Although he was slightly cold to behin the season, Alfonso has been beyond “red-hot” at the plate. Not only did he just belt 2 home-runs against the D-backs this last Sunday, but he has brought his batting average up to .325 accompanied with an astonishing 1.058 OPS in the young season.

Soriano has been a very consistent and smart base-stealer while on the Cubs, although in fewer numbers in his first 2 years on the team. He would be lucky to get much more than double-digit thefts in 2010, but can still add some value to his Cubs and to some fantasy-teams.

He’s quite likely not going to keep up his rate of home-runs and finish with 40, but he most certainly has the ability to get you 25-30 pretty safely, which is pretty cheap power. His average draft position this past season was a middling pick 137, on ESPN.com’s draft boards. Although he may not work his way to first-round value again, he could very likely give you 4th round production from a 13th round pick.
Take that, all you Fonsie-haters. I’m not a big fan of Smilin’ Sori, and I completely loathe his contract, but his production is paramount to the Cubs having ANY chance for the playoffs. His success at the plate could also be apart of many Fantasy Baseball teams championships, so value him in your leagues.

Last time I checked, Jake Peavy still has the same outstanding, power stuff he had in San Diego, doesn’t have an arm issue ( at the moment), and is still relatively young. He’s going to strike guys out like he always has, he’s going to dominant at times like he always has, and I don’t see the problem with taking him as your second pitcher on your staff. He might suffer a little bit in the ERA department, but wins and strikeouts should still be real good, with his WHIP being a little higher. If your in a league where innings pitched is a category, you should be fine there as well. Basically- don’t be afraid to take him if he’s on the board. I wasn’t. Your going to see a good year out of Peavy and if you pass him up for someone like Roy Oswalt…Your going to be sorry come seasons end.

Julio Borbon:

Borbon was given an opportunity towards the latter half of his rookie season in 09’ due to the struggles and injuries of Josh Hamilton, and it paid off in great fashion for the Rangers. The speedster hit .312 with 4 homeruns and 19 swipes in 157 at-bats, and enters his 2010 campaign as the starting centerfielder. Borbon will also handle the leadoff duties, as he showed great promise in the spot, and in a lineup as stacked as the Rangers now is, you should expect a lot of runs coming your way. I would be shocked if Borbon did not steal more than 40 bases this year—with his speed I see that as the bare minimum.

Rajai Davis:

The A’s outfielder came out of nowhere last season and went absolutely nuts in the second half. Rajai hit a very respectable .325 and stole 30 bases in 68 games post all-star break. Don’t expect him to hit very many out—he only has 7 in his entire career—but if you’re looking for a cheap way to bolster your steals, expect to snag him in the later rounds. With the addition of Coco Crisp, Davis is slotted to move to a corner spot in the outfield, but will receive the nod over fellow speedster Eric Patterson.

Nyjer Morgan:

Morgan exploded last season with both the Pirates and Nationals before a freak hand injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. In only 120 games the speedster posted 42 stolen bases, with 24 of them coming in a 49 game span with the Nats. He is poised to be the starting center fielder and leadoff man for Washington on opening day and should be available on most waiver wires. Look for Morgan to swipe 50-58 bags this year—given he stays healthy.

When looking at his splits there is one thing that jumps out at me and that was high BABIP. It was at .365 for the 2009 season, which is high. He was really good in August and September and his BABIP in those months was .425, which is unsustainable. So looking at his numbers I think it is safe to assume his numbers are more BABIP driven than actual skill. If you are thinking about him as an option in fantasy baseball I would be cautious because I expect some regression. I would expect something closer to his first half line of .245/.342/.335. His BABIP for the first half was .297, which is close to the league average of .299.

I think people expecting a line similar to the 2009 season could be in for a rude awakening.

Franklin Gutierrez. Know the name well. He’s the best defensive center fielder in all of the majors. Well, at least he was in 2009. No one came close to Gutierrez in the field…so I was surprised to hear that he didn’t win a “gold glove award” this past year. Confusing, ain’t it?

“Gutz” is simply an across the board contributor in fantasy. He clubbed 18 homers in his first full-season as a starter last year. It is legitimate power, and the sky is the limit on it’s potential. He also efficiently swiped 16 bags, and has the talent to greatly improve on that number. Patience is most certainly not his game, but he has shown the ability make enough contact to lessen that blow. Batting average-wise (which alone can be a very misleading statistic, mind you), Franklin shouldn’t be a drain. Honestly, he may actually be an asset in this category by the year’s end.

According to MockDraftCentral.com, his average draft position in their fantasy baseball leagues was 243rd. Yes, you read that right. That is unbelievably late for someone coming off a slightly notable little season.

Franklin will be one of 2 things in the 2010 baseball season, barring injury. He could be an above average contributor as a late-round outfielder pick with serious upside. That’s on the negative-side. His upside? A very good player with across the board statistical contributions who can carry your fantasy squad for big parts of the season. Think Matt Kemp-lite. You see, Kemp is going in the top 10 of every fantasy draft, for good reason. Gutierrez a similar-style of player, although not yet on that high of a plateau.

You could draft him at his very late point right now and still have a steal. Yet I wouldn’t be afraid to pounce on him 2-3 rounds early, if you feel you have some savvy members of your league.

Gutierrez may very well become a main-stay as a fantastic outfielder for many years to come. Don’t miss out on this potentially fast-rising star.

I have never really been a fan of the Indians, but I hold no grudges against them.

With those things said, I can comfortably state that my favorite baseball player in the Majors is a current member of the “Tribe”: Mr. Grady Sizemore.

I won’t let this outright bias affect my feelings towards what I believe he’s capable of in the 2010 season and beyond; I wish more fans could hold these two things separately.

