Raising The White Flag: The End Of The Fantasy Baseball Season

Before I left for vacation, I was wondering whether to continue forward to make it into the Top 5 in my AL-Only 4x4 keeper league or close shop and focus on fantasy football.  When I left I had 48 points.  When I returned, I had 40 points, and then Job Chamberlain hit the D.L. with shoulder tendonitis.

The writing is on the wall (and it reads, "When do you draft Brandon Marshall?).  So I went and reviewed the rosters of the top teams and came away very uninterested in what they have to offer.  Scratching my head, I am baffled how they are even at the top of the standings.

This has been a season-long issue for me, and it looks as if I may be compelled to write-off 2008 as an aberration.  Will the best pitchers in 2009 be Justin Duchscherer, Cliff Lee and Joe Saunders?  Will Carlos Quentin be amongst the HR leaders next year?  Will those HR leaders hit fewer than 35?

If one answers "yes" to those questions, how different 2009 fantasy preparation be from 2008 preparation?