Ladies, gentlemen and fantasy nerds alike. I would like you to meet Nelson Cruz (on the left above). Those who own him (and his nagging hamstring injury) feel my pain. Also if those same folks play fantasy football, they could see why I would compare him to Steven Jackson. However for those who may not be familiar.Nelson Cruz plays right field for the first place (surprisingly) Texas Rangers. If it weren't for Josh Hamilton he would be the best outfielder(possibly player) on the team. Cruz has been a monster this season, starting off with a .323 BA, .419 OBP, 7 HR, and 17 RBI in April before his first stint on the DL. Which shut him down until mid-May. Cruz burst back into the lineup only going hitless in 2 games before his second visit to the DL. A mere 14 days(13 games) later. This 2nd visit to the DL felt like an eternity but was only 3 weeks. The Rangers took more precautions due to his quickness to reinjure his hamstring previously. Leaving him on the DL an extra week so he could properly heal(and maybe learn how to stretch during pregame). His second return did not see the same results as his prior one. Cruz only managed 1 homerun in the first two weeks of his return, with several hitless games. However his return lasted much longer (nearly two months!) before breaking at least my heart. His last 4 games were insane before ripping my heart out a la Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. After 3 straight hitless games, Cruz rewarded royal owners going 7 for 17 with a HR and 3 RBI's before his third stint on the DL. Right in time for the playoff race. Thanks Nelson! If these comments sound familiar to you than perhaps Steven Jackson is a familiar name.
Add to the fact that any fantasy obsessor has drafts coming up (or already in progress/completed) for fantasy football. One should discuss the value of Steven Jackson. Who only missed one game last season(unlike previous seasons) however his performance plummeted, at least in the TD department. He only had 4 last season. He is the best weapon on a porous Rams offense that ranked 29th in the NFL last season in total offen
se and - thanks to Jackson - 20th in rushing. Most fantasy geeks like myself avoid Jackson due to his previous seasons (2007 & 2008) when he missed 4 games and his production went down tremendously. Everyone went crazy for Jackson after his stellar 2006 season. I know, I drafted him in 2007. He now is blacklisted from my fantasy teams. That is, unless I am desperate. Ever since then I have seen him drop as low as the fifth round before someone took him. If he goes that long this year, I may have to pull the trigger. Or I could always take a chance on Jahvid Best. If Jackson is around in the 3rd round don't be surprised. I suppose the biggest difference between Jackson and Cruz (other than the sport they play) is their ranking on their respective teams as the best player. Cruz could be seen as second or even third after Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero. While Jackson is clearly the best weapon on the Rams.
se and - thanks to Jackson - 20th in rushing. Most fantasy geeks like myself avoid Jackson due to his previous seasons (2007 & 2008) when he missed 4 games and his production went down tremendously. Everyone went crazy for Jackson after his stellar 2006 season. I know, I drafted him in 2007. He now is blacklisted from my fantasy teams. That is, unless I am desperate. Ever since then I have seen him drop as low as the fifth round before someone took him. If he goes that long this year, I may have to pull the trigger. Or I could always take a chance on Jahvid Best. If Jackson is around in the 3rd round don't be surprised. I suppose the biggest difference between Jackson and Cruz (other than the sport they play) is their ranking on their respective teams as the best player. Cruz could be seen as second or even third after Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero. While Jackson is clearly the best weapon on the Rams.All this leads to the fact that Cruz is only one day away from coming back to the Rangers and my fantasy lineup. Or so I hope. My outfield by committee since then hasn't been great. As long as someone teaches Cruz the art of stretching his hamstring throughout the game (during pregame and every inning, seriously, we need you healthy Nelson!), I think all is well.
