I’ll admit, I was slightly cut off from fantasy football leading up to Week 9 games. First, my New York Yankees won the World Series that Wednesday (let the hate mail start). The next day, my colleague Nicholas Minnix and I flew to Arizona for a rawhide weekend at the Baseball HQ First Pitch Forums.

(If you didn’t know, Nick is a Phillies fan. We somehow remained civil.)

Anyway, much thanks to the folks at HQ and all of the speakers. We were all there for something beyond the industry elbow-rubbing: Arizona Fall League baseball, a proven springboard for young talent.

It’s hard to make a thorough evaluation based on several days of observations (sometimes a few at-bats), but we can still get a feel for how soon a player can make an impact.

Of course, in the case of Stephen Strasburg, a neck strain can rob 100-plus symposium attendees of seeing The Next Big Thing.

I don’t want to jump the gun on our upcoming AFL rundown, due out soon, but I can’t let these observations sit in my head any longer.

Best fantasy bets for 2010

Jason Castro, C, Houston Astros – Imposing lefty stick showed an OK presence as receiver, and the ‘Stros really don’t have many other options. He’ll be priced as a speculative No. 2 catcher on NL draft day.

This guy wasn't the only prospect there....

Drew Storen, RP, Washington Nationals – His funky delivery didn’t help when he gave up a two-run dinger to blow the save in the Rising Stars game, but he recovered nicely after that. His K potential alone makes him a must-watch candidate for the Nats’ closer job.

High Alert

Yonder Alonso, 1B, Cincinnati Reds - The best power prospect I saw. The lefty bat has a hint of left-field pop, as well. Cincy needs to make room for him at third or in left with Joey Votto entrenched, but don’t expect them to wait too long.

Chris Heisey, OF, Cincinnati Reds – Safe to say I was a Reds fan in Phoenix. Poised at the plate, he has scorched the desert diamonds. As with Alonso, there may be a left-field slot calling for Heisey.

Dustin Ackley, OF, Seattle Mariners – Not much power coming from his wood, but his opposite-field prowess stood above and beyond the rest of the talent I observed. This year’s No. 2 overall pick looks like a prototypical two-hole hitter but probably won’t touch the bigs until 2011, at earliest.

Chase D’Arnaud, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates - Smooth in the field, aggressive on the basepaths, and patient and chippy at the dish. A 2010 impact isn’t out of the question, NL players….

Keeper leaguers: Remember this name

Tanner Scheppers, RP, Texas Rangers – High-level heat that could spell trouble for Frank Francisco owners in a few years. Think long-term more so than 2010 and keep him on your inseason watch list.

Carlos Triunfel, SS/3B, Seattle Mariners – I’m impressed by reports of his work ethic, and he hit a bomb in the AFL Rising Stars game that hasn’t landed yet. Oh, and he turns 20 in February. Though it might not happen this season, he’ll soon ease the pain those Yuniesky and Adrian guys caused M’s fans.

Sleepers

Wilin Rosario, C, Colorado Rockies - Hands down the best defensive catcher I laid eyes on – Posey and Castro included. Nick and I are still talking about this 20-year-old, who boasts a compact batting stance and smooth footwork behind the plate (think Carlos Ruiz). He has a long way to go, but don’t lose track of him.

Kenley Jansen, P, Los Angeles Dodgers - This converted catcher showed standout velocity and some electric movement, but control has been an issue. Think center-of-the-Earth NL-only sleeper, probably not even for this season.

Undecided

Grant Desme, OF, Oakland Athletics – His 31-40 season at Class A was nice, but he looked overaggressive in the two contests I observed.

Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants - He looked fatigued. He has received a ton of work this season and displayed flatness at the plate and behind the dish. I’d say it’s too soon for San Fran to give him anything more than one-third of the work next year, but expect him to be overvalued in your draft.

Jordan Danks, OF, Chicago White Sox – Has nice speed-power potential, but needs to work on his discipline. He hacked a bit too much at the plate.

