American League Batters

Worth the Money

Carl Crawford – Tampa Bay Rays – Crawford is entering his 9th year of professional baseball and is coming off one of his best seasons in 2009.  He finished with a batting average of .305 and 60 stolen bases.  Crawford is worth the money mainly based on how many steals he has in a season.  He has had 5 seasons where he stole over 50 bases.  To win in a Rotisserie style scoring league, stolen bases are a number 1 category that you need to be a contender in your fantasy league.

Robinson Cano – New York Yankees – Fantasy owners have been waiting for a year like Robinson Cano had in 2009.  He exploded to hit .320, 103 runs, 25 HR’s, and 85 RBI’s.  In 2010, the Yankees have added another weapon to their lineup in Curtis Granderson so Cano will continue to get good pitches to hit.  This will result in a better 2010 fantasy baseball season.

Chone Figgins – Seattle Mariners – As I said with Carl Crawford, stolen bases are a big category to win in fantasy baseball.  Figgins has been an overlooked player in many fantasy leagues but he is always among the leaders in SB’s.  Last year he finished with 42 and now he is teamed up with Ichiro Suzuki which should provide him with a lot more stolen base opportunities as well as should score more runs which is why fantasy owners should keep him on their roster.

Nick Markakis – Baltimore Orioles – Going into every fantasy season, I always stay away from Nick Markakis and looking back at my drafts I have no idea why.  He isn’t on a very good team but continues to put up big fantasy numbers.  He is a consistent .300 hitter who will hit 20 HR’s and 100 RBI’s.  As he gets older he has become a much smarter hitter and should put up some good fantasy numbers for his loyal followers.

Not Worth the Money

Bobby Abreu – Los Angeles Angels – Abreu has had a very good career as a .300 hitter.  In the 2010 season he will be 36 years old which could hurt his production.  Right now he is projected as a #2 fantasy outfielder.  In my rankings he would be at the end of the #2 outfielders and maybe even a top #3 fantasy outfielder.

Hideki Matsui – Los Angeles Angels – Matsui didn’t have a great 2009 fantasy season but did have a great World Series against the Phillies.  He won the World Series MVP award which could raise his fantasy stock among fantasy owners.  I am not going to be fooled heading into the 2010 season.  He has changed teams going to the west coast.  Matsui was helped with the short porch in right field and now in the Angles stadium there are longer fences.  Last year he was hurt a lot and is getting old.  He doesn’t bring much to a fantasy roster except for power and come interleague play he is worth nothing in NL stadiums.

Ichiro Suzuki – Seattle Mariners – I really enjoy watching Ichiro play the game of baseball so it hurts me to put him in this category but I think his numbers are going to start to slip.  He is a well rounded fantasy player who will get some HR’s, SB’s, and a lot of runs but nothing outstanding for 2010.  If you can get him in the mid-20′s then he is worth the money but I think fantasy owners are going to spend a lot more on him going into the 2010 fantasy baseball season.

Aaron Hill – Toronto Blue Jays – Hill had a great 2009 season, finishing with a .286 batting average and career highs in hits (195), runs (103), HR’s (36), and RBI’s (108).  After going over that stat line you probably question why fantasy owners would not be drooling over Aaron Hill.  He was one of the best 2nd basemen in the MLB but he needs to prove it to me in the first half of the season until I will buy into him.  From 2005-2008 he had a total of 28 HR’s and his next highest HR total was 17 in a season.  A lot of fantasy owners may jump on his bandwagon but I’m selling on Aaron Hill.

Under the Radar Keepers

Ben Zobrist -  Tampa Bay Rays – Zobrist brings a lot to a fantasy baseball team.  Last year he came from out of nowhere to have a great season.  This year he won’t be so sneaky and fantasy owners will be looking to pick him up or anxious to keep him.  Besides the great stats that he put up last season he is eligible at 2nd, SS, OF, and Utility.

Adam Lind – Toronto Blue Jays – Like Ben Zobrist, he went undrafted in many  fantasy leagues in 2009.  But despite being under the radar he was crushing balls on a daily bases.  He finished with a .305 batting average, 35 HR’s, and 114 RBI’s as a first year player.  This year his numbers may drop a bit because pitchers will know where he is in the Blue Jays lineup.  I still like him as a keeper for your fantasy team.

Rajai Davis – Oakland A’s – Davis had his best year as an MLB player in 2009.  I know that they signed Coco Crisp and have a lot of OF depth but the way that Davis ended the season last year should give him the opportunity in Spring Training to the the starting center fielder.  He will help you in the stolen bases category even if for some reason he starts on the bench.

