Fantasy Focus: Sell High On Grady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore owners have to be quite pleased with the early return from the 28-year-old centerfielder of the Cleveland Indians.

Just under a year removed from microfracture surgery on his knee, Sizemore has posted a .406 average with three home runs and seven RBIs in just eight games this season.

No one knew if he’d ever be the same player after undergoing the intense procedure, but Sizemore has quickly begun to erase everyone’s doubts.

That means this is the perfect time to sell high on the Indians’ leadoff man.

It is possible that Sizemore will continue on like nothing ever happened, but it’s pretty unlikely. For a player so reliant on his legs, any kind of serious surgery is a major red flag.

Sizemore hasn’t stolen a base yet this season, and was in fact caught in his lone attempt of the year last night. The Indians have repeatedly stated that they’ll be very careful with Grady, and it stands to reason that means he won’t exactly be given the green light on the basepaths.

At his best, Sizemore was one of the best 30-30 threats in baseball. But if he’s not going to be stealing bases, his fantasy value plummets back down to earth. Sizemore has only actually eclipsed the 30-homer mark once in his career, and his true potential is probably closer to 25 dingers.

His season batting average has never been higher than .290, and he hasn’t hit higher than .277 since 2006. The early .406 mark is impressive for sure, but it is not indicative of his past performances.

And don’t forget that when healthy, Sizemore has been among the major league leaders in strikeouts.

There’s a remote chance that Sizemore’s injury will be a non-factor going forward and that he’s the franchise player the Indians were once building around, but don’t bet on it. Better to see if any of Sizemore’s old owners in your league are thrilled with his start and nostalgic for days gone by. You may be able to squeeze a surprising trade return for him, but you’d better act fast. His terrific start won’t last forever.

Fantasy Focus: Don't Give Up On Adam Lind Yet

17 games into yet another disappointing season, it’s fair to worry whether Adam Lind, 27, will ever develop into a reliable fantasy player.

In 2009, Lind drilled 35 home runs and smacked in 114 RBIs while batting a respectable .305. As a former much ballyhooed prospect, most thought it was a sign of things to come.

But in 2010, Lind dipped across the board, to 23 home runs and 72 RBIs with a paltry .237 average. Many weren’t willing to write Lind off just yet and he was a big sleeper for 2011.

This year though, Lind has tallied only one homer and nine RBIs with a similarly disappointing .232 average.

Now, many owners are skeptical of whether Lind will ever return to form and fulfill his potential.

There aren’t too many signs of hope at the moment, but Lind still has too much talent to give up on completely. Many players have peaked recently far later than anyone expected after significant periods of struggle. Josh Hamilton and Alex Gordon both were top rated prospects and took years to become fantasy relevant.

That’s not to say that Lind will ever reach their level, but you’ll be kicking yourself if he has that kind of future ahead of him.

What’s most puzzling is that Lind went from being totally unable to hit left-handed pitching, to hitting .333 against southpaws this season (albeit in just 18 at bats). He used to handle righties, but in 2011 he’s hitting just .196 against them. That screams small sample size, so if Lind can turn things around against righties he’ll be right back on track.

Lind’s power comes in bursts even when he’s struggling, so you’re smart if you ride him out and take advantage of the occasional extra homer and decent RBI production. He’s shown in the past that he’s capable of hitting for average, so wait him out a bit longer and see if that starts to come around.

Lind was drooled over at one point for a reason, and he’s still the same person. Give him a few more weeks before cutting ties.

Anyone Can Have Fun And Succeed At Fantasy Sports - A Sad But True Tale

I have a confession. My girlfriend just beat me (and eight other male friends) at fantasy hockey.

Maybe I should be proud of her accomplishment and pleased that she took an interest in one of my favorite hobbies this year, but I’m not that mature. I’m a 10-year fantasy hockey veteran that has secured multiple championships, and I just lost to a (albeit very pretty) girl.

My competitiveness has blinded me to the positives of her accomplishment, and now I’m up at nights contemplating where it all went wrong.

Thanks to me, she’s been planted in front of at least 100 Rangers games since the start of our relationship. I’ve got her in agreement that Henrik Lundqvist literally cannot be beaten in the shootout, that Marian Gaborik is a lazy S.O.B., and that Brandon Dubinsky is an MVP in waiting. But in general, the depth of her current hockey knowledge is shallower than a frat guy at a happy hour.

To my delight, she agreed to participate in a league with some of my friends and teammates, provided I give her a moderate amount of help. I quickly convinced her that after my team dragged hers all over the “ice,” she’d owe me a…favor.

It didn’t turn out that way. Despite my still standing belief that I had the best team in the league, somehow it was my significant other that went on an improbable playoff run from the six-seed and won the title.

There’s only one good thing I’ve taken from this ordeal. My girlfriend’s victory will be my go to argument from now on when someone says that fantasy sports are for dorks and that casual fans shouldn’t waste their time. Anyone can play, and anyone can win.

That’s not to take anything away from my boo; as a fantasy rookie she guided her squad through the bumps and bruises of the regular season and pulled off a string of stunning upsets in the postseason that would have impressed Shaka Smart. But with just a little guidance, everyone has a chance to do the same thing.

The basic principles of fantasy sports are simple. For the preseason draft you can use any one of 6,432,019 guides on sports Web sites. Once the season starts all you want to do is add the guys whose numbers keep climbing and get rid of the ones who don’t.

Sorry to all the “experts” out there, but that’s really it. Find guys trending upward and get them on your roster while getting rid of dead weight.

Of course, it’s a little more fun when you actually know what you’re talking about. I have “my guys” that I must retain year after year, and I know which players I like and dislike in real life. My encyclopedic knowledge of NHL stats gives me an advantage, but it doesn’t always translate to victory

As my girlfriend will readily tell you, it’s pretty easy to get hooked on fantasy sports. Most red-blooded Americans are fierce competitors and no matter how nerdy they think fantasy sports are, they understand the concept of winning and losing.

If you’re a casual sports fan, or if you’re dating one and you haven’t played the biggest internet craze of the century, I highly suggest you sign up. Fantasy sports are not going away anytime soon, and you may find that mini weekly victories are quite fun to wake up to on Monday mornings.

As for me, I’m going to give serious thought to retiring from my friends and teammates league. I just don’t know if I can stomach playing with those dorks again.