Josh Bell, 3B, Baltimore Orioles – Didn’t see enough of him to make a judgment, but intrigued to see if he makes enough progress to start at third in B-more this year.

Not interested

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals - I used to be high on him, but it doesn’t look like he has done much to improve his plate approach or his diet. Alex Gordon doesn’t have much to worry about.

Remember, our full AFL report is coming soon. Hit us up:

• Fantasy Football Ask The Experts every Thursday on the home page
• Forums
• Twitter
• Facebook
• My Twitter

Anything else you’d like to share, Richard Seymour? Yikes.

Some observations I’ve been developing became clearer in Week 7. The Raiders being a playoff team wasn’t one of them.

What you should also have seen before – and was confirmed in – Week 7:

• Miles Austin is the Cowboys’ No. 1 wideout, but see if you can inflate his value a bit on the trade market.
• Ricky Williams has come out of the fog but probably won’t be that clear a producer for the rest of the season.
• Ryan Grant has a pulse, but can he thrive against a non-Browns team?

You want better odds than the Raiders not making the playoffs? The NFL and Las Vegas may be panicking over the amount of horrible teams throwing off The House’s plans, but even eyesore squads have some overlooked fantasy football options that can help you cash in with three bye weeks remaining. They’re lined up to have more than one week of staying power, too.

There is one Raider you shouldn’t ignore. Remember, Darren McFadden will have a mixture of offerings whenever he returns (a la Felix Jones), but Justin Fargas probably will remain the one receiving most of the between-the-tackles work. I’ve wavered on this character for some time, and for as uninspiring as I think he is, Fargas, who remains a free agent in ample leagues, has backing from Tom Cable because of his prowess in zone-blocking setups.

Fargas still a tandem option

In this case, it makes sense – who knows how effective McFadden will be? They’re probably going to use both extensively, as it looks like Michael Bush will be getting the shaft.

The Raiders probably won’t have much time to throw in the second half, but sometimes, as long as the opportunity for touches is there, you can’t discriminate players from being on your roster because of their team. Not only that, but I’m considering starting him as a flex in one league against the Chargers’ run D.

Deep leaguers should stop ignoring Sammie Stroughter. He’s the best bet to receive targets in the Bucs receiving corps outside of Antonio Bryant. With Josh Freeman now starting, you should still expect a heavy dose of Kellen Winslow (besides the run, of course), but Stroughter has the ability to turn short passes into big gains, which should help him remain a steady object of affection. He presumably has some familiarity with Freeman since Stroughter was buried in the depth chart not too long ago. Stroughter earns points in the return game, too, if that helps your league.

Watch Brian Hartline, also. He knows all three conventional wideout positions for Miami, and Ted Ginn Jr. is falling out of favor for frequent work. Miami likes to throw different wideout patterns at their opponents, and Hartline’s positional flexibility helps his cause of being out on the field. Hartline also has a rapport with slinger Chad Henne from their days on the backup string.

And if you think Jamaal Charles will be able to handle a full workload for a non-Larry Johnson Chiefs squad, think again. Kolby Smith is their best between-the-tackles option (i.e.: goal line) outside of Johnson, and he recently split first-string reps with Charles in practice. Smith will start out as the No. 2 with LJ suspended until after Week 9. If you’re hurting for backups, grab him now and hang onto him. Will the O-line make it easy? No, but if and when Smith comes back from the PUP, you can bet they’ll reincorporate him.

A tangent to close things out: You probably still have some time to buy low on Greg Jennings. I’ve held onto him in one expert league. The Pack is making more of an effort to get the ball in his hands sooner and let him make plays – similar to what is happening with Lee Evans in Buffalo. Obviously, you have to put more stock into Aaron Rodgers helping with this feat than Ryan Fitzpatrick. Go commit larceny, now!

Remember: You can chat with me on Twitter and submit fantasy football lineup questions up until Saturday night. For last-minute Sunday morning news, be sure to follow KFFL.com’s Hot off the Wire!

