We’ve examined different elements that create a diamond in the rough fantasy prototype.  We’ve looked at coaching systems, pedigree, domed stadiums just to name a few.

One element of a fantasy sleeper we have not yet touched on is the chip on your shoulder, “something to prove” factor.  Our undervalued star has so much “something to prove” factor it’s pouring out of his eyeballs.  He is in a New York state of mind, much like he was before but now he’s thinking green, and no longer feeling blue.

Tired of the poetic rhetoric yet?

Plaxico Burress is your 2012 fantasy sleeper at wide receiver.  We’ve got every factor rolling here. Plax just finished serving a two year prison sentence where he has been building a chip the size of a small country for all sorts of reasons.  There are so many Plax haters out there that want him to fail, believe he is through at 34 years old.

If you’re looking for a track record to compare his situation to, do you remember that Michael Vick guy?

Believe me when I say this, Plaxico is not through folks. He’s a physcial freak of nature and if you don’t remember, let me grant you some clarity. This guy was a premiere physical talent when he last played.  As reliable and clutch as they come. According to ESPN Science, he has the longest wingspan of any wide out in the game. He’s super tall and reportedly has not shrunk since being in the cooler.

Catch my drift?

Even if you don’t, the sure hands of Plaxico Burress still will.

Also check out my latest article keeping up with U.S. Soccer star Alex Morgan. 

Follow @adamjun1 to keep the conversation going

You guessed it,  Sam Bradford, the St. Louis Rams second year starter!

Okay, you probably didn’t guess it but that’s precisely the point, right? Neither did any of your buddies so you are one leg up on them going into the season.

Bradford had a very serviceable 2010-2011 fantasy campaign as a rookie coming off shoulder surgery on what was projected to be one of the leagues worst.

Let’s break down why Bradford will in fact outplay his current ranking by a large margin.

For one, Bradford is much more familiar with the Rams offense and personnel than he was going into his first season. That’s just a natural progression that takes place with every starting quarterback, elite level or otherwise.  Two he still plays at least half his games in the friendly comforts of his home dome stadium in St. Louis. Simply put that means to frigid cold Missouri winds preventing him from throwing a perfect spiral to his teams receivers. Finally, that elusive “it” factor in great quarterbacks?

This guy has it.

Sam Bradford was born to be a quarterback and more importantly for your team’s fantasy hopes, he was indeed born to be a fantasy quarterback.

Follow @adamjun1 to keep the conversation going.

’12 Undervalued WR

As we speed through the best sleepers at each position before the season opener between the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, it’s important to site the best indicator for forecasting a fantasy diamond in the rough.

The past.

Let’s take coaching for example. It has long been debated which holds more importance in fantasy performance, talent levels, or offensive systems and schemes.  The fantasy dorks in the Rant Sports lab have taken to finding an answer to this question and after much poking, prodding and a few petri dish experiments the hypothesis is clear.

It’s a little of both.

Mike Shanahan, the former Denver Broncos coach and current signal caller for the Washington Redskins is the biggest example of a “system coach” as we have in the league today. Mike is so self-absored that he believes he could plug any no-talent player into his system and they will get results. While it may be easy to look at Shannahan as a crazy old bat who is ignoring the age old law that players not coaches win football games, his track record is impossible to ignore.

Olandis Gary, Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, Rueben Droughns. What do all these no name running backs have in common? I’ll tell you what, they all rushed for 1,000 yards when they had no business doing it. Guys like Mike Bell and Ryan Torain likely would have reached the feat as well had they been able to stay healthy.

It’s that zone-blocking scheme run by Shanahan, it’s fool proof.

That leads us to our 2012 Diamond in the Rough. Running back Tim Hightower. The former highly touted draft pick from the Arizona Cardinals came over in a trade this off season. When Torain went down with an injury, Hightower appeared to take the reigns as the new feature back. Hightower’s draft slot of 149 makes him one of the highest drafted runners to start for Shanahan.

Again this guy could make your grandmother a 1,000 yard back.

Shanahan never makes it easy on fantasy owners, often surprising with a back coming out of left field to take the majority of the carries. In this case take rookie burner Roy Helu as insurance, and pick Hightower with confidence. Thanks to Shanahan’s coaching scheme you’ve likely picked up a top ten back and one of the biggest sleepers around.

Follow @adamjun1 to  keep the conversation going.

