Fantasy Baseball 2014: Updating the Top 150 Big Board, Week 3

With the 2014 baseball season going full tilt, the fantasy version of the sport needs all kinds of attention. Like, every-week attention—lest we fickle owners get frustrated and cranky, and that just isn't good for anyone.

With that in mind, it's time for the weekly update of the Big Board. Now that games are underway and fantasy drafts are over, the focus shifts toward evaluating players' values based on the remainder of the season.

Think of it as your security blanket in an otherwise insecure world.

On the pages that follow is a ranking of—count 'em—the top 150 players from now until the end of September. With opinions and circumstances changing since the last iteration, including player performances, transactions and injuries, a refreshing is in order.

Before getting to that, though, some housekeeping is needed, as this lengthy list of the top talents comes with a few key qualifications. First, everything is based on 10- or 12-team mixed leagues with standard 5x5 rotisserie scoring for hitters (BA, R, HR, RBI, SB) and pitchers (W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV).

Second, lineup construction accounts for 22 active roster positions, consisting of: one each for catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, corner infield, middle infield and utility, along with five outfielders and nine pitchers.

And third, to be eligible at a particular position, players must have played at least 20 games there in either 2013 or 2014.

With that out of the way, get ready to count down, starting with No. 150 and working all the way to No. 1.

Nos. 150-126

Carlos Osorio

Austin Jackson

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
150	David Robertson	RP	Yankees
149	Rafael Soriano	RP	Nationals
148	Joe Nathan	RP	Tigers
147	Mat Latos	SP	Reds
146	Francisco Liriano	SP	Pirates
145	Alex Cobb	SP	Rays
144	Alexei Ramirez	SS	White Sox
143	Andrelton Simmons	SS	Braves
142	Zack Wheeler	SP	Mets
141	Yovani Gallardo	SP	Brewers
140	Michael Pineda	SP	Yankees
139	Melky Cabrera	OF	Blue Jays
138	Alex Wood	SP	Braves
137	Yordano Ventura	SP	Royals
136	Domonic Brown	OF	Phillies
135	Nelson Cruz	OF	Orioles
134	Aramis Ramirez	3B	Brewers
133	Billy Butler	UTIL	Royals
132	Shane Victorino	OF	Red Sox
131	Austin Jackson	OF	Tigers
130	Desmond Jennings	OF	Rays
129	Matt Adams	1B	Cardinals
128	Matt Wieters	C	Orioles
127	Chris Archer	SP	Rays
126	Ervin Santana	SP	Braves

News and Notes

• This time around, Danny Salazar, Chris Tillman, Jedd Gyorko, Kyle Seager, Justin Masterson, Torii Hunter, Jason Grilli, Sergio Romo and Addison Reed fell off the Big Board in what was the biggest shakeup to this point.
• The nine newbies are: Alexei Ramirez, Andrelton Simmons, Yovani Gallardo, Yordano Ventura, Shane Victorino, Chris Archer, Ervin Santana, George Springer and Anthony Rendon.
• Because you're probably wondering which players are just outside the top 150 looking in, they are Tillman, Gyorko, Tony Cingrani, Brandon Moss, Lance Lynn, Archie Bradley, Angel Pagan, Brett Lawrie, Nolan Arenado, Dee Gordon, Jed Lowrie and Jhonny Peralta.
• Brandon Moss, Aaron Hill, Yovani Gallardo, Jhonny Peralta and Jered Weaver, as well as some others like Tony Cingrani, Dexter Fowler and Shane Victorino, who may rejoin the ranks once he returns from his hamstring injury.
• Keep in mind: When a few players at the same position are coupled or bunched together—like Zack Wheeler, Yovani Gallardo and Michael Pineda—it means they're more or less in the same boat, with no clear favorite. That can, and will, change as more information, news, injuries and performance come to light. But for now, when players are grouped, consider their value to your team based more on specific category need than overall value.

