Eric Karabell

  (11:01 AM)

Hello all and welcome to the latest fantasy chat session. Let's talk mostly fantasy baseball over the next hour. So...any questions?

Jordan (Slinger, WI)

Hey Eric: Is Shaq a more attractive fantasy player now that he is a Sun?

Eric Karabell

  (11:03 AM)

Strange move to me for the Suns. Marion is a very productive player, and while I understand he didn't want to play there anymore, which I find odd, can Shaq be the defensive presence they need? Can he score consistently? Can he stay on the court? Nice move by the Heat, and Marion should up his stats a bit. I'd take a look at Shaq in fantasy - and he's available in like 60 percent of ESPN leagues - if he commits to defense and starts blocking shots.

Joe (Huntsville,AL)

Time to drop Turiaf, or will he still get blocks?

Eric Karabell

  (11:04 AM)

I don't think Turiaf just stop playing after this Gasol trade, but the other thing is, Bynum isn't close to returning. So fantasy owners should keep enjoying Turiaf's blocks.

Nate, Wa

Are you a Howard or Prince man? And which shortstop would you take given the choice?

Eric Karabell

  (11:07 AM)

I think both are fine fantasy options, but I do have Ryan Howard a few spots ahead of Prince Fielder. Howard might be my No. 12 guy at this point. Also, at SS, Hanley is first, barely ahead of Reyes. Rollins is also round one.

Ethan (Memphis)

True or False: There are usually more opportunities to fill needs in the OF and at 1B from the waiver wire during the season, than any of the infield spots.

Eric Karabell

  (11:08 AM)

Absolutely true. However, OF is not nearly as deep as people think, when you need to fill 5 spots. It gets worse every year. But there are always Ryan Ludwick types who get hot for awhile.

Mike (NYC)

What will the move to PF and Shaq's presence do to Stoudemire's stats?

Eric Karabell

  (11:08 AM)

I don't think it means much for Amare. It could mean quite a bit for Boris Diaw, but I'm not so sure he's up the task to put up good numbers frankly.

Sam (Chicago)

Over/Under on steals for Soriano this season: 30

Eric Karabell

  (11:09 AM)

Have to be safe and take the under, but I don't buy into the theory the Cubs won't let him run. He did swipe 19 bases, and could've gone for 30 had he not hurt his hamstring.

Sean (Philly)

Does tha mean that 3 Phillies go in round 1? Now if they only had some pitching...

Eric Karabell

  (11:09 AM)

Three Phillies and three Mets. Of course the teams have to be nearly equal again.

Jonathan (Pittsburgh, PA)

How would you rank these three OFs for 2008 - Francoeur, Markakis, Pence?

Eric Karabell

  (11:11 AM)

I've got Markakis first, then Pence and Frenchy. Nothing wrong with any of them. I could see Francoeur raising his HR total to a normal level, and be careful of overrating Pence. He's hitting 6th this season, and I'm not convinced he's the most durable cat around.

Lee (Tempe)

Eric can I get your thoughts on Artests value the rest of the year? Would you trade him for Dalembert? I have trade offers every day for him, thanks

Eric Karabell

  (11:14 AM)

I am really not a fan of Artest's. I think he will be traded in the next 2 weeks, and there's no telling how that team uses him. He's a risk. I'd prefer Sammy for the blocks and boards.

brad (harrisburg, pa)

plain and simple: Berkman or Magglio? and will they increase their #'s from last season being that both offenses improved.

Eric Karabell

  (11:18 AM)

To me it's Berkman. I respect what Magglio did, but I don't see it happening again. Berkman has been doing things all decade, and I see another fine season, maybe 35-110 for him. Magglio could do the same, but I think there are more red flags.

Nate (St. Louis)

Who do you keep? H. Bailey for $3 or K. Gregg for $1?

Eric Karabell

  (11:19 AM)

Well, anytime you can secure a 30-save guy for the cheapest amount, that's mighty fine. Bailey should emerge and be worth more than $3, and he's the clear pick in a keeper, but a dollar closer is nice.

