Fantasy Baseball Help: Outfielders

So here's a common situation that many fantasy players find themselves in; It's late in the draft and you've spent a lot of money and draft picks on solidifying your rotation, lineup, and have a decent bullpen going. You look at your slots and notice that you need to pick up another outfielder, but since its so late in the draft, almost everyone is gone.

Let's take a look at some reasonable options that should be around late in the your draft:
(Players chosen are based on a 10 team league, with the top 80 players ranked by Fantasy Baseball Index removed from consideration).

Carlos Quentin; White Sox. Fully healthy coming into this season, Quentin, if given enough playing time, could blossom in Chicago. Living in a hitter's park could mean greater home run numbers for Quentin, which is unexpected in an outfielder chosen this late in the draft.

Josh Anderson, Braves. Twenty five years old, runs like the wind, covers ground like a cheetah. Might not have the best shot of cracking the opening day lineup, but with an aging Kotsay in centerfield, its only a matter of time before Anderson takes over. In an era where the running game seems to have disappeared, Anderson's 84 steals over the past two minor league seasons is exciting.

Endy Chavez, Mets. With the chance of Moises Alou out for an extended period, Alou owners might want to consider picking up Chavez until he returns. He's relatively cheap (suggested starting bid is $1) and has a major upside sitting in the Mets lineup.

Ryan Sweeney, Athletics. Dealt to Oakland in the Swisher deal, Sweeney had a rough Triple-A in Charlotte last year, but a change in scenery and a chance to play every day in the bigs can get a young guy going. He's not our favorite out of this group, but he's got a major, major upside if he cracks Oakland's lineup.

MLB 2K8: IGN Releases XBox360 Achievements

IGN.com released a list of Gamerpoint Achievements that you can unlock while playing the latest installment of MLB 2K Sports video game for the Xbox 360:

MLB 2K8 Achievements
Achievement Name	Description	Pts
Control Artist	Throw a Total Control Pitch with superb execution.	5
Frozen Rope	Get a line drive base hit using Right Stick Hitting (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Advanced Mind, Advanced Pleasure	Complete 10 games using advanced controls.	50
Fantasy Cards	Create a complete card team.	10
Buy A Pack	Use your duplicate cards to buy a new pack of cards.	20
Earn A Team	Unlock all the cards for a team in card series 1.	30
Earn 100 Cards	Unlock 100 different types of cards.	50
Quality Start	Have your starting pitcher give up 3 or fewer runs in 6+ innings of work (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Hold!	Get credit for a hold (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Save!	Get credit for a save (min 3 batters faced, Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Keep it Down	Complete a 9-inning game without giving up a home run (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
1-2-3	Retire all 3 batters faced in an inning (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Strikeout The Side	Strikeout all 3 batters faced in an inning (Pro difficulty or higher).	50
A Day To Remember	Throw a no-hitter using any number of pitchers (minimum 9 innings, Pro difficulty or higher).	100
Skillz	Make a spectacular defensive play (Pro difficulty or higher).	5
Catch 'em Nappin	Successfully bunt for a hit (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Red-Handed	Throw out a runner attempting to steal a base (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
He's Got a Gun!	Throw out a runner at homeplate from the outfield using Right Stick Throwing.	20
The Train's Comin' Through	Score a run after plowing over the catcher at homeplate (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
De-Railed	Successfully prevent a runner from plowing over your catcher and scoring (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Triple Double	Turn 3 double plays in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Eagle Eye	Get a Base on Balls (Pro difficulty or higher).	10
Double Triple	Hit two triples in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	30
Goliath	Hit 5 home runs in one game (Pro difficulty or higher).	20
Legendary	Win a 9-inning game on Legend difficulty.	50
What's Your Fantasy?	Complete at least 25 rounds of a fantasy draft in franchise mode.	5
Glove of Gold	In franchise, have a player win the Player's Choice Best Fielder award (min 20 games played).	10
Platinum Bat	In franchise, have a player win the Player's Choice Best Hitting award (min. 20 games played).	10
Star-Studded	In franchise, have 3 or more players make the All-Star Team (min 15 games played).	20
Makin' a Splash	In franchise, have a rookie earn the Rookie of the Year award (min 20 games played).	20
Contender	In franchise, have your team make the playoffs (min 20 games played).	20
Domination	Win at least 105 games in one season (min 20 games played)	30
Layer Cake	In franchise, win a game at each minor league level (A, AA, and AAA).	10
Brink of Stardom	In franchise, have a player win the Minor League Player of the Year award.	10
I'm a Winner!	Win a ranked match on Xbox LIVE.	10
Win 20 Online	Win 20 ranked matches on Xbox LIVE.	30
Card Master	Win a Card Battle match on Xbox LIVE.	50
Slugger	Win a Strikes Only match on Xbox LIVE.	20
League Participation	Play a game in a league or tournament on Xbox LIVE.	10
Cards Shmards	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Earn 100 Cards'.	20
David vs. Goliath	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Goliath'.	20
Another Level	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Legendary'.	20
Live Wire	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'Win 20 Online'.	20
You're Not So Tough	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked 'A Day to Remember'.	50
What Makes YOU So Special?	Top 'em: In a ranked match on Xbox LIVE, beat an opponent who has unlocked a Top 'em achievement.	50