Back to Sizemore. The guy was the definition of “studly” from 2005-2008. A fantasy baseball team’s dream. He was a lead-off hitter who could hit for contact, get on base and steal bags at strong rates, while also hitting 20 to 30 homers to boot. Grady had quickly blossomed into a fan-favorite and league-wide star on all-fronts. Although fantasy-irrelevant, I didn’t even mention his top-flight defense in Center.
2009 did not go so well for the (only) 27-year-old center fielder. Grady was absolutely riddled with injuries; He first injured his groin, only to be followed by elbow and abdomen surgery to end his season short. He dealt with problems throughout the entire year, and still managed to do some things right, but struggled nonetheless.

So again, any fantasy fan knows what Sizemore has done over the past 5 years. He has the ability to be one of the 3 or 4 most valuable pieces your league could have, yet he isn’t seemingly getting his recognition.

He’s not getting cast-aside very much, but he’s being ranked as a mid-third to fourth round pick by most fantasy analysts, but in many drafts he’s falling into even the 5th round and later.

I understand guys. His numbers may look pedestrian if only glancing at his 2009. Yet the man is at or very close to 100% health right now, and for all intents and purposes should be in for a very large rebound.

I repeat, if healthy and producing, Grady can almost carry your team offensively, both in reality and in the world of fantasy baseball.

Again, this isn’t some “Master-plan” of fantasy baseball, it’s just a simple reminder: If Grady Sizemore is slipping past the third round in your draft, you would be wise to draft him quickly.

I don’t think the Indians will be seeing the playoffs in 2010, but your fantasy squad could end up in your league’s Championship, carried in a big way by Sizemore.

Let’s jump in.

Players in bold are my picks.

Round: 1
(1) Albert Pujols 1B
(2) Hanley Ramirez SS
(3) Alex Rodriguez 3B
(4) Chase Utley 2B
(5) Ryan Braun LF
(6) Prince Fielder 1B
(7) Miguel Cabrera 1B
(8) Matt Kemp CF
(9) Mark Teixeira 1B
(10) Tim Lincecum SP

No real surprises, here. I went with Cabrera over Kemp due to the fact that Kemp’s only had 1 great year while Cabrera has had several. I’m a fan of low risk in the first few rounds, although none of these picks will probably hurt their teams barring injury.

Round: 2
(11) Evan Longoria 3B
(12) Ryan Howard 1B
(13) Carl Crawford LF
(14) David Wright 3B
(15) Joe Mauer C
(16) Troy Tulowitzki SS
(17) Roy Halladay SP
(18) Ian Kinsler 2B
(19) Jacoby Ellsbury CF
(20) Matt Holliday LF

Again, fairly unsurprising. The only questionable pick, in my opinion, is Halladay at 17. He’ll probably be extremely good in Philly, but I have a hard time justifying a 2nd round pick to someone who will play 2 times a week, at most, for my team. I went with David Wright because I really expect him to bounce back this year in a big way. His batting average will likely come down some, but his power is almost guaranteed to return.
Round: 3
(21) Ryan Zimmerman 3B
(22) CC Sabathia SP
(23) Felix Hernandez SP
(24) Ichiro Suzuki RF
(25) Zack Greinke SP
(26) Derek Jeter SS
(27) Dustin Pedroia 2B
(28) Justin Upton RF
(29) Jimmy Rollins SS
(30) Adrian Gonzalez 1B

This round sees a run on the first couple of starting pitching tiers following the Halladay pick at the end of round 2. I went with Pedroia as the top 2B tiers are pretty thin this year.

Round: 4
(31) Kevin Youkilis 3B
(32) Joey Votto 1B
(33) Grady Sizemore CF
(34) Dan Haren SP
(35) Brian Roberts 2B
(36) Brandon Phillips 2B
(37) Jose Reyes SS
(38) Robinson Cano 2B
(39) Jon Lester SP
(40) Jason Bay LF

As you can see, a run on 2B took place in this round, justifying, at least in my mind, my Pedroia pick in the 3rd round. I went with Dan Haren in the 4th, and while that might be a bit early for a starting pitcher, especially for me, I’m happy with the production I’ll get out of Haren. He’s got the potential to be a top 3 fantasy pitcher.
Round: 5
(41) Victor Martinez C
(42) Mark Reynolds 3B
(43) Pablo Sandoval 3B
(44) Jayson Werth RF
(45) Adam Wainwright SP
(46) Justin Verlander SP
(47) Brian McCann C
(48) Adam Lind LF
(49) Johan Santana SP
(50) Justin Morneau 1B

Two top third basemen and catchers go in this round and I snagged one of the latter. Brian McCann struggled with eye problems last season early on, but rebounded in the second half to put up a solid year. I think he’s set for a full season of great production.
Round: 6
(51) Curtis Granderson CF
(52) Josh Beckett SP
(53) Cliff Lee SP
(54) Nick Markakis RF
(55) Aramis Ramirez 3B
(56) Chris Carpenter SP
(57) B.J. Upton CF
(58) Carlos Lee LF
(59) Kendry Morales 1B
(60) Bobby Abreu RF

I went with my first OF in this round, and, in my opinion, a good one. Markakis is finally going to be in a lineup that has a chance to put up some good numbers around him, making him even more valuable. One player of note is Bobby Abreu, who if he plays like he did last year is a steal at number 60.
Round: 7
(61) Joe Nathan RP
(62) Shane Victorino CF
(63) Andre Ethier RF
(64) Jonathan Broxton RP
(65) Shin-Soo Choo RF
(66) Yovani Gallardo SP
(67) Josh Johnson SP
(68) Mariano Rivera RP
(69) Adam Jones CF
(70) Nelson Cruz RF

Round 7 brings a big time run on some top relief pitchers. I picked Josh Johnson, who I really liked last year, and like even more this year. There is a reason the Marlins gave him all that money, folks.
Round: 8
(71) Ben Zobrist 2B
(72) Tommy Hanson SP
(73) Chone Figgins 3B
(74) Torii Hunter CF
(75) Billy Butler 1B
(76) Derrek Lee 1B
(77) Javier Vazquez SP
(78) Adam Dunn 1B
(79) Aaron Hill 2B
(80) Jonathan Papelbon RP

