Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - NL

September 15, 2010 @ 11:45:00

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - AL

Fantasy baseball waivers and the acquisition of fantasy baseball free agents can make or break your season. Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets won't help you after spring training. If your team remains the same after opening day, you will have trouble competing in your rotisserie baseball league.

Do you need to replace your fantasy baseball busts? Which fantasy baseball players can you ignore? KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market gives you fantasy baseball tips and insight to sort through the masses quickly.

Key

Acquire	Add player (in most circumstances)
Consider	Add for speculation or because of need
Watch	Track player, consider if trend continues
Pass	Do not add player (in most circumstances)

Middle infielders

Wilson Valdez, 2B/SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Valdez, 32, is the Phils' starter at the 6 until Jimmy Rollins (hamstring), who's officially day-to-day but unofficially unlikely to return in time to make a difference. Valdez filled in up the middle ably on a few occasions earlier this season and has been doing so since Rollins sustained his latest impairment.

There's little that's exciting about a .234 hitter with five homers and eight stolen bases in 633 at-bats lifetime. Valdez never played more than he has this year, though; in 291 at-bats, he has hit .247 with four dingers, four steals and 30 runs. There may be little to gain, but at this point, if you need a stopgap, given his surroundings, Valdez is a serviceable band-aid.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Consider

Outfielders

Jay Gibbons, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Scott Podsednik (foot) is likely done for the rest of the season. Reed Johnson will factor into the lineup in left field, but Gibbons can play some first base. The Dodgers would be wise to see how Gibbons would perform for an extended stretch, while they can. Yes, Gibbons - the guy who batted .230 for the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 and was out of baseball since, until this year.

The Dodgers took a flier on Gibbons, who was seemingly blackballed after his name appeared in the Mitchell Report. The lefty hitter admitted to HGH use during a period in his career in which injuries plagued him. The thing to remember: Gibbons was a talented hitter, despite a career .261 average; some even thought he could win a batting title.

He remained dedicated to giving a baseball career another shot, and it's paying off. Gibbons was a Pacific Coast League All-Star and batted .347 with 19 homers and 83 RBIs in 352 at-bats. Doing that kind of damage in the bigs, not the hitter-friendly PCL, as a 33-year-old prompts plenty of skepticism, though. However, .326, with five homers and 15 RBIs, in 46 at-bats with the Blue isn't a bad way to start. There are worse flier choices available.

Shallow mixed: Watch

Deep mixed: Consider

NL-only: Acquire

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - AL

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Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

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