Eric Karabell

  (11:00 AM)

Hello all and welcome to the latest fantasy sports chat session. Kind of a quiet day for pro sports, but it's a perfect time to prepare for the second half in baseball and hey, football drafts are 2 months away! So thanks for showing up and here we go...

Rick (DFW)

Best second-half stash option for patient owner: AZ's Chris Young or KC rookie Wil Myers?

Eric Karabell

  (11:02 AM)

As much as I think Myers will make an impact in the big leagues this season, he remains unproven. Young is proven. And as bad as he's been the past month, he's better than that and can steal bases. Depends on how much upside you want...

Isaac (St. Louis)

Over the ASB I traded Longo, Bauer and Lind for Phillips and Prado...Will I regret this deal? I just needed a little help to get me over the hump. Thanks

Eric Karabell

  (11:03 AM)

Perhaps you will. The question is when will Longoria return to the lineup, and it really could be at least another month. That's the issue with the stars on the DL, like Giancarlo Stanton. It might be awhile. But you get 2 proven healthy guys for now, so you did fine.

Kevin (FL)

Keeper League. Was offered Starlin Castro for Hanley Rameriz. My 3B is Wright. Time to move Hanley so I have a legit SS next season?

Eric Karabell

  (11:04 AM)

Sure, in your situation that does make sense. And really unless Hanley gets going here in batting average the case could be made that's a good deal regardless of you owning Wright. Castro isn't a fluke.

Carl (A Sweet Winny)

Yo EK need to pick a second baseman for the ros, who would you pick between Altuve and Hill?

Eric Karabell

  (11:04 AM)

I ranked Hill in my top 100, and I see nobody else did. Can't speak for them, but I like Hill. Batting average is a bit high, but then again, Altuve isn't a sure thing. And I ranked Altuve in my top 100 as well, only one! Wow.

Dan (Wis)

I see your player rating and you all have uggla ahead of altuve. Standard 10 team h2h points league I'm in first would you drop altuve for uggla.

Eric Karabell

  (11:05 AM)

If Dan Uggla is sitting on free agency in your league, um yeah, I'd do that quickly. Guy hits 30 home runs every season.

Rusty (Chicago)

Traded Jonathan Niese and Will Middlebrooks for Matt Garza and Mike Napoli. Sold high and bought low in one trade! How'd I do?

Eric Karabell

  (11:06 AM)

You did OK, but unless Middlebrooks goes on the DL I think he'll be a productive player for 3 months. Napoli is better and can play catcher, but I still like what you did.

Conor (Boston)

Thoughts on Ricky Romero ROS?

Eric Karabell

  (11:07 AM)

I didn't rank him in my top 250. Three others have him in their top 200. So I guess I am not a believer he will turn things around. I'm all for relying on proven players, but he's a mess and I can't stand waiting on pitchers when they continue to ruin your ERA and WHIP. Then again, I suppose I did the opposite with Lincecum...but I trust him more and the Ks are there. With Romero they are not.

Matt (Boston)

Eric, Pagan or Ichiro? Thanks.

Eric Karabell

  (11:09 AM)

Pagan. I don't see why people think Ichiro has anything left or will have a big second half. Juan Pierre is having a far superior season. I ranked Ichiro 187, easily the worst of anyone, and I'm wondering why I ranked him at all, frankly. He's doing nothing.

Griffin (NY)

Do you see Victorino turning it around in the second half? I'm concerned about him being moved around in the batting order and not being happy with it.

Eric Karabell

  (11:10 AM)

The best thing for moody Victorino at this point is to be traded somewhere else. Supposedly he was benched from a weekend game because he complained about hitting seventh in the order. For fantasy I could see him getting better; he's proven. Perhaps a new start would help him.

David (RI)

Parnell keep the gig ROY?

Eric Karabell

  (11:10 AM)

I doubt it. He's not really good enough - though his current numbers are fine - and the Mets have a recovering option returning soon.

Trent Richardson (CLE)

I know you don't like rookies and all, but I am the closest thing to Adrian Peterson. I'll give you I am a rookie and my offense still needs to define itself. Project my stats

Eric Karabell

  (11:11 AM)

I ranked Richardson in the 12-14 range among running backs, which I think is proof I will rank a rookie nicely. I expect 1,200 rushing yards and 6 scores, but that is such a miserable offense with no passing game, I like Richardson more for the cumulative nature of carries and workload than for averaging 4.5 ypc.

