Fantasy Funkhouser: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Player Ranks Rounds 8-10

Enough closer craziness for you on Day 1? (AP Photo, USAT, ESPN)

Fantasy Funkhouser will review all things Fantasy Baseball. After all, life is a small sample size.

With the baseball season under way, we've seen a lot of madness already. Particularly on the closer front. Whether done in by managers or injuries 4 closers have been displaced in 24 hours sending waiver and FAAB budgets into a frenzy. 

Valverde, K-Rod, Lindstrom & S Santos are all closers now. None were 4 days ago. How many time we gotta say it? Never pay for saves.
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) April 1, 2014

Personally, I would only invest confidently in Sergio Santos. He has the skills and closer experience (TM) to keep the job from the oft-injured Casey Janssen. 

Matt Lindstrom couldn't save on 2-ply at Costco. Robin Ventura seems to like to mess with closers at the beginning of the year for whatever reason. Let's see if Lindstrom goes out there in back-to-back opportunities or high leverage situations. I feel like Nate Jones is only a setup man for a brief moment in time.

Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez have combined for close to 600 saves total (591) so they have the closer experience stink all over them. Unbeknownst to apparently every fantasy writer out there, incumbent Brewers' closer Jim Henderson looked like garbage this spring, leading to Bob Melvin's shocking decision to insert K-Rod until Henderson figures himself out. Well, Henderson isn't exactly Lee Smith, so who knows when that correction will happen ... like in ever. 

Due to Bobby Parnell's unfortunate elbow tear, he is likely heading for Tommy John surgery. Papa Grande is next on the bullpen list, but I can only seriously consider a minimum bid on him. Bottom 1/3 of your league for a waiver bid and I threw a couple of dollars at him in some leagues as a 4th closer. I hope to God that I don't get him, but much like the lottery, $1 could get you some dividends. I'd monitor Valverde to see when he puts together a couple rough outings then go in for Jeurys Familia. 

We are pumping out some rankings to get to 250 sooner rather than later. The updated list, with Jose Reyes tumbling down it is further down.

RANK	PLAYER NAME	POS	POS RANK	TEAM
97	Matt Cain	SP	20	SF
98	Mat Latos	SP	21	CIN
99	Danny Salazar	SP	22	CLE
100	Sonny Gray	SP	23	OAK
101	Victor Martinez	1B	14	DET
102	Brandon Belt	1B	15	SF
103	Trevor Rosenthal	RP	5	STL
104	Shelby Miller	SP	24	STL
105	Chase Utley	2B	8	PHI
106	Gio Gonzalez	SP	25	WAS
107	Andrew Cashner	SP	26	SD
108	Gerrit Cole	SP	27	PIT
109	Billy Butler	1B	16	KC
110	Martin Prado	SS	10	ARZ
111	Jedd Gyorko	2B	9	SD
112	Jonathan Lucroy	C	6	MIL
113	Cole Hamels	SP	28	PHI
114	Desmond Jennings	OF	29	TB
115	Brian McCann	C	7	NYY
116	Jose Reyes	SS	11	TOR
117	Brett Gardner	OF	30	NYY
118	Aaron Hill	2B	10	ARZ
119	Hyun-Jin Ryu	SP	29	LAD
120	Koji Uehara	RP	6	BOS

On Deck: Brad Miller, Austin Jackson, David Robertson

OVERALL RANKINGS SO FAR

Note: I screwed up the numbers for my SS changes, so while nothing is listed, they were certainly moved around.

