Last week of using FANS wOBA projections. Promise.

The Machine
Albert Pujols (.442 wOBA)

I was going to work in an Edward Norton reference and a “Albert is good” tidbit, but I just don’t have the energy or creative juices to do such a thing.

Big Ballerz
Miguel Cabrera (.404)
Ryan Howard (.388)
Prince Fielder (.408)
Mark Teixeira (.405)

Cabrera moves above Howard to claim the second spot on this list. I am positive that this will ruin Howard’s week.

Not Quite Elite
Adrian Gonzalez (.395)
Joey Votto (.399)
Kevin Youkilis (.401)

After asking the masses how to order these three, I decided this was the best option for this week. Youk is great in OPS leagues, but the other two will provide more traditional fantasy numbers for their owners.

A Cuban, A Canadian, and a Fat Guy
Justin Morneau (.377)
Kendry Morales (.362)
Derek Lee (.381)
Carlos Pena (.381)
Adam Dunn (.385)

Pena surpasses Dunn this go around, but I’m not sure if it will stick. This internalized debate went down to the 25th hour, but I decided on Pena. Thoughts?

Writers Block
Paul Konerko (.350)
Billy Butler (.379)
James Loney (.344)
Adam LaRoche (.351)
Garrett Jones (.347)

Paul Konerko still has some juice left in his batteries, eh? LaRoche looks to be coming around earlier than I thought he would, which is a blessing for the Diamondbacks. Jones needs to put up some more power numbers in the next couple of weeks to keep himself at an ownable level.

Two Men and a Baby
Todd Helton (.386)
Lance Berkman (.396)
Justin Smoak (.325, CHONE)

If you’re in a non-keeper league, Smoak isn’t worth a look this year. Keeper leagues are another story, however, and I picked him up once the announcement was made.

The Rest of ‘Em
Luke Scott (.346)
Daric Barton (.350)
Russell Branyan (.359)
David Ortiz (.362)

Falling off of the list are Chris Davis and Nick Johnson. I know that you’re wondering why Papi stays and Johnson goes, right? Papi at least has some power potential going forward this year, something Johnson has none of. In OBP leagues, Johnson is the no-brainer choice, but otherwise Papi is probably a better option.

Here are your catcher rankings. Being a day late and a dollar short is a good thing, right? Numbers are still preseason FANS projections, unless otherwise noted.

Big Three
Joe Mauer (.409 wOBA)
Brian McCann (.378)
Victor Martinez (.373)

I didn’t think I would ever consider it, but V-Mart needs to get his act together or he’s in danger of moving down the list. Consider yourself on notice, Victor.

Happy to Have
Matt Wieters (.364)
Russell Martin (.346)
Jorge Posada (.361)
Geovany Soto (.354)

No changes in this order. I wouldn’t expect much change for the rest of the year, either. Soto is still heating up, and I’m really glad I have him right now.

Name That Molina
Kurt Suzuki (.332)
Bengie Molina (.305)
Yadier Molina (.330)

I was considering moving Suzuki down in actual rank this week, but hitting three homers keeps him afloat. He’s only hit three line drives all year, so that’s not a good sign going forward.

I Am Jack’s Catcher
Carlos Ruiz (.331)
Ryan Doumit (.330)
John Baker (.333)
Ivan Rodriguez (.286)

You all should be ashamed of yourselves for making fun of the great Edward Norton. Just for that, you will have the privilege of reading my posts with references from his movies all year long. You did it to yourself, America.

Wait and See
A.J. Pierzynski (.313)
Jeff Clement (.350, ZiPS and CHONE)

A.J. and Clement are both better than they are playing thus far, so just hang back and let lady luck get back on their side.

Problem Children
Chris Snyder (.331)
Chris Iannetta (.366)
Mike Napoli (.363)
Miguel Olivo (.312)
Miguel Montero (.352)

Olivo makes his debut on the list. I like the power he’s shown, but a 41.7% HR/FB rate is ridiculous. You really don’t expect him to slug .707 this year, do you? Once he starts cooling off, Iannetta will get more at bats and will shine.

The Rest of ‘Em
Carlos Santana (.348, CHONE)
Rod Barajas (.296)
Jeff Mathis (.276)
Kelly Shoppach (.341)

Can anyone call The Tribe and beg them to call up Santana? Please? Also, Jason Kendall falls all the way off of the list because he sucks.

After being listed as Day-to-Day with computer problems last week, I’m 100% and returning to your lineup. I’m going to stick with FANS projected wOBA for now, with a switch to 2010 stats after the first month is over.