Round 8 features the question mark group. Ben Zobrist and Aaron Hill are the second basemen that came out of nowhere last year. Chone Figgins bounced back and got himself a big contract. Billy Butler continued his progression towards being a premier first baseman. Javier Vazquez put up great numbers, surprising a lot of people. The question for all these players is whether or not they will do it again in 2010. I went with Torii Hunter who is one of those consistent, but not “amazing” players.
Round: 9
(81) Josh Hamilton CF
(82) Brandon Webb SP
(83) Joakim Soria RP
(84) Lance Berkman 1B
(85) Andrew McCutchen CF
(86) Matt Cain SP
(87) Ricky Nolasco SP
(88) Johnny Damon LF
(89) Andrew Bailey RP
(90) Manny Ramirez LF

I went with Ricky Nolasco here. He’s one of the most underrated pitchers in the NL, and following his early season struggles, he was very good for the Marlins in 2009.
Round: 10
(91) Hunter Pence RF
(92) Elvis Andrus SS
(93) Gordon Beckham 3B
(94) Raul Ibanez LF
(95) Carlos Pena 1B
(96) Michael Young 3B
(97) Francisco Rodriguez RP
(98) Matt Wieters C
(99) Cole Hamels SP
(100) Carlos Quentin LF

Rounding out the top 100 picks we see one of my bounceback candidates for 2010 in Cole Hamels at 99. Gordon Beckham will likely be a steal at 93. I went with Ibanez here, hoping that he continues to produce at 4 billion years old.

After the first 10 rounds, I’m pretty light on stolen bases. Check bringingheat.com on Thursday for rounds 11-20 to see how I do.

Positional Scarcity

If you’ve looked at a list of players at all this offseason, you’ve noticed that there are a few positions where talent is very thin at the top. Catching is almost always the thinnest of those. It is one of the few positions on the field that players will be kept in the lineup for their defense in spite of poor offensive contributions, which makes them bad fantasy options. Obviously, the top of the list has 3 great options in Joe Mauer, Brian McCann, and Victor Martinez, but after that the talent drops off, or the risks jump up. Is Mike Napoli going to kill your batting average? Was Geovany Soto really a product of bad luck? Is Jorge Posada going to be healthy enough to play all season? Will Matt Wieters show major growth? Tough questions.You want to make sure that you adjust a player’s value based on the scarcity of the position he plays, especially in keeper leagues. For example, if you are in a league that keeps 4 players per team and Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, and Jimmy Rollins all get kept, that thins out the SS pool a whole lot. Someone like Jose Reyes now jumps in value because of the fact that the talent after him falls off the table.

Mock Drafts

You should participate in at least a few mock drafts before the real thing. If you aren’t sure of your draft position yet, try drafting in different spots in a mock draft. The players available to you are much different from the 2nd spot to the 11th spot. It’s a good idea to have category targets that you want to reach after your draft is complete, as well. These targets depend on the number of teams in your draft, but if you can be near them, according to your projections, you’ll have a good measuring stick of how you’ll have to draft come draft day.

Pitching Strategies

There are a bunch of different strategies for drafting pitchers. One of the most common ones is not paying for saves. Saves are generally easy to come by on the waiver wire, so there’s no reason to waste a 3rd or 4th round pick on a relief pitcher who is essentially only good for one category. I’m not sure that I necessarily agree with this idea. Yes, you can find saves on waiver wire most seasons, but the best relievers are the best relievers for a reason. They will put up good rate stats and decent strikeout numbers for the innings they pitch. In a weekly head to head format, one relief pitcher can theoretically pitch in enough innings to match what a starting pitcher does, and usually with better stat rates. There is a new trend that is developing that the more astute fantasy drafters will draft one of Rivera/Nathan/Papelbon earlier in the draft than they “should,” like the 6th round, and go with a second closer much later to tack on more saves. This strategy requires the drafter to be very good with his offensive picks, and even more so with his starting pitching picks, because taking a closer that early means you are going to miss out on either a very good offensive player, or a top level starting pitcher.

Pitchers and catchers are reporting to camps this week! Get excited, baseball season has officially started!

Bringingheat.com Lead Journalist

1. Jonathan Papelbon BOS

Relief pitchers is one of the toughest positions to rank, because preseason, it’s near impossible to tell who will be best when the clock strikes midnight because so many things factor into the final decision—ERA, saves, strikeouts, wins, etc. It’s too hard to decipher whether a relief pitcher will have a great ERA or not because one bad outing can screw an entire year. As much as I like to think so, I don’t know everything and I am no Norstradamus. However, that being said, Papelbon is the clear No. 1 in my eyes. Barring injury, he has maybe the safest job on the planet for a team that is bound to get plenty of opportunities for wins. And wins=save opportunities and Papelbon just doesn’t blow saves. He just doesn’t. It’s more taboo than laughing at a funeral or invading somebody’s personal space. Pap will give you a low ERA (he always does), and though his walk total went through the roof last year thus inflating his WHIP (Walks + Hits/Innings Pitched), he should come back to his career norms in ’10.

2. Jonathan Broxton LAD

Had to go with the other Jonathan here, even if he is on the opposite coast and in a different league than Papelbon. No matter what happens, there is one guarantee in pitching in fantasy baseball—Broxton will get you strikeouts. He struck out 13.5 batters per nine innings last year for Pete’s sake! (Which, by the way, who was Pete and where did that saying come from? Why is everybody so worried about Pete and his well-being?) Anyways…Broxton also plays on a very good team that will once again get wins and provide him with plenty of save opportunities. The Dodgers don’t blow anybody out, so they should have plenty of close games, games that Broxton will close out with his dominant, near-unhittable ways.