Team Outlook: San Fransisco Giants

Last Season's Record: 71-91
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 5th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Aaron Rowand: CF

Major Offseason Losses:
- Barry Bonds: LF (???)


This organization is an embarrassment to Major League Baseball. They had their chance to right the ship with Bonds leaving, make room for some younger players, but they chose to hold onto their old farts.
This Giants club will be the worst team in baseball, and the only record they will be chasing this year will be for the most losses by a team in one season.

Team Outlook: San Diego Padres

Last Season's Record: 89-74
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 4th NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Jim Edmonds: CF
- Mark Prior
- Tadahito Iguchi: 2B

Major Offseason Losses:
- Milton Bradely
- Mike Cameron

On paper, this rotation looks dominant; Peavy, Maddux, Prior, Young, and Wolf. But everyone knows that these games aren't played on paper. Maddux is another year older, Prior is one bad pitch from landing on the DL again, Wolf is a ticking time bomb, and Peavy has to be wondering how many times another unbelievable pitching season will find him watching the playoffs from his couch.
The lineup is littered with young guns, but acquiring an aging Jim Edmonds
is a questionable move. Its hard to believe that the Padres don't have anyone in their system that could play centerfield.
Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headly provide a little hope for the Padres, who are looking to add some offense to a lineup lacking punch. Who knows though, maybe the lineup would be amazing if they didn't play half their games in Petco Park.

Team Outlook: Colorado Rockies

Last Season's Record: 90-73
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 1st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Jose Capellan: RHP
- Luis Vizcaino: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Kazuo Matsui: 2B
- LaTroy Hawkins: RHP

The Rockies were the Cinderella Team of 2007, making the playoffs after tearing through the NL in the last month of the season. Barnstorming through the playoffs, the Rockies kept on winning until they met the Red Sox in the World Series.
A lot of the Rockies problems in the World Series had to do with the inexperience roster that the team put on the field. This year the Rockies are a little older and a little wiser, so look for them the win the NL West outright and by a large margin. Despite the rotation being a bit shaky after Francis and Cook, Colorado's lineup should mash opposing pitchers.
Talented youth seems to be a dime a dozen in Colorado. Some of their best position players will probably not break camp this year (see Stewart- Koshansky).
Matt Holiday is a perennial MVP candidate and if Brad Hawpe can figure out how to hit lefties, they'll be staring at another World Series appearance awfully soon.

Team Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

Last Season's Record: 82-80
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 3rd NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Andrew Jones: CF
- Hiroki Kuroda: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Randy Wolf: LHP
- Mark Hendrickson: LHP

Bringing Joe Torre over from the Yankees during the offseason sent a wonderful message to the veterans in the Dodger's organization: "Time to start cashing in on that retirement plan".
Torre will not put up (for long) with the organizational tendency to give playing time to their rustier parts. Torre coming in will usher in a youth movement in LA.
Curious is the decision to sign guys like Jason Schmidt and Hiroki Kuroda, while LA has arms like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw. LA also has guys like Andy LaRoche and James Looney that need to get more at bats, in order for LA to win ballgames.
Until LA fully commits to an overhaul and a youth movement, the old and the new will continue to butt heads and keep LA out of the playoffs.

Team Outlook: Arizona Diamondbacks

Last Season's Record: 90-72
108 Red Stitches Projected Finish: 2st NL West
Major Offseason Acquisitions:
- Dan Haren: RHP
- Connor Roberston: RHP
- Chris Burke: 2B
- Chad Qualls: RHP

Major Offseason Losses:
- Carlos Quentin: RF
- Dana Eveland: LHP
- Jose Valverde: RHP

This team had a -20 run scoring differential last season, and still made the playoffs. Their pitching staff received a major upgrade thanks to the Oakland Rebuilding Project. The Diamondbacks are a young and extremely talented team. If Chad Tracey becomes healthy and produces numbers that he's capable of putting up, the Diamondbacks won't have to rely on their pitching staff as much as they did last year.
The Diamondbacks biggest weakness going into the 2008 season is obviously their offense. The Front Office did little to improve their lineup, and will have to look to their younger players to adapt to big league pitching and have better years.