Fantasy Funkhouser: Fantasy Baseball 2013 Ranks Auto-Pick Edition

The King wasn't the highest paid pitcher for long, but he got off to a great start for 2013. (theprovince.com)

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

Nothing is quite like baseball's Opening Day from a fantasy perspective. All the teams trot out their best starters, offensive bats are mostly quiet, and everyone is extremely annoyed that they're already losing their head to head match-up 8-2. Yes, it's the perfect time to overreact and panic that Joey Votto may not get a hit all season, or if Justin Verlander only threw 5 innings because he's nursing an elbow injury.

These times will pass once you realize that there are 6 months left of regular season baseball. Lots can happen over that span of time; some good, some bad, but it'll be fun. So in my last installment of my ranks, I've gone into auto pick mode and list my Top 200. All of which haven't been altered in the slightest due to Opening Day. Enjoy.

RANK	NAME	POSITION
1	MIGUEL CABRERA	3B
2	RYAN BRAUN	OF
3	MIKE TROUT	OF
4	JOEY VOTTO	1B
5	ANDREW MCCUTCHEN	OF
6	MATT KEMP	OF
7	ROBINSON CANO	2B
8	ALBERT PUJOLS	1B
9	CARLOS GONZALEZ	OF
10	JUSTIN VERLANDER	SP
11	PRINCE FIELDER	1B
12	CLAYTON KERSHAW	SP
13	JASON HEYWARD	OF
14	GIANCARLO STANTON	OF
15	DAVID WRIGHT	3B
16	FELIX HERNANDEZ	SP
17	JUSTIN UPTON	OF
18	JOSE BAUTISTA	OF
19	EVAN LONGORIA	3B
20	STEPHEN STRASBURG	SP
21	ADRIAN BELTRE	3B
22	TROY TULOWITZKI	SS
23	JOSH HAMILTON	OF
24	BUSTER POSEY	C/1B
25	ADAM JONES	OF
26	DAVID PRICE	SP
27	EDWIN ENCARNACION	1B/DH
28	IAN KINSLER	2B
29	MATT CAIN	SP
30	COLE HAMELS	SP
31	STARLIN CASTRO	SS
32	DUSTIN PEDROIA	2B
33	JAY BRUCE	OF
34	JOSE REYES	SS
35	CLIFF LEE	SP
36	ADRIAN GONZALEZ	1B/OF
37	MATT HOLLIDAY	OF
38	RYAN ZIMMERMAN	3B
39	JACOBY ELLSBURY	OF
40	ADAM WAINWRIGHT	SP
41	MADISON BUMGARNER	SP
42	BRYCE HARPER	OF
43	JERED WEAVER	SP
44	BRANDON PHILLIPS	2B
45	ALLEN CRAIG	1B/OF
46	YU DARVISH	SP
47	YOENIS CESPEDES	OF
48	BILLY BUTLER	1B
49	BEN ZOBRIST	2B/SS/OF
50	PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT	1B
51	GIO GONZALEZ	SP
52	R.A. DICKEY	SP
53	B.J. UPTON	OF
54	ARAMIS RAMIREZ	3B
55	ZACK GREINKE	SP
56	CRAIG KIMBREL	RP
57	JOHNY CUETO	SP
58	IAN DESMOND	SS
59	YADIER MOLINA	C
60	AUSTIN JACKSON	OF
61	AROLDIS CHAPMAN	SP/RP
62	MAT LATOS	SP
63	JASON KIPNIS	2B
64	PABLO SANDOVAL	3B
65	KRIS MEDLEN	SP
66	DESMOND JENNINGS	OF
67	CHRIS SALE	SP
68	BRETT LAWRIE	3B
69	JIMMY ROLLINS	SS
70	CC SABATHIA	SP
71	ALEX GORDON	OF
72	MAX SCHERZER	SP
73	AARON HILL	2B
74	JOE MAUER	C/1B
75	JORDAN ZIMMERMANN	SP
