Does anyone else see scarcity in the Outfield this year?

[Rhino Tuff]

I totally disagree with this, obviously or I wouldn't be putting up a post. But I can't how I will feel secure going into my season with an outfield of:

Jim Edmonds
Garrett Anderson
Larry Walker
Jermaine Dye

A very realistic option, but that is just me... I think if you go into your season like this by the end of the year your team will look

[LBJackal]

With OF and 1B, you can throw scarcity out the window; there's no point considering it IMO. Even C this year has tons of great options. Martinez, I-Rod, Kendall, Javy, Posada, Varitek, Piazza, AJ, Hernandez, Lo Duca, Mauer, Barrett, Lieberthal. Unless you get Martinez or I-Rod you might as well wait and forget about C. There's not much marginal gain to be had from #2 to #3, #3 to #4, all the way down to #13. 2B, 3B, and SS are the only positions where I'd worry about scarcity. Soriano, Boone, Giles, Reyes are the ones I'd want at 2B, with Figgins, Kent, and Loretta not far behind. After that, there's a big dropoff. For 3B, the top 10 are great, but after that, huge dropoff. SS, the top 9 are pretty good and there isn't much difference between consecutively ranked SS's, but at #10 and down, it gets to be slim pickings. You'll either get Kazuo who could surprise and have a good year, or a crappy vet like Wilson or Eckstein, or a young unproven SS like Crosby, Barmes, Greene, or Berroa.

So I say, unless it's a 2B, SS, or 3B, don't worry about position. But you will want to get a top 7 2B, top 9 SS, and top 10 3B.

[Gwyddbwyll]

I feel the same way Rhino Tuff - there are a lot of question marks and few easy choices. You can get lucky and have a stud trio or get unlucky and have an outfield of flops. I'm going for one of the elite OF and preferably two.

It doesnt seem as deep to me especially compared to 1B or even 3B.

Those that are disagreeing should bear in mind that the #36 OF is the one you should be comparing to the #12 in other positions since every team fields 3.

Many teams this year are putting a spare 1B in that utility spot and not an OF.

[Rhino Tuff]

Exactly there is a lot of room to miss with this year's outfielder crop, just because there are a lot of choices doesn't mean there are a lot of good ones.

I'm just throwing up the caution flag, owners can choose to ignore it at there own risk.

But I'm going to make sure I get two solid outfielders because I don't want to sift through landmines with the rest of my picks.

I love players like Lew Ford, Milton Bradley, and Scott Posednik, but if people are looking at those guys as there second outfielder they are going to have some trouble. In my highly competitive 12 team draft I got Posednik with my last pick in the draft, granted he was a bit of a sleeper last year but that was how deep the position was.

When you have studs like Magglio Ordonez, Garret Anderson, Preston Wilson, Luis Gonzalez, and Lance Berkman go down that is going to have a ripple effect among the player pool.

Case in point where did Adam Dunn get drafted in most leagues last year, or Hideki Matsui, 10th through the 15th? Those players had great years last year but they are also making such a big jump this year because of the lack of talent in the outfield this year.

Don't be lulled to sleep in your draft and forget about the outfield worrying about your 3rd baseman. Don't get me wrong, 2nd base and Starters will be hard to come by but watch out for the Outfield this year, I really think that is where fantasy drafts will be won and lost this year.

Who would you rather have?

Miguel Cabrera
Corey Patterson
Jose Guillen
David Dejesus

or

Jim Edmonds
Shawn Green
Steve Finley
Randy Winn

I'd pick group 1 every day of the week.

Be warned...

[NZF]

For me, one of the most scarce positions this yr is SP.

That surprises me. I actually thought it was the exact opposite but I do agree that 2B and SS are no where near as shallow as many would believe.

Getting No. 1 type guys like Halladay, Mussina, Wood, Clemens, Hudson, Mulder in like rounds 5-6-7, to me shows there is very good depth.

[LBJackal]

For me, one of the most scarce positions this yr is SP.

That surprises me. I actually thought it was the exact opposite but I do agree that 2B and SS are no where near as shallow as many would believe.

Getting No. 1 type guys like Halladay, Mussina, Wood, Clemens, Hudson, Mulder in like rounds 5-6-7, to me shows there is very good depth.

If Clemens was my ace I'd be very, very worried. But I agree, there are a lot of SP bargains to be had.

[NZF]

For me, one of the most scarce positions this yr is SP.

That surprises me. I actually thought it was the exact opposite but I do agree that 2B and SS are no where near as shallow as many would believe.

Getting No. 1 type guys like Halladay, Mussina, Wood, Clemens, Hudson, Mulder in like rounds 5-6-7, to me shows there is very good depth.

If Clemens was my ace I'd be very, very worried. But I agree, there are a lot of SP bargains to be had.

If any of those guys were my ace I'd be very worried, my point is they are all capable of putting up Ace numbers, yet they are only No.2's this year.

[quicksilver8]

I agree with New Zealand Fan regarding starting pitching depth, especially for those in NL only leagues. There is no reason to take pitching in the early rounds at all this year. So many good pitchers are available late.

As for OF depth, there probably aren't as many 'sure things' this year in the OF, but I'm with LBJackal as far as only worrying about scarcity at 3rd and possibly 2nd.

[Rhino Tuff]

3rd base scarcity problems?

A-Rod
Rolen
Beltre
Blaylock
Chavez
Ramirez
Huff
Mora
Wright
Lowell
Glaus
Jones
McPherson
Koskie
Blake
Boone

There are going to be a lot of good 3rd baseman out there this year.

Sencond base is a big problem...

[StlSluggers]

I would have agreed with you this morning, but now that Ankiel's an oufielder, the position suddenly looks a lot deeper.