Overrated/Underrated
COverrated
-Joe Mauer
Doesn’t produce enough to justify his draft position. Still a good player at a weak position but I wouldn’t even think about drafting him until the middle rounds.
-Jorge Posada
Had a great season last year but has been pretty up and down over the last couple years…plus, he’s not getting any younger. If you draft him high expecting him to repeat last year’s numbers, you may be disappointed.
Underrated
-Brian McCann
Will produce just as much as V-Mart and Russ-Mart but is going a couple of rounds later. Owners are forgetting about him now that he’s in the shadows of the two Marts.
-Kenji Johjima
Has good power, hits for good average and is in a decent lineup. Plenty of bang for the buck. Doesn’t get much attention but should be the first guy off the board once all of the elite catchers have been drafted.
1B
Overrated:
-Mark Teixeira
Appears to be getting back to his old self in ATL but had some down years in TEX. Is still a force but I’d rather draft Morneau or Berkman a round or two later.
-Carlos Guillen
As long as he has eligibility at SS, he won’t be overrated but once he loses that eligibility, he will be as good as worthless. He’s only capable of 15-20 HRs in a season which just won’t cut it for a power position like 1B.
-Todd Helton
Most people have seemed to realize that Helton is no longer the Todd Helton of old but there are still a few stragglers left, drafting like it’s 1999. He’s a .300/15 guy now. That simply won’t cut it from a power position like 1B.
Underrated
-Justin Morneau
Is capable of giving you all the production that Tex provides and possibly more. The catch is you can draft him a couple of rounds later. Has immense power and is still developing as a hitter. May have a few untapped 40-50 HR seasons in him.
-Adrian Gonzalez
Hits for good average and power and is still young. Will only get better with time. Petco Park probably scares off a lot of people from drafting him but .300/30 is .300/30, doesn’t matter where he does it. He’s legit.
-James Loney
Has alot more power than people think and hits for a very high average. Had he played a full season last year he would’ve hit something like 27 or 28 HRs…with a .331 average. Is very young and will only get better with time. Can be had in the later rounds of the draft. If you miss out on the big name 1Bs, you may be well served to wait out Loney and draft other positions in the meantime.
2B
Overrated
-Brian Roberts
Steals bases and has ok power for a 2B but you can get just as much production out of a guy like Kinsler or Johnson a couple of rounds later. Had one big season but has been pretty consistent over the years. You’re essentially getting a 10/30 guy.
-Howie Kendrick
Gives you a good batting average and not much else. Is basically a glorified Placido Polanco. He’s not a bad option at such a weak position but doesn’t do enough to justify the hype.
Underrated
-Kelly Johnson
Possible 20/20 candidate this season…at 2B. Will give you just as much production as guys like Roberts and Kinsler but will likely get drafted five rounds later.
-Aaron Hill
Has good power for a 2B and can be drafted in the late rounds. If you miss out on Uggla you can take Hill about 10 rounds later. Is capable of a few 20+ HR seasons in the near future.
3B
Overrated
-Ryan Zimmerman
I like Zimmerman and a move to a new ballpark should help but hasn’t had the power numbers one would expect from a top ranked fantasy 3B. Is still young and could eventually become a 30 HR hitter but isn’t there as of yet. Is part of an anemic offense and is known to be rather streaky.
-Chone Figgins
He gives you excellent numbers for a 2B but you’re selling yourself short if you draft him at a power position like 3B. That’s like drafting Juan Pierre to play 1B…well not quite as drastic but you get the point.
Underrated
-Aramis Ramirez
Is an elite power hitter and is nearly on par with the big 4…A-Rod, Wright, Cabs and Braun. I’d take him before a 1B of equal caliber due to the relative scarcity at 3B.
-Mark Reynolds
Has tremendous power and is a forgotten man in ARI. Should have the starting job locked down and is capable of 25+ HRs over a full season. Grad him in the late rounds if you miss out on your favorite 3Bs.
SS
Overrated
-Michael Young
Another Howie Kendrick-like player. Doesn’t give you all that much when compared to the other players who are drafted around him. Needs to either start hitting more HRs or stealing more bases.
-JJ Hardy
He could very well repeat last year’s numbers but the track record isn’t there. He surprised people last year and is being drafted like he’s a 10 year vet in some leagues. Guys like Peralta and Greene are much safer bets, power-wise.