3. Joe Nathan MIN

I was really tempted to put Nathan as the No. 1 reliever, but maybe for age alone, I had to drop him below the Jonathans. Nathan is 35 now, and no matter what my mom says, that is old, at least in baseball years. He will continue to put up dominant numbers as the closer for the Twins for the next three years or so, but he is bound to decline at some point. So, for those of you in deep keeper leagues, look into finding a replacement now. As for 2010, however, don’t bother. Fresh off an ’09 campaign in which he set a career high with 47 saves, Nathan once again posted a WHIP below 1.00, though his 2.10 ERA was by far his worst total in four years. Funny that a 2.10 ERA could be a negative, but it just was a slight disappointment for Nathan owners. The only constants in life are life, death, and the Twins challenging for the AL Central title with some quality pitching. Whoever pitches ahead of Nathan and whoever is in that lineup, Nathan will have plenty of opportunities and his job is as secure as Brink’s Home Security (man, I should really start charging people for advertising in these articles, I could make a killing).

4. Mariano Rivera NYY

Mo is 39, which seems about right, I guess, when I think about how long he has been around. But, considering the numbers the dude has put up the last two seasons, he seems more like 29. Mo will decline eventually, though there’s no telling when. You could see a slight downtick in his numbers, what after his 24^th World Series run and all, but he still should be in line for plenty of saves with a real low ERA and a WHIP that’s so microscopic, you’d need a microscope to see it (hence the description, I guess).

5. Joakim Soria KC

Soria has rough luck. He doesn’t get the respect he deserves in real life because his team isn’t a big market club and he doesn’t get the respect he deserves in the fantasy world because he doesn’t have many save chances. I guess all that could be fixed if the Royals win a few games for the first time since George Brett left, but hey, that could be asking for too much. Despite an inflated ERA, WHIP, batting average against and a decreasing save total, Soria did post the best strikeout numbers of his career (11.7 K/9). And, hey, he did set a career high in wins, vulturing three, count ‘em—three, after garnering just two each the previous two seasons. That’s an extra 10 points in my points fantasy league, so I will take that, sir.

6. Francisco Rodriguez NYM

I was really tempted to put K-Rod lower just because everybody made so much hype about his 62-save season in ’08. I mean, that’s awesome, don’t get me wrong, but he signed a completely Chris Bridges contract (oh, that’s Ludacris’s real name by the way). But, the fact of the matter is, I think K-Rod is the next best option available on the list, for the right price, that is. Don’t overdraft because he’s not worth it, especially after his strikeout totals have decreased for three straight seasons while his WHIP and walk totals have gone up for four straight years. He is still very dominant at times, and the Mets should be much better overall in ’10, so he will have plenty of opportunities again. His ERA should come back to his career norm of 2.53, but then again, who knows anymore? He’s a risk, but 2010 should be less like 2009 and more like 2007, except for maybe the strikeouts.

7. Heath Bell SD

Bell is nothing flashy, especially considering he pitches for maybe the most boring club on the planet right now. His ERA is pretty good. Not top notch, but still solid, and he strikes out slightly more than a hitter an inning. Despite his low-quality club, Bell is in line for a lot of saves because when the Padres do win, it’s usually by just a run or two, so he is always on the hook for a stop. Nothing sexy, but he can help win you a fantasy championship because you’ll likely get him on the cheap because he is still somewhat of an unknown in fantasy circles.

8. Carlos Marmol CHC

This is only assuming Marmol is the surefire closer of the Cubs. I know that doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, but his 7.9 walks/nine innings doesn’t exactly make me want to jump for joy, either. I mean, that is just ridiculous. Eight walks per nine innings?! I could throw more strikes than that. I mean, I’d get lit up, but still. The thing is, though, Marmol is nearly unhittable. In the past three seasons, the 27-year-old from the Dominican Republic has only given up 124 hits in 230 innings, for an average that is on the right side of .200. He doesn’t compound his walks with hits, considering he handed out 65 free passes and just allowed 43 hits last year, which makes for his low ERA. Marmol also racks up the strikeouts and may be the only other closer besides Broxton that could actually reach triple digits in that category before the season ends. If he could just get that walk rate down to like five walks per nine, which is still awful, he would be one heck of a closer. The Cubs should rebound, too, so he should have plenty of opportunities.

9. Trevor Hoffman MIL

The man with the best changeup in the game really threw the world a changeup last season. After an unusually pedestrian ’08 season (in which he posted an ERA of 3.77, oh the horror) by his standards, Hoffman up and left San Diego, where he was more entrenched than John Mayer is in the music world (come on, enough already John), for Milwaukee. Many people thought he was done and just going there to ride out his career.  Instead, he turned in the second-lowest ERA and WHIP of his career while blowing just four games for the Brewers. Now that everybody thinks he’s one of the top closers in the game again, he may just up and go back into decline mode, but that’s about the only risk that this point. His whiff numbers are nothing to write home about, either, but he should be consistent and may come cheap if other owners are wary of his advanced age (42).

10. Brian Fuentes LAA

Below Marmol, things get really slim here as for top notch closers. Every one of these guys, Hoffman included, has a major flaw. Fuentes’ is his regression across the board in ’09. Sure, he led the Majors with 48 saves, which is great, but the rest of his numbers were nothing like what anybody expected. It was his worst WHIP, ERA and strikeout totals since he became a closer in 2005 and he blew seven save chances. However, his job is secure at the moment and you could do worse than his final ’09 numbers. The Angels will once again contend and once again need somebody to act as a stopper because they won’t be blowing anybody out that often, so chances will be aplenty for Fuentes.

11. Francisco Cordero CIN

Coco Cordero, as he is sometimes known, rebounded from a couple of somewhat down years to post a 2.16 ERA while converting on 39 of 43 save chances in ’09. The problem is, he somehow lost his ability to strike batters out, posting by far his worst strikeout rate in the past decade. His WHIP (1.32) was relatively high by comparison to his ERA and his batting average against was the highest it’s been in three years. It appears that the only reasons for his low ERA total was a little luck and the fact that he only surrendered two home runs. He is still a solid No. 1 closer because he is cemented into his spot at the end of the bullpen and will always convert his chances, but he isn’t what he used to be.

