The Fantasy Blog

I could not have envisioned the context of this entry just five days ago...but here it is.

On the strength of his 15-strikeout gem against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 20, Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (3-3, 63 strikeouts in 2012) has emerged as a coveted asset in trade talks, primarily with squads chasing strikeouts.

The following slideshow touts the 15 best fantasy players who currently reside on the disabled list (15 days/30 days/60 days).

This countdown doesn't necessarily run in concert with a player's preseason ranking or overall standing at the time of his injury. It's merely an educated guess as to which DL-based stars will yield the most productivity from this point forward.

It goes without saying, but Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria, Danny Duffy and Mat Gamel—all victims of season-ending injuries—were not considered for this listing.

The following slideshow touts four unsung hitters from 12-team leagues who may experience fantasy nirvana on May 8.

There's one more tie that binds this foursome: Each player would be an excellent buy-low option in trade talks right now.

However, Omar Infante would probably have to be included in a larger deal involving name-brand superstars.

Enjoy the show!

Begin Slideshow

Around lunchtime on Tuesday, a report surfaced that Tampa Bay third baseman Longoria would miss six to eight weeks with a partial hamstring tear, a seemingly crippling blow to the Rays' chances of making the American League playoffs this year.

The day will come when 19-year-old Bryce Harper, perhaps the most hyped hitting prospect of the last 30 years, lives up to his vast potential in the majors.

The day will come when Harper is one of the National League's best hitters and one of baseball's biggest personalities.

The day will come when Harper is a four-category force (if not five) and an easy pick for Round 1 or 2 in fantasy drafts.

Here are the results from my live, mixed-league auction draft on Tuesday, where each owner had to fill 24 spots on a $260 budget. While it's true that no two auction drafts are alike (just like snowflakes), I faithfully adhered to five time-tested philosophies of spender conduct:

1. Don't invest more than $27 on two elite players.
2. If you're going to spend like a drunken sailor, do it with power-hitting corner infielders.
3. Never pay exorbitantly for saves.
4. Be the last (or second-to-last) owner to go below the $100 threshold.

Here are a few fantasy takes from the world of baseball, specifically involving Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and the Yankees' latest reclamation project:

News: Ryan Howard likely won't return to Phillies until late May/early June

The Missing Links

Need a Hamburger Helper-like hand with your research for the upcoming baseball drafts? Are you curious to find out why the Kansas City Royals, led by Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Billy Butler, could be the Next Big Thing in baseball? Check out these great supplemental sites for background information:

Here's the first dry run of draft expectations when holding the No. 1 pick in a 12-team mixed roto league, specifically working off the Average Draft Position report from our friends at Mock Draft Central. It goes without saying: It's imperative to nail the first three picks (1, 24, 25), and for the sake of brevity, we'll stop at Round 17:

Round 1, Pick 1 overall: Motive: Best overall player

To counterbalance our own Spring Training positional rankings for Catcher and First Base or Second Base and Shortstop, here are the current Average Draf