Rick (Irvine, CA)

FOOTBALL!!!! Do you have a few players that seem to end up on all of your teams when you draft/mock draft... Basically what one or two guys do you feel to value higher than others? Thanks

Eric Karabell

  (11:14 AM)

Well, I seem to be getting QBs that we rank in the 9-13 range quite a bit, waiting on the position, and at RB I'm getting one top guy and then hoping on a Michael Turner/McFadden type to remain young and healthy. And there are SO many wide receivers, no worries there.

Frank DiPino (St Louis)

H2H ? = With Ellsbury being activated Friday--should I take a "wait & see" approach? Would you Bench any of these Players to insert Ellsbury = Holliday, MelkMan, Choo, OR Panda (UTL)? I'm pretty loaded

Eric Karabell

  (11:14 AM)

Can't say I'd bench any of those fellas, but in general, if I owned Ellsbury I would activate him right away. Potential stud.

Joe (San Antonio)

How long of a leash should I give Heath Bell?

Eric Karabell

  (11:15 AM)

Ozzie claims it's bullpen by committee but it wouldn't surprise me if Bell gets saves this week. And that team has had so many save chances, Bell is on pace for 35. Is he bad? Sure. Bad closers have saved 35 games before and he doesn't pitch enough innings to really hurt a team, not like Lincecum or Romero.

Mike Trout (LAA)

When does regression hit? I can't keep this up can I?????

Eric Karabell

  (11:16 AM)

I ranked him 12th, so I clearly believe. Regression in batting average but not the counting stats.

John (Pa)

How concerned should I be about an innings cap for sale in a h2h league? Is now the time to move him if I feel ok about my playoff chances - any recommended targets? Thanks.

Eric Karabell

  (11:16 AM)

I talked to Chris Sale while I was in Kansas City and he claims there has been no discussion whatsoever about an innings cap this season, and he says (of course he does) his arm feels great. I don't think he necessarily gets treated like Strasburg; Sale isn't coming off Tommy John surgery.

Chris (Cincy)

Impressed with Rizzo so far?

Eric Karabell

  (11:17 AM)

It's two weeks. Need to see more. We've all been fooled before by hot starts. Nobody should be surprised he's hitting. He was supposed to hit last year. We need to see him do it for more than a week or two.

Steve (California)

Would you move Cargo for Agon and Ellsbury in a keeper league?

Eric Karabell

  (11:17 AM)

Makes sense to me.

Raphael (NJ)

Please tell me you believe in Eric Hosmer ROS.. jeez what an awful year, but I've been holding on

Eric Karabell

  (11:19 AM)

I ranked him the worst of anyone this week, because it's 3 months and he hasn't really showed signs of anything. Yes, I loved him in March... it's July now and first base is the only deep offensive spot. Hold him unless you have an obvious upgrade.

Josh (Chicago)

What two or three pitchers are you trading FOR right now?

Eric Karabell

  (11:20 AM)

Well, Cliff Lee and Halladay for starters. Matt Moore. But in general it's so easy to get decent pitching or mix and match it's time to move the top starters for proven bats.

Blips McGee (Pittsburgh)

FOOTBALL!!! Needing keeper help in a $100 league, can keep 2. Shady @ 23 is given IMO, torn on RUN DMC @ 16, B Lloyd @ 3, Mike Bush @ 1 or Megatron @ 25. The forte situation isnt helping either, please help!

Eric Karabell

  (11:21 AM)

McCoy and Megatron would be my picks. Not too much money for either, and elite production. I like the price on McFadden... but it's not always about saving money when there's nothing to buy at auction.

Karl Welzein (Grand Blanc, MI)

What do you see in Michael Young to merit a top 100 ranking ROS? He's not even a top 20 1B or 3B on the player rater so far this year.

Eric Karabell

  (11:22 AM)

Track record for batting average and plenty of chances to knock in runs. Plus the eligibility. Can play second base in a lot of leagues, and the bar is lower there.

Chris (NY)

Eric! Justin Upton... i'm not sure what to do anymore, and the possible trade from Arizona makes me think something is possibly wrong. keep or sell?

Eric Karabell

  (11:23 AM)

Keep. SO talented, will get better fast. Arizona is nuts to even talk about moving him. I doubt it's really happening.

Doug ((Atlanta))

How strong do you think Bauer will be during the second half? Do you believe in him long term?

