Fantasy Baseball 2012: Miguel Cabrera Injury Dilemma

With the possibility of Miguel Cabrera missing Opening Day due to an orbital bone fracture, fantasy owners at the top of drafts must ask one vital question:

Should I care that one of baseball's most destructive forces might miss a few games so early in the season?

The short answer is yes...and no.

With the move to third base to accommodate Prince Fielder's arrival to Detroit, a first base/third base-eligible Cabrera (projections: 33 HR, 109 RBI, 112 runs, .327 average) holds slightly greater value than Albert Pujols, Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki.

But that's a statement contingent on Miggy playing 150 or more games. With a range of only 135-149 (factoring in regular days off), Cabrera might not garner enough at-bats to overcome the 155-game projections of Pujols, Kemp, Braun, Tulo and Bautista. The razor-thin margins separating the Round 1 elite just aren't that profound.

Bottom line: If Miggy isn't a lock to return for Opening Day by March 28—the day the Athletics and Mariners start the season in Japan—I would drop him to the three-to-six range with little remorse.

On the flip side, if Cabrera (30 HR, 105 RBI, 111 runs, .344 BA in 2011) starts taking live batting practice before March 28, he'd automatically return to the top spot in mixed- and AL-only league rankings. Lucky for Tigers and fantasy fans everywhere, Miggy was wearing sunglasses for the bad hop of all bad hops.

Although, Tony Kubek might disagree with that hyperbolic assessment. (Old World Series joke wasted on young readers.)

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.