Idiot’s Guide to Fantasy Baseball

Tip of the Week:
Make sure that when you’re attempting to acquire a player, you check his first name (or at least first initial). You don’t want to make the common mistake of picking up outfielder Hideki Matsui when you need Kaz Matsui to fill your hole at shortstop, because you won’t be able to use Hideki at that position. Similar problems can happen with players with the last name Rodriguez, Jones, and Gonzalez.

Did You Know?
If you’re looking for someone to help you in the walks category, you might want to consider Barry Bonds. Most people focus on his home runs, but if you check his stats, he’s actually leading the league in walks… by a wide margin! Chances are he’s not available in the free agent pool, but if he is, I’d pick him up immediately.

Pick to Click:
You may be hesitant to pick up Mark Prior these days. After all, it’s almost the All-Star break and he only has 1 win. But the reason that number is so low is that he missed two whole months due to injury. He’s still an above-average pitcher, so go ahead and roll the dice on him.

Steal of the Week:
Alex Rodriguez. His numbers are very good (.292 avg., 18 HR, 14 SB), but he also has eligibility at both SS and 3B, two positions that are generally lacking good players. Grab him if you can.

Hot:
Jim Thome, 1B, Philadelphia. He’s hitting .320 with 24 HR and 50 RBI. That’s power.

Scott Rolen, 3B, St. Louis. He leads baseball with 71 RBI, along with a .336 average and 17 HR. Would make an excellent pick-up.

Not:
John Flaherty, C, New York Yankees. Not only is his batting average a lowly .161, but he doesn’t even play every day! You’d be much better off going with the Yanks’ other catcher, Jorge Posada.

Mo Vaughn, 1B, New York Mets. Even though the Mets are paying him $15 million in 2004, he has yet to play a game this season. There are other first basemen who can get you more points, such as Todd Helton.