Fantasy Baseball 2012- Best Drafting Practices and Top 25 Position Players

The 2012 Fantasy Baseball season is coming up fast with pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just 5 weeks. Lets take a look ate the 2011 season and also look ahead to what we can predict for the 2012 season.

2011 was full of breakout players, Michael Morse had a tremendous season in his first full season he bated .301 with31 Hr's and had 95 RBI's. As great as last season was don't expect a repeat in 2012. Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals finally lived up to the hype he had when you broke into the league 4 years ago. Gordon batted .303 with23 Hr's and 87 RBI's. Most people feel this is what his best numbers are, I believe he finally figured it out and will only get better. Curtis Granderson broke loose in 2011 with a decent battingaverage of .262 but hit a whopping 41 Hr's and drove in 119 RBI's. Be careful with him Yankee Stadium is perfect for him but I would expect a regression in power numbers from him in 2012.

Before we get to the early season top 25 rankings lets go over a few draft tips to keep in mind when your draft in 2012.

1. Eliminate bias from your rankigs:I get caught in this trap all the time jut make sure your not ranking players high because they are on your favorite team. Try to keep a clear head when ranking your players.

2. Simple Plan to Evaluating Players:Basically do not get to cute with how you evaluate players. Keep it simple your basic numbers of runs, homeruns, rbi's, stolen bases and average are all the stats you need to look at. I am a big fan of the OPS to help predict production. When you over analysis is when you get into trouble keep it simple.

3. Have a Plan: Don't go in blind to your draft, have a plan on how you want to build your team. Are you going to focus on pitching, do you want power numbers out of your hitters or are you looking for those speed/runs guys. When you have a plan you won't draft all over the place and have holes in your lineup.

4. Test Your Ranking:Find a site and try your concept in a mock draft, I am a huge fan of ESPN site, solid basic rankings and you can change based on your strategy prior to the mock draft.

5. Evaluate You Mock Draft: The one thing you need to do is look at your mock draft and see what you liked and disliked. Did you reach for a player too soon. Did a player you think would go higher fall a couple rounds. By doing a bunch of mock draft you can get the pulse of what people are thinking and that gives you a better gauge on your draft strategy.

6. Have Fun: Above all have fun, most of us do this for entertainment and remember that its all about the competition with your fellow league members.

So here is what you all have been waiting for my Early 2012 Rankings of the top 25 position players.

1. Troy Tulowitzki (SS): Hits for power and average at a position historically not a power position.

2. Matt Kemp (OF): MVP candidate in 2011 and almost joined the 40/40 club. I think he just scratch th surface on his potential. He could easily be a 50/50 guy in the near future.

3. Miguel Cabrera (1B): He is a player you ca pencil in 30 hrs and 100 rbi's every year.

4. Joey Votto (1B): He could easliy be the best fantasy first baseman at the end of the 2012 season.

5. Albert Pujols (1B): He has been beast for years did so some signs of slowing down last year. Plus with the move to the American league it could be a learning curve on the new pitchers he has to face.

6. Prince Fielder (1B): Another player you can pencil in 30 hrs and 100 rbi's. The fact we do not know where he is playing right now hurts his value. It could fall even more depending on the ballpark he plays in during 2012 season.

7. Dustin Pedroia (2B): First non power hitting player. What he lacks in power he makes up in speed, average and runs.

8. Jacoby Ellsbury (OF): Played a little above his head in power numbers last season but the speed is sill there and he can see him hitting 20 plus homeruns again in 2012.

9. Robinson Cano (2B): Power numbers should be off the charts in the hitter friendly ball park but they have not been that way. Playing in a powered filled lineup hurts his value.

10. Jose Bautista (3B/OF): The past year and a half the best player in baseball, slowed in the second half of last season but he is still a beast at the plate. He proved his 50 Hr was not a fluke.

11. Justin Upton (OF): If you look at his numbers you could make an argument he was the NL MVP lasy season. Upton and Kemp will be fighting it out to see who is the best player in the NL west in 2012.

12. Adrian Gonzalez (1B): Slowed by injury last season his numbers were not what we are use to seeing. Look for that to change in 2012. They will need his bat in Boston if they want to keep place with the Yankees.

13. Andrew McCutchen (OF): Does not get enough press playing for the Pirates but he is a 5 tool player in the mold of Kemp and Upton. I think he takes a huge step forward in 2012.

14. Mark Teixeira(1B): He is a slow starter but once he get going he is one of the best. With ARod declining he will need to step up more this season which you could see a boost in numbers if you can image that.

15. Hunter Pence (OF): A full season in a Philly lineup where he has protection in front and back of him in the lineup will just increase his numbers.

16. Dan Uggla (2B): 2011 is a season Uggla would like t forget and so would many of his fantasy owners. I think by mid-season all will be forgotten he will be back and back with great numbers.

17. Evan Longoria(3B): He is a tricky player plays in a park that is not very friendly and is by far the best hitter in his team. With that being said he could easily be the best 3B this season. they may not be saying much as I think the position has gotten weak over the past few seasons.

18. Ian Kinsler (2B): Only if he could stay heathy just image the numbers, I can and think this is the year he puts it all together.

19. Curtis Granderson (OF): A left handed power back in Yankee stadium is all ways a good thing. Be careful cause he average is low but you take the good withthe bad cause he will hit 35 plus hr and 110 rbi's.

20. Pablo Sandoval (3B): The best hitter in SF last season and with Buster Posey coming back it could get even better in 2012.

21. Starlin Castro (SS): This may be a shock but he hits for great average and speed. He easily the best offensive player in Cubbie land and because he hits in the front of the lineup the numbers his normally produce well at won't drop but may improve.

22. Mike Stanton (OF): Had a amazing year in 2011 and with Reyes in Miami they could be more rbi's to be had in 2012. Look out he could be the next big thing in baseball.

23. Jay Bruce (OF): Slowed signs last year of being an elite player and this is the year he will battle Votto as the best offensive player in Cincinnati in 2012.

24. Ben Zobrist (2B/OF): One of those players he don't think of as a top 25 player but his stats tell a different story. Longoria ad Zobrist will carry the Rays and the fantasy numbers will so it.

25. Matt Holliday (OF): With Pujols gone he is the best offensive player in the power number stats. You would think with Pujols gone his numbers will suffer but he carried those Rockies teams for years but he has the ability and he can do it again.

Honrable Mentions: Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirza, Mike Napoli, Carlos Santana, Buster Posey, Josh Hamilton, Eric Homer and Victor Martinez.

Keep in mind the wavier wire can be your friend and you can find those great players there during the season. Alex Gordon and Michael Morse are prime examples of that in 2011. Keep a lookout for my fantasy pitcher rankings for 2012.