Anyone ever had an accident-prone friend? Growing up I had a friend, Matt, who seemed to ALWAYS get hurt. He accumulated well over 100 stitches before the end of elementary school, and if it wasn’t him getting hurt, it was me. Matt and I were both good athletes and worked well together, but I had to get some chemistry with other players, because I never knew when I would have him in the lineup or not, due to how often he got injured. So I understand exactly what every Houston Rockets player goes through with this Yao Ming saga. He plays limited minutes, puts up pedestrian numbers, and doesn’t play back-to-backs.  He’s out for at least a week with a leg injury and he’s still 74% owned in all Yahoo leagues.

If you were drinking during your live draft and selected Yao, like I was, you feel stupid, like I do right now. I keep telling myself “you can’t save them all Hasselhoff,”  but still I am ashamed of this poor selection, and my fiancee calling me in the middle of my live draft asking me about wedding colors also didn’t help me concentrate either. But anyone who’s married or in a serious relationship knows telling your significant other that you are unable to talk due to fantasy sports is a form of suicide. So I take responsibility; it’s the cross I bear for love, which is a slight decrease in fantasy prowess.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t heed my warning now. Trade or drop Yao Ming. I know, you drafted him and you hate to let him go, but he will never be what he once was. If you can find some poor schmuck in your league who needs a center and you can get a decent guard in return trade him. If not, find another center. This may be a difficult task if you are in a deep league of 12 teams or more, but if you were smart and drafted more centers than you thought you needed, which by the way I recommend, than you can afford to pick up any position to fill your roster out. Rewind really quickly back to drafting more centers, I know it’s a little late for draft advice, but in the future draft centers when they are available. You can always find a breakout guard or forward during the season that can at least give you 3-pointers, or steals or some category that justifies you picking them up. Centers, on the other hand, are more of a premium. There are very few elite centers anymore that do it all. You either settle for the defensive center who blocks shots and rebounds, or you get the scoring center who is a weak defender and average glass-cleaner. You draft an extra center or two and you have some room to breathe. Also when others are thin at center on their rosters they may be willing to give up a better guard player to fill that need, of which you can reap the benefits.

I know it may be hard, but you need to let Yao go. He’s more unreliable than a workaholic father telling his son he’ll make it to his little league game. Even though you have that hope that he’ll come through, he’ll more than likely disappoint you in the end.

The Braves have been much better this season. Their fantasy value has skyrocketed also when you add guys like Jason Heyward and Martin Prado in the mix. But there’s one more Braves fielder who you may not think of that is having an excellent year; Omar Infante. The great thing about Infante is that he is a great hitter if you need someone to boost your average. Infante is hitting .342 this season, and once in awhile he may even knock one over the fence. I would not bank on that by any means, but it’s always a nice bonus. Infante has seven dingers this season, and has driven in 39 runs and scored 56 runs, while also swiping six bases. It’s not incredibly glamorous, but when you add in that Infante is eligible at 2B, 3B, SS, and LF and RF positions he becomes very valuable. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again; “Flexibility can be your ticket to winning a fantasy league championship.” You carry less position players, or have more options, and could potentially grab more pitchers and rack up wins and good pitching categories while having the flexibility to have extra batters at multiple positions. Infante is 72% owned in all of Yahoo leagues, so if you don’t have a beat on him yet, you better check quick, or you may have already missed the boat on this one. I know I didn’t, but that’s why I am the Sultan of Stat.

The Toronto Blue Jays don’t have much to cheer about this year; they won’t make the playoffs and are in a tough division. They do have Jose Bautista launching home runs on a very regular basis, but other than that it’s a little bluer than usual. The other bright spot is SP Brandon Morrow, who has pitched brilliantly at times, and even recently threw a one-hit complete game against the Tampa Bay Rays, in which he also struck out 17 batters.  Every owner of Morrow had to be loving life. However, they won’t like this next part; the Blue Jays are shutting down Morrow after his next start. I’ll wait while you sob and assume the fetal position. Ok…Wrap it up, I don’t have a lot of time so I will make this very simple; drop Brandon Morrow. I hope you would have figured that out without me telling you, but I would be remiss if you neglected to make that clear to you. Yes. I know it is a bummer. I know you may need to scramble to find another pitcher to take his spot in the roster. If it makes you feel any better though, you made a great pickup in the first place when you added Morrow. So be proud, and be angry at the Blue Jays for your fantasy fiasco.

Well, first off let me apologize for my extended absence. I just completed a move from Washington to Nebraska and my fantasy teams and blog have suffered. Never fear, this is my triumphant return. (insert sarcastic comment here) Anyways the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (which can I just make a note is the most ridiculous name in sports? Just let them stay the Anaheim Angels, they still play in Anaheim so what’s the point of calling them the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Beats me.) made a great move before the trade deadline to acquire 2B/3B Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals to fill the lack of any production they were getting from third base this season. Callaspo has responded lately, especially with a seven game hit streak, and for the season he is hitting for a solid average at .285 and has swatted nine homers while driving in 53 RBI’s, which is good for not being a power guy. Callaspo makes his living by hitting for a good average and scoring runs and the Angels are a strong offensive team which makes Callaspo valuable. Even more valuable is his eligibility at second and third base, which is hard to find this time of year. He is only 45% owned surprisingly, but his hot streak seems to be due to his new team and I would suggest picking him up and riding out that streak to the end. I have him, so don’t say I don’t drink my own concoction. I am sipping the Callaspo Kool-Aid, and it tastes delicious.