Nos. 125-101

Rogelio V. Solis

Mike Minor

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
125	Doug Fister	SP	Nationals
124	Brandon Phillips	2B	Reds
123	George Springer	OF	Astros
122	Josh Hamilton	OF	Angels
121	Ryan Zimmerman	3B	Nationals
120	Shelby Miller	SP	Cardinals
119	Sonny Gray	SP	Athletics
118	Starlin Castro	SS	Cubs
117	Hisashi Iwakuma	SP	Mariners
116	Jose Altuve	2B	Astros
115	Billy Hamilton	OF	Reds
114	Wilin Rosario	C	Rockies
113	Mike Minor	SP	Braves
112	Koji Uehara	RP	Red Sox
111	Glen Perkins	RP	Twins
110	Salvador Perez	C	Royals
109	Jonathan Lucroy	C	Brewers
108	Aroldis Chapman	RP	Reds
107	J.J. Hardy	SS	Orioles
106	Michael Cuddyer	OF	Rockies
105	Carlos Beltran	OF	Yankees
104	Martin Prado	2B/3B/OF	Diamondbacks
103	Jeff Samardzija	SP	Cubs
102	Xander Bogaerts	SS	Red Sox
101	Josh Donaldson	3B	Athletics

News and Notes

• On the comeback trail from elbow inflammation and a strained lat, Doug Fister pitched in extended spring training this week and could be back by mid-May, per Adam Kilgore of the The Washington Post.
• This week brought the debut of top prospect George Springer, who has real swing-and-miss tendencies that could keep his batting average in the .240-.260 range in the majors. But he also could pull off a 20-20 season despite missing the first two weeks. The upside here is tremendous.
• Hisashi Iwakuma's recovery from a finger injury continues to progress: He threw 35 pitches in a recent simulated game and is cleared to head out on a rehab assignment, as Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. If all goes well, he could be back after four or five outings.
• Mike Minor is just about done with his rehab assignment, per David Friedlander of the Gwinnett Daily Post, after going six innings Saturday at Triple-A. The lefty is expected to be activated this coming week, perhaps as soon as Wednesday. 
• Aroldis Chapman is expected throw his first bullpen session since that scary comebacker to the face suffered in spring training. There's no timetable yet for a return, but mid-May appears to be a possibility.

Nos. 100-91

Gene J. Puskar

Manny Machado

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
100	Pablo Sandoval	3B	Giants
99	Jean Segura	SS	Brewers
98	Ben Zobrist	2B/SS/OF	Rays
97	Alex Gordon	OF	Royals
96	Manny Machado	3B	Orioles
95	Anthony Rendon	2B/3B	Nationals
94	Victor Martinez	UTIL	Tigers
93	Anibal Sanchez	SP	Tigers
92	Johnny Cueto	SP	Reds
91	Chase Utley	2B	Phillies

News and Notes

• Anybody else notice that Jean Segura—who has only one walk and has been caught stealing more times (four) than he has been successful (three)—just doesn't look right?
• Manny Machado, recovering from offseason knee surgery, made it into his first extended spring training game Saturday, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, per Eduardo Encina of the The Baltimore Sun. Expect a rehab stint soon and a return in early May, assuming there are no setbacks. It won't be long now.
• Anthony Rendon takes a ginormous bound from outside the Big Board into the top 100. The second-year stud has been battering baseballs with a .324 average, 11 extra-base hits and 14 RBI through 18 games. Eligible at both second and third base, he should have been ranked last week.
• Johnny Cueto pitched the game of his life this week—a shutout with 12 whiffs—but maybe that just makes him a perfect sell-high candidate?
• Few, if any, have been better than Chase Utley to this point. But he, too, might be best used by his owners as a trade chip, given the age and injury history.

