I usually avoid the top ten lists that you see on most fantasy sites. This is primarily because I find there is very little value in a list of players without scouting reports or evaluations of some kind that let the reader know why "Player A" is listed ahead of "Player B". This is why I have zero problem with suggesting you read this very interesting comparison between the Top 100 Outfielder lists of The Sporting News and Fanball.com fantasy baseball magazines and the list of my friend Paul Sporer of Baseball By Paul.
A small sample:
Now just for the hell of it, my top 15 outfielders. I won't allow you to hold me to it in drafts because it changes frequently but this is what it looks like right now.The Milledge difference seems to be a stark difference of opinion. My love for Milledge in 2009 could start reaching Jason Collette-Nelson Cruz levels by the spring. Meanwhile, fanball is less than impressed with the budding outfielder. The accompanying capsule for Milledge said they were put off by his streakiness which isn’t a totally unfair critique. It’s easier for me to overlook the month-to-month swings since I play roto leagues almost exclusively. If he avoids the slow start he had in 2008 and doesn’t miss an entire as he did last July, I can’t see how he doesn’t show growth in 2009.
The Tattooed Titan, Josh Hamilton, fell pretty deep in their top 20. I remember thinking I might have been overrating him at six and it seems that the fanball guys would seem to say I did in fact. However, if they look at my rating of sixth among outfielders and think I was generous compared to their 18 slotting, I wonder what they thought of Yahoo!’s Brandon Funston rating him ninth OVERALL on his initial Big Board of 2009.
1. Grady Sizemore - You can't go too wrong starting with 40/40
2. Ryan Braun - Everyone's favorite slugger steals a few bases too
3. BJ Upton - A 30/30 season would not shock me, in fact I expect one
4. Matt Kemp - This is the guy I want in every draft this season
5. Josh Hamilton - Others may doubt him, but I have faith he'll deserve this ranking
6. Matt Holliday - The change of teams won't be a problem
6. Carl Crawford - One injury-marred season after a long string of great ones
8. Carlos Beltran - Always better than expected
9. Carlos Lee - A stud slugger, in a great ballpark
10. Jason Bay - Fenway and the Red Sox lineup are big positives
11. Nick Markakis - Only a dozen stolen bases keep him from the top five
12. Curtis Granderson - He could very well be number one in 2010
13. Shane Victorino - He could have a 20/40 season this year
14. Ichiro Suzuki - Another boring .330, 50 stolen base season
15. Manny Ramirez - The decline is coming but he isn't done yet
