Fantasy Funkhouser: 2013 Season Wrap-up and 100 Predictions/Comments for 2014

Chris Davis was fantasy's breakout star in 2013. (rantsports.com)

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

I always feel bad near the end of the fantasy baseball season. I read, write, focus a lot of time and energy into it, but much like the actual baseball season, as the conclusion of the regular season approaches it becomes harder and harder to focus on. Especially when you try to write about it semi-monthly the approach, advise, and outlook of things becomes so narrowed. I mean if Craig Gentry is the 2nd most valuable player in the final two weeks of the season, what kind of advice can one really give? 

That's not to say I don't follow all of my teams through to the end. If you're going to dedicate so much time throughout the year, then it's foolish to just bail out of disinterest in the last week or so. Overall though this was a great fantasy year. I had a lot of nice calls early on, and outside of some mismanaged teams of my own, I finished in the top 3 in every league - including a clean sweep of my ESPN leagues (a championship auction and 12 team roto). Yes, I will be participating in some Yahoo! Winner's Leagues as well.

The best thing about fantasy baseball for me is that it's a perfect combination of endurance, skill, and luck to make it through a season. Predictions and hopes may be greatly exceeded or frustratingly underminded, but that's what playing this game is all about. Shockingly a lot of my predictions (the first time I've put them out for the public to see) weren't embarrassing. Even the round for round rankings I did had some decent insight. Every time a season comes to a close, I immediately miss fantasy, but at the same time you need to take a break and recharge your batteries and clear your head. 

So as we depart and before the free agents and trades and injuries and hopefully recoveries (Matt Harvey!) I want to close this season with 100 predictions/comments for 2014.