Nos. 90-81

Jeff Chiu

Hyun-Jin Ryu

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
90	Andrew Cashner	SP	Padres
89	Michael Wacha	SP	Cardinals
88	Hyun-Jin Ryu	SP	Dodgers
87	Anthony Rizzo	1B	Cubs
86	Starling Marte	OF	Pirates
85	Matt Kemp	OF	Dodgers
84	Mike Napoli	1B	Red Sox
83	Pedro Alvarez	3B	Pirates
82	Brian McCann	C	Yankees
81	Trevor Rosenthal	RP	Cardinals

News and Notes

• Michael Wacha jumps into the top 100, as he's carried over his great end-of-2013 performance and clearly separated himself from other promising, second-year starters like Zack Wheeler and Danny Salazar.
• Aside from that eight-run blowup in his third outing, Hyun-Jin Ryu has been dynamite, surrendering—get this—zero runs in 26.0 innings with only 11 hits and a 23-6 K-BB ratio. Wow.
• Starling Marte continues to show that he can succeed despite his raw approach—his 28 strikeouts are the most in the NL—as he's hitting .274 with 13 runs and seven swipes. With but five extra-base hits (one homer), though, the power has been missing, and he might struggle to match his 12 homers from last year.
• Mike Napoli became, like, the 17th player in the past two weeks to suffer a hand/finger-related injury from diving into a base, but he's played the past three games.
• Pedro Alvarez's .116 BABIP is laughably low—the worst in the majors, in fact—but it's promising that more than half of his 11 hits have left the park already. A third straight 30-plus homer mark looks likely. And the .162 average should pick up eventually, at least to the point where he's not wrecking your team in that category.

Nos. 80-71

Orlin Wagner

Greg Holland

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
80	Greg Holland	RP	Royals
79	Kenley Jansen	RP	Dodgers
78	Matt Cain	SP	Giants
77	Cole Hamels	SP	Phillies
76	Jose Reyes	SS	Blue Jays
75	Alex Rios	OF	Rangers
74	Jason Heyward	OF	Braves
73	Everth Cabrera	SS	Padres
72	Allen Craig	1B/OF	Cardinals
71	Carlos Santana	C/1B/3B	Indians

News and Notes

• Cole Hamlels is expected to make his season debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The fact that he's back so soon after arm trouble plagued him this spring is a great sign and gives him plenty of time to return to top-20 starter status.
• Jose Reyes returned to action after missing two weeks with (yet another) hamstring injury that felled him one at-bat into the season. Get him back into your lineups—you know, while you still can—and hope he hits and perhaps runs enough.
• Jason Heyward, Allen Craig and Carlos Santana have been brutal to own in the early going. Don't trade 'em away at their lowest, and don't cut 'em either. Just sit tight. That said, if you have another option to plug in their place while they figure things out, go for it.

Nos. 70-61

Brandon Wade

Elvis Andrus

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
70	Craig Kimbrel	RP	Braves
69	Julio Teheran	SP	Braves
68	Jayson Werth	OF	Nationals
67	Elvis Andrus	SS	Rangers
66	Gerrit Cole	SP	Pirates
65	Jon Lester	SP	Red Sox
64	Jose Abreu	1B	White Sox
63	Yadier Molina	C	Cardinals
62	Joe Mauer	C/1B	Twins
61	Ian Kinsler	2B	Tigers

News and Notes

• Craig Kimbrel's bout with shoulder soreness kept him from a save opportunity this week and probably scared the pants off owners who spent a fifth-round pick on him. However, the top closer in baseball appears to be OK—even if he did give up three hits and two earned in his first outing in a week Saturday.
• Kimbrel's Braves teammate Julio Teheran threw a complete game shutout to beat Cliff Lee during the week. It doesn't get any better than that.
• Elvis Andrus quietly has been hitting (.304 BA) and running (8 SB), and he should start seeing an uptick in his runs scored once Adrian Beltre returns and Prince Fielder starts slugging.
• Jon Lester gets no love in fantasy circles. Here, though, we recognize his talents and great start: 2.17 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 29-4 K-BB in 29.0 innings pitched.