Big Three
Alex Rodriguez (.418 wOBA)
Evan Longoria (.386)
David Wright (.395)

No movement here. I flirted with moving Longoria ahead of A-Rod, but it’s still a bit early to be making that call.

Medium Three
Pablo Sandoval (.386)
Ryan Zimmerman (.376)
Mark Reynolds (.364)

Once again, no one moves. If Reynolds can get his BABIP in order, he’s on pace for another nice season.

Oldies But Goodies
Michael Young (.355)
Chipper Jones (.389)
Aramis Ramirez (.383)

Guess who moved this time? No one, that’s who. Two early homers are a nice sign from Young, even if the average isn’t quite there yet. Be patient, it will come. Chipper had a blip on the radar with a minor back problem, but he appears to have put it behind him and is moving forward without an issue.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changin’
Jorge Cantu (.347)
Ian Stewart (.352)
Adrian Beltre (.346)

None of the first nine players moved off their spots, but there are some small changes here. Beltre moved below Stewart and Cantu, due to some reconsideration on my end. My expectations for Beltre were a bit high, and Cantu deserves his spot.

Tested and True
Scott Rolen (.353)
Casey Blake (.339)

A bunch of owners jumped on the Rolen bandwagon after his big start, but they’ll be jumping off after he goes through the big R known as regression.

Upside!
Chase Headley (.353)
Casey McGehee (.330)
Mark Teahen (.329)
Jhonny Peralta (.329)
Alex Gordon (.364)

McGehee moves up, and Gordon moves in. With Gordon coming off the DL, he may be able to move up to the top of this tier, but I don’t see him going much higher.

The Rest of ‘Em
Andy LaRoche (.340)
Kevin Kouzmanoff (.330)
Edwin Encarnacion (.348)
Garrett Atkins (.331)
Brandon Inge (.319)
Jake Fox (.345)

After discussion on the Pod, Edwin Encarnacion moves into the bottom of the rankings. I do like his power, but the move to the AL East and low batting average will hurt his value. Brandon Inge is also making his debut, but he’s nothing special and isn’t worth your time.

After being listed as Day-to-Day with computer problems last week, I’m 100% and returning to your lineup. I’m going to stick with FANS projected wOBA for now, with a switch to 2010 stats after the first month is over.

The Machine
Albert Pujols (.442 wOBA)

If Albert was ever moved down, and he found out, I’d probably be dead the next morning.

Big Ballerz
Ryan Howard (.388)
Miguel Cabrera (.404)
Prince Fielder (.408)
Mark Teixeira (.405)

The “z” at the end makes it cool! Teixeira always starts out slow, so I’m not worried about him quite yet. I like what I’m seeing from Howard thus far, but I want to see him keep it up for the rest of the month.

Good to Go
Adrian Gonzalez (.395)
Kevin Youkilis (.401)
Joey Votto (.399)

A-Gon and Votto switch places this week. I really like Votto, but if someone offered me A-Gon for Votto I’d probably take it. This group is the one who’s order gave me the most trouble, so I’m interested to hear what you all think.

A Canadian, A Cuban, and a Fat Guy
Derek Lee (.381)
Justin Morneau (.377)
Kendry Morales (.362)
Adam Dunn (.385)

Dunn and Morales do a flip-flop here, since I’m liking Morales bringing the power early on. Mr. Maple Leaf is starting out strong in his own right, so you may see him up higher some time soon.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Carlos Pena (.381)
Billy Butler (.379)
James Loney (.344)
Todd Helton (.386)

Three high average hitters…and Carlos Pena. With the way the Rays are playing, it looks like Pena won’t be leaving St. Pete anytime soon.

Peg Legs
Garrett Jones (.347)
Adam LaRoche (.351)
Lance Berkman (.396)

Even though Berkman might come back this week, I’m dropping him way down. I don’t think he’ll stay healthy for long, and the rest of the junk heap that is the Astros will help drag his value down. I think LaRoche could be in the OTTNLO group soon, but he’s more likely to rise after his surge towards the second half of the season.

The Rest of ‘Em
Paul Konerko (.350)
Luke Scott (.346)
Nick Johnson (.390)
Chris Davis (.344)
David Ortiz (.362)
Russell Branyan (.359)

Papi and Johnson debut on the list, but probably not as high as you folks would like. I would not be surprised if Justin Smoak was called up in the middle of May, causing Davis to lose his gig.