When it’s all said and done you need to find the diamonds in the rough. The dudes coming off an injury, people are down on, or people don’t see coming. They’re fantasy footballs most undervalued stars and they also double as the darling of your team.

Follow Adam @adamjun1 to keep the conversation going.

Your team may have had the fantasy MVP anchoring your rotation.

Your team may have been ravaged with injuries. 

The thing about fantasy is it doesn’t matter how you got there, as long as you found a way to make it into the postseason.

Beginning on day one of the  fantasy playoff, the cruisers and the scrappers are next to each other, bobbing in the waves in the same boats with nothing from the regular season to distinguish one team from the other.

Sorry cruisers, but it’s truly mano y mano. You’re in a street fight and you’re both rolling with the exact same odds, a clean slate.

For those of you looking to improve your odds once your playoff match up is set, there are outlets to do just that.  If your league still allows you to make moves with no predetermined  ”playoff roster” of sorts, there is a strategy that you can apply to your team.

Strategy: Identify your playoff opponents team weaknesses.  If you play in a league that offers points by winning team categories like K’s, steals, bombs, RBI, batting average etc. than do your best to make sure that your guys are decidedly better in at least one more category than your opponent.

For example if your opponent is weak in steals, RBI, and HRs and you feel that those are winnable categories with the right player in free agency, pick him up. If you need bombs and RBI’s and you think you already have steals wrapped up, consider dropping Erik Aybar in favor of J.J. Hardy. It’s the playoffs man, win or go home and making these moves seemingly out of desperation is the equivalent of an MLB manager bringing in their stud starting pitcher from the bullpen in an elimination game.

Conventional wisdom is not always applicable in the fantasy playoffs.

So set your lineup, ride the guys that got you there and if you haven’t already make sure to cross your fingers, rub a bald monk’s head or any partake in any other luck bringing practice you subscribe to because like it or not, at the end of the day it’s going to come down to the way the ball bounces.

It hasn’t been an easy season to endure for Dodgers fans. To say the least. They have watched as their talented club has toiled in the middle of the N.L. West pack. Legal financial problems also cast a shadow over this proud franchise. That doesn’t mean they are without any fantasy value.

Outfield:

The Dodgers boast two All-Stars in one of the finest outfields in the Majors.

Leadoff hitter Tony Gwynn Jr. does not quite have the bat control of his Hall of Fame dad. Gwynn does feature some speed but not enough for a look on your team.

Andre Either was voted in to the N.L. All-Star team in the final vote, but has actually dramatically under performed. The highly recognized Dodger right fielder has been more bark than bite with a paltry 9 home runs.

Matt Kemp has been nothing short of the N.L MVP, even on a team that needs a lot of help to get back into the playoff race. Kemp has been the quintessential all-cat producer: .315 BA, 24 HR, 72 RBI and 27 SB. Yikes. Those that took a chance on him after a disappointing 2010 have rode the wave to a huge payoff all season.

First Base:

James Loney is the lightest hitting 1B in the league and he isn’t contributing in any other category in 2011 either. In short, no place for Loney on your fantasy team.

Second Base:

Jamey Carrol, swift with the glove, clumsy with the bat.

Shortstop:

Rafael Furcal, paid like a superstar, plays like he needs to start looking into softball leagues.

Third Base:

Juan Uribe can be a clutch contributor down the stretch to an MLB club as he showed last season, but he was born in i1979 and hung up his fantasy cleats long ago.

Catcher:

Dioner Navarro and Rod Barajas aren’t even worth a punchline joke. Their fantasy output does the trick on its own.

Starting 5:

Clayton Kershaw has been a genuine ace for L.A. Barring injury, the young lefty will likely spend many seasons near the top of the fantasy heap of starting pitchers, producing wins, K’s and excellent WHIP and ERA.

Chad Billingsley has been a disappointment this season and may be more relevant as the season moves along but his status as one of the games up and coming aces has vanished.

Hiroki Kuroda throws a heavy ball and induces a lot of ground balls. His sinker has provided him a comfortable niche in baseball and he has been a positive contributors to many fantasy teams in 2011.

Bullpen:

To the chagrin of many fantasy owners expecting a bounce back season from Jonathon Broxton, the big righty completely melted down. The former All-Star’s failings have paved the way for young Javy Guerra, who has done an admirable job filling in. Guerra presents an opportunity in injury or as a fill in but will need to demonstrate excellence to carve out a regular spot in most leagues.

