Kuzul

With the fantasy trade deadlines coming up this week and next (I have four red-letter dates this Friday), it’s time for owners to make one last pitch for baseball’s elite categorical contributors.

AccuScore, a company that specializes in thorough game simulations, has made a few on-the-fly revisions to its seasonal projections.

These 46 hitters, based on AccuScore projections (not mine), will register at least nine home runs from this point forward (Aug. 7-Sept. 30):

Part I
1. Adam Dunn, White Sox—14
2. Ryan Braun, Brewers—13
3. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers—13
4. Curtis Granderson, Yankees—12
5. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs—12
6. Josh Hamilton, Rangers—12
7. Albert Pujols, Angels—12
8. Mark Trumbo, Angels—12
9. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays—12
10. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays—12
11. Matt Kemp, Dodgers—11
12. Mark Teixeira, Yankees—11
13. Paul Konerko, White Sox—11
14. Josh Willingham, Twins—11
15. Corey Hart, Brewers—11
16. Prince Fielder, Tigers—11
17. Mike Trout, Angels—10
18. David Ortiz, Red Sox—10
19. Robinson Cano, Yankees—10
20. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins—10
21. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies—10
22. Jay Bruce, Reds—10
23. Adam LaRoche, Nationals—10

Part II
24. Trevor Plouffe, Twins—10
25. Nelson Cruz, Rangers—10
26. Adrian Beltre, Rangers—10
27. Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics—10
28. Adam Jones, Orioles—9
29. Kevin Youkilis, White Sox—9
30. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates—9
31. Mike Napoli, Rangers—9
32. Pedro Alvarez, Pirates—9
33. Dan Uggla, Braves—9
34. Mark Reynolds, Orioles—9
35. Alfonso Soriano, Cubs—9
36. Ryan Howard, Phillies—9
37. Josh Reddick, Athletics—9
38. Will Middlebrooks, Red Sox—9
39. Michael Morse, Nationals—9
40. Aramis Ramirez, Brewers—9
41. Matt Holliday, Cardinals—9
42. Carlos Quentin, Padres—9
43. Nick Swisher, Yankees—9
44. Joey Votto, Reds—9
45. Carlos Beltran, Cardinals—9
46. Brandon Moss, Athletics—9
 

Breakdown

• The prediction that immediately stands out is Anthony Rizzo (9 HR, 23 RBI, .301 BA) clubbing 12 homers from this point forward. To date, he’s averaging one homer for every 14.78 at-bats. Extrapolating that figure over another 49 games (sitting out six) with four daily at-bats (conservative estimate), that’s another 196 at-bats for the season…or 13.26 home runs. AccuScore’s right in that ballpark.
• I’ll reluctantly buy the “under” on Adam Dunn’s prediction of 14 homers from this point forward. For the season, Dunn (31 HR, 74 RBI, .205 BA) has a sterling trend of one homer for every 12.26 at-bats. But in the last 30 days, Dunn’s rate has regressed to one homer for every 15.2 at-bats.
• Noticeably absent from this list: David Wright, Evan Longoria, Chris Davis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adam Lind, Alex Rios, Ryan Zimmerman, Startling Marte, Ian Kinsler, Jason Kubel, Ike Davis, Brian McCann, Carlos Pena, Carlos Santana, Buster Posey, Shin-Soo Choo, Justin Morneau, Hunter Pence, Dayan Viciedo, Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon.
• I’ve seen approximately 12 of Paul Goldschmidt‘s 16 homers on live TV this season, via MLB Extra Innings. And that somehow led me to believe Goldy was belting bombs at a more prodigious rate than one homer per 21 at-bats (seasonal)…or one homer for every 16.1 at-bats (minus a shaky April). If he maintains that May-August pace, he’ll clear double digits.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

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The following slideshow touts Fantasyland’s All-Star team for the month of June.

To clarify, the 27-man listing only honors statistics from the 30-day window for June and does not necessarily reflect a player’s status from April, May or the preseason.

The competition among outfielders and the corner infield spots was particularly intense.

