Phils hope Howard ready by May: Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said at Monday's Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association banquet that Ryan Howard's recovery from surgery on his left Achilles is ahead of schedule, but GM Ruben Amaro said he is not expecting his star first baseman to be ready by opening day. "I think it's more than a reach," Amaro said. "If he's back by sometime in May, I'll be happy." (Updated 01/31/2012)
Injury Report
Achilles' - Doubtful for start of season (Updated - 1/31/12)
Fantasy Analysis
Howard's initial recovery timetable was 5-6 months, so the fact Amaro isn't expecting him to be ready for opening day isn't shocking. We just hope once Howard is ready that he will hit the ground running and not have a lull because he didn't get a regular spring training. The 32-year-old seems to be in a power decline and finished with 33 homers last season. It was his second straight Howard finished with less than 40 home runs after four consecutive years (2006-09) reaching that total. Howard will probably slip into the middle rounds on Draft Day, but he could end up being a steal once he returns to action. Ty Wigginton and Jim Thome will fill in at first base with Howard sidelined. (Updated 01/31/2012).
01/25/2012 09:58 2012 Fantasy outlooks: Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies sure have plenty of big names in their lineup and rotation, but do they provide enough bang for the buck in Fantasy? Our Scott White breaks down the perennial NL East contenders.
01/24/2012 18:31 Determined to win, Tigers make Prince fit
Prince Fielder wasn't a fit in Motown. Well, so Danny Knobler thought. But after the determined Tigers made it work, Knobler is ready to dispel that notion and vows never to overlook Detroit.
Fantasy owners will need to approach Ryan Howard with extreme caution in 2012. Of course, that much is probably obvious after the 32-year-old slugger suffered a torn left Achilles' tendon on the team's final play of the 2011 season and underwent surgery a few days later. But given his apparent decline, the caution would have been necessary even if Howard had finished the year at 100 percent. In the past, you could put up with his shortcomings because of his ability to deliver 45-plus homers, as he did every year from 2006 to 2009, but in the last two years he hasn't even reached 35. Now, he has to fight an uphill battle just to reach that reduced standard. The initial timetable called for him to miss five or six months, meaning he could return midway through April, but as with any recovery from surgery, a setback is entirely possible. A 30-homer season isn't so easy to find that you can afford to let Howard slip to the middle rounds on Draft Day, but at the same time, you have to recognize that he comes with even more risk than aging players like Paul Konerko and Lance Berkman and, therefore, deserves to go off the board after them. (Updated 1/5/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