Fantasy Quotient: 59/100

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*See how the Mariners measure up against A.L. West rival: Angels Quotient Anaheim, Rangers Quotient, A’s Quotient

Seattle is the incredible case of two extremes. Great starting pitching, atrocious lineup. Let’s take a look at what that equates to in the Mariner’s Fantasy Quotient. In fact the Mariners light hitting ways make Quotient history.

Outfield:

There is no usable players in the Mariners outfield. Even Ichiro is having a down season. The usually 200 hit shoe-in has dramatically under performed, and is useful only if your team desperately need steals.

Greg Halman has performed admirably in limited action but he still cannot be used in good faith in any format.

The outfield cupboard is bare in Seattle.

First Base:

Adam Kennedy has a better shot of joining his unrelated surname sharing family in politics, then contributing anything to your team.

Second Base:

The light-hitting rookie second baseman (Dustin Ackley) hit third last night. Typical Mariners.

Shortstop:

Brandon Ryan the quirky former Cardinal can really field… Did I mention he can field? Not worth a second look in fantasy.

Third Base:

One of the worst long term contracts in the game was given to former Angels third baseman Chone Figgins. Zero fantasy value yet again. Poor Mariners…

Catcher:

No way we man have something here in Mariners catcher Miguel Olivo! Okay not totally the Seattle backstop is hitting an unsightly .227 this season. He has hit 12 home runs and swiped a couple of bags. He is fringe at best which makes him a superstar in Seattle… Yikes.

Utility:

The once highly touted Justin Smoak was supposed to have it figured out to some degree by now. He doesn’t. As they say, where there’s Smoak, there’s another punchless Mariner.

Starting 5:

Despite historic levels lot of nothing in their lineup, the Mariners have managed to stay in the thick of the A.L. West most of the season until their current 6 game slide put them in third place and eight and a half games out. How is that possible? Well the Mariners have a stacked pitching staff that can beat you any given night with little run support. Reigning Cy Young award winner King Felix Hernandez isn’t having the season he did last year but still putting up remarkable stats. Rookie Michael Pineda made the All-Star team for the A.L. and is having an incredible year. Peter Gammons tweeted that his sources say he may be even better than Hernandez one day.

Now that would be something. Pineda has been a huge addition to many fantasy teams. Finally the renaissance of Erik Bedard has been a great story. Bedard, after spending one and a half injury mired seasons in Seattle, was performing impeccably before taking yet another precautionary trip to the D.L. Bedard should return in late July and the flame thrower is worth a look if an owner in your league elects to drop him for healthier options.

Bullpen:

Brandon League is good option for saves as the Mariners excellent starters and lack of hitters give him plenty of close games to pitch in. So far he has 23 saves. His ERA, WHIP, and K’s have all been at or above the league average.

Overall:

The Mariners starting pitching is astoundingly good. But as good as the staff has been the Mariners have been ever more horrible then the starters have been good. The Mariners play to the strengths of their ballpark and good for them but you still have to score if you expect to win, or in this case score high on Rant’s Quotient.

Mariners Quotient: 39/100

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Chicago White Sox

The Brew Crew is built to win now. They are loaded with talented starting pitchers, following the San Francisco Giants World Series blueprint to a tee with a bunch of stud starting pitching. The most noticeable difference between the Giants and Brewers is the ‘Crew can rake. Let’s see how all of that translates to fantasy value!

Outfield:

Usually Hit-or-miss in fantasy, Corey Hart has been a very useable commodity in 2011 with 10 bombs, 3 steals and a .270 batting average at the break.

At first glance center fielder Carlos Gomez may appear to be a fantasy option. When you squint however, his excellent 6 bombs and 15 swipes are overshadowed by his paltry .225. If he can boost that over .250 in the second half he could be a fringe contributor.

Ryan Braun has had the best season of his career which is saying something for the perennial All-Star. The ‘Crews All-American man is pure stud fantasy or otherwise. Braun-owners can boast having one of the few all cat producers in the game, with 57 runs scored, 16 bombs, 62 Brewers driven in and a scintillating 19 swipes all with a tidy .320 BA and .402 OBP. Read those again for effect.

First Base

Prince Fielder has gotten a little promotion at the midpoint of the season. Fielder is currently the king of 1B producers in the National League. This little chunk is oozing with talent and is also in a contract year. Put those together and you have one outstanding fantasy season and a huge payoff this winter barring a lockout.