Nelson Cruz – Texas Rangers – I don’t know if Cruz could be considered a sleeper heading into the 2010 fantasy season due to the splash he created last season.  Cruz is a big and powerful hitter who smashed 33 HR’s last season.  Playing in Texas will only help his numbers so I expect him to have another good year for the Rangers.

Julio Borbon – Texas Rangers - He didn’t have much playing time until the last quarter of the year.  In the little amount of playing time he produced some good fantasy numbers.  In 157 AB’s he hit .312 and 19 SB’s.  Those will be the two main categories when deciding on Julio Borbon.  He will bring great speed to your fantasy lineup.

Minor Leagues

Chris C. Carter – Oakland A’s – Carter is entering Spring Training looking to be on the opening day roster.  If he can open the season on the A’s roster he could bring a lot to a fantasy lineup.  He could be eligible at 1st base and outfield but one thing that we do know is that he will bring a lot of power.

Brett Wallace – Toronto Blue Jays – Wallace who was traded this off-season to Toronto from Oakland is looking to start at 3rd base on the opening day roster.  Mid-season last year the Blue Jays traded away Scott Rolen so there will be an opening for Wallace to play his way in.  They do have Edwin Encarnacion which could hurt his 2010 fantasy stock but he is more of a future player to keep your eye on.

Carlos Santana – Cleveland Indians – Santana is a big reason why the Indians were able to trade away Victor Martinez last year before the trading deadline.  Santana is a well rounded hitter who can hit for average, power, and can drive in runs.  Keep your eye on Santana this season even if he doesn’t start on the opening day roster in 2010.

American League Pitchers >>>

American League Pitchers

Worth the Money

Zack Greinke – Kansas City Royals – The 2009 Cy Young winner will look to repeat in 2010 and I believe will do just that.  He will again be in the running for the Cy Young in 2010.  Last season, Greinke finished with a 2.16 ERA and going 16-8.  Greinke didn’t have the highest amount of wins compared to the other candidates but he does play for the Kansas City Royals and they did blow a few of his wins.  Greinke is only 26 years old and moving into his prime.  He is a good pitcher to build your fantasy starting staff for years to come.

C.C. Sabathia – New York Yankees – After starting slow in the big city last year, Sabathia really came on strong and finished as a top pitcher down the stretch in the 2009 season.  He was a big reason that the Yankees finished as World Champions.  Now turning the page to fantasy 2010,  Sabathia is a great keeper because he will rack up the wins for you as well produce a lot of innings which will help your ERA.  Last year he pitched 230 innings and had a 3.37 ERA.  Fantasy owners should expect similar numbers for at least the next five years and this means gold for keeper fantasy owners.

Jake Peavy – Chicago White Sox – Jake Peavy was traded to Chicago in the middle of last season and was only able to pitch in three games with them.  In those three games he finished with 1.35 ERA, 18 strikeouts in 20 IP and in all three of those games he recorded the win.  Peavy is expected to fully healthy for the 2010 season.  He is only 28 years old and has a lot of good years left in his right arm.

A.J. Burnett – New York Yankees – Some people cringe when they hear the name AJ Burnett because he doesn’t have the greatest ERA and is very inconsistent.  What I am considering when looking at Burnett for the 2010 fantasy season is his total strikeouts (195 in 2009) and strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (8.46 in 2009).  The one big factor with Burnett is his injuries in the past.  The 2009 season was the third time that he had started over 30 games so this could be a red flag but if I am putting him the the “Worth the Money” category beacause if you can get him for 28-32 dollars then he is worth the money.  Anything over that might be a stretch.

Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners – It is hard to think that Hernandez is only 23 years old because he has been pitching in the majors for the past five years.  He was the runner up for the Cy Young in 2009 and I feel will win it in 2010.  He finished last year with a 2.69 ERA, 217 k’s in 238.2 innings.  His ERA has gotten better ever year as well as upping his innings and strikeouts. Fantasy owners should be salivating at the fact of keeping him or buying him in the auction.  Sabathia and Hernandez are the only two pitchers that I would spend whatever it takes to get one of these two pitchers.  They are definitely worth the money!

Not Worth the Money

Rich Harden – Texas Rangers - Harden’s talent has never been questioned.  He has an overpowering fastball and great complimentary pitches as well.  The biggest problem that he has had is injuries.  The most innings he has ever pitched was 189.2 in 2004 with the Oakland Athletics.  He has a career 3.39 ERA and has a 50-29 record.  When out on the mound he is a great fantasy pitcher but risking to pay him a lot of money is not worth the risk.

