Fantasy Tips: MLB Injury/Poor Performance Impacts

Let’s face it, nobody likes an injured player on their fantasy team.

But what can you do….it is inevitable.

Actually, let me take that back...there is something you can do.

During the start of every new MLB season there are a select few of fantasy players that go un-drafted until much later rounds than they actually should because of one BIG reason…the fact that these players got injured or had a horrific season the year before.

So what can YOU do?

Read the information below and you will have yourself such a serious starting-pitching staff (all chosen in the mid-rounds of your draft) that it will be virtually impossible for any other fantasy team to beat you.

According to CBS Sports, Seattle Mariners starting-pitcher Erik Bedard’s draft average position is 145.40 (in other words, 14 to 15 round).

For you fantasy addicts that do not remember, in 2007 Bedard posted a record of 13-5 with the Baltimore Orioles, with an ERA of 3.16, a WHIP of 1.09, and 221 K’s all in 182 innings.

Those are outstanding season numbers for any pitcher in the league. So why exactly is a fantasy player with those kinds of stats being chosen after players like Derek Lowe and Matt Garza in the 14^th and 15^th round??

The answer is simple…because in 2008 Bedard ended the season early due to surgery to remove a cyst in his left shoulder.

Corporations like CBS Sports, Yahoo! Fantasy MLB, and Rotowire automatically assume that these players have no chances of ever returning to their full potential form, so they rank them ridiculously low…Low enough so that smart fantasy owners can draft them mid-rounds and have the last laugh come playoff time.

Suggestion: Select Erik Bedard around the 11^th to 12^th round of your draft and you will certainly not regret it this season. Bedard has the potential to put up numbers similar to those during his 2007 campaign.

Moving onto a poor performance type of a year…after having nearly identical back-to-back seasons of 16 wins, 216 K’s, 3.74 ERA, in 231 IP during the 2006 and 2007 MLB season, Cincinnati Reds starting-pitcher Aaron Harang suffered a horrible 2008 season, ending the year with a 6-17 record, with only 153 K’s in 184.1 innings, including a terrible 4.79 ERA.

Instead of thinking of Harang’s '08 performance as just a down year, CBS and Yahoo believe pitchers like Ted Lilly and Jered Weaver should be drafted in front of the big man.

Suggestion: Before last season, Harang was brought up as one of the best pitchers in the entire MLB. Just because he had a down year does not mean his rankings should drop so low. Expect a big comeback from Harang this season and draft him during the 10^th to 11^th round (even drafting him then is a huge steal compared to what he is capable of doing).

Who really is the Cleveland Indians starting-pitcher Fausto Carmona?

After earning 19 wins with a 3.06 ERA in 215 IP during a phenomenal 2007 season, Carmona came back a year later to put up only 8 wins with a whopping 5.47 ERA in 120 IP.

Carmona’s draft average this season is during the 16^th to 17^th round of CBS drafts. Since there are only 21 rounds during CBS drafts, selecting Carmona during those averages is a humongous steal for any fantasy owner.

He has the upside to pitch another fantastic season like he did during his 07 campaign and if he does not it shouldn’t be that big of a deal…you ONLY drafted him as a bench player anyway.

The next pitcher that I am about to discuss is one of my favorite pitchers, Chris Carpenter. During the 2005 MLB season, Carpenter won an outstanding 21 games with an amazing 2.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 213 K’s in 241 IP. He ended up winning the Cy Young Award for that season.

The next season, Carpenter was drafted as a top 5 starting pitcher going in the first five rounds of every draft. He went on to have another stellar season winning 15 games with a 3.09 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 184 K’s in 221 IP.

The past two seasons Carpenter has combined to pitch a total of 21 innings, due to injuries.

Now, Carpenter’s draft average is somewhere between the 15^th and 16^th round.

Why is that CBS and Yahoo??

Because he was injured for two seasons you do not possibly think he can return to his true form?

I beg to differ.

Call me crazy, but fantasy owners should not hesitate to select Carpenter after the ninth or 10^th round of any draft.

Just look at his spring training numbers if you do not believe me!!!!- 19 IP, 2 W's, 10 K's, 0 ERA.

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