At this point in the season, if you have had your relief pitching decimated by injuries or if you just drafted unreliable closers, I have a solution. The Washington Nationals traded their closer Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins and now they are without a closer. However, the young set-up man Drew Storen has done a masterful job in that role and most likely he will be stepping into the closer spot for the Nats. Now this is not a for sure thing, but if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times; “No fantasy championship was ever won by playing it safe. If you want to win, you gotta take a risk at some point.” Storen could be a diamond in the rough, he could be the guy who could solidify your relief pitching slots on your roster. You may regret not snagging him up when he is a hot commodity if injuries come into play with other relievers or inconsistency shutting down games. I wouldn’t drop another solid closer in lieu of Storen, but if you are in need of one look no further than Storen. He is 31% owned right now, so if you act fast you can get him at a discount price. Act fast or regret in leisure.

Ok this trade deadline is turning the fantasy baseball world upside down. So many moves, some big and some small, some changes have devalued players,but some have increased their values. The prime example of a player whose value has taken an unexpected turn for the better, even amidst his hitting slump is newly acquired Texas Rangers 1B/3B Jorge Cantu. Cantu will most likely be the everyday first baseman for the Rangers, due to their lack of options. Chris Davis has been less than stellar and 1B prospect Justin Smoak was shipped to the Seattle Mariners in the recent Cliff Lee deal, which leaves them thin at 1B so Cantu will be the likely choice. Cantu will benefit greatly from a change in scenery and the Texas Rangers are an offensive juggernaut that will boost most batters hitting statistics. Not to mention the Ballpark at Arlington is a notorious hitters park so factor that in and Cantu should snap out of that batting funk he’s been in as of late. He’s owned in 75% of Yahoo leagues so he may not be available but if you have him already and were thinking about dropping him, you should hang on and see how he adjusts to his new home, and if he’s available and you should watch him closely and look into adding him soon.

So it may not be a secret to you that despite the red DL next to San Diego Padres pitcher Mat Latos’ name that he is actually not on the DL anymore. Latos threw 6.0 innings today and only gave up two earned runs on seven hits. Latos is 85% owned in all Yahoo Leagues, but he may be available if someone had to drop him due to no more space on their team’s roster for a DL spot. If you think he’s up for grabs, get him now. Latos is now 11-4 with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. This guy should be owned more than 85%. He should be among the elite pitchers, and soon more people will figure out how good he is, so you’d better act fast because this won’t last. It’s kind of like at the end of summer vacation just days before school starts up again and you see this girl in your class that, for lack of a better term, blossomed over the summer, you probably should get to her first before school starts and every ninth grade, puberty-crazed guy crowd around her locker. Mat Latos is blossoming right now, and if you wait any longer, he will not be available.

We can rebuild him, we can make him stronger, faster. We have the technology. This may or may not ring a bell depending on how old you are, but regardless of that,  sometimes a guy comes back from injury and  a long absence feeling a bit rusty, and out of sync, but once in awhile an extended hiatus can re-energize a player and can make him a hot commodity even before he’s off the DL. Well Carlos Beltran is active now, so he is someone you should look into adding.

Add: New York Mets OF Carlos Beltran (71% owned)- Beltran has been on the shelf for this entire season thus far, but now he is back and he is ready to produce. Yes I know you are hesitant, due to his injury but he has been a productive player when he is healthy. In 2008, his last full healthy season Beltran hit 27 bombs and drove in 112 RBI’s while hitting .284 and swiping 25 bases in the process. Those are some serious numbers. Think of it this way. Guys, if you’re married and have kids, you know after your wife gave birth she had that baby weight.  She dropped it right? Hopefully. Beltran doesn’t look attractive right now because of his injuries, but remember how nice he looked before all of this? He can someday return to form. It may be taking a chance, but it’s worth the risk. (Side note: If you are a married man reading this I have amazing respect for you. Either your wife is cool with you playing fantasy sports and reading the blogs about them, or you do an excellent job of playing fantasy sports while she is not around and cannot be there to get mad at you). Anywho, thanks for staying with me throughout my rabbit holes and trails. I promise it is all leading to a point. That point is to pick up Carlos Beltran if you need outfield help. Yeah I know I could’ve just said that and made this blog shorter, but the entertainment value is something that’s important to me.