Do not leave questions for me on this blog! The best way to reach me is via my Twitter or KFFL’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, where we’ll also answer your questions!

You tend to think about other aspects of the NFL when you’re stuck watching the Bills-Jets, a game with more turnovers than a bakery. Here are some high and low points from Sunday:

• Minnesota Vikings wideout Sidney Rice backed up KFFL’s confidence by vertically abusing the Baltimore Ravens cornerbacks (6-176-0). He had been an increasingly prominent part of Brett Favre’s arsenal, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been patient with him as a flier in several leagues.
• More goal line gabber: Pierre Thomas (six) and Mike Bell (two) touched the ball often in the red zone and had equal uses inside the 5 (two). Sure, Thomas is the top guy in this trio with Reggie Bush – who also scored on the ground inside the 10 – but Bell should be owned everywhere, even if you don’t find space to play him every week.
  

  Three's a crowd - again - in New Orleans....

• While Tom Brady was conjuring his own Nor’easter in Foxboro, a storm resurfaced in the New England Patriots backfield. Sammy Morris (knee) is hurt again, leaving their Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans; he joins the already broken Fred Taylor (ankle). Laurence Maroney avalanched the Titans with 123 ground yards and a score. The brittle Morris may be on the shelf for an extended period. Maroney will cost you ample FAAB dollars this week, but if you have depth already, you could take a chance on BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who may be just as effective at a much cheaper cost.
• Zach Miller – well, the Oakland Raiders passing offense, in general – had a banner day. You can’t expect this every week, but he’s definitely worth owning at least
  as a deep backup. We warned you not to let him sit unattended.
• Brandon Jacobs still doesn’t look right. He said he would try to cut more during Sunday’s action, but that really didn’t help him that much. He needs to prove he can play to his style before regaining every-week status. You still can’t bank on Ahmad Bradshaw as more than a low-end No. 2 most weeks, though.
• IDP adventurers: If Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny is on the wire, don’t let that last long.
• Speaking of the Jets, Kris Jenkins‘ loss for the season should open the door more often for opposing backs….

Remember, if you have any lineup or roster questions, KFFL is here to help at:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Ask The Experts every Thursday on the home page
• My Twitter, as well

Note: DO NOT post questions here Sunday morning.

(Don’t worry. We’ll take you back to fantasy football soon.)

Yoo-Hoo has never tasted better.

I’m not much of a chocolate milk chugger, but when the words “fantasy baseball championship” are tied to it, the dark dairy drink gives the palate – maybe your hair? – a much sweeter taste.

(Thanks to MLB.com Fantasy 411’s Cory Schwartz for the link).

After a weekend in which my eyeballs almost fell out staring at various Stattracker applications, I pulled off close – and I mean close – victories in the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Experts’ Challenge and the KFFL K-BAD Fantasy Analysis Draft league.

Now, of course, there’s a significant amount of luck involved in winning a fantasy baseball league. Anyone who denies that has never played.

But at the risk of sounding like an NFL wide receiver, I’d like to think I played last weekend very well.

Using the loopholes of various platforms that count all pitching stats on the same day you hit your innings limits, I loaded up on Saturday starters in the K-BAD, the daily league, with 4 1/3 innings left to burn.

Jair Jurrjens (my pitching MVP for the season), Johnny Cueto, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Anibal Sanchez later, I was sitting pretty, pulling ahead of several teams that had no innings left.

Prince Fielder’s two-dinger Sunday sealed the deal.

In the weekly FSTA, I had been loading up on starts for some time; my biggest mobility chances were in the runs and wins categories.

Enough of my self-promotion. I’ve celebrated enough. Now, my job is to help YOU with some secrets as to HOW I won the more common K-BAD setup.

I filled out my infield first.

The outfield class was deep this year as dictated by ADP, so I waited to fill my fourth and fifth outfielder spots. I missed on Garrett Atkins as a value third baseman in several leagues but was lucky enough to recover.

