believe that pepole fall in love with the 15 W’s but that was more of a luck factor considering the peripherals.

Sleeper: Joey Votto.  One full season under his belt and he is already showing the pop.  He is going to be stationed in the meat of the order driving in runs and hitting the dingers.  Look for him as late as you can get him.

Atlanta Braves.

Best Bet Hitter: Brian McCann.  He is an absolute stud at a deprived position.

Worst Bet Hitter: Casey Kotchman.  Stay away, just like last year, even with the league change, Kotchman is not worth a pick considering there are a ton of 1B eligible guys better than him.

Bet Bet Pitcher: Jair Jurrjens.  He is the best for sure, hopefully he continues his progression.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Bullpen.  I cannot trust Gonzalez or the rest, it seemed to be a revolving door of injuries.  If you have to have a guy to get you saves, you can do worse than Mike G, but stay away if it is a possibility.

Sleeper: Josh Anderson.  He has 30 SB potential.  In 144 plate appearances last year, he had double digit steals.  If he can find playing time he will make for a decent bench speedster.

New York Mets.

Best Bet Hitter:  David Wright.  Jose Reyes is so good, and in the draft these two are interchangeable, but I will go with the 3B.  Can’t go wrong with either one.

Worst Bet Hitter: Brian Schneider.  Even in a weak marketplace, you can do better than him.

Best Bet Pitcher: Johan Santana.  No comments needed.

Worst Bet Pitcher: 5th Starter?  I have a hard time going against Maine or Santana, cannot go against Pelfrey…so I’ll go with someone who has not been decided yet .

Sleeper:  Fernando Tatis.  1999 (Yea, 10 years prior to the coming season, I know) – .298-34-107-104-21.  Seriously, that was the line for this guy.  Last year’s stats projected out to 450 ABs: 20 HR, 70 RBI, 60 Runs, 5 SB.  Not bad from a last round pick…if he can get even more time out of it…keep raising the bar on the numbers.  Not to mention if they utilize him at a different spot in the lineup he will be powerful.

Philadelphia Phillies:

Best Bet Hitter:  Chase Utley.  I am head over heels sold on him.

Worst Bet Hitter: Jimmy Rollins.  I am basing this on his 1st round draft status.  Great steals, but the rest…eh.

Best Bet Pitcher: Cole Hamels.  Yes, even over Lights-Out-Lidge.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Jamie Moyer.  Can he really get under 4.00 ERA again?  I just can’t believe.

Sleeper: Jayson Werth.  He was the quietest 20/20 guy last year.  Even without the 4-homer game…he still has 20 dingers.

Florida Marlins.

Best Bet Hitter: HanRam.

Worst Bet Hitter: Jeremy Hermida.  I don’t buy what he is doing.  His K/BB ratio is 3/1 and he is not hitting 20 homers.  Something about that is not healthy, and he doesn’t need to take your OF spot.

Best Bet Pitcher: Ricky Nolasco.  If someone says, its round 11 and I will give you a 3 1/2 ERA/180 K pitcher…is that okay?  Any answer other than give him to me now makes you a dummy!

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Andrew Miller.  Give him another year of seasoning.  In a year or two he may be valuable, but for next year, I would like to see him work his K/B rate up.

Sleeper: Cody Ross.  22 HR last year with less than 500 ABs.  His past couple of years are showing the potential for 25+.  I expect it.

Washington Nationals.

Best Bet Hitter:  Ryan Zimmerman.  Let’s hope Z is healthy this year and can get you the 20 homers from a late round 3B.

Worst Bet Hitter:  Cristian Guzman.  A lot of times in drafts, the players will look and see the guy has a high AVG and immediately think that he is the guy that can close out their draft.  He is a .270 career hitter…the number will be coming down and that will take away his value.

Best Bet Pitcher: Joel Hanrahan.  You can get the closer for free.  Mostly undrafted — think about this, if the Nationals are going to win a game, don’t you think it will be close?  He also has great peripherals for an undrafted closer.  By the way, I’m telling you this is the guy that should be on your roster!

Worst Bet Pitcher: Any starter.  Lannan and co. should not be on your roster.

Sleeper: Lastings Milledge.  I really want to go out on a limb and say 20/30 season.  Okay, I’m going to say 17/28 and feel sheepish.

New York Yankees.

Best Bet Hitter: Alex Rodriguez.  Mark Tex is the shiny new toy and he has the kung fu grip, but ARod until he really starts deteriorating offensively is the best.

Worst Bet Hitter: Hideki Matsui.  Do not trust him for your team, too much of an injury risk.  There are plenty of OF who can hit the same numbers as Matsui while not making you worry about having to change your roster around all the time.