Pitchers are often a revolving door in fantasy baseball. You ride the hot streaks, then add and drop them like hot cakes, except for a few studs that either seem to never have bad games (i.e. Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, or Cliff Lee), or guys you know will bounce back and are worth the temporary slump in the end (i.e. Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano). But there are some pitchers you just did not expect to have such a consistently good year that you may have gotten at a bargain late in the draft, or picked up off the FA list and they have been one of your top pitchers on your staff. I have said it before and I’ll say it a million more times; “Fantasy sports are not won by the drafts, but they are won in the FA list pickups and well-executed trades.” First off let me revel in my genius and highlight a guy I drafted in the late late rounds to complete my starting pitching core, who has pitched superbly this season.

Cincinnati Reds SP Bronson Arroyo- Arroyo doesn’t have the best ERA at 3.96, but he goes deep into games and is playing for a vastly improved Reds team who can give him some run support. In 19 starts, Arroyo has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 16 of those starts. He just doesn’t get run from games early. Arroyo has pitched 7.0 innings in 11 of those starts, so when you break it down 58% of the time Arroyo is getting seven full innings in each start (Crap, now I have to admit to my math teacher that I would use that stupid math someday, but he probably will never read this, so I think I’m safe). That’s a great type of pitcher to have, especially if your league has a quality starts category in it. Amazingly, Arroyo is only owned 44% in Yahoo leagues despite all that and his 10-4 record. He does have a downside, but it hasn’t come back to bite him too badly this season; he walks a fair amount of batters, but what makes that look a little inflated is due to his low strikeout numbers. Arroyo is someone who can strike you out, but he’s not going to blow one by you. His specialty is that sinker, so he induces a lot of groundballs, which still gets the job done, so don’t let that hinder you from picking him up if you need another solid SP.

St. Louis Cardinals SP/RP Jaime Garcia- Garcia has hit a bit of a rough patch as of late, but he has posted an impressive 2.27 ERA this season and I am really drinking my own Kool-Aid, but again, I picked this guy up off the FA list sensing he had potential. The Cardinals starting pitchers seem to always be pretty decent, and after watching him pitch, I took a chance and picked him up. Garcia is 81% owned in Yahoo leagues and for good reason. He has a solid record of 8-4 and consistently goes 6.0-7.0 strong innings. In his last four starts, however, he has only gotten through six once, but his overall body of work still is something to marvel at. We’ll see how his next few starts go, hopefully he can rebound and get back on the winning track, and reassure his fantasy owners that he is a premier pitcher in the second half of the season.

Some guys you expect to hit 20 homers and carry your fantasy roster; it’s assumed those guys will be your anchors and your consistent source of RBI’s or hits or stolen bases. However, there are some players that no one saw coming, or maybe people were down on and resurrected themselves this year and have become fantasy relevant again. Here are some of the best so far this season.

Texas Rangers OF Vladimir Guerrero: Vlad has had a resurgence with the always offensively-minded Rangers, and whether it’s the hitter-friendly Ballpark at Arlington or just a fresh start Vlad is swinging at everything, which is usual, but this year he is hitting them all. The Angels thought his injuries and struggles were too much and that he was done and some of us agreed that we had seen the best of Vladimir Guerrero, but he proved us wrong. Vlad is batting .319 and has 20 home runs while slugging in a whopping 75 RBI’s. That’s right, Vlad’s 3/4 of the way to 100 RBI’s by the All-Star break. Amazing. With the way the Rangers can hit and score runs, don’t expect a drop-off either. Vlad is going to continue to tear the cover off the ball.

Chicago White Sox OF Alex Rios: Rios had a down season last year, so virtually no one stuck their neck out to draft him, or if they did, they took a chance in late rounds. I picked him up on the FA list early on when I saw him hitting some homers and stealing bases and I am glad I grabbed him when I did. Rios has already almost matched his home run total and stolen base total of all last year prior to the All-Star break. What a turnaround. Rios may finally have that 20/20 season we always thought he could have. The combination of speed and power is very attractive in a fantasy player, not to mention he is batting .305. Rios had a bad year, but picking up a guy like that turned my team around in a hurry, as I am sure it did for other managers as well.

Atlanta Braves 1B,2B,3B Martin Prado: I waited to draft him lower, but not too late because I knew this was his breakout year. I know everyone says this, but I was on the Prado bandwagon from the start. I saw the potential, I saw the great batting average, and I knew it would come to fruition this season. I was drinking this guy’s Kool-Aid from the start. How smart do I look now? I got a couple comments in my live draft when I snagged up Prado, but guess who is getting the last laugh? (If you guessed me, that was the correct answer).  Prado is batting .325 and is 1 homer off his career high and only 10 RBI’s off his career high, although he isn’t a huge RBI guy, but those are bonuses to his batting average and how many runs he scores, 61 already this season, good for seventh place among all players, second in the National League only to Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips. Not only are his hitting stats valuable his fielding eligibility makes him a huge fantasy asset. You can put this guy anywhere in the infield except at SS. This makes it easier to pick up FA and make trades knowing Prado could fill in any gaps at positions you may be thin at. But when I list Prado under the fantasy surprises I mean a surprise to the general population, but not to me. This Kool-Aid tastes delicious.