Happy February. This first column of the second month of the year is always an auspicious one here at CREATiVESPORTS. 

First, this yearly piece always appears right after the Super Bowl, barely a week before pitchers and catchers report. But, this column also pretty much kicks off our baseball coverage for the coming season, and well, this is our 14th trying to make a little sense out of performance and opportunity to help you and your fantasy team be just a little more successful than the rest of the squads in your league.

But, as I write, flying home after a long weekend in snowy Chicago--and sorry, but hence the late posting--I have to acknowledge the tremendous football game Sunday wherein the Giants amazingly disposed of the Patriots in arguably the most exciting Super Bowl ever.

I am truly among those who never expected it, in fact in the circles I run, predictions were solicited, and I thought the Pats would romp, 42-6. Silly me. But, as I watched with my friend Diane, her cousin Cherie, Cherie's husband Mike and their friend Jeff, we were all polled who we wanted to win, and Jeff and Mike
were for the underdogs, while the women favored the Pats.

Me? I did my usual, just hoping for an exciting game, and though I appreciated the accomplishments of the Pats and the beauty of their streak, as I saw the Giants defense rock and roll, I too found myself aligned with New York. And, well, if I wanted an exciting game, that is most certainly what I got.

OK, so, to baseball, and this time, I want to take a look at a couple of question mark teams as we move towards spring training. In saying this, we have to also realize these guys and spots might flop, but, if you are looking to fill holes with some speculuation, ideally undervalued, you should really look at both Minnesota and Oakland.

I have written in my Strat-O-Matic (Tumbling Dice) colulmn that if you play in any kind of keeper leagues, and Strat-O leagues tend to be perennial keeper leagues, you simply have to watch what Billy Beane does. He knows when to hold em, he knows when to fold em, and he knows how to build a solid lineup with good prospects that, well, don't just last, but allow for some turnover and flexibility.

Of course, it means sacrificing a season every once and again, but, even that can be fun as you try something, tweak, and twist, and see how it develops. And, if you can give up a very good player, whom you love having, in order to improve several spots during such a period, you simply have to. That is, if you want to do your best to become, and then stay competitive, more times than not in a keeper league, Strat-based, or not.

So, Oakland unloads Nick Swisher and Dan Haren, ideally their best young hitter and pitcher, whom they essentially got with some savvy drafting and trading of, guys who were young and solid, like Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder.

But, some of the Oakland question marks in the outfield could pay off well, among Chris Denorfia, Ryan Sweeney, Travis Buck, Carlos Gonzalez, and Emil Brown. That is assuming Jack Cust will be the DH. But, that assumes Dan Johnson is at best platooning at DH because we know Daric Barton goes in as the first baseman.

Among those if's is surely some speculation, and, if you're indeed deep enough to pick up a Gonzalez as reserve material, you should. But, speculatively, Cust, Johnson, Brown, and Buck might be well valued because their playing time might be questionable. Which means one, or at most two, could give 400-plus good at-bats. Actually, I think all of them might, but, don't hedge your bets, as noted.

Now, if you want to gamble on the high end, Barton and Gonazlez, and I think Denorfia are the guys to go to. However, they are the most likely to stuggle and as such lose playing time. And, among them, Barton is the best bet.

In concert, Oakland also kept Rich Harden, the guy you would think they would want to swap the most. But, of course, Harden is also the guy we all know is just too much of a risk. But, so tempting. The thing in Oakland is, with a certain season of rebuilding, Oakland, really has nothing to lose than to work with its remaining stars--Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez, Mark Ellis, and Huston Street--and play them, but give them a chance to get both healthy, and used to one another. Which means Harden too could prove to finally be an ok gamble, because most players will be gun shy, and justifiably so.

So, culling bits and pieces while building your team around mid-to-higher priced stars like a Grady Sizemore or Brian Roberts is not a bad way to spread your draft dollars and at-bats around.

Halfway across the country, at the Metrodome, a similar thing is happening with the Twins with the trading of Johan Santana. And, well, if you have watched, like Oakland, the Twins manage to stay competitive year in, year out, by continually building around good young talent and playing good fundimental baseball.

Among Jason Kubel, Craig Monroe, Michael Cuddyer and Delmon Young in the outfield, and then Nick Punto, Mike Lamb, Adam Everett, Brendan Harris, and Howie Clark, the same kind of possibilities exist for some good solid everyday at-bats, and again, because there is a question, some value should be there, and well, in a deep league, these guys will really help balance the load with your stars.

Personally, I look for Kubel to establish himself, and Cuddyer to kick it back up, and Clark to emerge, while Young gets the hang. And, all should be undervalued making them attractive pickups.

 As noted, just don't stock up with guys like this for as surely as you will strike gold with one, you will have a bust in a couple of others, and, well, that negates the entire process.

I'll be back in two weeks with annual Top 10 of my Top 250 prospects, and, make sure you check out our 2008 CREATiVESPORTS Draft kit. Better than ever with on the fly projections on the fly as your auction progressess, and it will work on your Mac or PC.