And yet, this should hardly mollify the embedded masses crying foul over alleged snubs involving Brandon Phillips, David Price, David Ortiz, Mark Trumbo, Colby Rasmus, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kubel, Juan Pierre, Ben Revere, Josh Johnson, Wade Miley, Justin Verlander, Ryan Vogelsong, Scott Diamond, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Broxton, Ernesto Frieri and Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster (not enough strikeouts), among others.

Enjoy the show!

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Here are 10 under-26 prospects (in alphabetical order) who are tearing it up in the minor leagues.

Whether any of these talents gets promoted to the majors soon is unknown, but if their numbers are called sometime between late June and early September, be ready to scoop ’em up in 12- 14- or 16-team leagues.

Pitchers

SP Trevor Bauer, Reno Aces (Triple-A)
Age: 21
Parent Club: Arizona Diamondbacks
2012 Stats: 11-1, 2.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104/42 K-BB
Skinny: There’s no time like the present in splurging for a Justin Verlander/Clayton Kershaw/Stephen Strasburg-esque prospect who’s been nearly unstoppable at every level of the minors. (Bauer was recently promoted to Triple-A Reno.) Given the Diamondbacks’ patient approach with super prospects (Justin Upton would be a rare exception), there’s no guarantee Bauer will see a major league ballpark before Sept. 1. However, he could easily force Arizona’s hand with a few more dominant starts in Reno.

SP Tony Cingrani, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Double-A)
Age: 22
Parent Club: Cincinnati Reds
2012 Stats: 6-2, 1.45 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 91/17 K-BB
Skinny: Cingrani went 13 starts (and 60-plus innings) before allowing more than two runs in an outing. That alone should garner Cingrani (the Reds’ No. 10 prospect) prime consideration to be Cincinnati’s next big callup to the majors, among pitchers. At the very least, Cingrani may be evolving into the organization’s No. 1 pitching stud (fractionally ahead of Donnie Joseph/Robert Stephenson).

SP Jose Fernandez, Greensboro Grasshoppers (Single-A)
Age: 19
Parent Club: Miami Marlins
2012 Stats: 7-0, 1.59 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 99/18 K-BB
Skinny: In recent years, the Marlins haven’t been afraid to promote teenagers in the majors. Of course, Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria were hitters, but Fernandez, a pitcher in the mold of Felix Hernandez, might be too great a force to ignore during the pennant chase.

SP Danny Hultzen, Jackson Generals (Double-A)
Age: 22
Parent Club: Seattle Mariners
2012 Stats: 8-3, 1.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 79/32 K-BB
Skinny: It may be just a matter of time before Hultzen—the Mariners’ No. 1 prospect—punches a permanent ticket to Seattle. In his last seven appearances (spanning 44.2 innings), Hultzen has allowed a microscopic two runs (0.41 ERA in that span), while collecting six wins and 45 strikeouts. In the fantasy realm, Hultzen projects to be a high-end No. 2 starter in the majors.

SP Jake Odorizzi, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A)
Age: 22
Parent Club: Kansas City Royals
2012 Stats: 8-2, 2.89 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 81/20 K-BB
Skinny: Odorizzi, who headlines the Royals’ next wave of big-time prospects to Kansas City, would be a welcome sight upon earning an MLB promotion. Since April 23 (covering 10 appearances), Odorizzi has surrendered just 15 runs (2.21 ERA in that span) while racking up seven wins and 74 strikeouts. In the fantasy realm, Odorizzi could evolve into Kansas City’s No. 1 pitcher throughout the decade.

Hitters

OF Jackie Bradley, Salem Red Sox (Single-A Advanced)
Age: 22
Parent Club: Boston Red Sox
2012 Stats: 3 HR, 34 RBI, 53 R, 16 SB, .359 BA, .480 OBP, 1.006 OPS
Skinny: According to The Roanoke (Va.) Times, Bradley will earn a promotion to Double-A ball this week, a nod to his consistent success over the last two months. But with outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford likely rejoining the Boston lineup in the next 30-45 days, Portland, Maine, may be Bradley’s last destination for the season. That aside, he could provide three-category production if given the chance to succeed in the majors.

