Success in any brand of baseball, Major League or fantasy league, is measured by more than just the contributions of star players. The guys who unexpectedly step up and deliver throughout the season most often make or break that team’s chances of competing for a championship.

In real baseball, managers have tentative ideas of what each player on his 25-man roster will give him throughout the season. Fantasy owners aren’t much different. They do their best selecting players in their preseason drafts, then scour the waiver wire all season long looking for diamonds in the rough who can help their chances for a league title. Read more »

If all eight playoff spots were locked away this past Saturday, would anyone watch the final seven games or so of the regular season? Let’s face it, baseball just isn’t fun without a little bit of drama. This weekend, there’s plenty of that going around as three teams are separated by no more than a game heading into the three games of the 2008 regular season. The Houston Astros, sitting three and a half games out of playoff contention, need everything to work in their favor, but are still technically contending.

Start with the National League East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who had won nine of their last 10 games before losing two straight to the Atlanta Braves. They now just have a one-game lead ahead of the New York Mets and enter today’s games with a magic number of three games. Read more »