Tarr (Orlando)

Better keeper: Rios is in 6th or Bedard in the 10th?

Eric Karabell

  (11:20 AM)

Bedard is better. And the move to Seattle, which should mercifully be official today, only helps.

John (Syracuse, NY)

What's the difference in keeper league value between Peavy and Santana?

Eric Karabell

  (11:22 AM)

Not much really. Neither is too old, both pitch in great ballparks and I expect these to be the top two starting pitchers.

Ethan (Memphis)

About what round do you see Joba going in considering he may come out of the bullpen part of the season to limit his innings? or is that rumor false?

Eric Karabell

  (11:23 AM)

That rumor is not false. The Yankees want to (wisely) monitor his innings, and with Mike Mussina the likely No. 5 starter, it's not like they can move Moose to the bullpen. I see Joba being the main setup man for Mo Rivera for much of the season, then becoming a starter in 2009. As for where to draft him, I'd be really careful because of this.

Jordan (Slinger, WI)

Will Chris Capuano come back to life in 2008?

Eric Karabell

  (11:25 AM)

Not a bad late-round sleeper pick really. The chances of him going four months without winning a game again are slim, if he's in the rotation. He didn't pitch that badly for most of it.

Eric (Indy)

What kind of numbers do you see Barry Bonds, Frank Thomas, and Jim Thome puttign up this season?

Eric Karabell

  (11:25 AM)

Bonds isn't playing. I don't see a team giving him a contract. Thomas played in nearly every game in 2007, and I see him being a relatively safe 25-90 guy. Thome should be able to do that as well, but he seems to be more injury prone than Thomas at this point.

chris (statesboro)

Will Teixeira be more valuable to the Braves than Howard to the Phils?

Eric Karabell

  (11:27 AM)

Case can be made I suppose, since the Phillies have two other hitters who are probably more critical to their success in the middle infield alone. But in fantasy we just want numbers, and I'd think Howard outperforms Teix.

Adam (New York, NY)

In a nutshell, Cano or Ichiro for 2008? WHile most say Ichiro no question, he is really only dominating Cano in 1 category (SB) with a slight edge in AVG (Proj .330 to .310), whereas Cano has a big edge in HR and RBI.

Eric Karabell

  (11:28 AM)

I see your point, but I'd still take Ichiro. That's a huge difference in steals, and 20 points in batting average, over 700 at-bats, is also very big. I don't think it's all that close between them, but Cano is a top-50 player.

AL (NY)

assuming reyes, hanley, rollins, jeter are all kept...would you consider keeping tejada as a 4th rounder, or renteria as an 18th rounder the safer bet? or should i go to the draft with my eyes on a different ss?

Eric Karabell

  (11:29 AM)

Renteria is clearly the better value, and he's safer as well. I seem to be alone on an island in predicting a big season for Tejada, but regardless of numbers the difference in draft pick value here is enough.

Joe (Whitefish, MT)

In a standard H2H, 5x5 18 team league do you think I should keep Wang or Billingsley?

Eric Karabell

  (11:30 AM)

Billingsley clearly has the upside and could be a major strikeout pitcher. Plus, we should not assume Wang wins that many games again. I'd go Billingsley first in pretty much any format.

Ethan (Memphis)

Which roto category is the hardest to catch up in midseason?

Eric Karabell

  (11:30 AM)

I'd say batting average. This is why guys like Ichiro, who don't appear to be great fantasy options, are so important.

Josh (Washington DC)

Hi Eric, Can you help pick my last keeper from Bedard, V. Wells, Peraltha, Uggla, Gallardo? All count against the same round, and I have Pujols, Utley, Wright, Sizemore, Johan.

Eric Karabell

  (11:31 AM)

I normally lean to hitting, but in this case it's Bedard. I am not a Wells fan, and Peralta is a nice SS, but not keeper material over a guy who could lead the majors in strikeouts.

Adam (New York, NY)

Regarding Cano vs. Ichiro, I think it's safe to say Cano will hit at least 10 more homers and drive in 30 more runs, with upside from there. If he hits toward the middle of the Yankee lineup, why can't he go .310/23/105/100/5?