RANK	PLAYER NAME	POS	POS RANK	TEAM	CHANGE
1	Miguel Cabrera	3B	1	DET
2	Mike Trout	OF	1	LAA
3	Paul Goldschmidt	1B	1	ARZ
4	Andrew McCutchen	OF	2	PIT
5	Ryan Braun	OF	3	MIL
6	Carlos Gonzalez	OF	4	COL
7	Clayton Kershaw	SP	1	LAD
8	Hanley Ramirez	SS	1	LAD
9	Edwin Encarnacion	3B	2	BAL
10	Chris Davis	1B	3	TOR
11	Jacoby Ellsbury	OF	5	NYY
12	Robinson Cano	2B	1	SEA
13	Bryce Harper	OF	6	WAS
14	Adrian Beltre	3B	3	TEX
15	Joey Votto	1B	3	CIN
16	Adam Jones	OF	7	BAL
17	Carlos Gomez	OF	8	MIL
18	Troy Tulowitzki	SS	2	COL
19	Jason Kipnis	2B	2	CLE
20	Prince Fielder	1B	4	TEX
21	Evan Longoria	3B	4	TB
22	Stephen Strasburg	SP	2	WAS
23	David Wright	3B	5	NYM
24	Dustin Pedroia	2B	3	BOS
25	Chris Sale	SP	3	CHI
26	Felix Hernanez	SP	4	SEA
27	Ian Desmond	SS	3	WAS
28	Yu Darvish	SP	5	TEX
29	Alex Rios	OF	9	TEX
30	Freddie Freeman	1B	5	ATL
31	Adam Wainwright	SP	6	STL
32	Cliff Lee	SP	7	PHI
33	Hunter Pence	OF	10	TOR
34	Jose Bautista	OF	11	TOR
35	Giancarlo Stanton	OF	12	MIA
36	Justin Verlander	SP	8	DET
37	Justin Upton	OF	13	ATL
38	Elvis Andrus	SS	4	TEX
39	Shin-Soo Choo	OF	14	TEX
40	Craig Kimbrel	RP	1	ATL
41	David Price	SP	9	TB
42	Matt Holliday	OF	15	STL
43	Buster Posey	C	1	SF
44	Jose Fernandez	SP	10	MIA
45	David Ortiz	1B	6	BOS
46	Madison Bumgarner	SP	11	SF
47	Max Scherzer	SP	12	DET
48	Jay Bruce	OF	16	CIN
49	Ian Kinsler	2B	4	DET
50	Yasiel Puig	OF	17	LAD
51	Eric Hosmer	1B	7	KC
52	Zack Greinke	SP	13	LAD
53	Starling Marte	OF	18	PIT
54	Albert Pujols	1B	8	LAA
55	Jean Segura	SS	5	MIL
56	Adrian Gonzalez	1B	9	LAD
57	Yoenis Cespedes	OF	19	OAK
58	Homer Bailey	SP	14	CIN
59	Aroldis Chapman	RP	2	CIN
60	Allen Craig	1B	10	STL
61	Jason Heyward	OF	20	ATL
62	Matt Carpenter	2B	5	STL
63	Pedro Alvarez	3B	6	PIT
64	Ryan Zimmerman	3B	7	WAS
65	Everth Cabrera	SS	6	SD
66	Kenley Jansen	RP	3	LAD
67	Jose Altuve	2B	6	HOU
68	Wil Myers	OF	21	TB
69	Joe Mauer	C	2	MIN
70	Jayson Werth	OF	22	WAS
71	Alex Gordon	OF	23	KC
72	Shane Victorino	OF	24	BOS
73	Jose Abreu	1B	11	CHW
74	Anibal Sanchez	SP	15	DET
75	Starlin Castro	SS	7	CHC
76	Alex Cobb	SP	16	TB
77	Greg Holland	RP	4	KC
78	Josh Donaldson	3B	8	OAK
79	Anthony Rizzo	1B	12	CHC
80	Mark Trumbo	1B	13	ARZ
81	Yadier Molina	C	3	STL
82	Kyle Seager	3B	9	SEA
83	James Shields	SP	17	KC
84	Josh Hamilton	OF	25	LAA
85	Pablo Sandoval	3B	10	SF
86	Billy Hamilton	OF	26	CIN
87	Ben Zobrist	SS	8	TB
88	Carlos Santana	C	4	CLE
89	Manny Machado	3B	11	BAL
90	Wilin Rosario	C	5	COL
91	Carlos Beltran	OF	27	NYY
92	Jordan Zimmermann	SP	18	WAS
93	Xander Bogaerts	SS	9	BOS
94	Masahiro Tanaka	SP	19	NYY
95	Brett Lawrie	2B	7	TOR
96	Matt Kemp	OF	28	LAD
97	Matt Cain	SP	20	SF
98	Mat Latos	SP	21	CIN
99	Danny Salazar	SP	22	CLE
100	Sonny Gray	SP	23	OAK
101	Victor Martinez	1B	14	DET
102	Brandon Belt	1B	15	SF
103	Trevor Rosenthal	RP	5	STL
104	Shelby Miller	SP	24	STL
105	Chase Utley	2B	8	PHI
106	Gio Gonzalez	SP	25	WAS
107	Andrew Cashner	SP	26	SD
108	Gerrit Cole	SP	27	PIT
109	Billy Butler	1B	16	KC
110	Martin Prado	SS	10	ARZ
111	Jedd Gyorko	2B	9	SD
112	Jonathan Lucroy	C	6	MIL
113	Cole Hamels	SP	28	PHI
114	Desmond Jennings	OF	29	TB
115	Brian McCann	C	7	NYY
116	Jose Reyes	SS	11	TOR
117	Brett Gardner	OF	30	NYY
118	Aaron Hill	2B	10	ARZ
119	Hyun-Jin Ryu	SP	29	LAD
120	Koji Uehara	RP	6	BOS