I was less loyal to players. Remember: Trade for stats, not players.

I tended to hang onto players in my first season in the expert industry, and I was burned numerous times. This year, I ditched projects if they weren’t helping. I jumped on needs that had to be met.

I have been one of Adam Dunn’s biggest fans in the fantasy world, but before I got the chance to see if he could hit 40 homers AGAIN, I concluded that I needed to gain points in steals and batting average while maintaining my upper-level runs production.

Thus, buh bye Dunn, hello Jacoby Ellsbury.

I also eventually swapped closer Jose Valverde for runs-steals-batting average dynamo Shin-Soo Choo, which brings me to another valuable lesson.

Revisit player values as the season goes along, and remain open-minded.

I warmed to Choo’s multicategory prowess. He did all the little things, while throwing in 20 dingers. We were down on him coming into the season, but, as that guy Darwin said, survival requires adaptation.

We also called Chris Davis a bust heading into the year, and we were right. He wasn’t long for the bigs. However, after he started producing again in the minors, he was a valuable pickup for a brief period after his callup. I didn’t have to worry about draft value with him, and he helped me sustain productivity at a CI spot in numerous leagues.

This lesson: Always use forward thinking for the scrap heap.

In no-trade leagues, like the 14-team, 28-man roster, weekly-lineup FSTA, this is doubly – no, triply – important.

I didn’t draft catchers before the late rounds in my expert leagues.

In our local fantasy baseball setup, which I also won, I took Pablo Sandoval in the middle rounds because the value was right, but in these two expert setups, which both require two starting catchers, I had no such urgency.

Just want to thank everyone whom I competed against in expert leagues this year for the great competition. You can never stop learning things when playing against your peers.

If you think we’re resting on our laurels, think again. We’ll be checking in during the offseason with thoughts on our projections, and if you feel like winning in 2010, you’d best to stay tuned to our Offseason Guide coverage, which includes our Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove and reports on offseason developmental leagues.

If you want to pick the brains of KFFL’s baseball minds along with a slew of other experts, come meet up with Nicholas Minnix and me at Baseball HQ’s First Pitch Forums, the annual VIP party for the fantasy baseball world! You can see some of the best prospects in the Arizona Fall League, including Stephen Strasburg, and get a head start on your 2010 competition!

First, though, I want to hear how you did in fantasy baseball this year – where you went right, where you went wrong, what your plans will be to change your strategy next year.

OK, fine, go back to enjoying pigskin….

Those who refuse to let go of this 2009 fantasy baseball season won’t have to just yet. The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers will clash in a one-game playoff Tuesday afternoon to determine the AL Central champ.

Guess what? Those stats will help determine many fantasy championships.

This has come much to the chagrin of this author, who as of Sunday’s completed slate was holding a slim lead in our host expert league, the K-BAD.

I'm counting on you, C-Grand....

Now, I’ll be counting on the Tigers’ Curtis Granderson – and possibly others (more on this in a bit) – while trying to hold my slim advantage for second place in runs scored, which is vital in allowing me to chug this league’s Yoo-Hoo.

In the Fantasy Sports Trade Association experts challenge, in which I entered Sunday losing on a tiebreaker for the championship, I’ll have Minny’s Jason Kubel and Orlando Cabrera going Tuesday in a league where I’m out of FAAB dollars.

Before you do anything else: Pick up as many members of each tiebreaker team as possible – in descending order of playing likelihood, obviously – including the starting arms: Rick Porcello for the Tigs, and Scott Baker for the Twinkies. Make sure to check that there aren’t any studs available that may have been dropped in the catch-up fray when your opponents were streaming stats.

It wouldn’t hurt to add bench and role players, as their one at-bat or one pinch-running appearance could help. Potential under-the-radar helpers include Detroit’s Ryan Raburn, Clete Thomas (may see time since they’re facing a righty) and Adam Everett. The Twins’ Alexi Casilla and Carlos Gomez may see some baserunning time. Relievers like Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain and Brandon Lyon could come in handy here, too.

