Flapjacks Power Rankings Week 3

It's time for to take another look at the power rankings for my Yahoo H2H keeper league. This is probably only interesting for the 12 owners in the league, so feel free to move on to another article if this isn't something you want to read. We have a more movement this week than ever before, so click the link to read more.


4/14/08 Flapjacks Power Rankings
(Season record and last week's rankings in parentheses. )

1. Macafey (12-8-0) (1)
Tim retains the number one spot in the rankings with another strong offensive output this week. His team is leading the league in RBI, SB and Saves. Alex Gordon is really coming along, hitting .409 over the past week, and overall the offense is really clicking, but there are some issues with this team. The bullpen could be in trouble with Brian Wilson struggling and Jeremy Accardo giving up his closer role to a reactivated B.J. Ryan. Losing Rich Harden to injury hurts a pitching staff that lacks experience. Jimmy Rollins has missed a few games due to an injured ankle; hopefully this doesn't adversely affect his stolen base output for the year. Even with those problems, this team matches up well with almost everyone in the league.

2. Dinos (11-7-2) (2)
Another team that stayed put, the Dinos are leading the league in average, due to hot starts by Miguel Tejada, Chone Figgins, and Eric Byrnes. Once Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Howard start to produce like we know they can, this could be the best offense in the league, even with the recent injury to Jorge Posada. For the pitching staff Ben Sheets continues to pitch well, and Tim Lincecum dominated last week with 18 K's in two starts. On a down note, Chad Cordero did not pitch well his first appearance since being reactivated from the DL. And on a bright note, Joey Votto is making the case for more playing time with a .429 average in his last 14 at bats.

3. The Balls (11-8-1) (3)
The Balls' strength is in their pitching staff; they are leading the league in ERA and WHIP, and tied for first in Wins. Though the staff had some trouble last week, specifically the outings of Jake Peavy, Adam Wainwright, and Erik Bedard, they were helped out with strong outings by Greg Maddux and Zack Greinke. At the plate, Albert Pujols is looking like his old self, with three HR last week, and Hanley Ramirez is really hitting well. Losing Shane Victorino to the DL is not comforting, especially if his calf injury limits his ability to run; the Balls are second to last in SB.

4. Adrian's Revenge (15-5-0) (6)
Leading the league in HR and Runs, my team was paced by strong weeks from Raul Ibanez and Peralta. The offense is looking solid in every category but BA. I need better production from Ryan Zimmerman and Hunter Pence if I want to compete, but the pickup of Joe Crede could help a lot if he can stay healthy and produce like he did in 2006. A great pitching week by Javier Vasquez was overshadowed by the injury to Matt Garza (who could be out for a month), the Cubs skipping Rich Hill's next start due to his control issues, and the struggles of Jon Rauch to prove that he is worthy of the closer role. The addition of Ted Lilly could solidify the staff if he can overcome his rough start.

5. Screaming Lemurs (8-9-3) (4)
Other than Billy Butler, Ian Kinsler, and Rafael Furcal, the Lemurs really struggled for offense last week. Adding Mark Reynolds to the squad helps, but a lot of high draft picks are struggling to start the season, and Curtis Granderson has yet to swing a bat since he was injured during spring training. The Lemurs have been carried by their pitching staff, which is leading in K's and tied for the lead in Wins. Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels have anchored a very solid rotation, which is 6-3-1 in pitching categories over the first two weeks.

6. Butt Admirals (13-4-3) (8)
The Admirals' offense struggled a little on at the plate, but dominated on the basepaths last week with 12 SB's; they're second in the league with 20 SB's overall. Vladimir Guerrero is looking good, and Nate McLouth's hot start continues, but Prince Fielder has yet to perform like a first-round pick. The rotation's Big 3 of Josh Beckett, Dan Haren, and Aaron Harang combined for 4 Wins last week, and the pitching staff is 2nd in the league in WHIP.

7. The Tossers (5-13-2) (5)
The Tossers have lost their first two matchups due to a lack of production from some key figures, but none more notable than Alex Rodriguez who has yet to perform like the number-one overall player in fantasy baseball. Brad Hawpe, Michael Young, and Gary Sheffield have all underperformed as well, though Bengie Molina and Casey Kotchman have been bright spots so far. On the pitching side, Chris Young was expected to be an ace, but he was shelled last week by an underwhelming Dodgers' team. The lack of save opportunities for Takashi Saito must be frustrating for The Tossers. If Joe Saunders can continue his success, he could be a nice addition to a staff that is near the bottom of the league in terms of ERA and WHIP.

8. Summer Fox (8-10-2) (10)
Summer Fox had a solid offensive showing, which was aided by the waiver-wire pickup of Jason Kubel right before his 6-RBI game. Jason Bay is starting to show signs of life with 3 HR and 5 RBI in the past week, though the team still needs Kenji Johjima, Ichiro Suzuki, and Jose Guillen to step up. Despite having a decent rotation, the pitching staff is last in the league in K's. Having Randy Johnson back from the DL should help, as long as he can stay healthy.

9. Val Kilmer's Asshole (10-9-1) (7)
Mark's pitching staff was shelled last week, and AJ Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny, and Jeff Francis have not had good starts to the season, leading to a a league-worst ERA.. The staff should be better than it is, and it will help to have Scott Kazmir back in a week or two. Mark's gotten good offensive production, though the team is last in BA. Jeremy Hermida has hit well since comign off the DL.

10. Naterade (6-14-0) (12)
Rising from the league's cellar, Natarade has been sparked by Justin Upton (who Natarade received from me for Hunter Pence in a trade last year), who is hitting .400 for the season with five home runs, though he has yet to steal a base. This team needs Justin Morneau and Russell Martin to produce if they want to make the playoffs, though Andre Ethier has been a bright spot to begin the season. Injuries to Francisco Rodriguez and Dontrelle Willis weaken the rotation, but the addition of Tim Hudson helps a lot, and Johnny Cueto was a great pickup. Natarade will need more outings like the one Chad Billingsley had on Sunday and less outings like the one Francisco Liriano had.

11. Dissect Yourself (6-12-2) (11)
Dissect Yourself showed a lot of power last week with 11 HR, but his squad is second-to-last in BA. Matt Holliday is playing like an MVP, but Troy Tulowitzki appears to have forgotten how to hit. With C.C. Sabathia struggling and J.J. Putz on the DL, Micah's staff is near the bottom in almost every pitching category. Yovani Gallardo's return from the DL can't come quickly enough.

12. Self Indulgence (7-13-0) (9)
Self Indulgence also showed a lot of power, as Carlos Pena bashed four last week, but they have struggled to hit and steal bases. Derek Jeter missed six games due to injury, and Magglio Ordonez and Joe Mauer have both been pitiful at the plate. A lack of playing time for Matt Kemp is frustrating, because he hit .500 last week in 12 at bats. For the pitching staff, the two-headed attack of Chien-Ming Wang and Johan Santana has been lights-out (though Santana had an uncharacteristically bad start last week), but the bullpen hasn't been pretty. This can be a good team, if the offense can get it together.

Agree or disagree, let me hear you.