Second Baseman

For awhile the only thing Wisconsin about Rickie Weeks’ game was his bat because he swung it like swiss cheese. Last year he starting figuring it out with 28 bombs and he has really carried that momentum into this season. Weeks earned the starting nod for the National League All-Stars and his numbers are backing the choice made ultimately by the fans. He is a top notch fantasy option.

Shortstop

After two of the biggest studs in the game at their respective positions, Yuniesky Betancourt reminds us that no MLB team has an All-Star at every position. Betancourt is your classic “for defensive purposes only” dude and he gives you nothing in fantasy, even at a weak position.

Third Base

Oh, that didn’t take long, another snoozing no cat contributor. Casey McGehee completes the Tale of Two Sides of the Infield in Milwaukee. Good defender, poor hitter, no fantasy value.

Catcher

Aaaaand we’re back coming at you live with some fantasy talent after a brief hiatus devoid of any. Jonathan Lucroy, the Crew’s talented backstop was injured at the beginning of the season but has come back in a big way with 8 bombs at a .280 clip. Lucroy is a sneaky pickup and has likely slipped under the radar in your league. He’s definitely a middle tier fantasy catcher and worth a look.

Starting 5

This is where the Brewers bring out the heavy guns, boasting four, count ‘em four ownable starting pitchers. Shaun Marcum has been the staff ace since being brought over by the Toronto Blue Jays and is also the best pitcher on the Brewers to own so far in 2011. However, at any given time the dynamic Zack Greinke and electrifying Yovani Gallardo are capable of going on a tear that puts them among the top 3 in the game. Randy Wolf has been his usual steady self and a fringe fantasy option as a final starter as well. This group has the potential to slug it out with the Giants and Philadelphia Phillies as the best rotation in the game.

Bullpen:

John Axford has brought a ton of stability to the back end of the Brewers bullpen, converting 23 of a possible 25 saves. He is an excellent fantasy option for several reason. One, the ‘Crew is always winning close ones and that figures to continue, two, Axford’s ERA is magnificent at 2.83 and three, he does a serviceable contributing to the strikeout cause.
Overall:

This team may have more talent that any in the big leagues as surprising as that may sound. They have three All-Star starters, a starting rotation that hangs with the big boys, and one of the games best closers. The ‘Crew has big plans for 2011 and not just in fantasy.

Brewers Fantasy Quotient: 97/100

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Chicago White Sox Quotient

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As the Reds fight to stay afloat in the N.L. Central, let’s see how their talented bunch of hitters holds up against the best of the MLB.

Outfield:

Lead off man Drew Stubbs has been a fantasy stat stuffer with 23 swipes and 11 bombs. He’s not much for average but he contributes in every other category.

As for left fielder Fred Lewis, that dude is as likely to show up in a fantasy column as you’re about to show up to a NASCAR race.

Jay Bruce is officially making the jump from world class talent to world class bomber with 21 bombs. He’s struggled as of late with average but is a valuable commodity that also has chipped in 6 steals on the season.

First Base:

The reigning N.L. MVP had some lofty expectations to live up to, and Joey Votto has done a great doing just that with an eye popping on base percentage and batting average. His bomb totals and RBI’s could be a little higher but Votto will likely finish the season with 25-30 round trippers.

Second Base:

Brandon Phillips is performing at his usual usable rates. His numbers aren’t staggering but he contributes in every category and having a second sacker who can go yard and not waste your batting average (see Uggla, Dan) is definitely a novelty item for a fantasy team.

Shortstop:

Edgar Renteria has proven to be one of the best clutch World Series performers of all time, having helped dispatch of the Cleveland Indians in 1997 with a big hit off Indian closer Jose Mesa, and his latest WS heroics for the San Francisco Giants in 2010. What does that mean in fantasy? Nothing, Edgar’s goose is cooked on the fantasy fields.

Third Base:

Scott Rolen helped lead many fantasy teams to a long playoff run with an outstanding renascence 2010 season. Unfortunately, there has been absolutely no carry over as Rolen is collecting dust again on the fantasy shelf.

Cacther:

Ramon Hernandez has been heavy in average and bombs but light in RBI’s and runs scored. Those numbers should follow suit if his other more pertinent numbers follow suit and Hernandez is an excellent option as a fantasy backstop.