Joba Chamberlain – New York Yankees – Currently we don’t know how Joba is going to be used this year.  The Yankees have added Javier Vazquez who will be their third or fourth starting pitcher.  With this addition does this mean Joba will be the fifth starter or in the bullpen.  Right now the fifth spot is between Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, or Chad Gaudin.  We know that he has the stuff to be a viable fantasy option but right now he doesn’t have a definite roll in the rotation or bullpen.

Scott Kazmir – Los Angeles Angels – Kazmir has always been hyped as a guy who could be an Ace of a pitching staff.  He didn’t work out in Boston and it didn’t really work out in Tampa Bay either.  Coming to Los Angeles may be the place for.  At the end of the season with the Angels, Kazmir pitched the best of his career.  With the way he ended the 2009 season fantasy owners will probably jump on his band wagon but I am going to stick with the long term facts and pass him up on auction day.  He has struggled with injuries in the past few seasons and also struggles with his accuracy at times.

Under the Radar Keepers

Scott Feldman – Texas Rangers – Feldman didn’t finished with a great ERA (4.04) so fantasy owners may turn away when seeing his name come up but he actually had a great season for Texas.  Fantasy owners that picked him up saw him record 17 wins and 113 k’s in 189.2 innings.  He also added 1.28 WHIP in 2009.  He has only started in 56 games so there isn’t a lot to go on but in the last two seasons he has 24 wins.  He could come as a good price in the auction or as a keeper option for fantasy owners.

Jeff Neimann – Tampa Bay Rays – Neimann has been a top prospect in Tampa’s organization for awhile and finally got his chance in 2009.  In 180.2 innings, Neimann finished with 13 wins, 3.94 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, and 125 stikeouts.  He is still young and will be looked on more in this coming year to carry the load for the talented Rays.

Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels – Throughout his four year major league career, Jared Weaver has been producing for the Angels.  He has started a 110 games in the four seasons, pitched in 161.2 innings, and has a 3.73 ERA.  The last two years he has started at least 30 games.  Pitching out in Los Angeles and behind John Lackey has taken all the publicity off him but quietly he has been a top fantasy pitcher.

Dallas Braden – Oakland A’s - He ended up on the disabled list at the end of the season but before then he put together a nice 2009 season.  The A’s always find good talent and then ship them else where.  I feel that Braden will have a big season if he can stay healthy and then once his contract is about to end they will ship him out of Oakland.

Sleepers

Marc Rzepczynski – Toronto Blue Jays – In his first year in the big leagues, Rzepczynski preformed very well.  He started in 11 games finishing with a 3.67 ERA.  He pitched in 61.1 innings and recorded 60 strikeouts which is a great stat for fantasy owners to see.  He isn’t going to be your number one or two starters and maybe not even your third but he would be a great low end pitcher for your fantasy squad.  He will keep your ERA low and help you in the K category.

Brandon Morrow – Toronto Blue Jays - It has been said that Brandon Morrow has great “stuff” and control.  With a short stint as a Seattle Mariner there were flashes of what everyone was talking about but he couldn’t piece it together.  With a change of environment and a certain roll within the Blue Jays rotation he could bring back what made him a top prospect throughout MLB.

Fausto Carmona – Cleveland Indians – This pick is me going out on a limb.  Going into this season he won’t be a very hot commodity so he won’t be auctioned for very much and that is where my thinking starts.  He will be worth taking a chance.  He has proven that he can be a great pitcher in this league like in 2007 when he started 32 games and finished with a 3.06 ERA and 19 wins.  But the past two seasons his ERA has been 5.88 and a combined 19 losses.  He will be entering the season as one of their most experienced guys and maybe the Indians ace.  I believe he can get back to his 2007 form in 2010.

Minor Leagues

Neftali Feliz – Texas Rangers – He has been the top prospect for the past few years and at the end of last season we found out why.  He saw action in 20 games pitching in 31 innings and finishing with a 1.34 ERA, 1 win, and 2 saves.  Heading into this season he is projected as a starter and could be a Cy Young candidate in years down the road.

Brian Matusz – Baltimore Orioles – In 8 games last year with the Orioles he went 5-2 but had a 4.63 ERA.  Going into this season he should be solidified in the rotation.  They brought a great veteran in Kevin Millwood to help be the ace of the staff as well as help this young pitchers grow and mature.  I believe Matusz has the stuff and desire to eventually be Baltimore’s ace of the future.