Eric Karabell

  (11:32 AM)

I think Cano can definitely put up those numbers. He's an emerging player, and from a scarce position. But Ichiro is still better.

Steve (NY)

So, is there a Dave Bush bandwagon again this year?

Eric Karabell

  (11:33 AM)

He just signed another one-year deal last night! Yep! But no longer would I take Bush as anything more than a late-round guy, your fifth or sixth starter. The ship has passed a bit...

Matt(Ny)

*If* he can stay healthy, what do you project for Scott Rolen in Toronto ?

Eric Karabell

  (11:34 AM)

I think Rolen will bounce back nicely, and a 20-80 season is coming. He's not gonna win MVP, but he can still be productive. I think he can outperform Glaus.

Lee (NYC)

Sorry Eric for the re-posts but your opinion is really needed... I just trade Joe Johnson, Horford, Cassel, and AK for Baron Davis and Gasol - how did I do?...Also, you drop Nate Robinson for Diaw? - THANKS!

Eric Karabell

  (11:37 AM)

I like the fact you got two really good players, though there's nothing wrong with Joe Johnson. Not sure what you're doing for depth, but you can figure it out. As for Diaw, the first inclination will be for fantasy owners to pounce on him, and it's not like NateRob is special, but hedge your bets a bit.

Adam (New York, NY)

I'm gonna fight this untill you stop posting my questions :), but if Ichiro puts up his safe to project career averages of .333/10/62/113/39, you think that is so much more valuable than a .310/23/105/100/5 second baseman? Also, Ichiro only had 61 more AB's than Cano last year (678 to 617)

Eric Karabell

  (11:39 AM)

Well... .yeah! But Ichiro in round 2 and Cano in round 4, it's not like I think Cano stinks. Hey, it's your team! Take Cano if you want. I've already drafted him in a few leagues, I think he's really emerging. But you can't put a price on a consistent top batting average and 35 steals.

Paul T. (Cincinnati)

I picked Vernon Wells as my first pick last year in essentially the 5th round (we had 4 keepers) and he disappointed me all year (16HRs, 80 Rbis). Any reason to think he'll be better this year or should I just let him pass by and go to another owner?

Eric Karabell

  (11:40 AM)

I think he could return to his big seasons, but I would let someone else deal with it. It would seem 25-100 is reasonable for him, but don't count on speed, nor health. Plus, he's an outfielder.

Keith (NJ)

If the Mariners get Bedard, don't they need to offer Bonds a deal to get another bat in the lineup? Otherwise, without a more consistent middle of the order bat, i could see them having trouble scoring runs, no?

Eric Karabell

  (11:41 AM)

Of course a lot of AL teams would like to have Bonds, but he's like public relations poison at this point. I have Bonds on a few sim keeper teams, and would love to get another year of those walks, but I just don't see it.

Rebecca (St Louis)

Most people are saying without question Peavy is the #2 fantasy starter. He had a great year last year, but his 2006 numbers were not all that great. Do you think the he will be able to repeat his numbers from last year? Was 2006 just a fluke for him? Thanks!

Eric Karabell

  (11:42 AM)

I wouldn't laugh if someone went with Bedard, Sabathia, Webb over Peavy. Nobody knows for sure which Peavy will show up. I think it's more likely he gets close to 2007 stats than falters, but with pitching one really never knows.

Jim (Cambridge, MA)

What are your thoughts on the Pirate's centerfield battle? McLouth could be a great sleeper but will Nyer Morgan or Duffy, who I think is hurt, start over him?

Eric Karabell

  (11:44 AM)

I agree I would like to see what Nate McLouth could do with 500 at-bats, but the mere fact he's never gotten that chance tells me the Bucs don't view him that way. This looks like it could be a year-long mess, a timeshare in which nobody emerges.

Eric (CT)

Hey Eric. How does Granderson's inability to hit (and even play) against lefties impact him in fantasy? It's making me think twice about keeping him. Thanks.