Here are your updated catcher rankings. I’m going to stick with FANS projected wOBA for now, with a switch to 2010 stats after the first month is over.

Big Three
Joe Mauer (.409 wOBA)
Brian McCann (.378)
Victor Martinez (.373)

Like I said last week, and probably will every week, this isn’t going to change without an injury occurring.

Happy to Have
Matt Wieters (.364)
Russell Martin (.346)
Jorge Posada (.361)
Geovany Soto (.354)
Kurt Suzuki (.332)

Geo Soto not only moves into this group, but he also passes Suzuki in the process. Soto started out extremely slow, but it looks like he may have found his rhythm and will see plenty of playing time because of it. As long as Sweet Lou is confident in Geo, I will be, too.

Name That Molina
Bengie Molina (.305)
Yadier Molina (.330)

Bengie, along with a good chunk of the Giants offense, is hitting well right out of the gate. Yadier is going to give you batting average, and the fact that he has already hit two homers is a good sign. Maybe.

Nameless
Ryan Doumit (.330)
Carlos Ruiz (.331)
A.J. Pierzynski (.313)
John Baker (.333)

I’m not going to lie to you; I couldn’t think of a name for this group. Maybe it should be called “Unexcited”, “The Butcher, John Baker, and a Candlestick Maker”, or “I am Jack’s Catcher.” None of these guys do anything to make me want them on my roster, but I’ll pick them up if I have to. Also, if you don’t get the vague pop culture reference, maybe you should have a Edward Norton movie marathon.

Questionable
Chris Iannetta (.366)
Jeff Clement (.350, ZiPS and CHONE)
Ivan Rodriguez (.286)
Chris Snyder (.331)
Miguel Montero (.352)

So many question marks, so little production. Each of these guys has their upside, but all have their own set of problems. I really hope Miguel Olivo gets in a fiery car wreck, or whatever horrible accident Dave decides to go with this week.

I Hate Mike Scioscia
Rod Barajas (.296)
Carlos Santana (.348, CHONE)
Mike Napoli (.363)
Jeff Mathis (.276)

I’m moving Santana above Napoli and Mathis, because the LAA catcher situation is going to be a crapshoot all year long.

The Rest of ‘Em
Jason Kendall (.290)
Kelly Shoppach (.341)

Shoppach is on the DL with a knee injury, which is being listed as a sprain but could in fact require surgery. He wasn’t getting a whole lot of playing time to begin with, but this isn’t good.

Back for week two, here are your catcher rankings. Since we are only a week into the season, I am still going to list the players’ wOBA projection from the FANS. However, some of the rankings have moved based on playing time and a small bit based on their opening week’s performance.

Big Three
Joe Mauer (.409 wOBA)
Brian McCann (.378)
Victor Martinez (.373)

None of these three moved after week one. With their track record, I wouldn’t expect this group to change all season barring injury.

Happy to Have
Matt Wieters (.364)
Russell Martin (.346)
Jorge Posada (.361)
Kurt Suzuki (.332)

I really like what I’ve seen out of Martin, thus far, so let’s hope that continues. Jorge has been solid, as always, and Suzuki is looking good out of the gate, as well.

Cautiously Optimistic
Geovany Soto (.354)
Ryan Doumit (.330)
Yadier Molina (.330)

Moving down is Mr. Soto, but I still like him. I think at some point Lou will realize that he needs to get him more AB’s, which will boost him back up to the bottom of the second tier. Yadier moves up all the way from number 16, due to his early showing of power. I know it’s early and sample size is an issue, but he has me dreaming of 15 dongers at this point.

Recycled
Bengie Molina (.305)
A.J. Pierzynski (.313)
Carlos Ruiz (.331)
Rod Barajas (.296)

Ruiz is the big mover here, moving up seven spots. This isn’t due to his fast start, but more me re-evaluating my rankings. Most of it comes from the fact that some of the players above him needed to move down due to playing time issues, but nevertheless, Ruiz moves up. Barajas also debuts on the list, and it looks like he’ll get a big chunk of playing time in The Big Apple.

Questionable
Miguel Montero (.352)
Chris Iannetta (.366)
Jeff Clement (.350, ZiPS and CHONE)
Ivan Rodriguez (.286)
John Baker (.333)

To be fair to Montero, who fell this far due to an unknown timetable for his return from a torn meniscus, here is what I said about him before the MRI results came back: “And the first move up goes to Montero, who moves up one slot and into the second tier. He had an injury scare recently, but the reports I have read seem to indicate that he’s fine.”