Best Bet Pitcher: CC.  Yea, he is the one.  He’s like the NES you got for Christmas back in the 80s.  He is awesome for 2009(unfortunately, it may be too many years on that contract for the big guy).

Worst Bet Pitcher: Phil Hughes.  Why does everyone love him?  It reminds me of a couple of past love affairs in Fantasy Baseball: Felix Pie in Chi-NL, Jeremy Reed in Sea, and Kevin Brown in LAD.  Brown was an injury problem, the other two were in that “prospect-land”, but Hughes seems be the new love affair.  I have given up on him…I can afford to be proven wrong before peddling a pick on him.

Sleeper: Robinson Cano.  I still believe in the guy.  Yes, the value given for the spot he was picked last year was waaaaay overdone, but that should not affect your picking him this year.  Do not get fooled by him and select him when you shouldn’t, but still be willing to grab a quality 2B.

Boston Red Sox.

Best Bet Hitter: Dustin Pedroia.  I almost took Youkilis, but believe that Pedroia will be the safer bet between the two.  I do not believe there will be a repeat of the incredible fantasy numbers he put up last season, but it will still be good enough to be satisfied with the 2B results.

Worst Bet Hitter: Julio Lugo.  Once again, a weak SS market is weaker.  Hopefully Lowrie will start all season and we do not have to even think about him again.

Best Bet Pitcher: Jon Lester.  Dice-K’s K’s with 30 less walks.  He’ll be healthier than Beckett and continue to have that lineup backing him up.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Clay Buchholz or Josh Beckett?  Lord, how do you even pick that when everyone is on such a high grade?  Beckett could be hurt and Clay is still young, that is about the only knocks I can find.

Sleeper: Mike Lowell.  Everyone will sleep on him because of the Tex/Youk moving to 3B stories.  Let them sleep while you reap the benefits of having this quality 3B.

Tampa Bay Rays.

Best Bet Hitter: Evan Longoria.  Whew I cannot wait to see what he ends up with this year.  Can he really hit 35?  We’ll see.

Worst Bet Hitter: Carlos Pena.  Look at Penas raw history and you will see 2007 was a blip on the radar and he got overrated.  You can go somewhere else for the 1B position later and get equal numbers.

Best Bet Pitcher: James Shields.  I will take him over Kazmir mainly because I felt like Kazmir looked really pedestrian at times last year.  He still finished the season with the stats you want, but I believe once again you can get someone later who will do something similar.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Bullpen.  I get nervous with this bullpen and don’t want to put my trust in Troy Percival or whomever else they may be throwing out there.  Yes, they were improved last year but I have a hard time believing it is all set.

Sleeper: Carl Crawford.  It feels like no one is remembering that Crawford barely played more than 100 Games last year.  You can get 13-15 HR and 30-35 SB next year…for less than the cost should be.

Toronto Blue Jays.

Best Bet Hitter: Alexis Rios.  5 stat monger, always good to get these guys.

Worst Bet Hitter: Lyle Overbay.  Don’t grab a 1B with pedestrian numbers.

Best Bet Pitcher: Roy Halladay.  Easy pick…lots and lots of K’s.

Worst Bet Pitcher: David Purcey.  Out of the healthy pitchers, he will not give you what you need out of a starter.  Stick to the others.

Sleeper: Vernon Wells.  A man with a 100 million dollar contract can be a sleeper?  Sure can in fantasy baseball, but look at his 100 game season this past year: 20 HR.  He could hit 30/100 this coming year for much less than his cost.  (wow, this team was a quick type!)

Baltimore Orioles.  Let me note this, bad teams always have a lot of undervalued guys, and you should take advantage of this.  Without further adieu:

Best Bet Hitter: Brian Roberts.  I wanted to pick Markakis, but he has fluctuated a bit year-to-year (allbeit still good numbers).  Roberts consistently grabs you 40 SB and does what you would hope from 2B…put you in position to win a category.

Worst Bet Hitter: Aubrey Huff.  I don’t think you can trust him to put up the numbers he did last year and give you the value that you would have to pay or pick him at.  Be smart, and do it right, if he somehow falls, than grab him…but know you are probably not getting more than a .280 hitter with 25 HR.

Best Bet Pitcher: Jeremy Guthrie.  The only, the ONLY pitcher with more than 100 K’s last year.  Even with that, I honestly do not think he is worth a roster spot unless as a last Pitcher selection in a standard 12 team league.

Worst Bet Pitcher: George Sherrill.  Unless you are drafting him very late (which I would do), he is not going to be worth it.  I honestly believe Baltimore will not make the same mistake it did last year, when they could have traded Sherrill with maximum value at the deadline.  I have a hunch he will not be a closer all season as he may not have a spot on this roster all season.  We will see if my speculation is accurate.

