| The Six-Month Grind | | | | so they could be busting out of these slumps any day |
| We're three weeks into the 2006 baseball season, and | | | | now. |
| if your fantasy team looks anything like mine, you're | | | | On the Rise |
| ready to unload half of your roster. I know it's hard, but | | | | Targeting players who are showing signs of breaking |
| be patient. The worse thing you could do right now is | | | | out is another key to making the right roster |
| panic and make a bad trade or drop a good player. | | | | adjustments. Here are a few players who might be |
| Baseball, more than any other sport, is driven by | | | | available and could definitely help some teams: |
| statistics. It's a long season with a lot of ups and | | | | Josh Barfield - The rookie second baseman has |
| downs for most players. In the end, the numbers | | | | excelled since being moved to the No. 2 spot in the |
| usually even out. If you stick with your guys long | | | | Padres lineup. He's got his average over .300 and has |
| enough, they should come around and start producing | | | | 2 HRs and 6 steals. Grab him if he's still available. |
| like you expected them to. | | | | Ty Wigginton - Playing for his third team in four years, |
| MLB Baseball Future Betting @ Sportsbook | | | | the journeyman third baseman seems to have found a |
| Off to a Hot Start | | | | home in Tampa Bay. He's taken advantage of Aubrey |
| While it's very difficult to watch your team stumble out | | | | Huff's knee injury and already has 8 home runs and 20 |
| of the gate (as I'm writing this, my offense is a | | | | RBI. Playing in hitter-friendly Tropicana Field should help, |
| collective 0-15 today and I'm about ready to have a | | | | too. Ride him while he's hot. |
| fire sale), there was a reason why you drafted these | | | | Brad Hawpe - The Colorado Rockies outfielder has |
| guys. If you were lucky enough - or smart enough, | | | | established himself as the everyday right fielder and is |
| depending on how you look at it - to draft Chris | | | | firmly entrenched in the heart of the Rockies lineup. |
| Shelton, Jonny Gomes or Nick Swisher, you're | | | | He's batting over .340 and already has slugged 5 HRs. |
| probably at the top of your league, right now. But are | | | | The 2000 College World Series MVP is well on his |
| these guys really going to lead the league in home | | | | way to a .300-30-100 season. You never can go |
| runs? | | | | wrong having a Rockie in your lineup. |
| Manny Ramirez hit his first two home runs of the | | | | |
| season, last weekend. Mark Teixeira and Richie | | | | The Pitching Hole |
| Sexson have three and two homers, respectively, | | | | While there is plenty of time to make up ground on |
| through the first three weeks. These guys are all | | | | offense, falling behind in the pitching categories - |
| perennial 40-home-run-hitters, and barring injury, you | | | | especially ERA and WHIP - can be a killer. Avoiding |
| can be sure that they will get their numbers by the | | | | those complete disasters in the early season is a key |
| season's end. | | | | to remaining competitive on the mound. |
| Waiting for the Right Time | | | | With pitchers, it's all about the matchups. Don't be |
| Everyone's heard the cliché "buy low, sell high." It's | | | | afraid to bench one of your better pitchers for a riskier |
| sound advice. Knowing the right time to deal that guy | | | | play if the matchup is right. Throwing a marginal starter |
| who's off to a hot start is the key to making this | | | | against Kansas City or Pittsburgh is always better than |
| happen. There's no way Shelton, Gomes and Swisher | | | | having just about any starter face the Yankees or |
| are going to keep up the pace they've set so far - | | | | pitch at Colorado. |
| Shelton's already started to slow down - but how can | | | | Whether you find yourself at the top of your league or |
| you not ride their hot streaks a little longer? Just don't | | | | at the bottom of the pack after these first three |
| wait too long if you're planning on dealing them. | | | | weeks, don't stop looking to make your team better. |
| Knowing players' trends is another key in making the | | | | Stocking your bench with productive players who |
| right deal at the right time. Some players are | | | | could be used as trade bait is always a good idea. |
| traditionally slow starters, like Ramirez and Jim | | | | The inevitable injuries will come, and having players to |
| Edmonds, and trading for them at the end of their slow | | | | step in during those times will help you avoid having to |
| start could mean big stats for you the rest of the way. | | | | make a desperate deal. |
| A lot of hitters heat up when the weather does too, | | | | |