Eric Karabell

  (11:45 AM)

I've studied this exact theory and in the end, I don't think it matters at all. In fact, I'd bet Granderson eventually does learn how to at least be capable against LHP, so he should get better overall. His stats were incredible, and all basically done against RHP. I wouldn't think twice.

Erik (Philly)

What do you project from Carpenter and Liriano

Eric Karabell

  (11:46 AM)

I doubt we see Carpenter anytime soon. He's like last year's Pedro in a way. If you get a few months, you're doing well. Liriano should be ready in April, or maybe May, and I project about 25-30 starts, ERA in the low 3s.

Matt (Alabama)

Mauer and a 2nd round pick or Tulo and a 5th Round pick? Which would you rather have?

Eric Karabell

  (11:47 AM)

Definitely Tulowitzki. I don't see Mauer playing in 150 games, and that's a much higher pick. The difference between rounds 2 and 5 are huge. Rounds 12 and 15 not so much.

Matt,mpls

In a deep league is it worth taking a stab at Slammin Sammy Sosa? He is a FA right now. Your thoughts on what he could possibly do this season?

Eric Karabell

  (11:48 AM)

He can clearly hit left-handed pitching, but I have doubts he'll find work and get the same playing time he did a year ago. Could he hit 20 homers with 500 at-bats? Sure. Some team, like the Cardinals, would have to be desperate in the spring.

Jake (VA Beach)

3 Phillies and 3 Mets - assuming Beltran is the odd man out - where do you have him? Early 2nd?

Eric Karabell

  (11:49 AM)

More like late-2nd. I don't see Beltran running very much, and lots of outfielders can hit 30 homers.

Allen (Asheville NC)

Hey Eric, Will the Orioles move Hernadez to make room for Wieters in 2009? Thanks

Eric Karabell

  (11:51 AM)

Fantasy owners love to take young players and dream they'll become stars right away. I could see the rebuilding O's moving Ramon Hernandez soon, but Wieters in 2009 seems early.

Bryan (Cleveland)

Who has a better year Rick Ankiel or Franklin Gutierrez?

Eric Karabell

  (11:53 AM)

Based on opportunity, I have to say Ankiel hits more homers. He will play more. Gutierrez probably doesn't approach 400 at-bats.

Nate(Dallas)

Will Santana's move to the NL hurt him a little bit at first because he will be facing batters he doesn't know?

Eric Karabell

  (11:53 AM)

No. It's worse for the hitters, actually. They're in trouble.

Jack (NYC)

What #'s do you project for Travis Buck??? I always seem to get burned by A's!!!

Eric Karabell

  (11:55 AM)

He's about the lone sure thing for playing time in that Oakland OF. But maybe he gets to 15 homers, hits close to .300. Not the best fantasy outfielder.

Justin (Queens)

Better year: Haren or Hudson?

Eric Karabell

  (11:55 AM)

I will take Haren in the top-10 of SPs, Hudson in the 20-25 range.

Kevin, NJ

Eric-thanks for the chat. Do you trade Phillips for Fielder straight up if you have Reyes and Soriano for steals?

Eric Karabell

  (11:56 AM)

Yeah, I'd probably do that even if I needed steals. Prince is safer and brings bigger power.

Chris (Richmond, VA)

Please tell us some good news on Pujols!

Eric Karabell

  (11:57 AM)

In this case, no news is actually good news.

Ray (NC)

Speaking of yopug catchers, any projections on Towels this year? Thanks

Eric Karabell

  (11:58 AM)

The Houston catcher should be good for double digit homers, maybe 60 RBI and a .280 batting average. That's pretty good, and would make him top-10 at the position.

Mike (San Diego)

Quick projections for Shaq on the Suns?

Eric Karabell

  (11:59 AM)

I'd think the Suns would worry more about keeping him healthy for the playoff run, and the potential Lakers series. Wow, that will be fun! But while he's out there, let's say 14 and 8.

Eric Karabell

  (11:59 AM)

OK, thanks for the great questions, my time is up in the chat room. There's another chat coming along later today... adios!