Eric Karabell

  (11:23 AM)

Long-term, absolutely. For this season, I'm dubious. Has pitched well only once so far, and that was against a terrible Dodgers lineup that even Lincecum beat. Need to see 5 more starts from Bauer against legit comp.

Matt (NYC)

Do the top-250 rankings account for position? For example, Derek Jeter is ranked 77. Would you start him at the utility position over Josh Willingham, who is ranked 100?

Eric Karabell

  (11:24 AM)

I suppose everyone thinks about the rankings differently. I have Jeter a tad better than Willingham overall, but if I had one spot and position didn't matter, I'd go Willingham. So it's 2 different things there.

Malph (Boston)

If/when Brett Myers gets moved, how will the HOU bullpen shake out?

Eric Karabell

  (11:25 AM)

No idea. I'd think Wilton Lopez, Brandon Lyon and Fernando Rodriguez all have a shot, but they don't win much anymore, so it might not matter who gets the saves.

James (Atlanta)

Bonifacio or Cozart

Eric Karabell

  (11:26 AM)

Definitely Bonifacio. Cozart just doesn't do much and he walks so infrequently his low batting average hurts us more. And by the way, this is exactly what I expected from him. He was so overrated in March.

Kevin Kolk (B.C Canada)

REDSOX Cody Ross Droppable in 10TML? am i wasting a roster spot with Carl Crawford?

Eric Karabell

  (11:27 AM)

Yeah, droppable. Occasional home runs but Red Sox prob won't play him regularly after Crawford and Ellsbury return.

Phil (Cleveland)

For keeper league...Heyward or Bruce?

Eric Karabell

  (11:27 AM)

Heyward has more upside and runs. Bruce will hit his 30 home runs, but that's about it.

Jose Reyes (Miami)

EK, I've been having a sub-par season thus far, should I be confident I'm going to turn it around in the 2nd half?

Eric Karabell

  (11:28 AM)

Veteran guy and he is running but I don't see a .330 second half coming. All the Marlins look bored.

Michael (Atlanta)

Kipnis legit? Top 3 2B?

Eric Karabell

  (11:29 AM)

No, I think we have to go Cano, Kinsler, Pedroia, Phillips, Uggla, Zobrist... but Kipnis is close. Look at his June. Hit a wall hard.

ZK (London)

Thoughts on Carlos Quentin ROS? He was slumping before the break and he is playing in Petco after all. Should I try to trade for a replacement?

Eric Karabell

  (11:30 AM)

Tried to tell people to trade him when he hit a few home runs right off the DL. He will not hit at Petco. Period.

Dan (Chi)

will Bonifacio play? even with Stanton hurt it seems like Ozzie doesnt like him

Eric Karabell

  (11:31 AM)

I think Ozzie loves him and will bat him second and play him regularly in CF. Bonifacio was a regular before and was leading the league in SB when he got hurt.

Dino (Beddrock)

Swap Aviles and CJ Wilson for Andrus and Halladay or is it pretty much a wash?

Eric Karabell

  (11:32 AM)

It's not a wash. Aviles, really? Ugh. Take the Andrus/Halladay side FAST.

Pierre (France)

Will Plouffe go poof, or will he continue to hit like he has? Merci.

Eric Karabell

  (11:32 AM)

The power is totally legit. It was last year, too. He's hitting 35 homers.

davidd (Wy)

Pedroia with his injuries and Phillips above Kipnis I just can't see it.

Eric Karabell

  (11:33 AM)

He hurt his thumb. He'll be back soon. And don't look at season numbers when evaluating players. Look at trends. And the Kipnis trend is not promising. Phillips has been doing this for years.

Dan (Chi)

Traded Halladay for Rizzo a month ago...bad move?

Eric Karabell

  (11:33 AM)

Probably, but what's done is done! And maybe you have a lot of pitching.

John (Springfield)

When Broxton gets traded, who ends up the closer in KC? Thanks!

Eric Karabell

  (11:34 AM)

I think it's Aaron Crow, but don't be so sure the Royals can get much for Broxton.

Derek (Anchorage)

Allen Craig? Projections going forward?

Eric Karabell

  (11:35 AM)

A slight drop in playing time when Berkman comes back, but I'm sure Beltran will take more days off down the stretch or more to center occasionally. I ranked Beltran in my top 20 and feel good about it. Terrific stats. Craig's legit...he can hit and won't stop. Another 14 HR?