C Travis d’Arnaud, Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)
Age: 23
Parent Club: Toronto Blue Jays
2012 Stats: 15 HR, 48 RBI, 42 R, 1 SB, .335 BA, .385 OBP, .987 OPS
Skinny: The Blue Jays already have a solid, young catcher in J.P. Arencibia (nine homers, 32 RBI). But the club can only stash a great prospect like d’Arnaud in the minors for so long. In the last two seasons, d’Arnaud (36 homers, 126 RBI, .319 batting) has separated himself from the pack of under-25 prospects. He’s also built up expectations to the point where he could be a top-10 catcher to open the 2013 season. But that distinction is based on him getting quality at-bats in the majors this season—hopefully in the next three weeks.

2B Jake Elmore, Reno Aces (Triple-A)
Age: 25
Parent Club: Arizona Diamondbacks
2012 Stats: 1 HR, 48 RBI, 60 R, 23 SB, .395 BA, .473 OBP, 1.007 OPS
Skinny: In the course of his 26-game hit streak (May 20-June 17), Elmore has 14 multiple-hit games, 15 steals and a whopping .420 batting average. Hopefully, it’ll be enough to motivate the Diamondbacks to give Elmore a look in the coming weeks, although Aaron Hill just hit for the cycle on June 18.

OF Wil Myers, Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A)
Age: 21
Parent Club: Kansas City Royals
2012 Stats: 24 HR, 61 RBI, 59 R, 5 SB, .337 BA, .408 OBP, 1.127 OPS
Skinny: Check out this run of statistical success from May 31-June 17: In that span, Myers notched eight homers, 18 RBI, 23 runs and batted at a .358 clip. As hitters go, Myers could be Kansas City’s next big target to burst onto the scene. As fantasy leagues go, there’s a chance Myers will have outfield and catcher eligibility whenever he breaks through to the bigs. If that’s the case, he’ll definitely be worth rostering in 16-team leagues.

1B Anthony Rizzo, Iowa Cubs (Triple-A)
Age: 22
Parent Club: Chicago Cubs
2012 Stats: 23 HR, 59 RBI, 46 R, 2 SB, .364 BA, .426 OBP, 1.170 OPS
Skinny: Of the prospects listed here, Rizzo is the odds-on favorite to garner the next big-league promotion. In fact, the Cubs recently placed first baseman Bryan LaHair in the outfield, a move that could precipitate Rizzo’s permanent relocation to Chicago in the coming days or weeks.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I could not have envisioned the context of this entry just five days ago…but here it is.

On the strength of his 15-strikeout gem against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 20, Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer (3-3, 63 strikeouts in 2012) has emerged as a coveted asset in trade talks, primarily with squads chasing strikeouts.

Sunday’s stellar outing (which included only one walk) was already Scherzer’s second double-digit strikeout effort and fourth of nine or more Ks since April 13.

There’s also an ERA angle to consider here: Before his May 5 start against the White Sox, Scherzer (5.73 seasonal ERA) and Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones apparently closed a hole in the pitcher’s delivery. Since that tutorial, Scherzer has surrendered just 10 earned runs in his last four starts (3.73 ERA during that span).

During spring training, I had Scherzer pegged as the No. 33 starting pitcher, a ranking that has looked boldly prescient at times and woefully inadequate for others. (Scherzer has allowed five or more runs three times this season.)

Looking at his next five starts (@ Twins, @ Red Sox, vs. Indians, @ Cubs, vs. Rockies), Scherzer has a realistic capacity for three wins and 38 strikeouts.

Obviously, Scherzer is not in Tigers teammate Justin Verlander‘s class; but as No. 4 fantasy starters go, he compares favorably to Colby Lewis, Tommy Hanson or Josh Beckett.

(For the record, AccuScore has Scherzer projected for 7.2 victories, 139.3 strikeouts, a 4.35 ERA and 1.35 WHIP from this point forward—May 23 to Sept. 30.)

