Top 35 Dynasty League OF For 2010: Take Two
Of any position, outfield may have the most young players with the potential to make a long-term impact. Players like Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp have already established themselves. Justin Upton is on the precipice of greatness. Andrew McCutchen, Jason Heyward and more have the potential to be elite options. How does it all fit together for the Dynasty League owners? Let’s take a look:
- Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
- Matt Kemp - Los Angeles Dodgers
- Matt Holliday - St. Louis Cardinals
- Carl Crawford - Tampa Bay Rays
- Justin Upton - Arizona Diamondbacks
- Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston Red Sox
- Grady Sizemore - Cleveland Indians
- Adam Lind - Toronto Blue Jays
- Nick Markakis - Baltimore Orioles
- Andre Ethier - Los Angeles
- Jason Bay - New York Mets
- Bobby Abreu - Los Angeles Angels
- Carlos Lee - Houston Astros
- Curtis Granderson - New York Yankees
- Shin-Shoo Choo - Cleveland Indians
- Carlos Quentin - Chicago White Sox
- Ben Zobrist - Tampa Bay Rays
- Jayson Werth - Philadelphia Phillies
- Hunter Pence - Houston Astros
- Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
- Adam Jones - Baltimore Orioles
- Jay Bruce - Cincinnati Reds
- Adam Dunn - Washington Nationals
- Nelson Cruz - Texas Rangers
- B.J. Upton - Tampa Bay Rays
- Denard Span - Minnesota Twins
- Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers
- Shane Victorino - Philadelphia Phillies
- Ichiro Suzuki - Seattle Mariners
- Raul Ibanez - Philadelphia Phillies
- Manny Ramirez - Los Angeles Dodgers
- Nate McLouth - Atlanta Braves
- Alex Rios - Chicago White Sox
- Jason Heyward - Atlanta Braves
- Colby Rasmus - St. Louis Cardinals
Thoughts:
- We all know the type of talent Upton has. Would it surprise anyone if he were among the Top Three outfielders in two years time? For now, let’s leave him as Top Five with upside.
- Grady Sizemore is one of the premier outfielders in the game, though not without his faults. Still, with the talent he’s shown, you have to wonder what type of potential he has moving forward. For more on Sizemore, click here.
- It’s not like Jason Bay is old, but it’s just amazing how many top young outfielders there are who are on the verge of making a major impact. That has to be taken into account, along with his new home ballpark, which knocks him out of the Top Ten for long-term keeper league owners.
- Ben Zobrist is young and emerging, but can we really expect him to remain eligible in the outfield for long? If you’re looking at him in that regard, you have to knock him down a few pegs, though the early word is that he will see time out there this season. Maybe he will keep duel eligibility long-term.
- How many good years does Ichiro Suzuki really have left? It’s not a knock against him as a player, but his age can’t be overlooked. OK, maybe it is a slight knock against him, as is his lineup. His SB is declining, the upside in runs isn’t there and he has never had much power. He’s a great source of average, but that’s about it. For more on my thoughts on him, click here.
- Both Raul Ibanez & Manny Ramirez enter the season at 37-years old. Needless to say, their time is declining.
- Jayson Werth has upside, there’s not questioning that, but I still don’t see him as a third round pick, even in Dynasty Leagues. For why, click here.
- Do you turn down a chance at a player who is likely to contribute this season in favor of a top prospect who could make an impact in ‘10, but is among the top prospects in the game? That is the question facing owners looking at drafting players like Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton and Desmond Jennings. Their potential is tremendous, but I would still look at them more as a backup then a starting option. That’s the only reason that none of the three are extremely high on the list, though Heyward snuck on.
- Johnny Damon is on the downside of his career and is leaving the new Yankees Stadium. What real upside does he have for Dynasty League owners?
- B.J. Upton has had ups and downs during his young Major League career, but at 25-years old, the good certainly outweighs the bad. For those looking not just at 2010, but many years to come, he’s certainly worth considering. Click here for more on him. http://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=4587
- Josh Hamilton almost feels like an injury waiting to happen, doesn’t he? Is he worth the risk? (click here to find out my thoughts)
- Nick Markakis gets a knock against him because he’s not flashy, but consistent. Now how does that makes sense? I’ll take his potential .300/100/100 to go along with 20 HR and double-digit stolen base potential any day. (For more on him, click here)
- Colby Rasmus has the potential to go 20/20 moving forward. At his age, what’s not to like? (Click here for more on him)
What are your thoughts on this list? Who is too high? Too low? Who was left off?
If you would like to see a free preview of the Rotoprofessor 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide (available for just $5) now including a Top 50 Prospects for 2010 List, click here.
Make sure to also check out our other recently updated Dynasty League Rankings:
Make sure to check out our 2010 yearly league rankings:
- Catchers
- First Basemen
- Second Basemen
- Third Basemen
- Shortstops
- Outfielders
- Designated Hitters
- Starting Pitchers
- Closers
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The fact that OF is so deep is a reason I’d bump up the likes of Heyward, because the player you miss out on by drafting him shouldn’t be that much better than the waiver level replacement you grab to play half the year. I turned down a cheap Heyward for expensive Victorino trade, and if I was drafting from scratch and we got to round 10-12, I’d take Heyward ahead of guys like Rios or McLouth. I’d rather have Heyward and a short term Francouer or Willingham or Swisher to cover things while I wait for him, than have Rios and then grab a Seth Smith at the end.
Of course, it depends where the rest of your team is at too, you can only carry so many minor leaguers before you run out of bench space and have this year’s numbers start to really suffer.
where’s Carlos Gonzalez?
Cesc, I’m just not as high on Gonzalez as some people are. I could see including him near the bottom, but he fell just short for me. Part of it comes down to the playing time. With so many OFers in Colorado, can anyone guarantee he’s going to win an everyday job?
Sorry but you’re rankings will not dissuade me from taking Adam Jones about 10 rounds higher than Bobby Abreu in my dynasty league draft.