For fantasy owners with a stake in Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, home runs have been the source of steady frustration. Long balls have been partially responsible for spikes in production from season to season, and they have played a large part in his shorter, more implosive outings. In his first start of 2010, home runs by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson helped derail a disastrous outing and send Beckett to the showers early.

As a member of the Florida Marlins, Beckett allowed 0.8 home runs per 9 innings and had a sub-4.00 ERA in four of his five seasons. Since his 2006 trade to Boston, that rate has swelled to 1.1 homers per 9 in four seasons. Certainly, there are external factors involved — the gauntlet of offenses in the AL East, Fenway Park, his transition to the American League — but some of that responsibility is on Beckett. Read more »

We will be rolling out plenty of 2010 fantasy baseball coverage in the coming days, weeks and months, but let’s start right here with player-by-player profiles of our rough top 100 preseason rankings. Stay tuned to the site for more player profiles, draft kit information, rankings, sleepers, busts, etc. as Spring Training approaches.

Josh Beckett, SP, Boston Red Sox
Overview: A topsy turvy Cy Young candidate, who is both a reputed postseason killer and a risk for injury and inconsistency … even through ups and downs, is a steady force in strikeouts, WHIP and wins … should benefit this season from Boston’s dedication to improving its defense.
2009 numbers: 17-6, 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 199 Ks in 212.1 IP
Key splits and trends: Has won 15+ games in four of the last five seasons, which is a testament to his effectiveness and to run support in Boston … had a miserable stretch in August and September last season, giving up 14 home runs in 5 starts and seeing his ERA balloon from 3.10 to 3.87 … is 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 career postseason appearances (13 starts), but has a 7.71 ERA in his last 4 starts.
Strengths: Combination of power and command has helped him compile a 1.22 career WHIP and competitive strikeout totals … run support and victories are constants in Boston, even when Beckett isn’t at his very best.
Weaknesses: Knick-knack injuries and missed starts are always threats … inconsistencies are hard to explain given his talent, but has managed an ERA below 3.86 just once in the last four seasons.
Bold prediction for 2010: Beckett benefits from improved defense and finishes with 18 wins and a 3.30 ERA.

The end of a season is just about the only time where fans and fantasy owners can sit back and appreciate what their favorite players have accomplished. All things are equal then, so all numbers count the same. But, up until that point, there’s an ebb and flow to every player’s season, where hot streaks, cold streaks and fundamental changes should alter how he is viewed by fantasy owners.

There are all kinds of ways to split the numbers and get a deeper sense for a player’s long-term value. One of the easiest, most common ways is to take periodic snapshots of his production. Constantly take looks at the last seven days, the last two weeks, this month, last month, before the All-Star break, after the All-Star break. The numbers and the trends reveal stories and tell you where players have been and where they could ultimately be going. Read more »

So, what do you take from Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester’s no-hitter on Tuesday night? Start with a great, congratulatory feeling for the kid, even if you don’t like the Red Sox or have Lester on your fantasy team.

But, if you do like the Red Sox and do have Lester on your fantasy radar, you obviously should be feeling pretty good about him right now. He just threw a no-hitter, in his first career complete game by the way, but he had been performing solidly and steadily in the month leading up to this start. Monday night’s brilliance was a nice culmination of his good work, mixed with the Royals’ offensive futility and a little bit of luck. Read more »

So, what do you take from Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester’s no-hitter on Tuesday night? Start with a great, congratulatory feeling for the kid, even if you don’t like the Red Sox or have Lester on your fantasy team.

But, if you do like the Red Sox and do have Lester on your fantasy radar, you obviously should be feeling pretty good about him right now. He just threw a no-hitter, in his first career complete game by the way, but he had been performing solidly and steadily in the month leading up to this start. Monday night’s brilliance was a nice culmination of his good work, mixed with the Royals’ offensive futility and a little bit of luck. Read more »

So, what do you take from Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester’s no-hitter on Tuesday night? Start with a great, congratulatory feeling for the kid, even if you don’t like the Red Sox or have Lester on your fantasy team.

But, if you do like the Red Sox and do have Lester on your fantasy radar, you obviously should be feeling pretty good about him right now. He just threw a no-hitter, in his first career complete game by the way, but he had been performing solidly and steadily in the month leading up to this start. Monday night’s brilliance was a nice culmination of his good work, mixed with the Royals’ offensive futility and a little bit of luck. Read more »