Here’s a balanced, three-tiered breakdown of Scherzer’s adjusted trade value in 12-team roto leagues:

1-for-1
Bryan LaHair, Melky Cabrera, Nick Markakis or Drew Stubbs

2-for-2
Scherzer/Michael Cuddyer for Yovani Gallardo/Jason Kipnis
Scherzer/Jason Heyward for Anibal Sanchez/Andre Ethier
Scherzer/Ichiro Suzuki for Matt Cain/Justin Morneau

2-for-3
Scherzer/Ian Kinsler for Matt Holliday/J.P. Arencibia/Tim Hudson
Scherzer/Jose Bautista for Michael Young/Brandon Phillips/C.J. Wilson
Scherzer/Joe Mauer for Austin Jackson/Jonathan Lucroy/Jordan Zimmermann
Scherzer/Curtis Granderson for Hunter Pence/Erik Bedard/Jose Reyes

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The following slideshow touts the 15 best fantasy players who currently reside on the disabled list (15 days/30 days/60 days).

This countdown doesn’t necessarily run in concert with a player’s preseason ranking or overall standing at the time of his injury. It’s merely an educated guess as to which DL-based stars will yield the most productivity from this point forward.

It goes without saying, but Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria, Danny Duffy and Mat Gamel—all victims of season-ending injuries—were not considered for this listing.

Enjoy the show!

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The following slideshow touts four unsung hitters from 12-team leagues who may experience fantasy nirvana on May 8.

There’s one more tie that binds this foursome: Each player would be an excellent buy-low option in trade talks right now.

However, Omar Infante would probably have to be included in a larger deal involving name-brand superstars.

Enjoy the show!

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Around lunchtime on Tuesday, a report surfaced that Tampa Bay third baseman Longoria would miss six to eight weeks with a partial hamstring tear, a seemingly crippling blow to the Rays‘ chances of making the American League playoffs this year.

Then around 1 p.m. EST, the Rays’ Web site published a dissimilar account of Longoria’s progress, saying he had incurred a “hamstring-knee thing” (the words of GM Andrew Friedman) but would not be headed for the disabled list.

Fast forward to 6:06 p.m., just minutes after I had published the original version of this story, the Rays finally made it official: Longoria (four HRs, 19 RBI, 15 runs, two steals, .329 batting) will indeed miss four to eight weeks with a hamstring tear.

Even with the final prognosis, I’m still recommending that fantasy owners make a sincere, aggressive trade play for Longo—before the weekend—in the form of a two-tiered, scenario-based proposal (like the one below).

Think of it as your own live-action Choose Your Own Adventure for the fantasy realm…where GMs must hazard an educated guess on Longoria’s specific return date.

Scenario A—Longoria to miss 3-5 weeks

1-for-1: Joe Mauer, David Freese, C.J. Wilson or Ian Kennedy
1-for-2: Longo for Mike Moustakas/Chad Billingsley or Edwin Encarnacion/Mike Minor
2-for-2: Longo/James Shields for Alex Rodriguez/Mat Latos or Jose Bautista/Drew Smyly

Scenario B—Longoria out for 6-8 weeks

1-for-1: Chris Davis, Chris Young, Neftali Feliz or Lance Lynn
1-for-2: Longo for Adam LaRoche/Johan Santana or Mark Trumbo/Tom Milone
2-for-2: Longo/Jordan Zimmermann for Chase Headley/Josh Johnson or Eric Hosmer/Jon Niese

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The day will come when 19-year-old Bryce Harper, perhaps the most hyped hitting prospect of the last 30 years, lives up to his vast potential in the majors.

The day will come when Harper is one of the National League’s best hitters and one of baseball’s biggest personalities.

The day will come when Harper is a four-category force (if not five) and an easy pick for Round 1 or 2 in fantasy drafts.

But on the morning of the teen sensation’s initial call-up to the big leagues—replacing All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (15-day DL)—it’s important to remember these nine words about Harper’s immediate potential in the bigs:

From a fantasy perspective, don’t go overboard on expectations. 

