This past year, if you've listend to Lenny Melnick and I discuss draft strategies on our weekly talk show, Talking Baseball Live, you know that we encourage Fantasy Owners to take hitters in the first several rounds of your draft.  This strategy is not just for traditional or snake drafts, but also includes your auction draft formats.  We've each found success utilizing this strategy, along with a mix of others, to help propel us to League Championships.

Over my 18 years of playing Fantasy Baseball, I've learned many different strategies that I've mixed and matched to fit  my own style.  I've taken bits and pieces of advice from experts like Ron Shandler and my partner on the Radio Show, Lenny Melnick, and utilized it to take advantage of the draft board.  Don't be ashamed to do the same.  If the information is out there, take it an run with it.  Many of these guys, including myself, will do the leg work for you, but it's up to you take the information and use it during your draft(s).

For far too many fantasy owners, the months between the World Series and the start of spring training have become an extended vacation from the stewardship of their teams.  Without box scores to digest during lunch breaks at work or Baseball Tonight to keep them company at night, many owners lapse into a state of apathy and disinterest.

There will be some shockers, sleepers, and disappointments in my Top 300, but that's to be expected.  You'll also see that some of the positional rankings have changed since the last time you've seen them.  All the above are to be expected as we grow ever so closely to the beginning of draft season.

If you've hung around the site most of the Top 12 will not be a surprise. If it's your first time, and you're like, "What the hell? How can Albert Pujols be 12?" I feel ya.

Pujols, as it's been stated before, is a player who will have decent numbers, I, as many others feel, will not be as dominant as in years past.  With no real protection or table setters in the lineup, I see Pujols reaching 30-35 HR's, but the area I see that will hurt many Fantasy Owners is in the RBI department.

This list will change probably change five more times before opening day as news and notes from around Major League come out.  I think though, that you'll find this list, for the most part a little different then other "EXPERTS" and their Top 100/250/300.  I really took my time putting this together, getting all the information I gathered from the Winter Meetings, as well as the numerous phone calls to scouts, executives, and coaches.

Remember, this is a tool to help you make YOUR decisions as you put together your lists.  Let me be your Bench Coach for 2008, but when it comes down to the decision, YOU'RE the Manager.

Click Here to see the TOP 300

For many fantasy baseball purists, a head-to-head league will always be seen as a bastardized version of the original, a red-headed stepchild to the traditional 5 X 5 rotisserie format.

Not to me.  I play both styles each year.  And enjoy each of them for their own subtle virtues.  I enjoy the balance that head-to-head leagues provide to the marathon 162-game rotisserie season.  I enjoy knowing where I stand by the time I get to work Monday morning.  I like that there are winners and losers each week (unless, of course, there’s a tie).  And I like the fact that my often-inferior team can sometimes win merely on the strength of strategy, technique and smoke and mirrors.

Owing to the weekly nature of head-to-head competition, the strategies for fielding a winning team are often more nuanced and unique.  A weekly scoring system encourages parity, often resulting in a league where more teams are able to compete for postseason play deeper into the year.  This just isn’t possible in traditional rotisserie play.

Closers are one of those positions you can get late in the draft.  Some Fantasy Owners like to nab their closers early, but if you've listened to the Radio Show, Mock Draft play-by-play, or my pal Lenny Melnick, you know by now that you will screw your team by picking closers to early.  

When people e-mail and ask me when should they draft their first closer, I always suggest in the 10th-12th round.  You'll still get one of the top closers in the game even that late. Here is a list of closers who went in the 10th or later in Monday, Jan. 14th "EXPERT" Mock Draft, held over at MockDraftCentral.com:

If you've been checking out this site for a while you know that I hate picking starting pitchers before the 8th or 9th round.  I have to step back and be realistic here when generating these rankings because some see starting pitching as very important.  I still don't believe that any starting pitchers should be chosen in the first round and my rankings reflect that.

Johan Santana is still the #1 pitcher out there, although I'll have to say that Jake Peavy is not to far behind him.  Now, if Santana happens to get traded to the New York Mets, which as a Mets fan I would love, make the deal already Omar, his numbers could be better then in years past, which is scary.  The Mets ballpark is a pitchers ballpark, and pitching in the National League should lower his era.  Here's to seeing that deal go down!!!

My sleeper starting pitcher for 2008 is newly acquired Tampa Bay Ray Matt Garza. In now his third years a starting pitcher, Garza to me is primed for a break out year.  Last year after goin 5-7 with a 3.69 era Garza showed the poise and make-up of a top of the rotation type starter. Some will probably disagree, but after watching him pitch several times, if he can get over his Tom Glavine first innings issues, and not tire once he gets to the sixth he'll be good.  Garza is one of those pitchers you can take a chance on late in the draft, and is a pitcher I see winning 10 games.

The two New York 3B lead the way once again in 2008 as the Top 3B's in the game. In both AL and NL Leagues Alex Rodriguez and David Wright are the cream of the crop.  Don't get me wrong though, there is a difference between these two sluggers.  A-Rod continues to hit the A-Bombs all the while still stealing you over 20 bases, a great five tool player.  Wright on the other hand, is you poor mans version of A-Rod, filling out all five categories, but at a reduced price.

Those guys aren't the only 3B's ruling the hot corner. With Miguel Cabrera now in Detroit, look for his numbers to slightly improve with the lineup around him.  Ryan Braun, last years NL Rookie of the Year, is another great early pick in your draft. Note this; there is talk that the Brewers may move Braun to the outfield, see Bill Hall and how he handled that last year.  This could be one of the moves to watch in spring training to see how Braun adjusts to his new position.

Again, let me apologize first off for not getting this out fast enough for some of you.  Unfortunately my real-job was getting in the way. Ok enough excuses. These rankings may have some surprises, but after spending the last two months gathering information from the web, scouts, coaches, and executives, their little bits add up and help me put together my rankings.

My Top guy, who is probably tops on many lists is Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies.  This guy is still in his Power Peak years, and still players for in Colorado where he places half his games.  I will tell you that I was a little torn here because I really feel as though Alfonso Soriano is the better Fantasy Outfielder.  Soriano gives you all 5 categories, and is a player I feel will have a better year than last.

With names like Jose Reyes, Derek Jeter, Hanley Ramirez, and National League MVP Jimmy Rollins, whats not to like about the 2008 SS list.  In MockDraftCentral's Average Draft Position (ADP) Report, Ramirez, Reyes, and Rollins are all going in the 1st round.  This is a great sign for those who have a middle draft position.

I've mention it several times on here that scarcity positions like SS, play an important part in your draft strategy.  The great news about these three is that each is dynamic enough to help you in all five categories of a 5x5 league.  These guys are so good, that players like Ramirez and Reyes have all be selected as early as #1.

Scarcity, scarcity, scarcity. That phrase is the new, "It is what it is." 

We hear it all to often as a Fantasy Baseball Owner.  The need to fill in those positions that are scarce, like 2B, SS, and catchers.  Today, we look at the 2B for the 2008 season.

2B is starting to get deeper, but there is only one player worthy of being selected in the first round, Chase Utley. The Philadelphia 2B has not only been the best at his position, but in NL and Mixed 5x5 leagues.  In our latest ADP Report, Utley has been selected in recent Mock Drafts as early as the 2nd pick.