Nos. 60-51

Eric Risberg

Brandon Belt

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
60	Hunter Pence	OF	Giants
59	Brandon Belt	1B	Giants
58	Homer Bailey	SP	Reds
57	Mark Trumbo	1B/OF	Diamondbacks
56	Masahiro Tanaka	SP	Yankees
55	James Shields	SP	Royals
54	Jordan Zimmermann	SP	Nationals
53	Matt Holliday	OF	Cardinals
52	Yoenis Cespedes	OF	Athletics
51	Yasiel Puig	OF	Dodgers

News and Notes

• Brandon Belt is tied with a bunch of others atop the home run rankings with six, a number he didn't reach in 2013 until May 20—a full month from Sunday's date. He's also hitting .310. What's not to like?
• Homer Bailey's ugly first three starts are concerning, except they're not. He's getting whiffs (10.7 K/9) and grounders (51.1 percent) but has been extremely unlucky on batted balls, with a .429 BABIP and six of his 10 fly balls allowed going for home runs. Be. Patient.
• So do you believe in Masahiro Tanaka yet?
• Yasiel Puig falls this week, because he hasn't been of much use to this point, and it's fair to question just how much the recent reports of his harrowing defection from Cuba could be a distraction.

Nos. 50-41

Associated Press

Albert Pujols

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
50	Wil Myers	OF	Rays
49	David Ortiz	UTIL	Red Sox
48	Zack Greinke	SP	Dodgers
47	Gio Gonzalez	SP	Nationals
46	Matt Carpenter	2B/3B	Cardinals
45	Jay Bruce	OF	Reds
44	Justin Upton	OF	Braves
43	Buster Posey	C/1B	Giants
42	Eric Hosmer	OF	Royals
41	Albert Pujols	1B	Angels

News and Notes

• Boy, Wil Myers owners must be breathing a sigh of relief after Saturday night's two-homer outing.
• Justin Upton has been among the hottest hitters in the sport the last 10 days. Just to put some numbers on it, he's 15-for-33 with five homers and 12 runs and RBI apiece. He did the same hot-start thing last April before fading, but he needs to be recognized while he's smoking.
• Speaking of hot hitters, Albert Pujols has smashed all six of his home runs in his past 10 games, bringing his career total to 498. Who thinks he joins the 500 club this week?

Nos. 40-31

Chris O'Meara

David Price

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
40	Adrian Gonzalez	1B	Dodgers
39	Clayton Kershaw	SP	Dodgers
38	Ian Desmond	SS	Nationals
37	Shin-Soo Choo	OF	Rangers
36	Dustin Pedroia	2B	Red Sox
35	Madison Bumgarner	SP	Giants
34	Ryan Braun	OF	Brewers
33	David Wright	3B	Mets
32	David Price	SP	Rays
31	Jose Bautista	OF	Blue Jays

News and Notes

• Clayton Kershaw is set to throw a simulated game Sunday, per Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. That's a big step in his return from a strained muscle in his back, but the Cy Young winner is still a few weeks out, and that's assuming there are no setbacks. The Dodgers will be careful here, given Kershaw's importance to their playoff hopes for 2014 and franchise going forward.
• For all his fantasy value, Dustin Pedroia sure gets nicked up, if not outright injured, quite a bit, huh? It seems like he escaped a serious malady with his recent wrist problem, but will it impact his performance?
• Honestly, you could rank Ryan Braun No. 10, No. 50 or No. 100. His right-thumb injury could be the sort of chronic problem that never goes away and severely limits his numbers. He's managed to fit in a few big games here and there, though, including his two-homer effort Saturday. One gets the feeling that he'll find a way to be productive.
• Jose Bautista has been climbing up the ranks since preseason, so this is merely just pointing out that he's once again a fantasy force with MLB bests in homers (six) and walks (21).