1	Mike Trout should be the #1 player taken in all drafts next year. No question.
2	Clayton Kershaw should be the #1 pitcher taken in all drafts next year. No question.
3	Chris Davis is no fluke. Even if his average dips a bit, he still has 50 HR potential. Top 10 player.
4	Yasiel Puig will be a good player, but people will draft him more for his first half of the season than his second.
5	It really was the year of the Cubans. Jose Fernandez should continue his dominance on the lowly Marlins.
6	Ryan Braun is a Top 15 player next year.
7	My starting SS in many leagues next year will be Andrelton Simmons.
8	Cliff Lee keeps on ticking. One of his best seasons to date.
9	I'm glad Manny Machado avoided serious injury, but his 2nd half slide can't be ignored.
10	Paul Goldschmidt, welcome to the Top 10 in the fantasy ranks for a long-time coming.
11	Pedro Alvarez will join the 40 HR club next year.
12	Edwin Encarnacion will bash 40 HR's next year too.
13	Albert Pujols returns in fine form. Looking like he did his last year in St. Louis.
14	Jason Kipnis avoided a 2nd half swoon. Showed us what kind of player he is.
15	Adam Jones is always under valued, but his high K/BB rate always gives me pause.
16	Josh Hamilton is the reason Robinson Cano won't be getting $305M.
17	I think Cano stays a Yankee, unless the Dodgers really, really want him.
18	Domonic Brown was a pleasant surprise. Let's hope he's found a comfort zone in Philly.
19	I won't be completely comfortable with Giancarlo Stanton until he is out of Miami.
20	Joey Votto has become a better reality baseball player than fantasy.
21	Do not draft Brandon Phillips. He is not a top 10 2B next year.
22	It'll be interesting to see where Tim Lincecum lands.
23	Brandon Moss. Platoon star (.904) OPS against RHP.
24	Where will David Price go in the off-season? Hopefully not Texas.
25	Happy to see Eric Hosmer come into his own. I thought we'd see this next year, but he's back on track.
26	Matt Kemp should be just fine in 2014. Not as many steals, but he should come around from his shoulder issues.
27	Intrigued by Brett Lawrie at 2B, not at 3B.
28	I'd really like to see what Pablo Sandoval can do when he's in shape.
29	Stephen Strasburg will be over-drafted yet again.
30	I still believe in Anthony Rizzo.
31	Salvador Perez and Wilson Ramos. Draft them.
32	I'm not sure how long David Ortiz can keep this going, but I can't bet against him anymore.
33	The non-OF player with the 3rd highest SB total? Everth Cabrera, who was suspended for 50 games.
34	Bryce Harper's career numbers thus far: 42 HR, 117 RBI, 29 SB, .272 AVG. Seems like a good baseline for his 2014 production.
35	Justin Verlander fixed whatever is wrong with him. He's a Top 5 pitcher next year. Better than Scherzer.
36	Still don't see Homer Bailey as an "ace" or SP2. He's just too inconsistent and gives up too many HR balls.
37	Austin Jackson fell short of my expectations and was injured yet again. Might be time to reassess him overall.
38	Not sure what to make of Jean Segura's stats declining each month of the season. Can't be a good thing.
39	I'm out on Ben Zobrist. Versatility thy name has been replaced by Matt Carpenter.
40	Justin Upton is running out of time to be great.
41	Billy Butler is who we though he was. Not that good.
42	Mike Napoli is the 2nd ranked catcher. He's the 16th ranked 1B. He won't have C-eligibility next year.
43	Minus a severe ankle injury, Jose Reyes had a great first year in Toronto.
44	Michael Bourn. Black listed.
45	Joe Mauer IGWH (Is Good When Healthy).
46	Chase Headley showed some signs of life. He's not as good as 2012, not as bad as 2013.
47	Depending on the ranks, I'd be thrilled to have Cole Hamels as my SP3 next year.
48	How'd Coors treat Nolan Arenado? I'm not buying him.
49	Avisail Garcia. Keep your eye on him.
50	Alex Rodriguez won't play an inning of baseball in the majors next year.
51	Zack Wheeler is still a couple of years away from becoming dominant.
52	Matt Moore will not be on any of my teams next year.
53	1B is not deep and there doesn't appear to be any top prospects coming along any time soon outside of a certain Cuban.
54	If Elvis Andrus can keep stealing 40+ bases then he deserves to be in the Top 60 players.
55	Pitchers will adjust to Billy Hamilton. That doesn't mean he still can't lead the league in steals. By a lot.
56	Matt Carpenter will be underdrafted next year.
57	I'm out on Lance Lynn. Never again.
58	What Jason Heyward does in the post-season will greatly affect how I rank him in 2014.
59	Drafting a catcher early in a standard league continues to be a useless endeavour. Mike Piazza isn't walking through that door.
60	Will Venable is hitting LHP better than ever, but tends to get streaky in August. If he gets regular starts, 20/20 is one again doable.
61	Patrick Corbin overrated. James Shields underrated.
62	Not sold on Wil Myers yet.
63	It will be tough for me to put Hanley Ramirez in my Top 10 next year, but I really want to.
64	Will Middlebrooks has earned the 3B spot in the Sox line-up next year.
65	That means Xander Bogaerts should be next to him at SS. Xander didn't produce as well as hoped, but inconsistent playing time will do that.
66	I see Bogaerts as a lesser version of Manny Machado. Not creative, I know.
67	Some other pitcher on the Marlins is getting all the attention, but don’t sleep on Nathan Eovaldi.
68	I still believe in Jeff Samardzija.
69	Ike Davis. Black listed.
70	More big production rookies are coming in early 2014.
71	Depending on what the Yankees do in the off-season, this might be the start of many missed playoffs to come.
72	Ian Desmond now has two straight 20/20 years.
73	Oswaldo Arcia. Draft him.
74	Kyle Seager completely collapsed in the last month of the season. Don't let this dissuade you from taking him.
75	Chris Johnson probably won't get drafted next year, and rightfully so.
76	Looked like Prince Fielder was due for a down year, but he straightened himself out. Would still rather have Chris Davis than him in 2014.
77	Christian Yelich will get you double digit homers and steals. If only he played 1B.
78	Matt Wieters. Offensive catchers develop late.
79	Matt Harvey will pitch in the Arizona Fall League, but due to ineffectiveness opt for Tommy John surgery.
80	No thank you to B.J. Upton. Ever.
81	Alejandro de Aza is always underrated.
82	I still believe in Michael Saunders.
83	Jimmy Rollins is not a Top 12 SS next year.
84	Remember Nate McLouth's first half in 2013? Ride em while they're hot.
85	David Robertson could struggle as the new Yankees' closer. Not Jim Johnson struggle, but struggle.
86	Ubaldo Jimenez back? He has seemed to figure something out.
87	Jurickson Profar need playing time, but I'm not sure how he gets it on the Rangers in 2014.
88	Andrew Cashner ended the year healthy and productive.
89	Josh Donaldson is not a fraud. He's a Top 10 3B.
90	I still believe in Starlin Castro.
91	Daniel Murphy underrated.
92	There is just something I enjoy about Michael Brantley.
93	I'm shocked Freddie Freeman is this good. Last year people were saying he's better than Heyward. Turns out he might just be.
94	I'm not drafting Jonathan Papelbon.
95	Put the entire Houston Astros roster on my do not draft list in standard leagues.
96	Greg Holland has turned into the AL Craig Kimbrel.
97	The St. Louis Cardinals will be doing themselves a disservice if Matt Adams and Oscar Taveras aren't in the starting line-up on Opening Day.
98	Pitching is just so deep, and with the high rate of injuries, I'm just waiting and waiting next year.
99	Trevor Rosenthal will be valuable in whatever role he fills in 2014.
100	Most of these will probably be wrong, but I'm already missing 2013 and looking forward to 2014.