Now, just because you’re picking up the 163-gamers doesn’t mean you should necessarily play them. Examine your needs and tailor your strategy appropriately. If you’re scared of losing points in batting average, for example, then you may want to hold off. I face this dilemma in the K-BAD.

If you need to catch up in counting categories, though, and aren’t concerned about your ratio movement, fire away. I’m letting it all hang out in the FSWA Industry Insiders League, where I’m fighting for third- and possibly second-place respectability.

Are you trying to block someone else from gaining stats on you? That’s fine. Just tuck your recent pickups on the bench and wait it out.

If you have any last-minute questions, you can find me on Twitter and KFFL.com’s Facebook page. As I decide whether to play Gomez, Casilla and Thomas, I’ll be rooting for a 1-0 contest with more real-life excitement than fantasy drama.

I need to take a break from football. Here are some of my gut-check reactions to some trends and MLB Hot off the Wire posts:

• The Milwaukee Brewers will decide Friday whether to shut down Yovani Gallardo for the season. Please do, it would make my pitching decisions so much easier down the stretch. That increase in innings could be a huge factor heading into next year. Like with Vazquez, I got lucky with Gallardo for the first four months of the year, but I’m at the point where I don’t think I can pitch him. Stay tuned so you’ll know whether to cut him.
• Chipper Jones is hitting .152 in September and has discovered some flaws in his swing. I figured it would be the age and spotty playing time that made his drafters regret selecting Jones this season.
  

  I've had a love-hate relationship with Gallardo

• Jason Marquis tweaks mechanics after spotting a flaw in his delivery. He relies heavily on downward action, though it hasn’t helped him lately.
• The Kansas City Royals‘ Robinson Tejeda (blister) has been bothered by a blister on his right middle finger that has affected the grip on his changeup. He wasn’t putting enough on the pitch during his start Tuesday. I was already afraid to pick him up because you figure he had to run out of luck soon. This reaffirmed my patience.
• To very hittable Angels closer Brian Fuentes: As much as I want to believe that umpires are afraid of calls at Fenway Park, I think it’s more that strike zones vary way too much depending on pitchers and hitters. It’s a problem that will continue until they create a floating hologram strike zone. Even by then, we’ll have instant replay on one pitch per at-bat, so the madness will never end.
• Oh, and Brian, you had Nick Green at 0-and-2 with two outs. It shouldn’t have come down to a full-count close call anyway.
• Javier Vazquez wants to return to the Atlanta Braves next year. Well, that’s nice, but for the great values that I got him at this year, I’m not going to take a chance on him in the same draft spots next year.
• I wouldn’t be surprised if Jonathan Papelbon was in fact traded after the season. I don’t think it’s the RIGHT decision, but Red Sox GM Theo Epstein isn’t exactly loyal to players if he feels the club can start another cycle. I wouldn’t call Daniel Bard closer-ready just yet, though.
• The Orioles’ 2010 closer? Beats me. I’d bet on Chris Ray first since he learned that he can’t throw heat all the time. I’d probably draft around this situation.
• If the Cincinnati Reds are smart enough to keep him in the starting lineup, Drew Stubbs will be a cheap fifth outfielder for me wherever possible next year. He’ll be a value edition of Curtis Granderson.

In other more unfortunate news, I’ve lost my long-standing lead in the K-BAD Expert League to The Hardball Times’ Derek Carty and Eriq Gardner.

My offense has flubbed, and those who were behind the innings pace, including the current leaders, are starting to make noise. For some reason in this league, I started Edwin Jackson against the Royals today. I was greedy in thinking a potential easy win would help me more than sustaining my WHIP and ERA. Oops. Time to retool.

