Fantasy Sports Daily Wire

Russell Martin

2009-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

What is up with Russell Martin in 2009? His fantasy value continues to plummet. I am fortunate enough to own him on my fantasy team and continue to hold on to him only because I am currently in first place. He was beginning to turn things around in May and hit some hot streaks that brought his average around the .270 mark. June came and it all went away and is currently batting .107 for the month of June.

There is no doubt that Martin is slumping and is off to a very disappointing start in 2009. There are various reports that Martin is putting in extra hours hitting the cages, watching game film, making adjustments. It's been apparent to me his approach at the plate and his look at the plate seem to be different compared to 2008. It really seems like he is pressing at the plate and putting a lot of pressure on himself.

What does Martin need to do to turn this around? My guess the whole thing is in his head and just needs to get in the groove and gain some confidence. Manny Ramirez will be back from his 50 game suspension in just a few short weeks. His presence should help bring Martin around especially if he is batting either behind or in front of him.

The final word is if you have hung on to Martin this long there is no reason to at least wait it out for another few weeks. There is not going to be a better option in the free agent pool anyway. You aren't going to get squat in a trade unless you package him nicely. Plus this way you won't have to kick yourself the whole second half of the season when he does turn things around. If you have dropped Martin I would love to hear your results and what player you replaced him with. The fact remains that Martin is having a rough first half just like several fantasy studs of the past. You look at Soto, Doumit, and Navarro among popular fantasy catchers that continue to struggle. Martin has simply allowed himself to get in a rut and now it's time to hang in there and trust me Martin is a gamer and there is no way he will settle for mediocrity.

Fantasy Football League

2009-06-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in joining the Fantasy Football League which is standard categories and scoring mixed league format. I am looking for 8-12 teams to form the first year league.

If you want in, make your case in the comments of this post. Include your email address in your comment. There are no other guidelines for making your case - just tell me why you deserve to play. I will close this thread off at the end of July and then I'll pick the winners.
I am still looking for at least 2-4 more teams if anyone is interested please let me know. It's a standard roto yahoo league. Any questions please post in the comment section.

Manny Ramirez Fantasy Value

2009-05-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Fantasy owners I am sure you have heard the breaking news on Manny Ramirez today. If you by chance live under a rock and have no clue what is going on click here for the latest on Manny Ramirez and his 50 day suspension.

I know what you are thinking just when Manny and the Dodgers were getting in a groove right? It's okay don't panic he will be back on July 3rd which is plenty of time to get your fantasy value. The question is what to do with Manny until then, time to dig in.

If you can swing a trade that works for you, pull the trigger. Here are 5 guys that I recommend you target put your comments in at the bottom of the post with your successes and failures. I will gladly lend advice anytime I can. You can also email me at dailywire@gmail.com, here you are.

Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Braun are basically in the same boat, the genetic freak boat that is. These guys are fantasy studs period. They are off to great starts and very equal to Manny but it might take a little more to be thrown in for one of these guys. Manny was off to an all-star and MVP season before being derailed by the suspension. Aim high here and I got a few more guys as contigency plans don't worry.

Adam Lind not a household name by any means but he is currently ranked number 20 overall in Yahoo leagues rotisserie 5x5 mixed leagues. He is off to a very unexpected yet dominant 2009. He may end up having a better season than Manny in 2009 and you have a pretty good shot of landing Lind. He is only owned by 82% of leagues so if he happens to be a free agent add him asap as it is not going to get much better than this guy.

Ryan Ludwick he is currently on my team and even though stats don't lie I just can't buy into him yet. He had a breakout career season in 2008 and if you are in a standard 5x5 mixed league this guy can help any team. Most Ludwick owners would jump at the chance to have Manny even for half a season, including yours truly.

Finally if you can't get the above mentioned guys or any OF in the top 50 or 60 I got one more solid trade canidate. I can share this information since I own Carlos Quentin in my league and have zero desire of trading him. Currently ranked 77 overall Quentin is the guy I am looking to pull out a huge 2009. He hasn't dissapointed yet despite his .253 AVG, trust me when I say he will hit 40 plus homers this year. I actually took Quentin over Manny in my league and right now I am counting my blessings.

If all else fails and you can't pull out a trade here are 5 guys that will likely be free agents and you can put Manny on the bench. Nick Swisher, Andre Ethier, Jayson Werth, Nyjer Morgan, and if you feel like going out on a limb take Matt LaPorta. If you can land one of these guys you will be in good shape.

The Wire Is Coming Soon

2009-04-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

thanks to dmvcomics for the fresh look