Mound Talk

31. J.D. Drew. Can he stay healthy? We doubt it but just in case…

32. Michael Cuddyer. He’s in a great situation hitting between Mauer and Morneau. Expect much of the same from Cuddyer in 2007.

33. Bill Hall. The Brewers super-utility man is set to move to centerfield this season. He’ll be eligible at short and third this year too and might be more valuable at one of those positions depending on how your draft goes. Either way, he’s a good player to have. He won’t kill your average but won’t help it. He has tremendous power, leading all shortstops last season with 35 dingers.

34. Jeff Francoeur. The man who cannot walk can hit. He’s a guy I like to shy away from because of his low average but there is no denying his run and rbi potential.

35. Pat Burrell. Though his average will hurt you, he has good power and with Utley and Howard hitting in front of him, he will have the opportunity to drive in 90 runs. The downside to that is the he’ll come to bat 45 times with the bases cleared after Howard knocks one out of the park.

36. Delmon Young. Young looks to take over the reigns in right field for the Devil Rays. He’ll likely benefit from hitting third in the order and if things go well for the Rays, Young could have a huge season. Don’t get trapped into drafting him too early though.

37. Chris B. Young. The Diamondbacks rookie outfielder ought to lead off in 2007 and has 20/20 potential this year. Think Adam Dunn with speed.

38. Brian Giles. Like a lot of guys down on the list, Giles had a bad year last season. We see a bounce back year.

39. Dave Roberts. The Giants leadoff man can and will steal plenty of bases. The issue with him is how many runs will he be able to score and likely, the answer is not enough to warrant a starting spot.

40. Ryan Freel. The Reds leadoff man can and will steal plenty of bases. The issue with him is how many runs will he be able to score and likely, the answer is not enough to warrant a starting spot.

41. Shane Victorino. Victorino has good speed and with the lineup around him, he should be able to put up good fantasy stats. He’ll fight Aaron Rowand for the number two slot in the order and then the only question is how much do the Phils let him run with Ryan Howard hitting behind him?

42. Aubry Huff. Though he struggled last season, a move to Baltimore should help his fantasy stats.

43. Josh Willingham. Last year Willingham had value as a catcher. No such luck this year fantasy owners. He’ll hit fifth and with 30 HR potential, he’s worth adding as a 4^th OF.

44. Carlos Quentin. The Diamondbacks young OF should hold plenty of value this season. Much of that value ultimately depends on where he hits in the lineup and that is likely subject to change on a daily basis with all the young guys with talent on their roster.

45. Kenny Lofton. Just as Brad Wilkerson should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs, Lofton should score plenty of runs with Michael Young Mark Teixiera and Hank Blalock hitting behind him.

46. Willy Taveras. Last season was disastrous for the speedster. He got off to a slow start and never really produced like people thought he would. This year, with Helton, Atkins and Holliday hitting behind him, expect 100 runs easily with 40 rbi max.

47. Eric Byrnes. 20/20 last year with average runs and rbi production. Has a chance to see each of those numbers grow this season with improved talent in the Diamondback lineup.

48. Chris Duncan. He showed he can compete last season putting up a solid set of numbers in limited playing time. This year he could be slotted as high as second in Saint Louis and that means that with Albert Pujols hitting behind him, it will be hard for him to not score plenty of runs. Duncan is also a guy to consider in a platoon. He hit .148/.170/.325 better against right-handed pitching than left-handed pitching.

49. Luke Scott. An improved lineup in Houston could push Scott down in the batting order but we like Scott as a fourth outfielder.

50. Brad Wilkerson. With the guys hitting ahead of him, Wilkerson only needs an average season to produce at an above average level. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs and only needs to worry about getting himself back on track. If he slides down Texas’ batting order, look to grab sleeper Nelson Cruz instead.