Fantasy Funkhouser: Yeah, About That ...2013 Q1 Edition

Don't hate me, Manny. (USAT)

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

The quarter point of the baseball season is here, and that gives us enough time to reflect back and see what's really going on in the world of Major League Baseball. Sure, the injury bug seems to be running rampant over the first quarter and there does seem to be a large percentage of players playing way above their pay grade (eh, Jean Segura?). But a quarter of a season does not a baseball season make. Some players will slump and others will rise, but there are some players that have jumped out at me that I didn't expect to at all.

I'm going to list some players that are exceeding my expectations, and I expect them to keep going. I did throw together some fantasy crush picks back in March, and some are looking pretty, preeetty, preeeeettttay good so far. But I'm not just going to rehash the players I missed (although looking back, I do regret not expanding it to all players so I could present my love for some higher ranked players I had tagged early on, like Paul Goldschmidt). Onward!

Manny Machado, 3B - Orioles

Not that anyone didn't expect Machado to be good. He's bred to be a superstar. But that he's this good already is shocking. The Macho Man has 23 XBH, .920 OPS, and plays gold glove defense just for fun. I had him moving along at this pace early in 2014, not right now. His 2012 was solid, but there have been no signs of a slump for Manny. He's a star for years to come.

Carlos Gomez, OF - Brewers

Carlos won't be keeping up his .365 AVG, but everything else is for real. The power, the speed, the increased walk rate. Everything is in line for Gomez to build off his post-sleeper break out last year. Yes, I was a member of the Carlos Gomez fan club last year, but my faith waivered heading into 2013. With his deserved ranking, I was just too nervous to invest in Gomez. I hit pay dirt last year, why not get up from the blackjack table, cash out, smoke a cigar, and let the wonderful memory that was the 2nd half of 2012 remain? Well, this is why.

Justin Morneau, 1B - Twins

The one-time MVP of the AL, Morneau has battled a lot of injuries over the past couple of years. I was happy to drive his fantasy self to the local dump and dispose of the body. Thus far in 2013 though, he's been showing flashes of the old Morneau. Healthy and confident, Morneau leads the team in RBIs and is batting over .300. While his slash line matches up with what he did in 2012 (134 games, 19 HR, 77 RBI) - if he can stay health he can get to 100 RBI. The power is just something that will never be back, but in the wasteland that is 1B, Morneau is looking ready for a bounce back.

Ike Davis, 1B - Mets

Speaking of horrible 1B - it's not all roses for predicting fantasy baseball. I listened to what the other experts said about Ike coming into the year. His strong finish to 2012, the quietest 30 HR you'll ever find, his health coming into the season that will lead to great things. Well, he's as horrible as ever. Delivering a line that if he keeps up for 3 more weeks, will likely see him in the minors. Last year Davis put up similarly horrid numbers, then turned it around on Memorial Day. He's worth keeping an eye on to see if history repeats, but Davis is looking like a complete wash out.