Ralph (VA)

When do you typically insert players into your starting line up after being activated from the DL? Thx

Eric Karabell

  (11:36 AM)

Most top hitters right away. With pitchers I tend to wait for a start, unless it's something like Halladay against the Padres.

Roger (Indiana)

Would you stash Andrew Cashner or Brett Anderson as a better bet to have an impact coming off the DL this year?

Eric Karabell

  (11:36 AM)

Anderson should be back sooner. With Cashner it's a different issue, not a Tommy John return but constant injuries. It's always something.

Eric (Missouri)

Now that Gee is facing season-ending surgery, what are the odds Harvey gets called up for the long-term replacement? Can't see Batista holding down the job in a pennant race...

Eric Karabell

  (11:37 AM)

I doubt Harvey is called up in July. Perhaps September if the team is still in the race. But don't overrate the kid... Is still walking a lot of hitters at Buffalo.

Mike (Minneapolis)

I was puzzled not to see Salty make the top 250, and yet J. Montero did. If Salty maintains these numbers, he'll put up what we thought Napoli would pre-season. Is Salty a poor man's Napoli or do you not buy what Salty's been cooking so far?

Eric Karabell

  (11:39 AM)

I ranked Saltalamacchia and not Montero, but neither is a top 10 guy yet. And in ESPN leagues you only need 10 catchers. Poor man's Napoli? Well, not a bad comp I suppose.

Kevin (PA)

Ichiro, Chris Young or A. Soriano better options for my Util spot ROS?

Eric Karabell

  (11:39 AM)

Young can hit and run... the others can not. Young should be better than this. I harken to when he came off the DL and had hit .400 the first week... and everyone thought he was gonna be an MVP contender. The conversation in that blog entry was ridiculous. Usually is!

Tecmo Scott (Chicago)

My NFL draft is one month away and I'm selecting fifth. Already thinking about Calvin, but the mocks show so many iffy RBs starting in the 2nd round that I'm thinking of Ryan Matthews now. Are the two a push or does one stand out more?

Eric Karabell

  (11:40 AM)

Either of those work for me. I rank Calvin one or two spots better, but concerns about RB depth would make a Mathews pick totally ok.

Jason (Cleveland)

I understand ranking Cano higher, but seriously a guy with a torn thumb muscle? don't forget that even without the power I'm still running, scoring, and driving in runs! You're Ben Zobrist love is insane, and Phillips doesn't run much anymore.

Eric Karabell

  (11:42 AM)

Wait, are you from Cleveland? Ah, makes sense now. You're right, we should just disregard everything Zobrist, on pace for 20 homers and 18 steals, and Phillips have done.

Anthony (CAL)

FOOTBALL!! Who's the better 12th round keeper? Kenny Britt or Matt Schaub? I can keep either for the next 3 years.

Eric Karabell

  (11:42 AM)

Britt. Easily. Don't keep QBs unless they're top 5 overall...

JD (Baldwin)

What do you think about Lucas Duda for the 2nd half of the year?

Eric Karabell

  (11:42 AM)

Doing pretty much what was expected, no reason to expect he changes.

Drew ((NY))

What do u think about LGB this year? Now that they have VJAX the passing game should set up for some better running lanes for him, ur thoughts?

Eric Karabell

  (11:43 AM)

In theory, but the Bucs drafted a kid to push Blount aside...

George (Los Angeles)

Don't you think fantasy baseball purists should just stick to baseball only? Studying up on fantasy football during the home-stretch could cost one a championship in the fantasy baseball playoffs.

Eric Karabell

  (11:44 AM)

I like to think some of the people that play both sports have enough time on their hands, and the desire, to do well in each sport.

Tom (NJ)

What are your thoughts on Haren ROS?

Eric Karabell

  (11:45 AM)

Have to assume he had been pitching through injury and when he returns he will be OK. Veteran guy, still had the stuff.

Tyler (philadelphia)

Everyone is shouting "sell high" on Dickey which is making it hard to do so. Any chance he'll stay a superstar for the rest of the season since he won't be leaving my roster?

Eric Karabell

  (11:46 AM)

I think there's some regression coming, but I'm not trying to move him in the leagues I have him in. It's not like his story hasn't been heard..and you couldn't possibly get market value for his numbers, unlike if you moved a guy like Jered Weaver.