Pudge makes his debut on the list, due to his move to the NL and his nice start. Jesus Flores may not be ready to make an impact at all this year, so Pudge will see significant time behind the plate. Iannetta moves down due to a time share with Miguel Olivo. I didn’t expect Iannetta to lose playing time so early, so I’m expecting this to last all season. Such a shame, too.

Screw You, Mr. Manager
Mike Napoli (.363)
Kelly Shoppach (.341)

I like power from my catcher hole. I really do. But, Shoppach and Napoli aren’t seeing much time, and in Napoli’s case, may not for awhile.

The Rest of ‘Em
Carlos Santana (.348, CHONE)
Jeff Mathis (.276)
Jason Kendall (.290)

Yes, I’d rather have a guy in the minors than Kendall or Mathis. And yes, I’d rather have Mathis’ current backup over him.

Once again, these are your rankings for third baseman. All wOBA numbers are based on FANS projections, unless otherwise noted.

Big Three:
Alex Rodriguez (.418 wOBA)
Evan Longoria (.386)
David Wright (.395)

I’m very high on Wright this year, and could actually justify taking him over Longoria. However, I won’t.

Medium Three:
Pablo Sandoval (.386)
Ryan Zimmerman (.376)
Mark Reynolds (.364)

You want one of the top six third baseman. I don’t buy all the talk that 3B is terrible this year, but it does take a dip right here. Some don’t like Reynolds this year, but I’m not that down on him. Just don’t expect a repeat of 2009.

Wish I Would Have Taken A 3B Already:
Michael Young (.355)
Chipper Jones (.389)
Aramis Ramirez (.383)

I have Chipper in a bunch of leagues this year, as most people don’t seem to be taking a bounceback into account when looking at his value. Young will keep a high average, and for some reason I’m not fond of Aramis. Probably due to his injury last year, and the fact that he’s past his prime.

Eh:
Adrian Beltre (.346)
Jorge Cantu (.347)
Ian Stewart (.352)

Beltre was getting drafted way ahead of where he should go, Cantu is always solid, and Stewart is a nice young player with pop. I don’t love any of these guys, but they all have some value and when put into the right team, can be good enough to start.

Tested and True:
Scott Rolen (.353)
Casey Blake (.339)

Both are somewhat of an injury risk (Rolen more so), but are good guys to have on your bench. Both could start for you if you want to fill up on other positions, with Blake being a safer bet as a full time starter.

Small Upside:
Chase Headley (.353)
Jhonny Peralta (.329)
Mark Teahen (.329)
Andy LaRoche (.340)
Casey McGehee (.330)

More bench guys. None of them are special, but give you some value. Headley and McGehee are both good options if you are in keeper leagues, and McGehee probably has 2B eligibility in your league.

The Rest of ‘Em:
Kevin Kouzmanoff (.330)
Garrett Atkins (.331)
Jake Fox (.345)

I hope you are in a really deep league if you are looking this far down. I don’t mind Atkins as a bench guy, due to his dual 1B/3B eligibility.

Here we go with the first base rankings to start off the season. All wOBA numbers are based on FANS projections, unless otherwise noted.

The Machine:
Albert Pujols (.442 wOBA)

Albert is better than you, and he knows it. Bow down (or kowtow, for all you English majors) to Albert and his greatness.

Big Boys:
Ryan Howard (.388)
Miguel Cabrera (.404)
Prince Fielder (.408)
Mark Teixeira (.405)

What can I say about these guys? They are good, and they are big. All four of these guys are first round picks, and I can’t speak ill of any of their skills.

Slightly Smaller Boys:
Joey Votto (.399)
Kevin Youkilis (.401)
Adrian Gonzalez (.395)

Votto and Youk won’t give you top notch pop, and Gonzo may get walked too often to be a great value in 5×5 leagues. But, you are still in good shape if you grab one of these guys in the second or third round.

Still Feelin’ Good:
Lance Berkman (.396)
Derek Lee (.381)
Justin Morneau (.377)
Adam Dunn (.385)
Kendry Morales (.362)
Carlos Pena (.381)

Berkman was undervalued before his injury, but I still think he’ll give you a nice season. If you really want power, feel free to sacrifice batting average and select Pena or Dunn. I’m not a fan of Lee, and as you can see, Morales is not on any of my teams this year.

