Oakland Athletics (88-74, .543, 2nd in AL West)

Every year things get a little hectic in the fantsy baseball department and guys are looking for ways to beat on each other in the name of pride and a few extra bucks from time to time. Up until a few years ago, raiding the A's for little-known, but statistically superior players was the best-kept secret in baseball.

Then, Michael Lewis had to open his big, dumb mouth.

While I'd love a little more Billy Beane in my personality when it comes to fantasy league GM dealings, I tend to side more with players I like and against teams I don't. While I laugh at the Packer fans in our football leagues that refuse to go near any of the Minnesota Vikings, I'll pass on all sorts of players, now totalling 350 in the major leagues alone.

Depending on what types of stats are kept in individual leagues, the A's can be your best friends or worst enemies. Cold-hearted reason and numerical analysis puts players on the A's and moves them along just as quickly.

Last year Huston Street was a relative unknown at draft time and blew the doors off the AL the entire season. Jason Kendall was brought in to help behind the plate and some of the young guys grew into their roles.

Bobby Crosby returns at short after inuries plagued him in 2005 and Eric Chavez is back to hold down the hot corner. Aside from the fact that this team always seems to win in the second half of the season (to make the playoffs before an early first-round exit - where's the book on that?) they are the best in the bigs at plugging holes to come back and compete year in and year out.

The major additions here are Milton Bradley and Frank Thomas, who may actually round off the rough edges of his career in Oakland. After injury upon injury, I honestly can't remember the last time he played a full season or resembled a productive member of a professional team. Nice of him to get a ring for being assistant to the batboy five years running in Chicago, though.

Solid four in the rotation (after losing Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder last year) with Zito leading a cast of has-beens and might-be-someday's. Personally I like Danny Haren in the four slot and think Esteban Loaiza getting out of New York can only help that Tony Robbins looking motherfucker's career.

Marco Scutaro isn't a bad backup if Crosby goes down again and all you need to know about the remainder of the bullpen is that Oakland cuts a check to a man named Kiko every two weeks. How badass is that?

Soild all around without a glaring weakness, I'd say it's shaping up to be Oakland's year, but then again, when isn't it? The American League West is shaky and has been up for grabs the past five or six seasons. With another year of experience for the rotation and Street, Oakland will contend and shouldn't need late-season heroics to do so this time around.

Oakland Athletics
C: Kendall; Melhuse
1B: Dan Johnson; Swisher; Frank Thomas
2B: Ellis; Antonio Perez; Scutaro
SS: Crosby; Scutaro; Ellis; Perez
3B: Chavez; Perez; Scutaro
LF: Swisher; Bradley; Payton; Kielty
CF: Kotsay; Bradley; Payton
RF: Bradley; Swisher; Payton; Kielty
DH: Thomas; Payton; Kielty; Johnson
SP: Zito; Harden; Loaiza; Haren; Blanton
CP: Street
RP: Calero; Duchscherer; Witasick; Kennedy; Saarloos