For a team that ended the season with a negative run differential and 76 wins, maybe it’s not a good sign that most of the outfield’s playing time is set. But the Padres have some young men on the horizon that might fight their way to the fore, and as is usually the case with their team, they have some under-valued assets that could fit on your fantasy team… if in a part-time role.

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Many people believe that fantasy leagues are won prepping for the auction or draft. Having a plan, being ready to execute, and then following through can make all the difference.

But any time I have started a new ottoneu league, I have intentionally NOT planned. Well, that isn’t exactly true, but the No-Plan Plan is far less defined than how I approach any other league.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

Today we head out to San Diego to check in on the Padres rotation, which could be legitimately labeled a mess at the moment. The good news is that there are some intriguing options, the bad news is for the forecasters (like me!) trying to project innings total for their potential starters. It’s not fun, let me tell you. I won’t pretend to really have a clue as to which five starters will open the season in the rotation, but I will do my best to analyze the options.

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Recent injury data

 • Felix Hernandez’s new 7-year contract is under dispute because of an elbow condition the team found. Last season he did see a drop in his velocity mid-season which came back up.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

At first glance, it may not seem like there’s much to look out for on the Giants’ infield. As is often the case with champions, there aren’t many jobs up for grabs, and the positions are mostly manned by returning veterans. But if you dig a little, you’ll find some opportunity.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

The Rockies’ outfield projects to provide ample fantasy value this upcoming season. In 2012, their outfield combined to compile a .286/.349/.482 slash line, and their combined .357 wOBA ranked the best in all of baseball. And with both Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler in their respective primes, it doesn’t appear fantasy owners should be shying away from the Rocky Mountain Outfield on draft day anytime soon.

Despite the fact that Dexter Fowler appears to have the center field position on lockdown, the depth chart isn’t devoid of potential movement. The Rockies still could have a handful of players jockeying for playing time at the corner outfield positions if everything breaks correctly, and as always, injuries will ultimately play a factor in how many at-bats are available to players.

Here are some storylines to which fantasy owners should be paying attention this upcoming season.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

There was a massive overhaul in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfield this offseason. Two-thirds of last year’s starting three were shipped to other teams. Jason Kubel, who was also rumored to be on the block, was the lone starter to survive. The team also complicated matters by adding Cody Ross, fresh off a resurgent season with the Boston Red Sox. With veteran Geraldo Parra still in the fold for playing time, and prospect Adam Eaton ready for regular playing time, Arizona’s outfield is a little too crowded. How they decide to sort things out could have a strong impact on each player’s fantasy value.

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In the coming weeks, we’ll be covering each team’s potential depth charts in an effort to shine a spotlight on the interesting playing time battles that will be waged this spring. Obviously none of these depth charts are set in stone — rather they should function to focus your attention in the right places to find cheap fantasy value.

This week, we begin a team-by-team look at depth charts in the infield, outfield, starting rotation and bullpen, and we’ll be highlighting position battles and any other interesting stories. We start with the National League West division and today I will be analyzing the starting rotation in Arizona. The top four are pretty much set in stone, with Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, Wade Miley and Brandon McCarthy slotted in. That last spot, however, is very much up for grabs and is worth monitoring.

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I’m happy to announce the fantasy values have come to FanGraphs+! Based on Steamer projections, these values are for standard, OBP, and “only” leagues based on the following descriptors: 12 teams, 23 starting lineup slots, $260 budget. They will appear on the projections’ leaderboard for FanGraphs+ subscribers ($4.99/yr).

The methodology for these values has long floated around the site, but there are a few minor changes that have been made to better the accuracy and efficacy of these values.

The replacement levels have been altered to cover a full league’s worth of players. In the past, we had assumed that the last round of two contained replacement players, but discarding this assumption leads to fuller, more accurate auction values. Now, the top 276 players are worth a combined $3120, which is the full budgeted amount for a 12-team auction draft.

In the past, we’d limited results to players that met a certain at-bat or innings threshold. This is no longer the case. However, there is still need for a baseline uninfluenced by low counting stats, the league averages and standard deviations were calculated using the players with at least 350 ABs or 40 IP.

FanGraphs+ Giveaway!

Name the player the following player capsule describes in the comments and win free access to FanGraphs+!

The 33-year-old [Player] is past his “prime.” While he used to provide some power ([number less than ten] homers in 2010), he looks to be done. He never hit for average (.232 career), but it dropped to [number less than .232] this last year. Two pitchers, Hamels (.217) and Kershaw (.207), had better averages in 2012 (70 minimum plate appearances). Also, the power disappeared, as he ended the season with only one home run. Finally, he stole two bases which was only one off of his career high. Basically he is not good enough to play and when he does, he produces no value. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Last week I took the brave first step of showing you, the readers, my staff league Ottoneu team. But today I have to be even more brave. As a foolish young 25-year-old, I decided I wanted to get into Ottoneu. But it wasn’t just into Ottoneu, but joining an already established league. Oh, did I mention I’d be taking over Chris Cwik’s team. Oh, and I’d be the freaking commissioner.

Writer’s Note: It’s extremely difficult taking over a team mid-stream, so my team will not reflect the quality you might expect from a fantasy ‘expert’. I willingly will take all barbs tossed at me, however.

I was over my head to be sure. But the owners were patient with me, and we had a good year as a league. Not me, so much. I finished ninth in a 12-team league. Read the rest of this entry »