Sleeper: Matt Wieters.  If he gets the starting catching gig, and he’s on your roster…you may have as many homers with a better batting average than a Chris Ianetta.  He is scary good, and you will be very satisfied if the weakest position gives you stud production from a last round pick.  Good luck with this pick!

Minnesota Twins.

Best Bet Hitter: Justin Morneau.  He does it, year after year…solid stats for the 1B.

Worst Bet Hitter: Brendan Harris.  Even for ****, you don’t want him on your team.

Best Bet Pitcher: Kevin Slowey.  Solid 5/1 K/BB last year along with a sub 4.00 ERA points to him staying at the top of his game.  He will be a good fit in your later pitching picks (hopefully he can get past the 120 K mark this year.  Yes, I know who Francisco Liriano is, and he has every possibility to far exceed Slowey…I want to put Slowey’s name out there, and this was the best way to do it.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Any RP not named Nathan.  He will not allow anyone to get in to that position to gather a save, good for Joe!

Sleeper:  The Entire OF!  Delmon Young still has the potential to start launching bombs, Denard Span with 600 AB’s will put up studly steal totals, and Carlos Gomez will be an absolute steal this year (pun intended).

Chicago White Sox.

Best Bet Hitter:  Carlos Quentin.  Even missing time last year he put up numbers you were envious of, admit it.

Worst Bet Hitter:  Jim Thome.  He has been a DH for the last few years, but he really looks like the age has caught him.  I cannot trust him for another 30 HR this year.

Best Bet Pitcher:  John Danks.  He was only tied for third in Wins last year, but that is not the stat to look at.  He had a good K total as well as one heck of a job at the end of the year proving himself.  Not bad for a near-end of the draft pick to solidify your staff.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Gavin Floyd.  This is not an indictment against Floyd, because if you can get him very late, get him.  My problem is I feel that people are going to get him too early and it will not give the value you should expect.  He had 17 wins last year, in part because of luck, and had the highest HR allowed total on the staff at 30.  Just be wary when drafting, but don’t be too afraid if you feel he is your best pick.

Sleeper: Jerry Owens.  Do you even remember this name?  Yea, he is the guy who had all the steals two years ago.  He was hurt last season, so no one is thinking about him.  Be careful, though, because maybe the Sox sleep on him as well.  Pay attention to the White Sox setup before the year starts.

Kansas City Royals.

Best Bet Hitter:  Jose Guillen.  He’s the most trustworthy guy to put up stats every year.  Is he a knucklehead?  Yep.  You have to make your decision if you can not pay attention to the “I’m not happy” antics.  Place him on your roster and watch your lead increase.

Worst Bet Hitter:  Billy Butler.  Does not have the stats for his position eligibility.

Best Bet Pitcher:  Zach Greinke.  He’s a stud, and you can get him around the 11th round or later…keep that in mind.  K’s are the most underrated stats in all of fantasy baseball.

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Brian Bannister.  Another HR deliverer.  Obviously the only way you even think of him is in extraordinarily deep AL-only leagues.  Forget about it!

Sleeper:  Alex Gordon.  What was the line again?  I can’t give you up.  Something like that…that is the way I feel about Alex Gordon, only not in the Brokeback Mountain I get killed at the end of the movie way.  Give him another late round pick…I gotta believe!

Cleveland Indians.

Best Bet Hitter: Grady Sizemore.  30/30s are hard to come by.  If he doesn’t make that mark, he will be close enough you will be satisfied.

Worst Bet Hitter: Ryan Garko.  Another position based decision for worst bet.  No reason to give him a look when you are already have plenty of other players to put up better stats.

Best Bet Pitcher: Kerry Wood.  I am giving Kerry the props as best bet because he has done it over the last two years as a closer.  As always, do not give up an early round pick even for a stud closer…do, however, make sure your team is squared up!

Worst Bet Pitcher: Fausto Carmona.  Yea, the guy you drafted in the 10th round last year.  Same guy Cleveland was counting on to give them quality innings last year…yep, him.  He gave up more walks last year than K’s so for a starter that immediately eliminates him off my draft board.  Give him up, let someone else take the very high risk.

Sleeper: Jhonny Peralta.  I would say Victor Martinez, but he is still being drafted pretty high (and I am still high on the guy this year even with a 2 homer season in 2008).  How many shortstops give you great production in R/HR/RBI?  Not too many, so grab peralta if you can.

Detroit Tigers.

Best Bet Hitter: Miguel Cabrera.  Easy decision.  I love MCab anywhere after the first 5.  People complain that he missed out on 3B eligibility and that does stink, but be happy with the stats.

Worst Bet Hitter: Carlos Guillen.  Without SS eligibility, he is no longer worthy of a pick.

