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 »

It’s been a while for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Juan Rivera. A while since he’s been a full-time player. A while since he’s been this healthy. And a while since he’s had this kind of impact, on both the Angels’ and fantasy teams’ lineups.

Rivera burst onto the scene in 2006 with a .310 average, 23 home runs and 85 RBIs and, with a current hot streak, is on target for eerily similar numbers this season. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS are all within a few points of his 2006 marks. Season projections have Rivera surpassing those career-best totals in homers, RBIs and runs scored. Read more »

The Los Angeles Angels began their offseason a tad early by picking up options on both Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey for $15 million and $9 million, respectively. The good news is that the Angels shore up their rotation and part of their outfield for the 2009 season. The bad news is that 29 other MLB GMs miss out on two marquee names to add to their roster for the 2009 season.

While picking up Lackey’s inexpensive option was a no-brainer for the Angels, picking up Guerrero’s option might draw a bit of criticism.

While only 32 years old, Guerrero’s numbers have seen a steady decline since he joined the Angels as a free agent before the start of the 2004 season. He has battled numerous injuries, which has certainly been a contributing factor for his decreased production. A serious back injury limited “the impailer” to just 112 games in 2003, which was his last season playing at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Certainly, having to play 81 games a year on that poor surface in Montreal certainly did not help matters much. Read more »