76	MICHAEL BOURN	OF
77	SHIN-SOO CHOO	OF
78	ANTHONY RIZZO	1B
79	FREDDIE FREEMAN	1B
80	HANLEY RAMIREZ	SS/3B
81	YOVANI GALLARDO	SP
82	MATT WIETERS	C
83	ROY HALLADAY	SP
84	JAMES SHIELDS	SP
85	JONATHAN PAPELBON	RP
86	ELVIS ANDRUS	SS
87	MATT MOORE	SP
88	CARLOS SANTANA	C
89	MARTIN PRADO	2B/SS/3B/OF
90	SERGIO ROMO	RP
91	FERNANDO RODNEY	RP
92	CHASE HEADLEY	3B
93	ASDRUBAL CABRERA	SS
94	ALEX RIOS	OF
95	JOSE ALTUVE	2B
96	IAN KENNEDY	SP
97	CARLOS BELTRAN	OF
98	IKE DAVIS	1B
99	ERIC HOSMER	1B
100	CURTIS GRANDERSON	OF
101	MARIANO RIVERA	RP
102	RYAN HOWARD	1B
103	J.J. PUTZ	RP
104	PAUL KONERKO	1B
105	BRANDON MORROW	SP
106	NELSON CRUZ	OF
107	DAVID ORTIZ	1B/DH
108	TIM LINCECUM	SP
109	MATT HARVEY	SP
110	MARK TRUMBO	1B/3B/OF
111	JOSH WILLINGHAM	OF
112	VICTOR MARTINEZ	C
113	JEFF SAMARDZIJA	SP
114	ANIBAL SANCHEZ	SP
115	JOE NATHAN	RP
116	DAN HAREN	SP
117	JOSH JOHNSON	SP
118	NORICHIKA AOKI	OF
119	CARLOS GOMEZ	OF
120	JAKE PEAVY	SP
121	DOUG FISTER	SP
122	HUNTER PENCE	OF
123	MIKE NAPOLI	C/1B
124	RAFAEL SORIANO	RP
125	BRETT ANDERSON	SP
126	JIM JOHNSON	RP
127	WILL MIDDLEBROOKS	3B
128	NICK SWISHER	1B/OF
129	RICKIE WEEKS	2B
130	HUSTON STREET	RP
131	JON LESTER	SP
132	GREG HOLLAND	RP
133	JON NIESE	SP
134	ALEJANDRO DE AZA	OF
135	ADDISON REED	RP
136	ALCIDES ESCOBAR	SS
137	CHASE UTLEY	2B
138	MIKE MINOR	SP
139	MELKY CABRERA	OF
140	SHANE VICTORINO	OF
141	HIROKI KURODA	SP
142	BRETT GARDNER	OF
143	BEN REVERE	OF
144	JASON MOTTE	RP
145	ANGEL PAGAN	OF
146	MIKE MOUSTAKAS	3B
147	HOMER BAILEY	SP
148	WILIN ROSARIO	C
149	JARROD PARKER	SP
150	ANDRE ETHIER	OF
151	LANCE LYNN	SP
152	CARL CRAWFORD	OF
153	ERICK AYBAR	SS
154	JOHN AXFORD	RP
155	MICHAEL MORSE	OF
156	RAFAEL BETANCOURT	RP
157	C.J. WILSON	SP
158	JOEL HANRAHAN	RP
159	JOSH REDDICK	OF
160	JEREMY HELLICKSON	SP
161	KYLE SEAGER	2B/3B
162	TORII HUNTER	OF
163	DAVID FREESE	3B
164	DAN UGGLA	2B
165	MARCO ESTRADA	SP
166	GRANT BALFOUR	RP
167	MIGUEL MONTERO	C
168	MATT HARRISON	SP
169	CHRIS PEREZ	RP
170	NEIL WALKER	2B
171	TREVOR CAHILL	SP
172	COREY HART	1B/OF
173	ALEXI OGANDO	SP
174	JESUS MONTERO	C
175	ALEX COBB	SP
176	DANNY ESPINOSA	2B/SS
177	TOMMY MILONE	SP
178	CHRIS DAVIS	1B/OF
179	J.J. HARDY	SS
180	MANNY MACHADO	3B
181	COCO CRISP	OF
182	ADAM LAROCHE	1B
183	WADE MILEY	SP
184	TODD FRAZIER	1B/3B
185	RYAN VOGELSONG	SP
186	ICHIRO SUZUKI	OF
187	DEXTER FOWLER	OF
188	KENDRYS MORALES	1B
189	GLEN PERKINS	RP
190	JASON GRILLI	RP
191	PEDRO ALVAREZ	3B
192	JOSH BECKETT	SP
193	TIM HUDSON	SP
194	KENLEY JANSEN	RP
195	ALEXI RAMIREZ	SS
196	DEREK JETER	SS
197	JASON KUBEL	OF
198	MARCO SCUTARO	2B/SS
199	HOWIE KENDRICK	2B
200	CASEY JANSSEN	RP

