Empty the Bench

**UPDATED RANKINGS COMING SOON**

They’re here, and in plenty of time for your fantasy draft. Print them up and forget everything else you’ve read; this is all you need to make mincemeat of your fantasy rivals. I’ve tried to put an emphasis on steals and saves because those are the two hardest categories to find, and I don’t think they get enough respect in most major rankings. I’ve also taken the liberty of moving all the players who will have breakout seasons up to one pick before your friends were going to take them. Enjoy.

The 2007 Fantasy MLB Rankings

1 Albert Pujols, StL, 1B – If he isn’t taken first in your league, it’s time to make some new friends.
2 Alex Rodriguez, NYY,3B – A ‘bad’ year for A-Rod is still an excellent year for fantasy owners. He’s working hard, in great shape, and we expect him to bounce back.
3 Johan Santana, Min, SP – The best pitcher in baseball, without a doubt. Take him, and then worry about offense for the next three or four rounds.
4 Jose Reyes, NYM, SS – Steals will be even harder to come by this year. Reyes instantly makes you competitive in the category, but I do worry about injuries.
5 Alfonso Soriano, ChC, OF – There are concerns about playing a new position and motivation, but the change from RFK to Wrigley and batting in a superior lineup make him an exciting option.
6 Ryan Howard, Phi, 1B – He’s a very fun kid to watch, and the entire lineup around him will be matured. Expect him to cut down some of the Ks, too.
7 Carl Crawford, TB, OF – A rare combination of speed and power, Crawford is who I’m hoping to get in the mid-to-late first round in my drafts.
8 Chase Utley, Phi, 2B – He had a few ups and downs, but expect more ups this year. Great power from the 2B position.
9 David Wright, NYM, 3B – Another young guy who should be more comfortable as a star and even better this year with plenty of opportunities to knock in runs.
10 David Ortiz, Bos, 1B – He just does what he does. Too bad clutch home runs aren’t a fantasy category. Great value at this point.
11 Miguel Cabrera, Fla, 3B – He keeps getting better, and the young Marlins lineup should give him more protection this year.
12 Travis Hafner, Cle, DH – Don’t let the lack of a position scare you. He is a premier source of power who shouldn’t slip much further in any drafts.
13 Vladimir Guerrero, LAA, OF – Not a high upside pick, so if you have a feeling about a younger guy, feel free to slide him down a few notches.
14 Carlos Beltran, NYM, OF – Extremely productive when he’s healthy, but I worry about injuries every time I see him play.
15 Lance Berkman, Hou, OF – After a slow start, he took off last year. Expect another steady, productive year.
16 Mark Teixeira, Tex, 1B – He fixed his swing after starting out incredibly slow last season, and we expect him to put together an extremely solid full season this time around. If he’s here at this point, feel confident taking him and maybe even a few picks earlier.
17 Grady Sizemore, Cle, OF – If you’re league keeps track of extra base hits, then he’s the man. Great young hitter who should bump up the average and tack on a few more home runs this season.
18 Derek Jeter, NYY, SS – He probably won’t match last season’s batting average, but you love a guy who you can plug into the SS position and forget about. There are a number of good SSs this year though, so feel free to take a pass if you don’t feel strongly about him.
19 Manny Ramirez, Bos, OF – One of the premier RBI men in baseball for a long time. He’s also a jerk.
20 Jason Bay, Pit, OF – We expect a bounce back, and maybe even a few more steals.
21 Chris Carpenter, StL, SP – Carpenter has to be the second pitcher off the board. We see another 20-win season.
22 Ichiro Suzuki, Sea, OF – Ichiro is an extremely professional player, but the looming free agency should have him working even harder. With steals in such high demand this year, the hits and batting average specialist is a great option.
23 Carlos Lee, Hou, OF – The change of scenery should do him good, as well as the added protection. We worry about Lee keeping himself in shape though.
24 Matt Holliday, Col, OF – The first Rockie off the board on a team that should be very fantasy friendly this year. Well, from the offensive side, at least.
25 Justin Morneau, Min, 1B – He is the reigning AL MVP, but you better believe the scouting report is out on him. Expect him to see less pitches to hit this year.