I’m within spitting distance of the FSTA Experts lead, though, one point behind the leader Ron Shandler of Baseball HQ and tied with Fanball.com’s Charlie Wiegert. It’s a three-horse race on paper but Scott Swanay, the Fantasy Baseball Sherpa, and Dave Mitri of Fantasy Trophies.com. I have dominated ERA and WHIP for the majority of the season and have been near the top in homers, strikeouts, wins, RBIs and runs. I’ve failed to gain much ground in steals, saves and batting average, though.

I sit in a distant fifth place in the FSWA IIL. Grady Sizemore’s shutdown, my lack of starts remaining and my Ryan Braun acquisition have been my main downfalls.

Well, back to the baseball cave.

Oh, how many forget … but I haven’t forgotten about you! Just dropping in to review some recent callups:

Mat Gamel, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers – He probably won’t trump Casey McGehee for majority time, making him strictly NL fodder.

Ian Desmond, SS, Washington Nationals - After a hand injury cut his progress short, Desmond, soon to be 24, has rebounded this year by hitting .330 in Double-A and Triple-A this year. He can run a bit and makes a ton of contact. He shortened his swing and has become more composed with two strikes. This is a great opportunity for Desmond to stake 2010 shortstop claim; the Nats may either move Cristian Guzman to second or ship him away.

The Next Big Thing

Wade Davis, SP, Tampa Bay Rays – That didn’t take long. Updating one of our previous entries, Davis will replace Andy Sonnanstine in the rotation. Deep mixers should grab him. Now.

Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants – He posted a solid MLB debut yesterday for the Giants in place of Tim Lincecum (back), and he reminds me an awful lot of Brian Fuentes with his sidearm lefty offering. I’m not sure how to feel about the latter yet. Either way, the 20-year-old will pitch out of the ‘pen for the rest of the year as long as San Fran’s rotation stays healthy. If you’re feeling desperately seeking something in NLs, just remember Bum won’t give you much for ‘09.

Other thoughts:

• If the Cards decide to rest Ryan Franklin more in the next few days, Trever Miller may get a save chance or two. The lefty specialist (more than a LOOGY) would be a good add for even after Franklin comes back for the Cardinals.
• Marlon Byrd: 12-for-21, a homer and six RBIs in his last six games (five started). Streaky hitter, Josh Hamilton injured … you should at least take a shot for him as a No. 5 outfielder and play him while he’s hot.

Think about the future

If you’re speculating for saves in keeper/dynasty leagues for 2010, enjoy these names to get you started:

• Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians – His recent scoreless run has reignited talk over his potential. If the Tribe remains in rebuilding mode around the trade deadline next year, a Kerry Wood change of uni would open things up for the former Cardinals prospect.
• Drew Storen, Washington Nationals – The Nats aren’t sure if Mike MacDougal is the answer. Storen should help to answer the big club’s question next year.
• Chris Ray and Kam Mickolio, Baltimore Orioles – Here’s guessing Jim Johnson won’t be the stopper for all of next year. Mickolio has reinvented his delivery as a reliever, and Ray has stopped relying so heavily on his fastball.
• Ryan Perry, Detroit Tigers - It’s likely Fernando Rodney will walk after this season for a big payday. With Brandon Lyon also a free agent this upcoming offseason, it’ll be interesting to see if Detroit brings him back; he has been solid in interim work this year. Perry has had a rough go but has closer stuff. This is a long shot.

Fantasy football winners pinpoint sleepers. Just because you already had your draft doesn’t mean you can’t still pick one up.

RB Mike Bell, Saints – ‘Nawlins increasing their running? Maybe not substantially, but head coach Sean Payton wants a tripod attack, with his new man-crush complementing the relatively unproven Pierre Thomas and the often-dinged Reggie Bush. The bowling Bell (6-foot, 225 pounds) can toll around the goal line, and if they use this plan he’s a bye or injury fill-in as a No. 6 fantasy back, at minimum.