Carl Crawford, OF - Dodgers

Kudos for Crawford for finding health and peace of mind in LA. Few others have. Early favorite along with Justin Upton for the Change of Scenery Award, Crawford has rediscovered himself after a miserable stretch in Boston where health and happiness were not easily found. He's off to a great start, and while he will need to be rested every now and again, he's running and being productive atop a weak Dodgers line-up.

Pitching, by and large, has been a disaster. I'm not sure if I dodged a bullet with my picks or what, but there's very little to report from a disappointment standpoint. I still thought Stephen Strasburg was overrated for this season, I loved Yu Darvish, and who could have guessed that proven stars like David Price, Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, and Yovani Gallardo would go in the tank. If I had to pick one major disappointment, it'd be Roy Halladay. Beating yourself up over injuries is never a good way to go through life, but with Halladay, I wanted to believe he'd be fine just because he's Doc. After admiring him north of the border in Canada and when my Phillies acquired him, I couldn't have asked for a better baseball experience. He's the best pitcher of a generation, and I'd hate to see his career come to a close like this. But history says it will. Sure, he might come back, pitch for some completely weird team like the San Diego Padres, but it won't be the same.

SOME LATE ENTRIES

Willin Rosario - C, Rockies

With Rosario, I was nervous about his propensity to strike out often, and along with his below average defense, a road to the bench or even AAA crossed my mind. Well, the defense might not have gotten any better, but his 8 HR and 3 SB are music to an owner's ears. Sure he's come down off his astronomical start, but that'll happen with a streak-ish player like the Baby Bull. Coors helps anyone, but it's not as apparent for Rosario who is actually only carrying a .664 OPS at Coors compared to mashing at a .960 clip on the road. Both will even out to a certain extent, but the moral of this tale is that the end product is a great offensive catcher.

Anibal Sanchez, SP - Tigers

Sanchez always had the potential to be special. He appears to have gotten past the injuries that slowed him early in his career, but I always thought he was just one of those guys that had the stuff, but would never figure things out. A thrower, not a pitcher - as the derisive crowd would say. After a strong playoffs, Sanchez has apparently figured things out. His K% and velocity is up, and with a porous defense behind him, he is still operating with a fantastic 1.45 FIP, which is tops in baseball.

The Funkman says: "Look at this guy! He drafted Ike Davis in the 10th round!"

Fantasy Funkhouser: Deadline Passing Doesn't Mean You're Dead

Carlos Gomez apparently needs to hire a fantasy baseball PR firm. (Getty images)

Most fantasy trade deadlines have passed, so the only resource you have is what's out on the waiver wire. Before trades went the way of Brett Gardner's fantasy value, managers should have fortified their team. Top teams should have looked for proven players to make that run through the playoffs, where fringe playoff teams will be looking for more lightning in a bottle (Manny Machado, if you please). Either way, both are in the same boat...the lone bastion of fantasy value available outside of your squad is on the waiver wire.

This doesn't have to be a death sentence, nor a reason to stand pat. This time, above all else, is a time to ride streaks, ditch the "names", and be on the constant look out for players that can have the greatest impact on your team for the rest of the year. Flags fly forever, this is not the time to be stubborn and wait for Mike Napoli to make it back from the DL and turn things around. Where you drafted a player, his perceived value are all irrelevant. All that matters are hot streakers, category stackers, and toe tappers.

I made note of some value plays earlier in the year, so let's see if we can find some treasures. Here are some players to target that are available in half of Yahoo! leagues.

HOT STREAKERS

These are guys that are and have been on a tear for at least a couple of weeks. They contribute across the board, and while their star power may be limited, it should be around long enough to help your squad. This isn't uncommon throughout the year to find a guy on a streak, but finding a player that finishes the season strong is a major win.

Jon Jay, STL - OF (21%)

Did you know Jon Jay played in 159 games for the Cardinals last year? Maybe if you're Jon Jay you did, but for those of you new to baseball, that's almost a full season worth of games. Aside from hitting .297 last year, there wasn't much to write home about for Jay. In the past week, however, he's been placed atop the Red Birds' line-up and responded accordingly. He is 15 for his last 28 (.538), and he's been walking at a higher rate than he ever has.