26 Hanley Ramirez, Fla, SS – One of our favorite free-agent pickups last season, he’s the spark plug for the exciting, young Florida offense. His steal numbers should rise in a full season. How did the Red Sox give up on this kid?
27 Andruw Jones, Atl, OF – We have him higher than a lot of people, but we think Andruw will be highly motivated by the dollar signs coming in the offseason.
28 Jimmy Rollins, Phi, SS – Another of the great shortstops available, he provided some unexpected power last season to go along with his steals and runs. Feel very comfortable with him as your SS for the season.
29 Miguel Tejada, Bal, SS – Another big name candidate to bounce back in 2007. He may never be a first-round pick again, but he could be a great bargain here.
30 Joe Mauer, Min, C – Like fellow Minnesotan Ron Popiel says, “Set it and forget it.” Professional beyond his years and supremely talented, we expect to see Mauer make major strides in his power totals this season. The batting average will almost certainly not be as high this season, but his value to your fantasy squad from the always-difficult C position may be higher.
31 Vernon Wells, Tor, OF – We like Vernon Wells, but the big jump in home runs and batting average makes us nervous. Maybe he repeats, maybe not.
32 Bobby Abreu, NYY, OF – He will definitely run less in this lineup, as we saw last year, but batting with this kind of protection HAS to be good for the rest of his fantasy production.
33 Aramis Ramirez, ChC, 3B – He was feast or famine last year, but he ended up with one of his best seasons to date. Write 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs in ink.
34 Michael Young, Tex, SS – He’ll bounce back, and he should have a chance for more RBIs moving down in the order.
35 Roy Oswalt, Hou, SP – You can count on this guy. Coming into last season he had two straight 20-win seasons, and he’s coming off of two straight sub-3.00 ERA seasons.
36 Derrek Lee, ChC, 1B – Don’t chase that one great season’s production. Draft him around this point, but don’t bypass a sure thing or an upside guy for him.
37 Jermaine Dye, ChW, OF – The ETB crystal ball says he comes back down to earth this season. Think 30 home runs, .275 average and around 100 RBIs. Not bad, but not last year.
38 Jake Peavy, SD, SP – This guy is still one of the best pitchers in baseball. We don’t want to go nuts, but making a Cy Young bid this season wouldn’t surprise us at all.
39 Garrett Atkins, Col, 3B – The next young Rockie to go, Atkins should improve upon his breakout season. Expect a .320 average, 35 home runs and 125 RBIs.
40 Roy Halladay, Tor, SP – The guy throws so hard you always worry about injury. If he stays healthy, he’s a steal here.
41 Brandon Webb, Ari, SP – For much of the season, he was the best pitcher in baseball last year. That sinker is just devestating. Webb can carry a fantasy team when he’s on his game.
42 Carlos Zambrano, ChC, SP – Too bad pitcher’s batting totals don’t count. The one thing to be wary of though is the BBs: his 115 total led the MLB and can kill you in BBs and K/BBs.
43 Joe Nathan, Min, RP – He’s lights out. Great numbers in all categories for a team that should have a ton of save opportunities. With saves as hard to come by as they are, and with so many top flight RPs falling apart last season, be happy to take him a little early.
44 Victor Martinez, Cle, C – Not the gold standard at catcher anymore, but Martinez can still be a great asset from the toughest fantasy position to fill. I’ll be taking Kenji Johjima or Joe Mauer for my teams though.
45 Rafael Furcal, LAD, SS – Again, with so many SSs available this season don’t feel compelled to reach for Furcal. 100 runs are a given, and he could flirt with 200 hits this season.

46 Brian Roberts, Bal, 2B – We’re a fan of the kid. He’s steady, professional, and gives you a nice balance of decent power and speed from 2B.
47 Francisco Rodriguez,LAA, RP – Just like Joe Nathan, be happy to lock up an excellent saves man you can count on at this point in the draft. When it’s all said and done, he could be the top RP in fantasy this season.
48 Brian McCann, Atl, C – We’re putting him up here because we’d be crucified if we didn’t, but we smell a fluke. Just saying. This is his value, but we won’t be taking him here in our drafts.