1. Baseball history isn’t on Harper’s side.

Since 1900, the list of major league hitters enjoying amazing “fantasy” numbers in their age-19 seasons is noticeably short. In fact, here’s a look at some of history’s most prominent batters, upon breaking into the majors before their 20th birthday:

1906—Ty Cobb, Tigers (one HR, 34 RBI, 45 runs, 23 steals, .316 batting)
1914—Babe Ruth, Red Sox (zero HRs, two RBI, one run, .200 batting)
1915—Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals (zero HRs, four RBI, five runs, .246 batting)
1991—Joe Cronin, Pirates (zero HRs, 11 RBI, nine runs, .265 batting)
1927—Jimmie Foxx, A’s (three HRs, 23 RBI, 20 runs, two steals, .323 batting)
1928—Mel Ott, Giants (18 HRs, 77 RBI, 65 runs, three steals, .322 batting)
1951—Mickey Mantle, Yankees (13 HRs, 65 RBI, 61 runs, eight steals, .267 batting)
1954—Al Kaline, Tigers (four HRs, 43 RBI, 42 runs, nine steals, .276 batting)
1964—Tony Conigliaro, Red Sox (24 HRs, 52 RBI, 69 runs, two steals, .290 batting)
1975—Robin Yount, Brewers (eight HRs, 52 RBI, 67 runs, 12 steals, .267 batting)
1988—Gary Sheffield, Brewers (four HRs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, three steals, .238 batting)
1989—Ken Griffey, Jr., Mariners (16 HRs, 61 RBI, 61 runs, 16 steals, .264 batting)
1991—Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers (three HRs, 27 RBI, 24 runs, .264 batting)
1995—Alex Rodriguez, Mariners (five HRs, 19 RBI, 15 runs, four steals, .232 batting)
1996—Andruw Jones, Braves (five HRs, 13 RBI, 11 runs, three steals, .217 batting)
1991—Edgar Renteria, Marlins (five HRs, 31 RBI, 68 runs, 16 steals, .309 batting)
2011—Mike Trout, Angels (five HRs, 16 RBI, 24 runs, four steals .220 batting)
 

2. Harper’s audition with the Nationals might be brief—very brief.

On Friday, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo hinted Harper’s promotion would be a short-term move. He then said the club has no plans to deviate from its preseason goal of Harper (one HR, three RBI, eight runs, one steal, .250 batting) logging 300 to 350 minor league at-bats. Of course, that concept came before injuries to Zimmerman and 1B/OF Michael Morse.

Translation: The kid’s taste of the big leagues may simply be a motivational ploy or timely reward to keep Harper focused on what lies ahead.
 

Breakdown

Harper likely has owners for 99.99 percent of long-term keeper leagues, but if you should accidentally find him on waivers, by all means grab and stash him for 2013 and beyond.

For roto owners only concerned with this season, unless there’s a specific slot for “minors” talent, I wouldn’t recommend upending your roster for a few weeks of hot-and-cold Harpermania. He may be the greatest young hitter since Tony Gwynn…but he’s still just a teenager.

And great fantasy success, historically speaking, is usually reserved for the 20-something crowd.

Harper seasonal targets: Six homers, 24 RBI, 27 runs, seven steals, .258 batting.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The following slideshow touts the top 15 waiver-wire pickups right now, a countdown of the best free agents from the majority of 12-team roto leagues. For the most part, this list rewards players who have already fostered productive starts to the 2012 season.

Savvy readers will notice the rankings are different from last week’s offering; and that can be attributed to the waiver-wire graduations of Zack Cozart, Jordan Schafer, Henry Rodriguez, Danny Duffy and Lance Lynn—forgotten assets on draft day but now invaluable pieces with their current teams. And that’s how it should be with this list: Here today, gone tomorrow.

Enjoy the show!

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Here are five ways to recover the numbers lost from Jacoby Ellsbury‘s six- to eight-week absence from the Red Sox lineup (dislocated shoulder)…without necessarily gutting your fantasy roster.

(That may be a lie.)  

Option No. 1: Grab Cody Ross off waivers

OK, so this isn’t the most exciting way to start a column, but with Carl Crawford (hand) still nursing his way back into the lineup, Ross will undoubtedly be granted full-time at-bats for the foreseeable future.

For the 2008-09 seasons with the Marlins, he combined for 46 homers, 163 RBI and 132 runs. Given his age (31) and the cozy dimensions of Fenway Park, Ross has a chance to replicate the numbers of years past—at least on a per-game basis.

Since the Red Sox are already thin with starting pitching and the bullpen, I doubt club execs will make a substantial trade for an outfielder in Ellsbury’s stead. The team’s best minor-league option may be Bryce Brentz…but even that seems like a short-term step down from Ross and his 22-homer potential.