Best Bet Pitcher: Justin Verlander.  Not the strongest position for Detroit, although you should not sleep on Verlander just yet.  He needs to harness the hit batters and he will come back for a strong 2009.  He was a leader in preseason Cy Young picks last year; this year no one seems to even give him a sniff.  You can get him and be happy.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Nate Robertson.  I do not like his stuff at all.  He has regressed too much from what he was supposed to be.

Sleeper: Has anyone even mentioned Magglio this offseason other than to say “trade him?”  He does not steal bases, but he hits for a good average every year, puts up 20+ HR, and will drive in the runners.  If you can get him in the viscinity of round 10, grab him and stash him.

We are smashing with the number of posts recently.  We won’t be stopping either…today, we discuss the AL West’s best and worst.

Seattle Mariners.

Best Bet Hitter: Ichiro Suzuki.  Obvious pick, he consistently puts up the .300+, 40 SB, and 100 Runs.  He’s still a solid late second/early third round pick.

Worst Bet Hitter: Yuniesky Betancourt.  This season is a weak SS crop, you should still stay away from this guy.  He is consistent, and the result is mediocre fantasy-wise.

Best Bet Pitcher: Felix Hernandez.  Slam dunk.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Bottom of the rotation (i.e. Carlos Silva/Miguel Batista).  Stay away…if you are this desperate, try to get a rookie who at least has a chance to be good.

Sleeper: Brandon Morrow.  He should be in the rotation this year, but if he is the closer he will still have value.  Watch him this year…the numbers scream a great season coming his way.  (Kudos also to Adrian Beltre, we have mentioned in a previous post he is my pick to click this contract year).

LA Angels.

Best Bet Hitter: Torii Hunter.  He is a better numbers guy than he gets credit.  Close to 20/20 last year.  If they get a slugger this offseason, it will only get better.

Worst Bet Hitter: Juan Rivera.  The guy is never on the field.  He has had an adequate season…he is not worth your draft pick.

Best Bet Pitcher: John Lackey.  He was hurt at the beginning of the year last year, and in many (MANY) leagues, he was a free agent at some point.  If you got him and stored him on the DL, you were dominating by the end of the year.

Worst Bet Pitcher: Jose Arredondo.  This is not to say that he is not worthy of consideration.  He is a bad bet now because for some reason the Angels decided that wasting their free agent money on a guy who will do the same job that a guy could do for 8 million less was a good idea.  Sorry for the diatribe, but Jose would have been an absolute stud sleeper-closer.

Sleeper: Mike Napoli.  Is he a true sleeper?  Maybe not, he hit 20 homers out of the C position so you have to have noticed him.  The only problem is people are still drafting him in the last round of fantasy drafts.  That, my friends, is insanity.

 

Oakland A’s.

Best Bet Hitter:  Rajai Davis.  Ugh.  Seriously the best bet on this team.  Let us all hope that this guy gets the CF job for Oakland this year.  Over 600 AB’s he may be another type of Willy Tavares making your SB category a guarantee for you.

Worst Bet Hitter:  The whole team?  They are not good for your stats.  Jack Cust if you are severely desperate for HR maybe?

Best Bet Pitcher:  Brad Ziegler.  He put up good closer statistics.  Don’t fall in love with all these closer types I put in the best bets…just remember you can get maybe two of them and you are fine!

Worst Bet Pitcher:  Justin Duchscherer.  I have a hard time believe last year was not a fluke.  Look at his BABIP, flyball ratios, etc. and decide if he is worth where he ends up falling in your draft.  This is not an indictment against Duchs, but rather a warning that you should not draft him too early.

Sleeper:  Sean Gallagher.  He will now be in his first full season with the club (and the AL) and we should all be believers in him.  Anytime that Billy Beane eyes a player for a length of time (as he did with Gallagher while Sean played for Chi-NL), we should all be aware of what he is getting.

Texas Rangers.

Best Bet Hitter: Josh Hamilton.  Easy pick.

Worst Bet Hitter:  This is the Rangers…don’t bet against the Rangers.  I still believe Kinsler is giong to get drafted too high…but that doesn’t mean he isn’t worthwhile.

Best Bet Pitcher: This is the Rangers…don’t bet on the Rangers!  I would tremble if any of them were counted on for my fantasy team.   Do one thing, though…look at how Brandon McCarthy starts the season…just watch and see if he does okay…he may be a deep league sleeper.

Worst Bet Pitcher: CJ Wilson.  6.00 ERA for a closer…he better not be on your team!

Sleeper: My pick for this is Chris Davis.  It does not mean no one knows about him, but rather he is undervalued by so many and he ought to be hitting close to 30.  The fancy pick right now is Nelson Cruz…and by definition he should be considered one.  I’m still nervous of him as the prototype AAAA player.  Having Texas Rangers players on your team never hurts, and there is no rule that says you have to have just one .