49 Paul Konerko, ChW, 1B – The RBI machine’s average went up to .313 last season, but the HRs dropped to 35. Still, not too shabby at all.
50 Chone Figgins, LAA, 3B, 2B, OF – We love the versatility and the speed. We hate the inconsistency. However, if you haven’t addressed steals and 2B/3B at this point in the draft, don’t hesitate to take Chone.
51 B.J. Ryan, Tor, RP – He had a fantastic year last season for a team on the rise. Toronto got their money’s worth. Don’t expect the 1.37 ERA again, but 40 saves are in the cards. Mark it down.
52 Robinson Cano, NYY, 2B – He will not challenge for the batting title in 2007. We don’t think. But Cano is a great option at 2B in a great situation, and it’s scary to think he still has a lot of upside.
53 Johnny Damon, NYY, OF – The Monkey Man’s name and cranium are bigger than his fantasy game. Still, his across-the-board production can’t be ignored and there’s no reason to expect a regression in 2007.
54 Carlos Guillen, Det, SS – Another in the long list of quality SSs this season.
55 Mariano Rivera, NYY, RP – He’s money in the bank.
56 Troy Glaus, Tor, 3B,SS – A wonderful source of home runs from the SS position.
57 Hideki Matsui, NYY, OF – The broken bone is behind him, and he can once again anchor one of your corner outfield spots.
58 Juan Pierre, LAD, OF – Expect him to return to form this year and be an excellent source of stolen bases.
59 J.J. Putz, Sea, RP – One of last season’s biggest surprises, he should be a very good saves guy for your squad. Apparently he and Johjima have been working together a lot in the offseason, and he is primed to improve across the board with Guardado a distant memory.
60 Billy Wagner, NYM, RP – On a team that could run away with the National League, expect Wagner to keep doing what he does.
61 C.C. Sabathia, Cle, SP – He’s still very young, he should be healthy this year, and the Indians will be much improved this season.
62 John Lackey, LAA, SP – Why does this guy get no respect? He’ll be leading a lot of fantasy teams in Ks in 2007.
63 John Smoltz, Atl, SP – I have him lower than a lot of other rankings because I don’t think he can defy age forever. I was wrong last year, but it’s gotta catch up with him sometime.
64 Carlos Delgado, NYM, 1B – The ETB crystal ball predicts a major injury for Delgado this season. Just a hunch, but I’m wary.
65 Gary Sheffield, Det, 1B, OF – New surroundings, but he’s still got all the tools to dominate and the Tiger’s lineup will give him plenty of opportunities for RBIs.
66 Ben Sheets, Mil, SP – Health is obviously the concern here, but when he’s on the mound he can be one of the best fantasy pitchers out there. He has superior stuff.
67 Scott Kazmir, TB, SP – We love to watch this kid pitch. He has great strikeout numbers and he could show dramatic improvement in 2007.
68 Jim Thome, ChW, Utillity – He returned to health and form in 2006. Thome has all the protection he needs to put together another stellar power season.
69 Matt Cain, SF, SP – An ETB favorite, we boldly predict that Cain ends up as one of the top 15 pitchers in fantasy baseball.
70 Dan Uggla, Fla, 2B – After a tremendous rookie season, in an improving offense, Uggla has nowhere to go but up.
71 Scott Rolen, StL, 3B – Another great contributor who’s health makes us nervous. He’s more than capable of anchoring the corner for your squad if he stays on the field.
72 Felix Hernandez, Sea, SP – Hernandez is reportedly in great shape and has also been working with catcher Johjima. Everybody predicted he would breakout last season, but it wasn’t to be. That’s because everybody was a year early.
73 Cole Hamels, Phi, SP – Cole Hamels has the stuff to be a top-flight fantasy pitcher. The Phillies are a young team that could surprise a lot of people, and we think Hamels will be their best pitcher.
74 Huston Street, Oak, RP – The former ROY didn’t do quite as much as we expected in 2006 and battled injuries. He’s healthy now, and poised to put up at least 35 saves.

