I had high hopes for Elijah Dukes as an up and coming fantasy baseball stud when I wrote about him last June - Elijah Dukes, Troubled Fantasy Baseball Star in the Making. While he showed flashes at times he never fully put it together due to injuries. The big question that last season answered for me is where his head was at. Dukes claimed to have rededicated himself to baseball and apparently has turned his life around - so far.
Upside - Dukes turns 25 this season so he's still very young which potentially gives him a very high ceiling. He went 13/13 last year in 276 ABs with a 265 batting average. That easily projects to high 20s in HRs and SBs over the course of a full season which is in line with his minor league numbers. 30/30 is not out of the question for Dukes either. His career batting average in the big leagues is only .235 in 460 ABs but he did hit 265 last year and he was consistently between 287 and 331 in the minors.
Elijah Dukes has a shot to put up Grady Sizemore-light type numbers this year - allowing him to far exceed his fantasy baseball value on draft day. It has been stated that he'll battle Lasting Milledge for center field and with the addition of Josh Willingham the Washington Nationals are loaded in the outfield. Dukes is probably the best of the bunch right now and as a fantasy keeper other than Milledge but watch playing time this spring.
Elijah Dukes is pictured in a Topps 2007 rookie card.
Pick up Elijah Dukes baseball cards and other gear on eBay!
More fantasy baseball sleepers,
Anibal Sanchez - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 2 of 12
Delmon Young - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 3 of 12
Ian Kennedy - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 4 of 12
Clint Barmes - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 5 of 12
Carlos Guillen - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 6 of 12
Alexi Casilla - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 7 of 12
Jeff Francis - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 8 of 12
Jonathon Niese - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 9 of 12
Juan Rivera - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 10 of 12
Jeff Clement - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 11 of 12
Joey Devine - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 12 of 12
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Elijah Dukes - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers , Part 1 of 12
Sunday, January 11, 2009
T206 Baseball Card Pricing Formula
Valuing T206 baseball cards is a fairly complex mater. Aside from the vast condition and grading systems the numerous backs and Hall of Famers add up to three complex variables when estimating the price of these vintage baseball cards.
The T206 Museum has a T206 Baseball Card Pricing Formula that is pretty helpful. I use it as a guide when I'm thinking of bidding on a card in eBay. Simply take the base price base on the player and then apply the two multipliers for condition and back.
Let's say I have a Walter Johnson T206 portrait that is PSA 4 with a Tolstoi back. That would be $300 base price for the Big Train, PSA 4 yields x2 and Tolstoi would be x1.3 for a Hall of Famer - 300x2x1.3=$780 and I'd be very happy to have that card in my collection!
Get Vintage T206 Baseball Cards from Trusted Sellers on eBay!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Don't Forget About Raul Ibanez for Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Season
Even though Raul Ibanez (pictured Topps 1996 rookie baseball card) is a little long in the tooth I still think he represents excellent fantasy baseball value heading into the 2009 season. Ibanez turns 37 this season but I like the move to Philly and Citizens Bank Ballpark to help mitigate falloff in his production. Over the past 3 seasons he's averaged 26 HRs, 200+ runs+RBIs with a .290 batting average. Even if we revise these down and say 24 HRs, .285 BA and 175 runs+RBIs Raul Ibanez would still be useful in any format - factor in some upside from there and I'm sold - provided he's cheap enough.
Let's talk value. Presently he looks like an 8th-9th round pick in the 15 team NFBC format. This could push him to mid-teen rounds in 10 and 12 team leagues. To me that's minimal cost but Graphical Player 2009's
In fantasy baseball it's always exciting to search for 'the next big thing'. What I find more exciting is winning my league and getting paid! Don't forget about steady veterans like Raul Ibanez - take advantage of the fact that most people will!
Find Raul Ibanez Autographed Baseball Memorabilia on eBay!
The Great Fantasy Debate is on in 2009!
The Fantasy Pros 911 has an awesome contest for aspiring fantasy baseball writers (and presumably half-witted fantasy baseball blogs like myself). The Great Fantasy Debate will be a weekly head to head blogging/writing contest between a 'league' of 12 contestants. The winner gets to be part of the writing staff in 2010.
The 12 bloggers get divided into 2 divisions and will compete head to head against a different writer each week. The editors of Fantasy Pros 911 will be a new topic each week with the 'home' team taking the pro side and the 'away' team will take con. The weekly winner will be based on page views, positive comments and the editors grading.
I think this is an excellent blog marketing idea and given the fantasy baseball slant I've already sent in my application. It's a creative way for the Fantasy Pros 911 to generate content for their site, create some additional stickiness, and get some grass roots promotion for their blog - presumably The Great Fantasy Debate contestants will want to promote their blog post on their favorite social media sites. Wish me luck!
Get the 2009 Minor League Baseball Analyst today on Amazon.com!
Graphical Player 2009 Takes Fantasy Baseball Analysis to a New Level
I was a big fan of Graphical Player's 2008 edition and have been subscribed to John Burnson's weekly publication Heater Magazine for the past 2 seasons. Graphical Player 2009 is a full evolutionary step forward in fantasy baseball analysis and baseball statistics.
One of the biggest enhancements is that they now show 3 full season for each players. The career MINER projections for over 100 players call out some obvious veteran steals for draft day. WOW factors show true fantasy baseball production which again uncovers some big time bargains.
I've been doing fantasy baseball for 14 years and am entering my third year in the NFBC - National Fantasy Baseball Championship and I can honestly say this may be the best fantasy baseball book on the market. The graphical representation of the data shows trends and opportunities that are utterly impossible to glean from stats - even sabermetrics which I'm a big fan of. I believe this will give you a killer edge in your fantasy baseball league so be sure to check out Graphical Player 2009.
I'll breakdown some of the enhancements and comment on specific players as we prep for the upcoming fantasy baseball season so be sure to check back often!
Pick up your copy of Graphical Player 2009 on Amazon.com today!
Fantasy Baseball Dugout Ready for 2009 Season
Bob over at Fantasy Baseball Dugout suggested I check out their site for fantasy baseball coverage and breaking baseball news. They blog gets updated frequently and they have great resources for fantasy baseball players including:
2009 Player Rankings
Fantasy League Winning Tips
Fantasy Baseball Draft Tips
One of their most popular sections is Baseball's Hottest Wives. Pictured is Heidi DeRosa now of the Chicago Cubs.
Be sure to check the Fantasy Baseball Dugout frequently to help prep for your draft and throughout the fantasy baseball season to stay ahead of the competition.
Graphical Player 2009 is here! Pick up your copy of Graphical Player 2009 at Amazon.com.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Las Vegas 51s Baseball Cap
Found a great Las Vegas 51s baseball cap at New Era's website. I'm not a fan of the Dodger's triple A affiliate due to the fact that I'm a Mets fan but I love the LGM (little green man logo) since I'm a science fiction fan. So I couldn't resist blowing some holiday cash to set myself up with one.
This is a new alternate home hat is all black with a silver alien guy with bright neon green highlights. The baseball cap is an official MILB hat from the 59FIFTY collection. New Era looks like they have several other new caps for other minor league teams that are black with some highlights.
These fitted baseball caps are 100% wool so be sure to know your hat size and add just a little room for shrinkage as it breaks in.
You can find other Las Vegas 51s gear on eBay - click here!