That ability to get on base has paired nicely with a dramatic turnaround in Jay's stolen base percentage. Prior to this year, Jay was 8-19 in stolen base opportunities. This year: 13-15.

Ryan Ludwick, CIN - OF (45%)

To balance the force in the year of Josh Willingham, the NL has their own version of the Hammer, Ryan Ludwick. Both former power hitting corner outfield prospects have had some success in the bigs, but inconsistent play and injuries have gotten them off track to this point. Now, at 33 and 34 respectively, Willingham and Ludwick have come into their own. While Willingham is long gone in your league, Ludwick has only hit .344 with 8 homers in the last 30 days. Those 8 homers in that span puts him on par with Buster Posey, Carlos Beltran, and, of course, Willingham.

Now, Joey Votto has been out for much of this time, but when he does saunter his way back, Dusty Baker has no choice but to keep Ludwick in the line-up. Now, we all know Dusty can make some interesting decisions (Mark Prior was asked for an interview, but did not return Lockration.'s calls), but to bench or spot start a guy with 21 homers would be a stretch. Also, keep in mind that while Votto will gobble up RBI opportunities like Tim Tebow as Jesus gobbles up web hits, but Votto is an on base machine. Ludwick will still get his chances.


Carlos Gomez, MIL - OF (30%)

The ying to Willingham's yang (sb.mlb.com)

Initially touted by the Piano-man himself, Gomez has come on as of late for the Suds (sorry, Minny). Owned in ONLY 30% OF LEAGUES, this is perhaps the biggest head-scratcher we'll probably find on this list. There is no reports of Carlos Gomez doing something directly reprehensible to 70% of the fake hardball community, but it must be something. Even historically, Gomez may be a bit of a post-hyper, but he's not Alex Rios for god sake! Don't think that name change fooled us victims, Alexi Rios.

Gomez certainly strikes out a lot and doesn't walk. Typical WARNING signs, but in spite of that and Brewers' manager Ron Roenicke curiously dropping Gomez to 7th in the line-up the past couple of games instead of batting him ahead of formerly magnificently quaffed Ryan Braun (maybe that high testosterone test just comes from having a great head of hair?), Gomez over the last month has only [deep breath]: scored more runs (22) than Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, and Andrew McCutchen; out homered (6) Prince Fielder, Edwin Encarnacion, and Curtis Granderson; out RBI'd (14) Braun, Mark Trumbo, Adam Jones, Adam Dunn, and Robinson Cano; stolen more bases than anyone not named Rajai Davis (who we will get to). [Big exhale]. But, yeah, that's all. Could his run be coming to an end? Possibly, but the owners who have had him aren't regretting their decision like you may be.

Erick Aybar - LAA, SS (37%)

Started off horribly, good team, scoring runs, premium position. Could also go for Josh Rutledge or Machado. I'm still winded and annoyed that more people don't own Gomez...

CATEGORY STACKERS

If you're coming up short in one category, these guys will help push you along. Whereas the hot streakers are more overall contributors, the value for these players comes with the potential to win you a category by themselves, or provide a major boost.

Salvador Perez, KC - C (35%)

At the catcher position, Perez can flat hit. Since coming back from a knee injury that took away most of his 2012, the young catcher has already clocked 8 home runs. That's already more than pre-season faves Joe Mauer and Alex Avila. Granted the amount of people that drafted Mauer for power should be gently told it's not 2009 anymore. His hot finish to the season can provide an upgrade right now for those teams looking for power, but Perez should also be noted for 2013 as a sleeper.

Rajai Davis, TOR - OF (22%)

If the question is, "Where do I get steals from?" Rajai Davis is the answer. He clearly has the green light to do as he pleases on the base paths for the best stealing situation this side of Miami. Now, Davis is notoriously streaky. Getting hot enough at times to melt the hockey rinks in Toronto and can get cold enough, no not to zamboni those rinks to a smooth hockey playing surface, but to play himself out of a job. At the very least, if he can keep it going for a couple more weeks, he's not at risk of losing his job with the likes of Anthony Gose playing everyday.


