Opening Day thoughts

Opening Day's in the books! I hope it was everything you dreamed it would be. I also hope you don't go overreacting after one day of action.

Sometimes fantasy players, especially inexperienced ones, have a tendency to be a little too trigger happy. Please, don't go dropping Curt Schilling or Brandon Webb today. Don't trade Johan Santana for Gil Meche, straight up. Don't bury Alfonso Soriano on your bench. It's a long season, people. Relax.

It's hard to put a lot of stock into what happens in just one day of games, but we did legitimately learn a few things Monday. Before I get to those nuggets, though ... anyone see the ceremonial first pitch of the Reds-Cubs game on ESPN? Wow. The Cincinnati mayor either has a bad case of double vision, or it was a horribly failed attempt to throw a gyroball. ESPN's Tim Kirkjian called it the worst pitch ever, and I think I have to agree. I couldn't find it on YouTube, but when I do, I'll share. This thing might have been worse than the Kurt Busch pitch a couple years back. I don't think the guy ever threw a baseball before. Hilarious stuff.

Now, back to those nuggets. Let's check in on some guys with a lot of question marks swirling around them this season:

Brad Lidge didn't exactly put our fears to rest. First game and he's already coughing up leads? He shook it off like it was nothing, but you know something's going on with this guy. Psychiatrists can work wonders nowadays, Brad. Anyway, you can't just drop him, but I'd have some insurance in place. Teammate Dan Wheeler is a solid speculative buy if he's out there.

Richie Sexson is another guy with his share of skeptics following a bad first half last season and a rough spring, but unlike Lidge, he gave his owners a jolt of confidence with a three-run bomb off Dan Haren, who he was previously 1-for-18 against. Even though I didn't start Sexson on Monday, I'm feeling really good about grabbing him in the middle rounds of my draft and plopping him on the bench. He could hit 40 HR this year if he gets his act together at the plate, and he probably isn't even a No. 1 first baseman in a lot of mixed leagues right now.

Felix Hernandez was the real star of the show for the M's. Everyone's making a big deal out of his extreme makeover, and they're right, dropping 20 pounds in the offseason is only going to help him. But when you think about it, even though King Felix didn't pull a Sidney Crosby last year like a lot of fantasy people had hoped, Seattle stuck him out there, let him take his licks, and he's probably a better, more mature pitcher this year because of it. Remember, the kid can't even legally buy a beer yet (And let's hope he doesn't start either, for the sake of his new waistline). I don't think this will be the last time he Ks 12 in a game this season.

Ben Sheets look healthy to you? If a complete-game two-hitter doesn't tell you a guy's OK, I'm not sure what kind of sign you're waiting for. His face in a potato chip maybe? Sheets dispatched of the Dodgers in just 104 pitches. Right now he seems no more of an injury risk than any other guy on the mound. Don't hesitate to ride him from here on out.