2007 Fantasy MLB - 1st Half Articles | Gambling

By: Richard Bleuze

At the All-Star break, fantasy baseball owners really should be taking stock of their baseball team and evaluating if they have what it takes to make a run for top spot in the second half. 

Baseball Hitters: 

Alex Rodriguez:  Anyone who passed on A-Rod because they thought he couldn't deliver,ended up passing on the top fantasy stud in the first half. If A-Rod can keep mashing through the second half, he could provide enough offense to carry any fantasy team to a title. 

Gary Sheffield: He started out the season ice-cold and hopefully you were smart enough to trade for him while his value was in the toilet. After batting a lowly .200 with two homers in April, Sheffield has hit 19 homers and is on a .342 clip since June.

Matt Holliday: Even before he displayed his hidden power in the Home Run Derby, you should have known the name Matt Holliday. Not only is he second in the Nation League with a .341 batting average, but he also has 15 dingers and 69 RBI. In a rotisserie league he'll provide everything you need aside from steals. 

Grady Sizemore: Sizemore's average may be a little light for a leadoff man at .280, but he makes up for it by producing in every other fantasy category.  Sizemore has some pop in his bat, drives in a lot of runs for a leadoff man and has the wheels to steal. 

Russell Martin: Where did this guy come from? Before the season most rankings barely listed Martin as a Top 10 catcher. Martin leads the Dodgers in average, home runs and RBI and he also has 16 stolen bases.

Baseball Pitchers:

Josh Beckett:  Beckett is racking up the wins in Boston while posting a respectable ERA.

Jake Peavy:  The Padres' ace likely went much later than he should have in most drafts due to his off-year last season. Anyone who grabbed him is reaping the rewards in the wins, strikeouts and ERA category. 

Chris Young: If you missed out on Peavy, hopefully you at least snagged Young. The experts were calling for a third-year breakout from the tall righthander, and they were right. 

Dan Haren: That Mark Mulder trade is looking pretty good now for A' fans. Haren may not be able to keep his ERA under 2.50 all season, but anything under 3.00 is a rare feat.

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