EFB DRAFT RANKINGS

Tuesday April 22nd, 2008

The Stock Exchange: The Other Santana

by Cory Channell

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Overall Top 25 Drafts

Top 10 rankings by Scoring Category

League by League Breakdown

The Stock Exchange identifies those players whose stock is rising, falling or holding steady in the world of fantasy baseball. Each week, I'll pick nine players whose value looks to be changing in the near future. Feedback is welcome and encouraged as your comments may be used in later articles.

BUY

Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco Giants - Lincecum improved to 3-0 on the season by blanking the St. Louis Cardinals in his last outing. In his previous game against the Cardinals on April 13, he struck out 11 in six innings of work. If Lincecum can stay healthy all season, 180 strikeouts is well within his reach. Use the fact that he plays for the Giants in your trade negotiations. He may not win more than 12-13 games, but his numbers across the board will be more than enough to make up for it.

Russell Martin, C, Los Angeles Dodgers - For one of the top catchers off the board on draft day,

Martin has started slowly to say the least. But that means he has nowhere to go but up. Martin was typically drafted in the third or fourth round for his power and speed. But he has stolen just one base in 18 games. He's batting .197 on the season after hitting .293 in 2007. A frustrated owner might be

willing to sell him off cheap. In the last seven days, he has hit both of his home runs and is batting .300. The time to trade for Martin is running out.

Ervin Santana, SP, Los Angeles Angels - Santana was brutal on the road last season, compiling a 1-10 record with an 8.38 ERA away from home. He seems to have gotten on track this season by getting two of his three victories at Texas and at Minnesota. Santana is carrying over his success from last September (2.96 ERA / .218 batting-average against) into this year. Remind your trade partner of Santana's Jekyll-and-Hyde tendencies from a year ago. This could be the breakout season everyone expected from him last year.

HOLD

Jered Weaver, SP, Los Angeles Angels - Weaver went 5-0 with a sparkling 1.37 ERA this spring. His owners have to be somewhat disappointed in a 1-0 record, 3.60 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Other than his outing against Seattle in which he gave up five earned runs, Weaver has been pretty decent on the

mound, but has not received any run support. The Angels scored two runs in his win against Texas and a total of nine runs in his three losses. Weaver should be on the cusp of some more wins if the offense can start clicking.

Jeff Francis, SP, Colorado Rockies - The sun finally came out for Jeff Francis owners this past week after he was roughed up in his first three trips to the mound to start the season. Francis owners got a bit of reprieve after he gave up five earned runs in three innings against the Cardinals in the season-opener that ended up being washed out by rain. The effects of that outing lingered for the next two games as he gave up 12 more earned runs in two games against Arizona. Francis, humiliated by his first four outings, stepped up his game against Jake Peavy on April 17 in the 22-inning marathon against the Padres. Francis threw seven shutout innings, giving up three hits, one walk and striking out seven. The outing should go a long way to help Francis get back on track. If you have ridden out the tough times with him, don't give up on him yet.

Ian Kinsler, 2B, Texas Rangers - Kinsler was a nice addition for owners who got him late in drafts last year or snagged him off the wire. The speedy second baseman is off to the races again this year with six stolen bases. He finished with 23 thefts in 2007, so 30 is a real possibility if he can stay

healthy. He's missed significant playing time in each of the past two seasons, however, so keep your fingers crossed. Kinsler has reached base in all 18 games he has played this season, so he's getting plenty of chances to showcase his speed. He has just one home run on the season, but it came on April 20, so it's possible a little power surge is on the horizon. Hold for now, but if he goes on a home-run tear in the next week or two, don't be afraid to shop him around.

SELL

Roy Oswalt, SP, Houston Astros - Roy Oswalt is not who he seems to be. He fanned 206 hitters in 2004, but his strikeout totals have decreased for three straight years. His batting-average against, by no coincidence, has gone up each year in the same time frame. Oswalt still seems to have his

pin-point control since he has issued just four walks this season, but he has given up 35 hits in 23 innings. It's no surprise, then, that his ERA stands at 6.65 and his WHIP is 1.70. Oswalt's days as a top-10 pitcher appear to be coming to an end. Sell now while his name can still net you something positive in a trade.

Francisco Liriano, SP, Minnesota Twins - I admit that I bought into the Liriano hype this year as he made his way back from Tommy John surgery. Owners would be lying if they told you they hadn't targeted Liriano around the 10th & 12th rounds, hoping for a repeat of his '06 season in which he

struck out 144 in 122 innings with a 2.06 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. But maybe he's human, after all. After two starts, his WHIP is as high (2.07) as his ERA was low two years ago. Liriano has issued a walk an inning, so his control is nowhere near ready for the majors right now. Minnesota could send him back to the minors or they could keep marching him out to the mound with the hope that he will improve a little each time. At this rate, Liriano might not be worth using until the All-Star Break. I wouldn't drop him outright, but if you can get a little return on your investment in a trade, that might

not be a bad decision.

Placido Polanco, 2B, Detroit Tigers - Sell? Drop? Bench? It's hard to know what to do with Polanco this year after he batted .341 and scored 105 runs in 2007. An ailing back could be the cause for Polanco's bad start. At this point, a bag of peanuts costing $1.50 would be worth more than a table-setter hitting a buck-fifty. As bad as the Tigers have been, Polanco has been even worse. Seriously, someone send me a bag of peanuts, and I'll trade you this guy.

MAILBAG

Do you have a comment about the players included or excluded in The Stock Exchange? Send an e-mail with The Stock Exchange in the subject line to bumpercrumpler@yahoo.com. Include comments along with your name, hometown, Elite team name and division. Comments may be used in future articles.

(Daily)- The box scores don't always tell the whole story, but you don't have to miss out on he inside scoop. Check in everyday as Tarrell Graham highlights the previous days MLB action from a fantasy perspective.

(Mondays)- Get the latest insight on bullpen situations for each MLB team. Tarrell Graham will cover the ever-changing world of relief pitching, highlighting potential closer changes and valuable middle men.

(Tuesdays)- Cory Channell brings Wall St. to the fantasy baseball world as he gives you the scoop on when to Buy Low, Sell High and Hold tight.

(Wednesdays)- Walking the waiver wire isn't always graceful but it is vital to a teams success. Check in every Wednesday for Waiver Wire Wasteland with John Thornton.

-Coming 4/23, Stay Tuned!

(Thurdays)- Keeping an eye on the farm leagues isn't only important for Keeper and Dynasty leaguers. Grabbing those key mid-season call-ups can be the push your team over the top.