Matt (Boise)

I'm not from Cleveland but would agree that Kipnis is much better than Zobrist or Phillips. You stat Zobrist's pace numbers but Kipnis's are better. And Phillips isn't same player he use to be...

Eric Karabell

  (11:49 AM)

If all you guys want is for people to look at season projections then there's no need to discuss anything. Just double all the stats. The fact is some players will improve, some will stagnate. It's always unpopular to suggest the order of Player Rater rankings will change... but that is why we are here. I like Kipnis. But he's not going 20 homers, 30 steals. And I'm guessing none of you will remember this in October when he falls short... but that's OK! I'm not trying to be popular here...

Chris (Chicago)

Is Youk's start in Chicago for real? Batting +.300, plus batting in the 2 hole, he's getting a ton of runs.

Eric Karabell

  (11:49 AM)

Big believer, ranked him in my top 100. Another obvious case where his first half doesn't fit with second half expectations.

Azrael (Smurfville)

Since when did Trent Richardson become Adrian Peterson? I just don't see that comparison at all.

Eric Karabell

  (11:50 AM)

I don't either. But it's always the lure of the players that don't have any numbers that gets fantasy owners overrating the young. Like Wil Myers is gonna hit 20 homers the second half for KC. He's not.

Scott (Waltham, MA)

Gregor Blanco or Tyler Colvin?

Eric Karabell

  (11:50 AM)

Colvin. Power was always legit, he's playing more and wow, that home park.

Scott (Chicago)

Vernon Davis as a keeper? To many weapons in SF now? He would be a 12th rd pick

Eric Karabell

  (11:52 AM)

Not a big fan of keeping a tight end unless it's a top-2 guy. Plenty of depth at the position, though 12th round is nice.

Allen (Los Angeles, CA)

WE WANT COLE HAMELS...in LA :0)

Eric Karabell

  (11:52 AM)

I could see Hamels going there, but for pure fantasy value, it doesn't go up. He's already putting up numbers.

Alex (Chicago)

Are you a "believer" in Sal Perez? I plucked him from the wire over Rosario and Doumit. Is he a top 5 catcher ROS?

Eric Karabell

  (11:53 AM)

Not top 5, but perhaps top 10. His batting average remains way out of whack with prior numbers.

Terry (Rochester)

TRUMBO? ROS? I'LL STOP YELLING!

Eric Karabell

  (11:53 AM)

He's gonna hit a lot of home runs... perhaps 40. But he's not a .300 hitter. Even if he hits .260 each month, still very valuable.

Matt (Philly)

WE WANT COLE HAMELS TO STAY IN PHILLY

Eric Karabell

  (11:54 AM)

Gets traded to Dodgers and then re-signs in Philly in December.

Andrew (SF)

Is he got consistent PT, would Todd Frazier be any different than Plouffe?

Eric Karabell

  (11:55 AM)

Doesn't have the power, nor the position eligibility.

Perry (Boston, MA)

Would a Garza trade to LA help his numbers?

Eric Karabell

  (11:56 AM)

In theory the home ballpark would help, but the wins... I mean, the Dodgers don't score runs. Fantasy owners always overrate traded players.. in most cases the value does not change. It's more about the players that gain/lose playing time not involved in the trade.

Justin (Redlands, CA)

Will Bryce Harper ever be a better fantasy player than Mike Trout?

Eric Karabell

  (11:57 AM)

Could happen. Harper is capable of a 30/30 season at some point. Can definitely run, and the power is there.

Jeff (NYC)

FOOTBALL, one-year-keeper league! Pick two: Murray, McFadden, Peterson, Richardson, Vick.

Eric Karabell

  (11:58 AM)

Yikes... probably Murray and McFadden... but flip a coin and exclude the QB.

Dan (Ca)

Your thoughts on Sheets

Eric Karabell

  (11:59 AM)

I won't be starting him this weekend... but somewhat intrigued because of the team he landed on. Arm certainly shouldn't be tired!

Jack (Burlington(Vt))

One guy who's not a closer, that's closing next month?

Eric Karabell

  (12:00 PM)

Huston Street told me in KC that if/when he gets traded he expects Luke Gregerson to get the saves. I think it's Dale Thayer, personally. But add both in an NL-only just in case.

Eric Karabell

  (12:00 PM)

Well, that's the time we have for today. Thanks to all for the spirited questions and hope you do well in your leagues in the second half. Have a great day!