At Least There’s Upside:
Billy Butler (.379)
Garrett Jones (.347)
James Loney (.344)

Jones hit two dingers yesterday, so he’s off to a nice start. His OF eligibility won’t hurt, either. Butler has good upside, and was knocking on the door of the group above. Loney can help you if you’ve got enough power in other areas and just need some help with your batting average.

Rock Solid:
Adam LaRoche (.351)
Todd Helton (.386)
Paul Konerko (.350)

I really like LaRoche this year. He’s a nice guy for a CI spot, or even UTIL if you want to have a better pitching staff. Helton’s playing time will be held back to make sure he’s healthy late in the year, so that’s his only real downside.

The Rest of ‘Em:
Chris Davis (.344)
Luke Scott (.346)
Russell Branyan (.359)

Davis and Scott have playing time issues, and Branyan is already missing time. Not a pretty group.

Like Eno mentioned on Thursday, we will be updating the positions throughout the year to help you gauge trade offers and possible waiver pickups (for those wimps in shallow leagues). Without further ado, here is a look at the catcher position. Since we haven’t played any games (no, last night didn’t count), wOBA numbers are based on FANS projections unless otherwise noted.

Big Three:
Joe Mauer (.409 wOBA)
Brian McCann (.378)
Victor Martinez (.373)

Mauer really should be in a class all his own, but McCann and Martinez are good enough to stick with him. MockDraftCentral has Martinez being picked before McCann, but I’d rather have the man with the magic eyes. I have McCann hitting for a higher average and hitting more balls out of the park, so it’s a no-brainer in my book.

Happy to Have:
Matt Wieters (.364)
Russell Martin (.346)
Jorge Posada (.361)
Kurt Suzuki (.332)

This is a strange and diverse group. We have an up-and-comer (Wieters), a slightly injured player who is looking to bounce back (Martin), an old guy (Posada), and solid regular (Suzuki). I really liked Martin this year before his injury, and I still think he’ll be fine and put up a good line. If he doesn’t, well, some of my teams are going to have a hole to fill.

Cautiously Optimistic:
Geovany Soto (.354)
Miguel Montero (.352)
Mike Napoli (.363)
Ryan Doumit (.330)
Chris Iannetta (.366)

I wanted to put Soto into the “Happy to Have” group, but I think he may be too much of a question mark. I have him penciled in for 18 jacks and a .270 average, and I’d be happy with that with where I drafted him in a couple leagues. Some are much higher on Montero then I am, but his batting average scares me. Napoli and Iannetta are both good power options, and Doumit is a good batting average guy, but all will either share time or miss time due to injury.

Recycled:
Bengie Molina (.305)
A.J. Pierzynski (.313)

Guess what? These guys are old. Bengie really shouldn’t be starting ahead of Buster Posey, but Brian Sabean really likes fat players (or so it appears). Pierzynski won’t hit .300 again, and his HR’s could get dangerously close to single digits. Not a fan of drafting either of these guys this year, and would probably rather have a couple of the guys listed below.

The Rest of ‘Em:
Jeff Clement (.350, ZiPS and CHONE)
Yadier Molina (.330)
John Baker (.333)
Kelly Shoppach (.341)
Carlos Santana (.348, CHONE)
Carlos Ruiz (.331)

I actually like Clement this year in deeper leagues, even with my deep distrust of him after his failed stint in the Mariners system. Molina is a great real life catcher, but isn’t anything special in 5×5 leagues. Shoppach and Ruiz will both murder your batting average and won’t see more than 400 plate appearances. I really like Santana, but I don’t know how long the Tribe intends to keep him in the minors.

Since we are getting dangerously close to draft day in most leagues, there are probably a lot of questions going around. In an effort to help you, the reader, get ready for draft day, I am giving you a chance to get your questions answered today.

Not only will I be answering your questions, but some of my RotoGraphs colleagues may be stopping in today to give their spin. However, there are some guidelines for how this will go. All questions won’t be answered, but any reasonable question asked in the comments of this post today will be answered. What makes a question reasonable? Glad you asked.

A reasonable question would be something like “Who would you rather have, Matt Holliday or Nick Markakis?” A bad question would be “Who would you rather have, Albert Pujols or Adam Moore?” There is a huge grey area, but I’m a fairly forgiving person and will probably answer your question, as long as I don’t feel you are wasting my time.

Questions don’t just have to be in “Player X vs. Player Y” form (though I bet most of them will be). You can ask about any relevant fantasy topic, from draft day etiquette to anything else on your mind, it will likely be answered.

So, let’s get to it! Any questions?