With the best players in baseball like Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez and other established stars, it usually translates into them ranked nearly as high as far as fantasy baseball is concerned in almost every single case. But due to fantasy baseball being...fantasy, some discrepancies arise as you start looking at who the most valuable players are in your 4x4 or 5x5 league.
Sometimes, the guy that ends up winning your league for you is the same guy whose fans curse the team every time that he is in the lineup, or a guy whose numbers look decent at the end of the year, but whose streakiness makes him beyond frustrating to root for in real life.
This week's Top 7 pays tribute to the players whose fantasy value and real value are the furthest from each other.
7. Dan Uggla
OK, fine, this is based upon his performance in the All-Star Game, but three errors and 27 men left on base in ten innings wouldn't mean much of anything fantasy-wise, but sure didn't help the NL. Here's the most depressing thing about the All-Star Game--with JD Drew getting his second huge home run in less than a year and being healthy all season so far, is it even fair to rip on him being the biggest pansy in baseball anymore? How depressing.
6. Alfonso Soriano
Streakier than Jim Edmonds, injured nearly as much as Drew, and as frustrating in the outfield as Adam Dunn, Soriano may put up huge numbers year after year, but you can't find too many Cub fans without several negative things to say about him.
5. Michael Bourn
He is the new Juan Pierre. He is on someone's roster in any fantasy league because of his steals, but on the Astros he is a leadoff guy with a .218 average and a .273 OB%, good for 84th out of 86 qualified players.
4. Willy Taveras
Another ungodly light-hitting outfielder who inexplicably keeps playing despite horrifically low power numbers and OB%, but fantasy owners hope the Rockies continue playing he and his 39 steals.
3. Carlos Marmol
Unless you are in one of those progressive leagues that have the holds-plus-saves category, middle relievers are the most under appreciated players in fantasy baseball. Marmol was the posterboy for that in the first half with 22 of them despite slowing down the last few weeks. He is still owned in some leagues because of his massive amount of strikeouts, but he sure won't be on major league waivers any time soon.
2. Jason Isringhausen
Ah yes, fantasy saves. There are people who, especially in NL-only leagues, have Izzy sitting on their roster hoping that he gets another chance to close so he picks up some more saves. In real life, Cardinal fans across the country scream and throw things at the TV if he even begins warming up.
1. Juan Pierre
He helps neither real nor fantasy in power, with no homers since 2006. The only thing keeping him on fantasy rosters are his stolen bases, and the only thing keeping him on the Dodgers is one of the worst contracts in baseball.
Sometimes, the guy that ends up winning your league for you is the same guy whose fans curse the team every time that he is in the lineup, or a guy whose numbers look decent at the end of the year, but whose streakiness makes him beyond frustrating to root for in real life.
This week's Top 7 pays tribute to the players whose fantasy value and real value are the furthest from each other.
7. Dan Uggla
OK, fine, this is based upon his performance in the All-Star Game, but three errors and 27 men left on base in ten innings wouldn't mean much of anything fantasy-wise, but sure didn't help the NL. Here's the most depressing thing about the All-Star Game--with JD Drew getting his second huge home run in less than a year and being healthy all season so far, is it even fair to rip on him being the biggest pansy in baseball anymore? How depressing.
6. Alfonso Soriano
Streakier than Jim Edmonds, injured nearly as much as Drew, and as frustrating in the outfield as Adam Dunn, Soriano may put up huge numbers year after year, but you can't find too many Cub fans without several negative things to say about him.
5. Michael Bourn
He is the new Juan Pierre. He is on someone's roster in any fantasy league because of his steals, but on the Astros he is a leadoff guy with a .218 average and a .273 OB%, good for 84th out of 86 qualified players.
4. Willy Taveras
Another ungodly light-hitting outfielder who inexplicably keeps playing despite horrifically low power numbers and OB%, but fantasy owners hope the Rockies continue playing he and his 39 steals.
3. Carlos Marmol
Unless you are in one of those progressive leagues that have the holds-plus-saves category, middle relievers are the most under appreciated players in fantasy baseball. Marmol was the posterboy for that in the first half with 22 of them despite slowing down the last few weeks. He is still owned in some leagues because of his massive amount of strikeouts, but he sure won't be on major league waivers any time soon.
2. Jason Isringhausen
Ah yes, fantasy saves. There are people who, especially in NL-only leagues, have Izzy sitting on their roster hoping that he gets another chance to close so he picks up some more saves. In real life, Cardinal fans across the country scream and throw things at the TV if he even begins warming up.
1. Juan Pierre
He helps neither real nor fantasy in power, with no homers since 2006. The only thing keeping him on fantasy rosters are his stolen bases, and the only thing keeping him on the Dodgers is one of the worst contracts in baseball.
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