by Nicholas Cicale (@nickcicale)
This piece is pretty easy to figure out. Throughout you fantasy football draft there are a handful of teammates that have similar value, are fighting for roles in their offense, and are going in or around the same spot. Here, I go through a few of these situations for each position (other than quarterback) and explain who should be getting your vote of confidence.
St. Louis Cardinals (101-61)
Team Ace: Adam Wainwright
Breakout Player: Matt Adams
The Cardinal’s one weakness last season was their defense, and improving that aspect of their game was the top priority in the offseason. The Cardinals cut ties with Carlos Beltran in order to get younger, faster and to steal a few more runs in center field with Peter Bourjos. They moved Matt Carpenter to 3rd base to replace David Freese, and now have the combination of Mark Ellis and Kolten Wong at second base, both who bring consistent offensive production and top defensive skills. Also, by moving Allen Craig to the outfield, they have an opening for Matt Adams at first, which with the addition of Jhonny Peralta will try to replace Beltran’s bat in the lineup. Even if the Cardinals suffer some injuries in the outfield, middle infield or at first, they have options to replace them. Jon Jay always’s manages to steal at bats every year, and is a great piece in the outfield. Prospect Oscer Taveras looks like he’ll be joining the big team sooner rather than later, giving them even more versatility. And they still have Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso, who played around 130 games each last season, riding the bench and ready to fill in at 3rd, 2nd, or short if needed. (more…)
#6. The St. Louis Cardinals
Team Ace: Adam Wainwright
Most Valuable Position Player: Yadier Molina
Breakout Candidate: David Freese (after he returns from injury)
Notable Offseason Additions:none
Notable Offseason Losses: Kyle Lohse, Raphael Furcal (Injury), David Freese (Injury)
Biggest Team Weakness: Shortstop
