By Dan O’Shea
I had my pre-draft fantasy starting pitchers rankings all set until the season-canceling injury suffered by Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis.
I thought the 20-game winner in 2010 had a chance to be even better in 2011, and I would have put him right under Roy “Doc” Halladay as my No. 2 SP pick.
With the injury, everyone moves up a spot, meaning Tim “The Freak” Lincecum is now No. 2, a ranking I’m not sure I’m fully invested in. I don’t see him as a 20-game winner, and his ERA ballooned last year to 3.48, while his strikeouts declined. Here’s my new top 10.
1. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia.
Can he do better than 21 wins, 9 complete games and a 2.44 ERA? Maybe.
2. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco.
If he hits 261 strikeouts like in 2009 (231 last year), he’ll be worth it.
3. Cliff Lee, Philadelphia.
Many people think Philly has two 20-win starters. I’ll say 17 after his rocky 2010.
4. Jon Lester, Boston.
A quiet 19-game winner last year. Prediction for 2011: 22 wins, 250 strikeouts.
5. Felix Hernandez, Seattle.
Needs to win more to get a higher ranking. Despite ERA, it won’t be this year.
6. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles.
Could challenge Lincecum for NL strikeout lead if he adds innings.
7. Josh Johnson, Florida.
Most consistent ERA value in the NL, but Marlins need to help him win more.
8. David Price, Tampa.
19 wins last year and still improving. This year’s goal: Clear the 200 strikeout mark.
9. CC Sabathia, NY Yankees.
Won 21 last year when drop-off was expected. Weight loss should help.
10. Zack Greinke, Milwaukee.
His talent says he’s No. 10, but Milwaukee looks a lot like K.C. to me.
Trade War
All was quiet on the NBA trade deadline front until New York actually pulled the trigger on the Carmelo Anthony trade. Then, it seemed like all hell broke loose.
Deron Williams went to New Jersey, Kendrick Perkins went to Oklahoma City, Gerald Wallace went to Portland, Baron Davis seemed destined for Cleveland, Shane Battier got shipped to Memphis.
It went from being the most boring trading deadline ever to one of the most exciting.
The strange thing from a fantasy perspective is that I don’t think any of these players will see their numbers change much. But stay tuned, and we’ll keep a look out for any stat shifts.
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Dan O’Shea’s Fantasy Fix appears in this space every Wednesday. He welcomes your comments. You can also read his about his split sports fan personality at his Beachwood blog SwingsBothWays.
Posted on March 2, 2011