American League Batters >>>

2010 NFL Mock Draft 55-64

NFL Mock Draft 2nd Round

55	Philadelphia Eagles	CB Trevard Lindley - Kentucky	The Eagles secondary is thin and needs to keep adding young talent which is exactly Trevard Lindley.
56	Green Bay Packers	FS Nate Allen - South Florida	Allen is a very good free safety who could be moving up mock draft boards. In my 2010 NFL mock draft Lindley falls to Green Bay.
57	Baltimore Ravens	CB Kareem Jackson - Alabama	Another good corner that comes out the National Championship Alabama team.
58	New York Jets	DE Brandon Lang - Troy	Adding depth to the defensive line will only improve the Jets defense in 2010.
59	Arizona Cardinals	WR Demaryius Thomas - Georgia Tech	Anquan Boldin may not be back with the Cardinals so they will need to fill the void in the 2010 NFL draft.
60	Dallas Cowboys	ILB Sean Lee - Penn State	Lee has a great body for the NFL. He tore his ACL in 2008 and missed the whole season which could make him slide down the 2010 NFL mock draft.
61	Minnesota Vikings	QB Tony Pike - Cincinnati	Brett Favre may come back for another year but they will be prepared to replace him. Pike needs to work on a lot of his technique to be successful in the NFL. He will be a great addition to the Vikings offense even if Favre decides to come back for 2010.
62	Seattle Seahawks	OT Selvish Capers - West Virginia	With this pick Seattle will continue to sure up their offensive line.
63	New Orleans Saints	CB Syd'Quan Thompson - California	With this pick the Saints will get younger in their secondary.
64	Indianapolis Colts	S Deunta Williams - North Carolina	Bob Sanders is hurt every year so with this pick in my NFL mock draft they will get another big time safety.

<<< 2010 NFL Mock Draft 2nd Round 45-54

<<< 2010 NFL Mock Draft 1st Round

2010 NFL Mock Draft 45-54

NFL Draft 2nd Round

45	Denver Broncos	TE Aaron Hernandez – Florida	Tony Scheffler may not be back with the Broncos so McDaniels will have to find someone to replace him. Hernandez is the 2nd best TE in the 2010 NFL mock draft.
46	New York Giants	CB Brandon Ghee – Wake Forest	The Giants need some more secondary help. Some mock drafts have him going late in the first round but in my 2010 NFL mock draft I see him as a middle 2nd rounder.
47	New England Patriots (Tennessee)	WR Damien Williams - USC	Randy Moss is getting older, Wes Welker will surely miss the beginning of the 2010 season so New England will be looking to add some new weapons. Damien Williams had a great career at USC and would be a good fit with Tom Brady.
48	Carolina Panthers	WR Mardy Gilyard - Cincinnati	Like New England, Carolina has a need for WR's. Steve Smith can't do it all. In the 2010 NFL mock draft Gilyard will fit well with Carolina. He is a playmaker on offense as well as on special teams.
49	San Francisco 49ers	OG Mike Johnson - Alabama	Alex Smith finished last season strong and may still be their QB of the future. With this 2nd round pick they will help Smith on offense. Mike Johnson is a big lineman which will help improve the offensive line.
50	Kansas City Chiefs (Atlanta)	WR Brandon LaFell - LSU	The Chiefs will continue to add offensive help around Matt Cassell. LaFell will add another weapon along side Dwayne Bowe.
51	Houston Texans	CB Donovan Warren – Michigan	Warren is a good cornerback which will help the Texans secondary.
52	Pittsburgh Steelers	OLB Sean Weatherspoon – Missouri	I expect Weatherspoon to rise through the weeks of my mock draft. He is a very physical linebacker and can help bring back their defensive attitude.
53	New England Patriots	RB Dexter McCluster - Mississippi	Kevin Faulk is getting older and McCluster is someone who could replace Faulk. He can catch the ball as well as run inside and outside.
54	Cincinnati Bengals	DT Terrance Cody - Alabama	The Bengals continue to add more young physical defensive players. The defense was one of the best in 2009 and look to be better in 2010.

<<< 2010 NFL Mock Draft 2nd Round 33-44

2010 NFL Mock Draft 2nd Round 55-64 >>>

Ndamukong Suh

93 Ndamukong Suh

Nebraska

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 300 lbs

Class: Senior

Hometown: Portland, Ore.

 

Season	Games	Total Tackles	Tackle for Loss	Sacks
2006	14	19	8-45	3.5
2007	12	34	6-29	1
2008	13	76	19-85	7.5
2009	13	82	23-92	12