12. Brian Wilson SF

Wilson was barely an afterthought as a closer in ’08, but improved across the board in 2009. He did blow seven saves, but did so with five wins, a 2.74 ERA, 38 saves, 83 Ks in 72.1 IP, a .223 batting average against and a 1.20 WHIP. He isn’t the safest option, considering he has just one successful season under his belt, but his job seems pretty secure, even if Jeremy Affeldt is flourishing in the setup role. I would say make him put up another season just like last year before jumping the gun and ranking him in the Top 10.

13. Frank Francisco TEX

F Dubs had an up and down 2009, but mainly because of injuries. However, his job is secure because it was waiting for him whenever he got off the DL last year and the best option for Texas right now besides F Dubs is C.J. Wilson, and he isn’t exactly the best closing option out there. Assuming Francisco is healthy, he will strikeout more than a batter per inning with a solid save conversion rate, a decent ERA and a good WHIP.

14. Andrew Bailey OAK

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year will not repeat his awesome ’09 numbers in 2010. I repeat: he will not repeat. Bailey may be good, in fact, he may be awesome. But last year was just too successful for a young kid to maintain back-to-back seasons. He will, however, still rack up some strikeouts and should have a pretty good ERA and WHIP.

15. Ryan Franklin STL

Franklin is a good reliever. But, is he as good as he was in 2009? Hell to the no! Pitching for the Cardinals, he will continue to get plenty of saves. Pitching under Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, he will continue to have success pitching. But, he will not have a 1.92 ERA again, especially not with a 1.20 WHIP. He doesn’t strike out many batters, either, so if he does struggle, that’s not a fallback option. Franklin will be a good No. 2 closer on your fantasy team, but he will not be great. Don’t pay for last year’s season.

16. Rafael Soriano TB—Underrated, will get lots of Ks and saves with a good club

17. Jose Valverde DET—Move to AL may drop his numbers slightly, but still good option

18. Kerry Wood CLE—On a rough team, but if he starts hot could be traded by deadline

19. Mike Gonzalez BAL—Good strikeouts, not many opportunities on Baltimore though

20. Chad Qualls ARI—Secure job on a pretty good team=lots of opportunities

21. Bobby Jenks CWS—Will post lots of saves, but decreasing Ks a worry

22. Octavio Dotel PIT—Should close, but Joel Hanrahan could vulture saves, lots of Ks

23. Huston Street COL—Great ’09, but his job is not as secure as it may seem

24. Matt Thornton CWS—Closer in waiting, lots of holds, great Ks, ERA and WHIP

25. Billy Wagner ATL—High risk because of injury and age, but could pay off big time

26. David Aardsma SEA—Don’t draft based on career ’09 statistics

27. Brad Lidge PHI—Could there be a more inconsistent closer in the history of the game?

28. Phil Hughes NYY—Really came into his own pitching out of the ‘pen last year

29. Jason Frasor TOR—Will close to start the season, but Downs hot on his heels

30. Matt Guerrier MIN—Led MLB in holds last season, should garner a lot again

31. Michael Wuertz OAK—Lots of Ks, with a good ERA and WHIP and could pick up some holds

32. Jeremy Affeldt SF—Another real good setup man who should post good ERA

33. George Sherrill LAD—Should act as primary setup man to Broxton

34. Matt Lindstrom/Brandon Lyon HOU—Battling for closer role

35. Scott Downs TOR—Very good setup man and could vulture some saves from Frasor

36. Leo Nunez/Dan Meyer FLA—Both in the mix for the closer role

37. Matt Capps/Brian Bruney WAS—Vying for closing duties on a bad team, stay away

38. Ryan Madson PHI—Good setup man and could be in line to close if Lidge fails

39. Rafael Betancourt COL—Proven late-inning guy could close if Street gets injured again

40. Joel Hanrahan PIT—Will post good ERA and WHIP and could get some saves

41. Mike Adams SD—If Heath Bell gets traded, Adams is in line to close

42. Joba Chamberlain/Neftali Feliz NYY/TEX—Will they pitch out of the pen again?

43. C.J. Wilson TEX—Francisco is anything but durable, so Wilson could be in line for some saves

44. LaTroy Hawkins MIL—Successful season closing last year, could step in if Hoffman struggles

45. John Grabow CHC—Should be in line for lots of holds as setup man for Marmol

46. Nick Masset CIN—Top setup man with lots of holds, could close if Cordero is dealt

47. Kelvim Escobar NYM—Will be setup man to K-Rod, injury-prone so beware

48. Scot Shields LAA—Great setup man, but rebounding from shoulder injury

49. Peter Moylan ATL—Great WHIP and ERA, didn’t allow a HR in ‘09

50. Drew Storen WAS—Supposed to be the next top-end closer

Bringingheat.com Lead Journalist

1. Tim Lincecum SF

After two straight NL Cy Young awards, Lincecum is clearly the No. 1 fantasy pitcher. The long-locked little big man has been nothing short of a monster in the fantasy world. His ridiculous strikeout totals are only upstaged by his microscopic ERA and he will rack up innings, wins and low WHIP (Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched). You can draft with confidence. The only risk at this point is injury, and despite his crazy, herky-jerky motion, this dude is as cool as the other side of the pillow (thanks Stuart Scott!). Tony Andracki

2. Felix Hernandez SEA

King Felix finally, FINALLY, backed up his immense hype over a full season. 200 strikeouts, 230+ innings, 19 wins (on a sub-.500 team), a 2.49 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP make for a No. 1 fantasy starter, except that that spot is occupied by Lincecum, who is on another level of pitchers. However, considering he will just be 24 shortly after opening day, the King is the rightful heir to the No. 1 spot if Lincecum should ever fall to injury. You hear that Ludacris, King Felix is coming for that No. 1 spot, too…

3. Zack Greinke KC

How impressive was Greinke in ’09? After battling social anxiety disorder (it’s sometimes easy to forget that professional athletes are real people, too, isn’t it?), Greinke came back to win the AL Cy Young with an incredible season. Assuming he doesn’t have any setbacks psychologically, with his insane talent, Greinke will be a Top 3 fantasy pitcher again. Throw in the fact that he is just 26, the KC ace could be your fantasy ace from years to come. In keeper leagues, you can tie him up for close to a decade before he should start to become an unserviceable starter. Whatever way you look at it, Greinke certainly creates some anxiety for opposing managers and fantasy owners. Scoop him up.