Option No. 2: Target Jason Bay, Mike Carp, Will Venable, Brandon Belt or Jon Jay in free-agent waivers

All five outfielders certainly have their warts—Bay and Belt are slumping, Carp’s been hurting and Venable and Jay are routinely overlooked in fantasy circles—but hey, that’s why they’re free agents in most leagues.

Astros center fielder Jordan Schafer would have been the best available Ellsbury clone earlier in the week, but you’ll never go unwanted in fantasyland after collecting five steals in a 48-hour period. He’s gone.

Look, unless you’re playing in a 12-team league full of absentee borderline moronic owners, it’s going to be a tough road without Ellsbury. We’re talking about a top-six outfielder (although no one should expect 32 homers again) and top-15 overall asset. It’s nearly impossible to flourish in his absence.

But in short bursts, Bay (four-category factor), Carp (25-75 guy in the minors), Venable (20-steal potential), Jay (poor man’s Martin Prado) and Belt (future NL batting champion) can bring a level of fantasy respect to anyone’s team.
 

Option No. 3: Grab Chone Figgins off waivers, or trade for Mark Trumbo

Before Opening Day, Figgins was only 3B-eligible and one of baseball’s more anemic corner-infield options. But with a seemingly permanent spot in the outfield (left or center field) after just nine games, Figgins (.270, 4 RBI, 1 SB) should garner full outfield eligibility sometime in the next 10 days, making him attractive to owners who crave modest three-category success and dual-position versatility.

Regarding the 1B-eligible Trumbo, he should have full 3B eligibility sometime around April 25. Depending on how the Angels handle the Mike Trout and Vernon Wells situations, Trumbo (29 HRs in 2011) could see up to 30 games in the outfield this season.

For owners of Ellsbury (105 RBI, 119 runs, 32 steals last year) and Emilio Bonifacio (2B-3B-OF eligibility), a sneaky Trumbo acquisition would subsequently bump Bonifacio to the outfield spot in Ellsubry’s place.

As a secondary move, I highly endorse the act of grabbing Trout (baseball’s No. 1 prospect) off waivers ASAP, in anticipation of a May call-up that will be permanent (and enriching).

Bottom line: Replacing Ellsbury’s eight-week production doesn’t necessarily demand the plug-and-play addition of an outfielder. It can also come from a simple redistribution of current assets, prompted by a modest trade.

And for those with grander thoughts… 

Option No. 4: Trade your Round 1 superstar

During spring training, Ellsbury had an Average Draft Position value of 15, meaning the majority of his owners also grabbed Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Justin Verlander, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez or Prince Fielder with their low Round 1 selection.

The quickest way to overhaul the composition of your roster involves a simple six-word email/message-board dictum to the rest of the league: “(Superstar’s name) is on the block!” This should draw immediate responses, in the general form of four trade proposals:

• 1-for-1 value: Jon Lester, Dan Haren, Nelson Cruz, Hunter Pence or Starlin Castro
• 1-for-2 value: Melky Cabrera and Bud Norris
• 3-for-2: (Round 1 star)/Yovani Gallardo/Jordan Schafer for Ian Kennedy/Matt Holliday
• 2-for-3: (Round 1 star)/Matt Moore for Jason Heyward/Jason Kipnis/Max Scherzer 

Option No. 5: Put Ellsbury on the trade block

The final solution requires certain fantasy owners to perform an honest assessment of their rosters and prospects for the entire season.

1. Can my team endure/absorb the two-month loss of Ellsbury?
2. What are the chances I’ll be in ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th place overall on June 10?
3. What other areas (outfield aside) are in need of significant help?
4. What categories or positions could not sustain a key injury?

If the above answers are roundly negative, it may be time to make the early executive decision of selling Ellsbury to the highest bidder, as a means of fortifying the outfield and one other area of concern.

After all, if your club was barely a pennant contender before Ellsbury’s right shoulder had a fluke encounter with Rays shortstop Reid Brignac, then perhaps it’s time to cut your April losses…and hope for a profitable return in May and June.

This is where it pays not to get too attached to original draftees. Very few teams can win a roto championship without disrupting the core, via trade, at some point; and whether these hard decisions occur in mid-April or late July, change is inevitable.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com