RB Mike Goodson, Panthers - Jonathan Stewart (Achilles’) is questionable for Week 1. Carolina enjoys running. Despite bouts with butterfingers, the explosive Goodson has shown he can barrel between the hogs during preseason play while also running off 4.9 yards per tote. Though they’ll probably feed the ball to stud DeAngelo Williams even more if Stewart sits, Goodson would still be the primary spell and third-down option. That makes the rook a No. 6 flier who could lift off if he can hang onto the pigskin.

Fantasy sleeper? Injuries make J-Stew ... and this rookie mm, mm Goodson

WR Laurent Robinson, Rams – As the Rams’ leading receiver in ‘09 warmups, Lo-Rob (6-foot-2, 194 pounds) averaged 13.7 yards per haul. The Rams need another offensive target to supplement brittle back Steven Jackson and hobbled receiver Donnie Avery (foot). The third-year Robinson has serviceable size and leaping ability, but being the No. 2 receiver in an offense that will often play from behind may alone justify his No. 6 fantasy value.

TE Jermichael Finley, Packers – A preseason favorite of slinger Aaron Rodgers, especially in the red zone, this sophomore is expected to start out in a time share with Donald Lee. But the 6-foot-5, 247-pound athlete has also matured above the shoulders since his tumultuous ‘08 camp. In almost all leagues you can sneak this talent onto your roster as a backup who boasts a low-end No. 1 ceiling.

Jon Heyman, of MLB Network, reports the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired DH Jim Thome from the Chicago White Sox.

This move likely means a significant reduction in Thome’s playing time given the absence of the designated hitter in an NL lineup. His new ballpark also presents a diminished homer environment on average.

You can barely say he’s comfortable playing the field, and you should expect mostly pinch-hitting duties from him. The Bums also have James Loney in tow, giving them a better glove and an equally capable run producer, if not homer masher.

Players in NL leagues should still acquire Thome immediately, if only for a bench spot, for his potential pop, but they should realize he won’t single-handedly save their power woes under a spotty schedule.

Thome owners in mixed leagues wouldn’t be blamed if they drop him as a result of his move to Hollywood. It’s not worth clinging to him if you need immediate help on a more frequent basis.

Meanwhile, the Sox open up their DH spot, which will presumably go to outfielder Carlos Quentin most often but could be rotated between Alex Rios and Jermaine Dye as well. With Scott Podsednik likely to man center field more often, these four now have stable roles.

Out of the box

UPDATED 8/28 11:09 p.m. EDT: After a period of conflicting reports, the Angels acquired Rays starting pitcher Scott Kazmir for minor-league pitcher Alexander Torres and infielder Matthew Sweeney.

This trade doesn’t really change Kazmir’s already erratic fantasy value that much. He isn’t changing leagues; the Rays and Angels have similar bullpens, run support and ballpark factors.

The swap, however, gives another Rays arm a chance to enter the rotation, namely Wade Davis, who is 10-7 with a 3.26 ERA in 26 starts for Triple-A Durham. If Davis is summoned, he becomes an immediate pickup in deep leagues. With rosters also expanding next week, they really shouldn’t pass up this chance for him to have a David Price-type effect.

Kaz might be heading west, but his value would stay put

If it ends up being Andy Sonnanstine, pass.

Be sure to check out Hot off the Wire for the latest on this deal. Also check out our Diamond Market and Closer Hot Seat reports before you start your weekend.

Sliding into second

Quick and dirty expert league update:

• I hold a tenuous lead of 4.5 points over USA Today’s Steve Gardner atop the K-BAD, our host league. I’m also still worried about Joe Hamrahi’s third-place Baseball Prospectus squad, only nine points back of the lead, and The Hardball Times, only 10.5 behind. I have ample room to drop in steals. I also remain focused on buoying my ratios. Thank you, Chris Perez and Peter Moylan.
• In the 14-team Fantasy Sports Trade Association challenge, I have shot up the standings to third place and sit just six points out of the lead. My focus on alternating weeks of heavy starters and heavy relievers helped me gain ground in both categories.
  

