Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Welcome back to the weekly edition of Frozen Ropes, the fantasy article that looks at the best and worst players over the past week. I have really enjoyed writing these articles and hope the advice Chad and I have put out there has helped some of you in your fantasy leagues.
The Good:
The hottest hitter in the fantasy land this week is Albert Pujols. He's hit .360, with 3 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R, a 1.204 OPS and even stole 2 bases. That is what you call a complete fantasy week. Albert Pujols is the best right handed hitter in baseball and a perennial MVP Candidate. We all know what his production will be from year to year. Jason Bay is certainly making his case for a new contract with the Red Sox. His last week contains an amazing .524 average, 2 huge home runs, 8 RBI, 8 runs and a whopping 1.548 OPS. He's been better than anticipated in his short time in Boston and should have another 30+ home run season. I wouldn't be surprised if his production is even better hitting in the Sox lineup. I love the sweet swing of Adrian Gonzalez, so it's nice to see him so hot this week. He often gets forgotten out in San Diego, but a .391 AVG, 4 HR, 8 RBI, and 1.419 OPS will make people remember him. He can be a streaky hitter, but his overall production makes it worth riding the troughs and valleys. Jorge Cantu start to the 2009 season has made it clear that last season was not a fluke. He's a legitimate fantasy threat. The pock marked wonder has hit .412, 4 HR, 10 RBI with a 1.700 OPS. The OPS is amazing. He has 7 hits this week. 4 of them are home runs, 2 are singles and he has 1 double. Talk about production. My preseason pick for most surprising hitter in the American League was Adam Jones. Through the first month of the season, he's made me look like a genius. This past week was no different. Jones has hit .387, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 9 R with a 1.037 OPS. Jones will not hit 30 homers this season, but will hit around .300 with 20 homers and about 100 RBI and runs. He'll also steal you 20 bases. He's a promising young player who will be a top fantasy producer.
The Bad:
Geovany Soto is struggling mightily in his 2nd full season. The Cubs say he's healthy, but he's been god awful at the bat so far. He hit only .105 this past week with 0 homers and RBI. He's still a very good player, so try and be patient with him. If you have a 2nd catcher on your team, bench him until he turns it around. Jhonny Peralta is another struggling player this week. He's only 2 for 24 with an .083 average this week with absolutely no production. He's swinging and missing way too often right now. While I don't think he's in line for a terrible year, he's also not the highest rated shortstop. If you can bench him for a few days, do so. Jeremy Hermida started the season off strong, but has since come to a screeching halt. The former top prospect has been terrible this week and could lose playing time. A .150 average has brought his season total to just .246. The Marlins offense has been good this season, so they can deal with a struggling player or two. He has never come close to fulfilling his potential so I would suggest staying away from him. JJ Hardy flat out can't hit right now. His season has been so bad that hitting .182 this week actually raised his average. Ouch. That's not good for a player with a blue chip prospect behind him in AAA. Alcides Escobar could take over for him at the position if he continues to struggle. The play of Carlos Gomez makes the Mets trade for Johan Santana look more and more like a terrible trade for the Twins. He's been reduced to a 4th outfielder right now and has only 3 at bats this week. He has tremendous speed, but is too undisciplined and strikes out way too much. His season average is .195 and he's only stolen 2 bases. Not good for someone who's best asset is his speed. He needs to learn to put the ball on the ground and leg out a few hits.
Under the Radar:
Just in case you didn't know, Andre Either is the 23rd ranked hitter in Fantasy Baseball. His early season production has surprised even me. On the year he's hitting .296 with 5 HR and 21 RBI. He has really flourished hitting in the same lineup as Manny Ramirez. I do think he's playing a bit over his head, but ride him while he's hot. If you haven't joined the Dexter Fowler bandwagon, now may be the time. The Rockies outfielder has been fantastic so far hitting .290, 2 HR with 7 RBI. What makes him so valuable are the 9 stolen bases he already has. His production should better than normal playing half his games at Coors Field. Nelson Cruz looks like he's starting to fulfill his power potential. The young rightfielder has already hit 6 HR and driven in 17 RBI. He's getting a chance to play most every day and should hit around 30 home runs in that lineup. I've always been a big fan of Paul Konerko so I very happy to see him playing well. Konerko is hitting .333, 3 HR, 18 RBI & a .902 OPS. His batting average will certainly drop a good 4o points, but the power production should increase as the weather gets warmer. He plays in a little band box of a field. He's still out there in about 35% of leagues. Russell Branyon is getting the majority of playing time at 1B for the Mariners and has produced very well. His average, .333 will never last, but he does have 4 homers and 10 RBI in only 57 at bats. He's a sure bet for a cheap 20 homers this year and could be even more if he get more playing time. He's also eligible at 1B & 3B.
That's all for now!
(Stay tuned on Monday for Garner's Greatest Top 25 by Chad Garner)
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