Underrated
-Miguel Tejada
His production has slightly dropped over the past few years and people are treating him as if he’s finished. Is still good for a .300+ average and 20+ HRs. I don’t see that many SS on the board who are capable of producing like that. Is still worthy of a high-mid round pick.
-Khalil Greene
How many SSs hit 30 HRs? How many players hit 30 HRs at Petco Park?…Needless to say, Greene will give you excellent power numbers from a middle infield position but the question is, can you take the hit in batting average and OBP?
OF
Overrated
-Ichiro Suzuki
Is basically a glorified speedster. He’s worth a high pick in an OBP league but is a bit of a reach in standard leagues. Will give you more across the board than a Juan Pierre or Willy Taveras but is in that same mold. If you can afford to get little to no power production from an OF spot, feel free to take him but I’ll take Carlos Beltran or Curtis Granderson instead. Is getting drafted way too high for what you get.
-Bobby Abreu
His power numbers have fallen off the map but still steals bases and is in that potent Yankees lineup. With that said, I’d still rather have Eric Byrnes or Shane Victorino.
-Vernon Wells
Is always lumped into that 2nd tier of top fantasy outfielders but has been extremely streaky from season to season. Will post excellent numbers one year and then numbers that are little better than average the next. To sum it up…buyer beware. You may not be getting what you paid for.
Underrated
-Eric Byrnes
Will give you far more production than Bobby Abreu but doesn’t have the track record so can be had several rounds later. Is a great value pick in the middle rounds due to his across the board production. I think of him as a Carlos Beltran-light.
-Shane Victorino
The flying Hawaiian should be getting drafted in the high-mid rounds based on last year’s numbers but is not. People are thrown off by the injuries that he suffered last year that cut his season short. Is capable of stealing 50+ bases and hitting 10+ HRs with a decent average. I think of him as a Carl Crawford-light.
-Matt Kemp
Should be an everyday starter this year and can hit for average (.342 last year) and power and can steal bases. There’s a reasonable chance he can be a 30/30 guy this season (or in the near future). Is going off the board in the later rounds in most drafts. Could be one of the best bargains in the whole draft.
SP
Overrated
-Carlos Zambrano
He’ll get you wins and will get you the K’s but will screw with your WHIP. If you must have a wild power pitcher, take Scott Kazmir three rounds later.
-Roy Halladay
Has really slipped in terms of fantasy production over the past few seasons. Isn’t getting as many K’s, wins or posting ERA’s like he used to but is still getting drafted as if he is. You can virtually get the same production 5 rounds later out of guys like John Maine, Tim Hudson and Brad Penny or can get better production a few rounds later out of guys like Ben Sheets, Matt Cain or Yovani Gallardo.
-Chien-Ming Wang
Puts up good win totals as the head of the Yankee’s staff but doesn’t get many strikeouts. Of course, 15 wins is pretty much a given but he won’t come anywhere close to 200 Ks…not even 150 Ks. I’d much rather take my chances on a high strikeout pitcher on a bad team like Matt Cain or James Shields.
Underrated
-Aaron Harang
More people are starting to notice him now that he’s put together consistent 200 K seasons. Wins games for a bad team and racks up strikeouts. I’d rather have him over Zambrano straight up…let alone a couple of rounds later.
-Chris Young
Is getting drafted a few rounds later than he should be. Has great stuff and pitches in an excellent pitcher’s park. He’s a much better bet than guys like Felix Hernandez, Francisco Liriano and Ben Sheets.
-Matt Cain
Last year’s high loss and low win totals are scaring owners off but Cain could just as easily turn it around this year and win 15 games. He’s incredibly dominant and strikes out a ton of batters. Could be this year’s version of Erik Bedard.
CP
Overrated
-Jose Valverde
From what I’ve seen so far, Valverde is going way too early. He had an awesome season last year but has never been known for his consistency. Could easily revert back to his old ways…and I don’t see the Astros giving him as many save chances as the D-Backs (could be wrong about that though).
Underrated
-Takashi Saito
Has been lights-out for the Dodgers and is usually the last of the elite closers to go off the board. Strikes out plenty and will give you one of the best ERAs and WHIPs in the game. Will get just as many save opps as any of the other closers (barring injuries of course).
DodgerAddiction 