Eric Young, Jr., COL - 2B, OF (17%)

You waited. Oh, you were complacent. You had Jason Kipnis on his way to a 30/30 year and surefire keeper status, and hey, you drafted him late, but if he got injured or whatever, ultra utility man Michael Young; owner of numerous 200 hit .300 AVG seasons to back him as well as anyone else at 1B or 3B. Yes, life was good back on June 1st.

Kipnis had you sitting pretty in June. (cleveland.sbnation.com)

Since then, not so much. Kipnis hit the wall, and I mean THE WALL for his second straight Summer derailing his momentum into future star this year and raising questions as to what the hell happens to him once the mercury rises in the thermometer. Too many Bud Light limes? He hasn't hit a homerun since June 17th, and his average has dropped 30 points. It's been dark days in Kipnisville.

MY has been more of a year long disaster. Some people, including your humble narrator, bought in to MY's early struggles as a buy low candidate. I didn't buy low enough. Young has batted .257 over the past month with zero homers and 10 RBI. That really takes away from his average for the year of .269 and 45 RBI. Young has always been consistent, the only difference is this year he is consistently bad. The Rangers have done everything outside of cut the brakes on the car he drives to the ballpark everyday to get him out of the line-up. Top prospect Mike Olt has been called up to little fanfare, and there are even rumors tippity-top prospect Jurickson Profar may make an appearance as early as Monday to challenge Young for playing time.

So after the rubble clears, there's EY. Eric Young has too been anointed the everyday lead-off man in Colorado. His speed, and recent power streak, along with 2B eligibility make him an ideal play. Of course, this recent hot streak has coincided with a Colorado homestand at Coors, but high altitude doesn't cure speed. EY can run with the best, and can help stack that category.

TOE TAPPERS

The absolute best strategy down the stretch is playing match-ups and streaming. Some teams, just by the nature of their schedule, will have better match-ups, pitchers can wear down or spring forward this time of year. This might as well be the Doug Fister Memorial because last year and this year he has basically turned into a Cy Young candidate the last 2 months of the season. It's just those other couple months of the season he needs to work on.

Lucas Harrell, SP - HOU (12%)

Buried on the worst team in baseball is a 10 game winning pitcher. Lucas Harrell has been an ace for Houston. Now, that's a little different than being an ace in Houston, where that was Wandy Rodriguez until he was shipped to the Steel City. But Harrell has been on a streak as of late. Since the All-Star break, he carries a 2.06 ERA and 38 K's in 43 2/3 IP. Now, assuming management is still paying attention in Houston, Harrell's late season explosion may be cut short due to an innings cap. He's over 140 as of now and threw a grand total of 68 innings the past two.

Mike Minor/Kris Medlen, SP - ATL (42%/34%)

The Braves have a deep staff with vets and young guys with live arms. Minor and Medlen fit into the latter category. The staff is so deep that with Tommy Hanson's imminent return from the DL and new acquisition Paul Maholm pitching very un-Paul Maholm like, the Bravos are moving to a 6-man rotation battle royale over the next 2 weeks where the best and healthiest will emerge. I'd say Minor has a bit of a lead on Medlen, since Medlen was on bullpen duty before he got thrown in, but Medlen has been pitching better than Minor over the past month. Also, don't sleep on another top prospect, Julio Teheran. He put together some strong outings in AAA, and could see a September call-up. Nothing is guaranteed, but such is life in a post deadline world.

Brett Anderson, SP - OAK (5%)

Anderson is currently on the DL recovering from Tommy John surgery. Recovery isn't pretty for many pitchers, even great one's like Adam Wainwright, but Anderson was an up and coming ace in Oakland. His rehab starts have gotten progressively better and his velocity is where it needs to be, but control is always the last thing to come back from TJ. He's worth a flier because he has the pedigree and plays in that ballpark. Make a note if you have an open DL spot (and if you do shame on you!), Anderson should be back within 2 weeks.

The Funk-man says: "You know, I thought Ryan Ludwick needs more support."(screenrant.com)