4. Roy Halladay PHI

Let me paint you a picture: Roy Halladay has averaged 243 innings, a 2.78 ERA, 207 Ks and 18.5 wins over the past two seasons with 18 total complete games, including six shutouts. All of that has come in the AL East, arguably the toughest division to pitch in, and with a middle-of-the pack offense supporting him. His move to Philadelphia could pay off in a HUGE way, considering Philly’s defense is better than Toronto’s and their offense is one of the best in recent history. He could easily approach his career-high 22 wins. Consider also that recent pitchers have found great success moving from the AL to the NL, including Cliff Lee and Javy Vazquez last year, and you have yourself an equation you can’t turn away from. Halladay only ranks fourth on this list because of his advanced age (32) compared to those three above him, who are all better options in keeper leagues.

5. Justin Verlander DET

Verlander has had some ups and downs in his career, but last year, he was out of this world, leading the Majors in wins, Ks and innings pitched. He’s been a supreme talent since he entered the league with his triple-digit fastball, but his 2008 season (17 losses, 4.84 ERA) was not even worthy of a No. 5 starter. However, that was a fluke based on the rest of his season totals and he sure harnessed his talent last year. Plus, something has to be said for his durability, making at least 30 starts in four straight seasons and totaling over 200 innings pitched the past three years. His ERA is nothing to write home about, but he should again be in the mid-3 range.

6. Dan Haren ARI

Haren’s first half last year: 18 starts, 9-5, 2.01 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 129 Ks in 130 IP, and just 16 walks and 12 homers allowed. His second half: 15 starts, 5-5, 4.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 94 Ks in 99.1 IP and 22 walks and 15 homers allowed. However, his final numbers weren’t even that bad: 14-10, 3.14 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 223 Ks in 229 IP. Those are still top notch numbers, albeit, not first-round totals. He’s a nice option all things considered, and with Brandon Webb returning to the rotation, Haren might find a little bit more pressure off his shoulders and he can put together two halves that mirror his first-half totals. If not, at least you got yourself an ace in the third or fourth round considering his draft stock has to be down after his poor second half.

7. C.C. Sabathia NYY

Sabathia has been all over the place the past couple of years, but just in location. His production has remained relatively the same—240 or so innings, roughly 200 strikeouts, complete games, shutouts, 17-19 wins and an ERA ranging from 2.70-3.37. Expect more of the same this year. He’s a consistent performer, so you know what you’re going to get from the 30-year-old.

8. Jon Lester BOS

The 26-year-old southpaw has had quite the career, one worthy of a Hollywood movie, or at the very least, a novel. His latest chapter, 2009, saw his strikeouts rise drastically and consequently, his stock has also risen. For the first time in his Major League career, Lester had more strikeouts than innings pitched, totaling 225 whiffs in 203.1 innings. Considering his career progression already, who knows what his true ceiling is. Throw in the all-world offense behind him and a great supporting staff around him in the pitching staff, Lester should, at the very least, reach last year’s totals.

9. Johan Santana NYM

This is the first year in almost a decade that Johan is not considered one of the elite starting pitchers heading into the season. After a down 2009 season in which he saw his batting average against rise (.244) to the highest total he has ever given up over a full season, as well as rising walk totals, decreasing velocity and an elbow injury that shut him down over the season’s final months. After his trade to the Mets, Santana was presumed to see an uptick in his overall numbers moving to the NL and facing opposing pitchers and pinch hitters instead of the DH, but he has actually worsened fantasywise. His two seasons in New York have been the only two years in which he has not had more strikeouts than innings pitched. However, with all that being said, Santana is still one of the game’s best pitchers. Those drawbacks are only drawbacks from his traditional numbers. He will still rack up the strikeouts, complete a few games, and with the Mets offense, should garner 16-20 wins. Not to mention his ERA has never been worse than 3.33 over a full season.

10. Adam Wainwright STL

The 6-foot-7 skyscraper has seen his career progress much like Lester’s—with a lot of storybook moments. Last season was no exception as he turned in by far his best season in the Majors, leading the league in wins and innings pitched. His 212 strikeouts were slightly unexpected, but have become a part of his game now. You shouldn’t expect his 2.63 ERA to continue, but he’s obviously shown he is capable of reaching that lofty number over a full season, so it’s not out of the question.

11. Cliff Lee SEA

After his incredible 2008 campaign where he came out of nowhere to capture the AL Cy Young award, Lee turned in a very solid 2009 season. He is on his third team in the past nine months, and the move to Seattle, despite the spacious ballpark, will decrease his value slightly. The Mariners’ offense is nowhere near what Philly’s was, so his win total may go down, but expecting something around his 2009 numbers would not be unwise.

12. Brandon Webb ARI

If you throw out the 2009 season, Webb would be at least a top 10 pitcher. He strikes out 180 guys a year, throws 230 or so innings, turns in a really solid ERA in the 3.00-3.30 range with 18-20 wins. However, you can’t throw out 2009 just because of the severity of the shoulder injury he suffered. He just started throwing off a mound again and there’s no absolute guarantee that he will be 100 percent by opening day. He is just 30 still, so he has time to rebound, but be at least a little bit wary coming off a serious injury. However, since people will be wary, he could fall in many drafts, so scoop him up if he makes it past the sixth round or so.

