Dear TFP,

As someone who took a half-assed approach at fantasy baseball last season (including ignoring the last two months entirely in terms of fantasy numbers), who are some of the hidden big names to add to my roster that maybe wouldn't show high in the rankings based on the stats from 2008? Maybe they were injured most of the year or late-season activations from the minors. You know, guys who only played a few months, but had solid numbers and could potentially be studs in 2009?

Lazily Yours,

Miguel P.

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Miguel P.,

“Hidden big names” is a dangerous bit of nomenclature but we’ll give it a whirl. Let’s go position-by-position, offering up both a buzz-worthy up-and-comer and sneakily productive, overlooked veteran. And it should be added that none of these guys are “studs.”

C – Taylor Teagarden, Ramon Hernandez
1B – Kendry Morales, Adam LaRoche
2B – Asdrubal Cabrera, Mark Teahen
SS – Elvis Andrus, Khalil Greene
3B – Pablo Sandoval, Mike Lowell
OF – Nelson Cruz, Ryan Spilborghs
OF – Cameron Maybin, Michael Cuddyer
OF – Colby Rasmus, Juan Rivera
SP – Jorge de la Rosa, Josh Johnson
SP – Max Scherzer, Chien-Ming Wang
SP – Brandon Morrow, Brad Penny
RP – Jose Arredando, Chad Qualls

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Dear TFP,

In a 10-team league, what would you rather have, the first overall pick (and pick 20 in R2) or picks 10 and 11? If you had the first pick, who would you take and if you had the 10 and 11, who would you take?

Matt K., West St. Paul

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Dear Matt K.,

We would almost always prefer to picking at the turn. Hanley Ramirez would be our pick if we had the No. 1 selection, but we’d rather have Jimmy Rollins and Ian Kinsler at picks 10 and 11. If you take Hanley, you’re probably looking at taking Johan Santana, Tim Lincecum or an outfielder like Carlos Beltran at pick 20 and 21. Rollins + Kinsler > Hanley + Beltran.

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Dear TFP,

Do you think there are any pitchers worth taking in the first and second rounds, or is it better to load up on offense, then get pitchers in later rounds?

Superstar Saul

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Dear Superstar Saul,

Santana and Lincecum are deserving of second-round picks but we’d steer clear. If you can get one of those guys in the third round, great, but otherwise stick with best-value hitters until rounds seven or eight. Even then we’d only lunge at Chad Billingsley or John Lackey. There are just too few reliable starters to warrant using high draft picks on.

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Dear TFP,

Is Matt Holliday still a Top 10 pick now that he’s in Oakland?

Trader Dave

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Dear Trader Dave,

We don’t think Holliday is a Top 10 guy right now. He might be Top 20, but we’d rather let someone else take him or bite in Round 3. We realize his ADP (14) suggests we can’t get him that late but if we’re locked into taking an OF in Round 2, we’d be more comfortable with BJ Upton (ADP: 23) or Manny Ramirez (ADP: 24), provided he’s signed with the Dodgers by draft time. Speaking of Manny, we see him going very low in drafts. Do people really believe the recession is going to keep Manny unemployed? And if you believe he’s going to eventually sign with Los Angeles (the consensus opinion), do you really think he’s not worth a second-rounder? Should guys like Carlos Quentin and Jason Bay be drafted ahead of Manny? They shouldn’t, but in some leagues they are. We want in on those leagues.

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