75 Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds – We love the speed and upside of this kid. 30 steals could be in the works.
76 Richie Sexson, Sea, 1B – We’re banking on Sexson coming back in a major way. 40 HR would make him a fantastic value at this spot.
77 Prince Fielder, Mil, 1B – He’s a carbon copy of the old man. Once the scouting report got out on Prince last season, he struggled, but he’s been working hard this offseason and should put up at least 30 homers.
78 Daisuke Matsuzaka,Bos,SP – Admit it. It would be a lot of fun to have this guy on your team. He pitched very well versus Matsui and Ichiro in Japan, so he has MLB-quality stuff without a doubt.
79 Trevor Hoffman, SD, RP – He may slow down, but outside of Rivera RPs don’t come more consistent than Hoffman.
80 Bill Hall, Mil, 3B,2B – We’re a little concerned that he won’t maintain the multiple position eligibility, but he has power to spare from 2B is he does.
81 Ryan Zimmerman, Was, 3B – A great young kid who will be a real-life star, but RFK is an extremely tough place to hit and we don’t see him as a top 3B option.
82 Alex Rios, Tor, OF – Before the injury last season he was killing for Toronto. He’s a big kid who should finish with an average well above .300 with decent power numbers.
83 Jeremy Bonderman, Det,SP – Bonderman struggled down the stretch last year, but he has great velocity and stuff. We see 17 wins.
84 Rocco Baldelli, TB, OF – Yes, we know what he could do if he played in all 162 games. But we don’t think he will play in all 162 games.
85 Bobby Jenks, ChW, RP – The fat man should once again be among the top-ten players in MLB for saves.
86 Chipper Jones, Atl, 3B – He is officially injury prone. Buyers beware.
87 Rickie Weeks, Mil, 2B – He should be healthy by the start of the season, and he has all the talent in the world. This is a modest ranking for Weeks, so if he’s available here and you need a 2B, snatch him up.
88 Jered Weaver, LAA, SP – All the kid does is win baseball games. He’s not going to give you breathtaking Ks, but he will be a great source of ERA and Ws. Weaver, Verlander, and Liriano should be battling for AL Cy Young awards for the next 10 years.
89 Chris Young, SD, SP – Young was a revelation in 2006, and we like him to keep up the pace. He’s just impossible to hit.
90 Joe Crede, ChW, 3B – This is a guy who could be one of the top five 3Bs in fantasy baseball very soon. We like the kid, and he’s good value and upside here.
91 Nick Markakis, Bal, OF – Extremely high upside for the former first-round pick, but he may be too young to put it all together for a full season.
92 Brett Myers, Phi, SP – A solid option if you need a SP at this point, but nothing to get too excited about.
93 Corey Patterson, Bal, OF – He provides that elusive mix of speed and power, but does neither extremely well. Still, steals will be hard to find this year.
94 Adam Dunn, Cin, OF – If you really need HRs, grab him. Personally, his incredibly ugly batting average will have me trying as hard as I can not to take Dunn.
95 Felipe Lopez, Was, SS – Decent speed from the SS spot, but we’re not super excited about Lopez. He’s solid, but don’t expect much improvement.
96 Nick Swisher, Oak, 1B,OF – Swisher has bulked up and could have his best season as a pro. He’s a nice upside pick at this point.
97 Brad Lidge, Hou, RP – Wow. What a disaster 2006 was for Lidge. I had him on two squads and kept expecting him to return to the Brad Lidge we know and love. Well, hopefully he has fixed his confidence and ironed out his game. If so, he could be the steal of the draft.
98 Jeff Francoeur, Atl, OF – 2007 can’t possibly start as badly as 2006 did for Jeff. He’s a hard-working, professional kid who has the tools to be a great fantasy player. A nice bargain pick.
99 Todd Helton, Col, 1B – I know what Helton did last year, but I would feel remiss if I left him off this list after all the solid years he’s given us. The lineup around him is improving, and hopefully the injury is behind him. He still plays in Colorado, too.
100 Adam LaRoche, Pit, 1B – The change of scenery might not be too kind to LaRoche, but his upside demands he make the list. He could have 30 homers this season.