13. Josh Beckett BOS

Beckett can be your fantasy ace, but he may not even need to be considering most leagues are 12 teams or less. Whatever team ends up with him as their No. 2 starter is sitting pretty, prettier than Amanda Bynes looks lately. Beckett will get you plenty of strikeouts and wins while racking up 200 innings and turning in an ERA under 4.00 most likely.

14. Yovani Gallardo MIL

The 24-year-old Milwaukee ace is well on his way to becoming a fantasy ace. After a 2009 season in which he averaged 9.91 K/9 innings, Gallardo is emerging as a top end option as starting pitcher. His numbers figure to only get better from here as he continues to develop both physically and mentally, so he’s a very enticing option in keeper leagues as well.

15. Josh Johnson FLA

Johnson has also emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in the game today after a stellar 2009 season that saw him total 15 wins, a 3.23 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 209 innings pitched. He also is near unhittable at times, allowing just a .237 average all year. At just 26, Johnson is also a great option in keeper leagues and he seems to have put his arm troubles in the past for good. He does play for a struggling offense, but his home park is big, so expect 15 or so wins once again with a low ERA.

16. Jake Peavy CWS

One thing is for certain—Peavy will get you strikeouts wherever he pitches, averaging just over a strikeout per inning pitched in his career. He is slightly injury prone, but a full offseason should heal his ankle properly, so he will start 2010 with a slate that is so fresh and so clean, clean. He also is just 28 and will be pitching with an actual, talented offense behind him for the first time in his career. His incredible WHIP and ERA totals may take somewhat of a hit pitching in the American League for a full season for the first time, but he should still be a very good No. 2 fantasy pitcher and could put up ace numbers.

17. Cole Hamels PHI

Everybody was down on Hamels in ’09 because of his inflated ERA and deflated Ks, but expect a full rebound in 2010. He has the talent; 2009 was just a rough year for him. He was a little unlucky, so expect his ERA to come back to earth, although only slightly. His strikeouts will once again be high and he will garner a bunch of wins in the loaded Philadelphia lineup.

18. John Lackey BOS

If healthy, Lackey is a worthy fantasy ace, although that is a pretty big “if” lately, having not surpassed 30 starts in a season since 2007. In the Boston lineup, he will rack up plenty of wins and will continue to pitch a lot of innings with a low ERA and low WHIP, and even though he won’t reach 200 strikeouts, he will come pretty close. The only thing limiting Lackey right now is his injury prone label, but he could easily shed that.

19. Clayton Kershaw LAD

The 22-year-old Kershaw is here to stay, folks. After his 2009 season (2.79 ERA, 9.7 K/9), Kershaw is quickly moving his way up the ranks of fantasy lists everywhere. Heck, by this time next year, he could easily be in the Top 10. In keeper leagues, he should be a hot commodity with five years before he even hits his prime. Scoop him up now before somebody else beats you to it.

20. Tommy Hanson ATL

SEE: Kershaw, Clayton.

Nah, I’m just playing, I will actually explain a little bit more for Hanson, though he and Kershaw’s rationale will mirror each other’s. Hanson is just the poor man’s Kershaw, however. He’s a righty, but that doesn’t matter in fantasy, he’s a year older (23), and his 2009 ERA and K totals were not as good. However, Hanson will put the “Mmmm Bop!” back in your step if you are able to secure him in a keeper league, because he will be a star for years to come.

21. Roy Oswalt HOU

Oswalt’s 2009 season was not one for the ages. He suffered through some minor injuries and rough luck to post an ERA over 4.00 for the first time in his career and only managed eight wins. But, I wouldn’t worry too much about last year. Houston had an underachieving team all-around, but 2010 should be different for both the Astros and for Oswalt. He will once again return to ace status with a season that mimics more of his 2001-08 numbers.

22. Jered Weaver LAA

After Weaver’s rookie performance in 2006, there was a lot of fantasy hype about the kid, but it proved to be much ado about nothing, that is until last year. Weaver set career highs pretty much across the board and made the Angels feel so comfortable that they let John Lackey walk via free agency and left the throne to Weaver. He will be a very solid No. 2 fantasy pitcher for you in all areas. He doesn’t set the world on fire with strikeouts, but he’s no slouch.

23. Javy Vazquez NYY

Vazquez enjoyed the best year of his career last year pitching for the Braves, but the move back to the AL will definitely raise his ERA. His strikeouts, innings pitched and WHIP totals should only drop slightly. His win total, however, should reach 17-18 with the powerful Yankees lineup behind him. The scary thing is, Vaz gives up a few homers (320 over his career) and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the new Yankee Stadium gives up a few homers of its own. So, beware, but he should still be a very solid No. 2 or No. 3 fantasy starter.

24. Chris Carpenter STL

The only thing keeping Carp from ace status is his risk, which is VERY high. He has had more arm injuries in the past couple of years than many teams have and he has always been injury prone throughout his career. That being said, Carpenter will give you a very low ERA, lots of wins and a pretty decent strikeout total while keeping his WHIP below 1.10. It’s all high risk/high reward, but it’s worth a shot.

25. Matt Cain SF

In ’07 and ’08, Cain was the product of a lot of bad luck, pitching great in games but still somehow coming up on the losing end. In ’09, he had a lot of good luck, mainly with balls in play. He will likely not post a 2.89 ERA again, though that’s not too much out of the question, but he has decreased his walk totals, so he should once again be a pretty good pitcher in 2010. His declining strikeouts are a little worrisome, because if those go, he is not on a good enough of a team to get a lot of wins, so he would become more obsolete in fantasy circles. He should fit in nicely as the No. 3 starter for some team.

