Fantasy general managers expected huge things from Cubs catcher Geovany Soto last season. What they got was zilch, nada, nothing.
Soto’s earlier work created these expectations. In his first full major league season, he hit 35 doubles and 23 homers, building an .868 OPS. He hit .285 and drove in 86 runs. Since he batted .389 in 54 big-league at bats in 2007, he appeared upward bound – despite his 121 strikeouts in 2008.
But last season he batted just .218 in 331 at bats. His OPS sank to .702. He hit 11 homers and drove in 47 runs. Nagging injuries (shoulder and oblique strains) hampered him, as did obvious conditioning issues.

Off-field issues drive fantasy general managers crazy. You can crunch numbers and make their own statistical projections, but you can’t account for personal problems that often derail players.
There is no formula for gauging the impact of substance abuse, psychological problems or other such issues. Those afflicted become X-factor players, offering big upside but considerable risk.
Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera threatened to join this unfortunate club after getting arrested at the end of last season. During the final weekend of the season -- when Detroit had a critical series with the White Sox -- Cabrera went on a drinking binge.

When Chicago claimed Alex Rios off waivers from Toronto last summer, he responded about as badly as possible. In his first 22 games with the Sox, Rios hit .154 with one home run and three RBI.
What went wrong?
“It was a combination of things, to be honest with you,” Rios recently told the Chicago Sun-Times. “The things I wanted to do I wasn't doing right. I got into a bad place, started doing the wrong things. You tell yourself to get back to basics, but at that point it's hard to do.”

When Randy and Alan Hendricks shopped Cuban prospect Aroldis Chapman around the majors, they looked for a team willing to consider him for the starting rotation in 2010.

After spending $30 million to land this free-agent Cuban lefty, Cincinnati will put him right into the competitive mix. There is no reason not to.

The 2010 season should produce a slew of breakout seasons from talented young veterans. Teams eased many elite veterans in last season, setting the stage for big things in their first full major league season. Consider the case of Braves hurler Tommy Hanson. He was brilliant in 21 starts last season, finishing 11-4 for Atlanta with a 2.89 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 127 2/3 innings.




His command, poise and pitch repertoire earned comparisons to Roy Halladay, arguably the most talented starting pitcher in the sport.

As players change players during this busy Hot Stove League action, fantasy general managers must adjust their 2010 projections.
New Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre is a great example of this. Playing in Seattle, he never came close to matching his one breakout 2004 season with the Dodgers – when he swatted 48 homers and drove in 120 runs.

The final week of the NFL season is an enigma for fantasy football general managers. Given the tendency of top teams to rest key players, many competitions wrap up in Week 16.
For those still locked in statistical battle, though, this final week is especially treacherous.
The Colts pulled their key players last week to protect them for injury. Rather than pursue a perfect 16-0 regular season, Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell opted to keep Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Co. healthy for the playoffs. This week the Bengals and Patriots could go the same route – to the consternation of the Steelers, a team still fighting to climb into the playoff bracket.

Donovan McNabb hasn’t been regarded as a elite statistical QB for a couple years now – but he came through during playoff time for his fantasy general managers.

McNabb threw for 322 yards and three TDs as the Eagles edged the Broncos 30-27. That was just his third three-TD game of the season, but his second in a row.

The Eagles expect to put RB Brian Westbrook back in play Sunday when they host the Broncos. But is he worth starting? Most fantasy GMs in a playoff format already have the position covered, but there may be a few folks out there desperate for an alternative. Westbrook has suffered numerous injuries, including consecutive concussions which threatened to end his season. So how much will play? How well will he play? And if he does play well, how long will he last?

Browns RB Jerome Harrison channeled his inner Jim Brown Sunday, romping for 286 yards and three touchdowns. That was third-best individual rushing yardage total in NFL history and the statistical highlight of Week 15.

It’s not like a lot of fantasy GMs were counting on this during their playoff run. Harrison had rushed for 301 yards all season, with 121 of those coming way back in Week 4. Since the bye week he had rushed for just 47 yards.

Can the Cardinals bounce back again?
Arizona’s last effort was frightening bad. None of their usual fantasy stalwarts put up good numbers. The offense couldn’t stay on the field long enough to make that happen.

Back in 2007, Patriots WR Randy Moss caught 98 passes for 1,43 yards and a staggering 23 touchdowns. That boosted the temperamental star up a lot of draft boards in 2008, when he slipped to 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns.

This season he seemed headed back in the right direction . . . until Sunday, when he caught just one pass for 16 yards and a fumble. If you have Moss and you were in the playoffs last week, that was NOT good.