Nos. 30-21

Mark Duncan

Jason Kipnis

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
30	Chris Sale	SP	White Sox
29	Max Scherzer	SP	Tigers
28	Justin Verlander	SP	Tigers
27	Cliff Lee	SP	Phillies
26	Stephen Strasburg	SP	Nationals
25	Jason Kipnis	2B	Indians
24	Freddie Freeman	1B	Braves
23	Jose Fernandez	SP	Marlins
22	Jacoby Ellsbury	OF	Yankees
21	Troy Tulowitzki	SS	Rockies

News and Notes

• Cliff Lee owners, repeat after me: I will not worry about Cliff Lee.
• Stephen Strasburg dips a few pegs, mainly because he's still more than occasionally enigmatic. The upside once he gets rolling, though, is scary: He could be the top pitcher in fantasy.
• OK, I admit it: I may have been light on Freddie Freeman in the preseason when I tagged him as a regression candidate and couldn't quite push him into the top 30. Maybe he really is this good, so consider this top-25 placement a make-good. It doesn't mean I don't still have my doubts, but I can't be blind to his production, either.
• Jose Fernandez had that one-start hiccup last week, but he was back to his double-digit strikeout ways last time out, marking his first of 2014. He also went a season-high seven innings, and if he can start pitching deeper into games, his fantasy value only improves with more of everything, including opportunities for wins.

Nos. 20-11

Lynne Sladky

Giancarlo Stanton

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
20	Felix Hernandez	SP	Mariners
19	Adam Wainwright	SP	Cardinals
18	Yu Darvish	SP	Rangers
17	Giancarlo Stanton	OF	Marlins
16	Adrian Beltre	3B	Rangers
15	Bryce Harper	OF	Nationals
14	Hanley Ramirez	SS	Dodgers
13	Joey Votto	1B	Reds
12	Adam Jones	OF	Orioles
11	Evan Longoria	3B	Rays

News and Notes

• Felix Hernandez, Adam Wainwright and Yu Darvish have been out-of-this-world great to kick things off. Don't ever doubt them. Ever.
• Giancarlo Stanton has homered and RBI'd his way into the top 20, which means he just might be making good on all that potential as a 40-homer, 100-RBI masher for the first time in his career.
• The fact that Adrian Beltre was against his disabled list stint—as he indicated to the media after the news broke—is a good indication that he's likely to be back once eligible. It's always a challenge when one of your top picks is on the shelf right away, but all you can do is wait.
• Bryce Harper is just the type of guy who would respond to being benched for lack of hustle with a monstrous, I'll-show-you kind of week. Let's see how he reacts.
• Congrats to Evan Longoria on becoming the Tampa Bay Rays' all-time leading home run hitter!

Nos. 10-1

Carlos Osorio

Chris Davis

RANK	PLAYER	POSITION(S)	TEAM
10	Edwin Encarnacion	1B	Blue Jays
9	Carlos Gonzalez	OF	Rockies
8	Prince Fielder	1B	Rangers
7	Carlos Gomez	OF	Brewers
6	Robinson Cano	2B	Mariners
5	Chris Davis	1B	Orioles
4	Andrew McCutchen	OF	Pirates
3	Paul Goldschmidt	1B	Diamondbacks
2	Miguel Cabrera	1B/3B	Tigers
1	Mike Trout	OF	Angels

News and Notes

• The top 10 doesn't change from last week, as top hitters like Edwin Encarnacion, Prince Fielder and Robinson Cano finally started doing some damage. Stay the course: They will get better.
• Chris Davis falls into the same category as a slugger off to a slow start, but try not to get too panicky. That Orioles lineup is deep and potent, and once Manny Machado gets back, it will get even better.
• Andrew McCutchen hasn't done a ton, but there's a sense that a hot streak is just bubbling beneath the surface. For the reigning NL MVP, who has an NL-high 15 walks, it might just be a matter of getting some more pitches to hit.
• Miguel Cabrera certainly hasn't performed like a consensus top-two fantasy pick so far, huh? While that's obviously frustrating, it only means he's going to turn it on and turn things around even bigger. And soon.
• Mr. Trout stole a pair of bases this week, so we can't pester him about that anymore.

This is the continuation of a writer-reader team effort that's intended to take your opinions and perspectives into account, so let 'er rip in the comments below. Which rankings do you disagree with and why? Which players not included absolutely need to be on the Top 150 Big Board, and which ones would you kick to the curb? How's the top 10? The top 25?

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.