Starting 5:

Johnny Cueto and Edison Volquez appeared nearly interchangeable. To you flame throwers with everything in their horizon. Volquez will continue to progress as the Reds Opening day starter has spend time in the minor leagues refining control problems that have plagued him all season. Cuteo has been lights out since returning from an injury earlier in the season going 5-4 with an incredible 1.97 ERA. He contributes nicely in K’s and his WHIP is at a sharp 1.00. Cueto is the only usable fantasy starter on the Reds roster currently.

Bullpen:

Francisco Cordero has been been one of the most reliable closers in the game, posting a sparkling 2.54 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. His save total is a little low for the marquee at 17, but it’s been more for the lack of opportunity then his ability to convert.

Overall:

The Reds can rake, there isn’t two ways about it but they do have a glaring hole in their rotation. It will be interesting to see if they can get right on the mound in the second half and make a run in defeding their N.L. Central title. Smart money says they don’t have the starters to get it done. The Reds Quotient is a perfect example of why fantasy ratings are different then the real deal.

Reds Fantasy Quotient: 88/100

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The Fighting Fish were floundering so they brought the 80 year old Jack McKeon out of retirement to try and right the ship. McKeon won a World Series with the Marlins in ’03 and will look to put a once promising season back on track. Let’s explore the fantasy value that exists among the youthful Marlins.

Outfield:

Mike Stanton can hit a baseball to land from the middle of the Pacific and has the “future superstar” look about him, but what about his value this year? Stanton’s tremendous power makes him ownable in all formats. Despite missing some time to injury he has hit 16 round trippers. Expect that number to continue to climb. The Marlins 22 year-old right fielder has the type of natural power that will likely have him in the thick of the home run crown over the course of his career.

24 year old Logan Morrison has cooled considerably after a hot start. LoMo’s ho-hum home run total of 9, and below average .264 BA coupled with very little speed are signs to look elsewhere for more fantasy production.

Speedster Emilio Bonifacio has not swiped nearly enough bags (5) to make up for his lack of power and poor batting average.

First Base:

Whether it’s a photo of you and a buddy carrying a 30 lb bass or a shot next to Gaby Sánchez, one thing is true, you have a photo of a big fish. Sanchez has been a surprise performer this season, posting 13 bombs, 45 fish driven in all at a tidy .301 clip. Those who took a chance on Sanchez early in the season have received big dividends.

Second Base:

Omar Infante is scrappy player and a solid defender but this fantasy minnow has not put forward his best performance this season, struggling in all offensive categories.

Shortstop:

Hanley Ramírez, a perennial top three fantasy draft pick has been a major disappointment so far this season. There has really been no clear explanation to the biggest fish’s first half flop. Ramirez, who usually is an all-cat producer is killing owners in batting average, RBI’s and bombs. H-Ram will look to bounce back in the second half with old baseball sage Jack McKeon back at the controls to help sturdy the shaky star. Ramirez has remained a fantasy asset in the speed (14 steals) department. Look for a strong second half from a player too talented to be kept down for long.

Third Baseman:

Gregg Dobbs boasts a worthy .305 BA but a fantasy owner won’t find any power or speed (1 bomb, 0 steals) from the Marlins hot corner. As a result Dobbs is not worth a look in most formats.

Catcher:

John Buck can hit it out when he makes contact but he does that so rarely that the Marlins everyday backstop can be added to the list of Marlins to pass on in the fantasy department.

Starting 5:

This is where things get interesting for the Fish as they boast two of the finest fantasy commodities in the game at the top of their rotation. The talented Anibal Sánchez has really put it together this season with 107 K’s a 2.82 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. The fact that right the handed fire-baller has only been able to snag 6 wins has to do with the feeble Fish’s hitting during his starts. Josh Johnson, one of the best and most dynamic starters in all of baseball, has been on the injured list since May 17th and is scheduled to rejoin the Marlins after the All-Star Break. Johnson was terrorizing the National League before he was hurt and will be a huge boost to both fantasy owners and his team upon returning.

Bullpen:

Leo Núñez has really shut the door when called upon in the 9th as the Marlins closer, saving 21 games. In fact, the 28 year old right-hander is a strong candidate to be the Marlins lone representative at this seasons Mid Summer Classic.

Overall:

Right now the Fish are floundering, both in the standings and in fantasy leagues. They possess a very talented group of young players and will likely heat up and improve their overall standing in the second half. As it stands right now, the Marlins have to few fantasy contributors, and too many disappointments to hang with the leagues fantasy elite.

Marlins Fantasy Quotient: 51/100

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