  Welcome to the team, Ryan Braun

• Landing Ryan Braun for Dan Haren (and immediate drop Oliver Perez for Lastings Milledge) the day before the FSWA IIL III trade deadline hasn’t made much noise for me yet, but more importantly, with my start limit fast approaching I’ve shifted to the heavy setup plan for my pitching staff. I have too many playable outfielders I can’t drop. Besides Joe Nathan and Ryan Franklin, I currently employ Moylan, Hong-Chih Kuo, Sergio Romo and Kevin Jepsen. I’ll probably end up sticking with a rotation of Javier Vazquez, James Shields, Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Scott Baker for the rest of the season. I’m not exactly comfortable with the last three, but Santana is showing signs of his 2008 self. My fifth-place standing here is my lowest position in an expert league this year.
• Nicholas Minnix won’t break atop the KFFL Internal League standings, and I’m forced to bide my time in second place for now. I’m 13 points out and am still searching for ways to break through. Injuries to David Wright and Nate McLouth have hurt, and I wasn’t able to ship saves before the trade deadline.

Rounding third

Hot off the Wire highlights:

• Stay abreast of Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez’s (hand, thumb) injuries, which may have an impact on Eric Young Jr.’s reps. I grabbed EYJ in several leagues as a steals flier. You should do the same, but be prepared to cut him loose if other needs arise.
• With Nyjer Morgan (hand) lost for the rest of ‘09, Willie Harris is expected to get regular playing time for the Nationals, but I bet impending callup Justin Maxwell will have the bigger impact by September’s end (hear that, NL-only managers?). You’ll have a potential steals contributor either way.
• Don’t be too excited about Kyle Davies‘ recent renaissance. The trendy early-season add has been a road warrior this year, and his recent trio of great outings all came away from Kauffman Stadium. I obviously like his next matchup (at the Athletics), but from there, I’d be cautious in his other expected days of work (vs. Angels, at Indians, at Tigers, vs. Red Sox).

Headfirst into home

A potential 2nd-round pick in 2010

Don’t worry. I’ll be more careful than Morgan. However, since everyone is releasing their 2010 lists in August ‘09, I’ll offer some initial predictions for what will happen on average next draft season, based on what we’ve seen this year and a dash of personal intuition:

• My roughly projected top 12 in mixed snake drafts, on average: Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun, Chase Utley, Prince Fielder, Ian Kinsler, Matt Kemp, Mark Teixeira, Carl Crawford, Ryan Howard and David Wright. Jose Reyes will fall outside of this group but hover around the top of the second round.
• Joe Mauer will be taken in the late second or third round often; I will not take him this soon. The positional scarcity monster will resurface soon after with Brian McCann and Victor Martinez. In most circumstances I will continue to employ the late-round likes of Kurt Suzuki in two-catcher setups while targeting non-backstops early.
• Outside of Tim Lincecum, most of those considered elite starting pitchers will often fall past the first three rounds. In 2010, Chris Carpenter will be what CC Sabathia was in 2009.
• In ‘10, Alfonso Soriano will be the ‘09 Vladimir Guerrero.
• B.J. Upton falls into the fourth or fifth round and becomes one of the better bargains of 2010. Joey Votto will also go around that time, but that means a proper spike in his value.
• Some other 2010 undervalued players: Aramis Ramirez, Stephen Drew and Matt Wieters.
• Some 2010 overvalued players: Mauer, Adam L. Jones, Justin Upton, Michael Bourn, Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Jason Bartlett and Andrew McCutchen.

I will unveil more in the coming weeks, including whether or not I will carry into 2010 my philosophy of filling out an infield early in drafts – or as I call it, the “Garrett Atkins Quandary.” More on the name origin as the season draws to an end, but you can probably already guess its meaning.

Don’t forget to tweet with this twit! If baseball isn’t your thing, let’s talk about Brandon Marshall, who’s putting two of my fantasy football teams in a vice.