26. A.J. Burnett NYY—Will get a lot of Ks and wins, but inconsistent from year to year

27. James Shields TB—Very solid starter coming off down year, will come cheap

28. Wandy Rodriguez HOU—Expect a dropoff from last year, but still very solid

29. Jair Jurrjens ATL—Again, will drop off from last year, but a great No. 3 starter

30. Chad Billingsley LAD—Will rebound from down year, expect numbers closer to ‘08

31. Ricky Nolasco FLA—Another rebound case, was a different pitcher in 2^nd half last year

32. Ubaldo Jimenez COL—Young pitcher just getting better and better, lots of Ks

33. Ted Lilly CHC—Always solid, good ERA and win totals

34. Matt Garza TB—Strikeouts are on the rise

35. Chris Young SD—The only question is will he be healthy?

36. Ervin Santana LAA—Derailed by injuries last year, will provide Ks and wins at least

37. Mark Buehrle CWS—Provides wins and really good ERA and WHIP totals

38. Rich Harden TEX—Move back to AL, is dominant fantasy pitcher when healthy

39. Daisuke Matsuzaka BOS—Will rebound from ’09 season, gets lots of Ks and wins

40. Rick Porcello DET—Young guy, will only improve, Ks should increase

41. Gavin Floyd CWS—Solid starter, decent Ks, will get a lot of wins on South Side

42. Erik Bedard SEA—If healthy is a very good starter, but that is a big “if”

43. Carlos Zambrano CHC—Is just a big question mark all around about numbers and attitude

44. Edinson Volquez CIN—Great in fantasy, but coming off arm injury so beware

45. Edwin Jackson ARI—Played slightly over his head in ’09, may benefit from move to NL

46. Ryan Dempster CHC—Will benefit from more consistent offense in ‘10

47. Max Scherzer DET—Great potential, unsure when he will reach it though, could be in ‘10

48. Scott Kazmir LAA—Really found his groove again in LA, could sustain that all season

49. Brett Myers HOU—Should benefit from change of scenery, always good Ks

50. Scott Baker MIN—Overall very solid starter, ’09 is his ceiling most likely

51. John Danks CWS—Solid ERA and WHIP, will get his fair share of W’s

52. Ben Sheets OAK—High risk/very high reward option

53. Hiroki Kuroda LAD—good ERA with good team leads to wins

54. Andy Pettite NYY—If nothing else, will get plenty of W’s

55. David Price TB—Immense potential, could take step closer to realizing it fully in ‘10

56. Tim Hudson ATL—Rebounding from injury, so some risk here

57. Francisco Liriano MIN—Strong rebound case, I really like him this year

58. Johnny Cueto CIN—Good Ks, is very young, will bounce back

59. Derek Lowe ATL—You know what you’re going to get from Lowe year in, year out

60. Jeff Niemann TB—Very good rookie season, but is a sophomore slump looming?

61. Ricky Romero TOR—Came into his own last year, solid No. 4 starter

62. Kenshin Kawakami ATL—Good No. 4 or No. 5 guy

63. Jonathan Sanchez SF—Real good Ks, had great second half

64. J.A. Happ PHI—Last year was probably his ceiling

65. Brad Penny STL—Could rebound with St. Louis, should at least get wins

66. Kevin Slowey MIN—Worthy of a late round pick in most leagues

67. Joel Pineiro LAA—Solid No. 5 starter, loses value moving to AL

68. Joe Saunders LAA—Guy just knows how to get wins, but that’s all he offers

69. John Maine NYM—Could revert back to ’07 form, but will he? At least offers Ks

70. Jorge De La Rosa COL—Racks up the Ks, but will come with high ERA and WHIP

71. Randy Wells CHC—Last year was probably his ceiling

72. Aaron Harang CIN—Rebound possible, but still scary option based on down ’09 season

73. Wade Davis TB—Performed well in his cup of coffee, but will hit some speed bumps

74. Brad Bergesen BAL—Came into his own last year, decent upside

75. Kevin Millwood BAL—Better in real life than fantasy, will get double digit wins

76. Joe Blanton PHI—Decent option, innings eater and will get some wins

77. Mike Pelfrey NYM—Still very young, has room to grow

78. Gil Meche KC—Coming off down year, should revert back to ’07-08 form

79. Brandon Morrow TOR—Lots of Ks, but injury prone and inconsistent

80. Kevin Correia SD—Is an OK option, but pitches for a real bad offense

81. Ryan Rowland-Smith SEA—Good ERA, decent low-price option

82. Shawn Marcum TOR—Very solid in ’08, but coming off Tommy John surgery

83. Paul Maholm PIT—Not bad, no Ks, pitches for terrible club

84. Randy Wolf MIL—Is overall somewhat solid, but inconsistent year to year

85. Clay Buchholz BOS—Had a very good Sept., but always overshadowed in Boston

86. Jason Marquis WAS—Dependable and picks up some wins, but that’s it

87. Nick Blackburn MIN—4.00 ERA, low Ks, .500 record

88. David Huff CLE—Ended season on hot note, worth a look in AL-only

89. Dallas Braden OAK—Decent option, not many Ks

90. Fausto Carmona CLE—Will he ever revert back to ’07 form? Worth late round pick to find out

91. Barry Zito SF—Eh, best season in SF last year

92. Bud Norris HOU—Real good K potential from a young up-and-comer

93. Aroldis Chapman CIN—Enticing prospect, but that’s it at this point

94. Scott Feldman TEX—Bad at home, good on road

95. Brett Anderson OAK—Good, young option, good Ks

96. Jeremy Guthrie BAL—Has had a real up and down career, worth look only in AL formats

97. Jon Garland SD—Finds ways to get wins, but that will prove tougher in SD

98. Marc Rzepczynski TOR—Good, young potential

99. Chris Tillman/Brian Matusz BAL—Young starters with hype and potential

100. Tommy Hunter/Derek Holland/Matt Harrison TEX—All real young with upside