The Funkman says: "Really looking forward to this season."

Fantasy Funkhouser: Baseball Ranks for 2013 - Round 1

Miguel Cabrera has shown he is a very worthy #1 fantasy pick. (bustasports.com)

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

As promised, Fantasy Funkhouser is back and more focused than ever. Without the week to week format of a football schedule, I'm not sure how this will develop, but what better way to start talking about fantasy baseball in January than with some pre-mature ranks?

Last season was a great one for fantasy baseball. Big time stars emerged, and there is a lot of things to look forward to and questions to be answered in 2013 about these budding stars. The most obvious star that probably won you one or multiple fantasy leagues is Mike Trout. That tends to happen when the #1 player in fantasy was either among the last players drafted or completely undrafted. Not since Jose Bautista have we seen someone fly out of nowhere to have the impact of a Texas-sized asteroid on a collision course for earth in fantasy baseball. The guy put on a show for the ages, and he was so good it's led people to question not whether Trout will slump this year, but rather is it even humanly possible to get any better than his rookie season?

While I don't expect Trout to fall off the map, the lack of track record, surprising power (which may not stick), as well as a crazy high stolen base percentage make me hesitant to take him #1. I've listed him as my 3rd ranked player, but I'd be content with anyone in my Top 5.

Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Braun have clearly and consistently show they are fantasy stars. Miggy's move from 1st to 3rd last season means he'll only have 5 eligibility this season, but that's good enough positional value that I'll give him a nod over Braun.

Now that we've settled that, most of my list is pretty par for the course. I do have two pitchers in my Top 12, which is due to their near invincibility on the mound, playing for good teams, and that a lot of other position players have a lot of questions around them. Enough that as I write this in January, I'm not ready to dive in with the Troy Tulowitzkis and Justin Uptons of the fantasy realm.

The only solid declaration I am ready to make is that I think Joey Votto is going to have a gigantic year. He appears to have gotten over his knee injury that hindered him last year, and with a lead-off man in newly acquired Shin Soo-Choo, I can see Votto taking his 2nd NL MVP in 2013. He's a ridiculous hitter and with a newly focused value on glove work by the MSM, I think it's a great bet. Matter of factly, I should check out the odds on sportsbook.ag.

So, here we go. The first list, sure to be updated, extended, and ultimately wrong.

Rank	Name	Position
1	Miguel Cabrera	3B
2	Ryan Braun	OF
3	Mike Trout	OF
4	Joey Votto	1B
5	Andrew McCutchen	OF
6	Matt Kemp	OF
7	Carlos Gonzalez	OF
8	Albert Pujols	1B
9	Justin Verlander	SP
10	Jason Heyward	OF
11	Robinson Cano	2B
12	Clayton Kershaw	SP

On Deck: Prince Fielder, Evan Longoria, Giancarlo Stanton, Felix Hernandez

The Funkman says: "It's never too early to talk about Fantasy Baseball."