Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Allen Craig, Dayan Viciedo

August 26, 2011 @ 11:05:55

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets are no longer of use. KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market series gives you tips on fantasy baseball players available as free agents, on waivers or for your FAAB dollars in your rotisserie or head-to-head baseball league. It's time to replace your fantasy baseball busts.

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)

 

Corner infielders

Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox

Dayan to come up

Sept. 1 is less than a week away. Carlos Quentin (sprained AC joint in left shoulder) isn't expected to play this weekend. Alex Rios and Adam Dunn remain candidates for the bench. Paul Konerko has been dealing with nagging knee and calf issues. The ChiSox still have an outside shot at the AL Central title. Or, if they give up, it may be time to throw the nearly MLB-ready prospects into the fire.

Viciedo, 22, already has an MLB-ready stick. He's posted a .297/.365/.492 slash line, along with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs, in 504 plate appearances with Triple-A Charlotte this season. He improved his plate discipline, as the White Sox had hoped he would, and he learned to play the outfield this year. Lately he's been playing some first base. They'll have to play him somewhere, and he's worth holding while they figure it out.

Shallow mixed: Consider

Deep mixed: Acquire

AL-only: Acquire

Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals

Of the Cards' last nine games, Craig has played in seven and started in five. With three of those starts coming in center field, Tony La Russa has made good on his comments about playing Craig in that spot more often. Craig can man a few different positions, including all three outfield spots, for St. Louis now. Jon Jay has cooled off, and Lance Berkman is always a candidate for a day off if not an extended rest because of some malady.

In those seven contests, Craig, 27, has gone 9-for-22 with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs. He's hit .326 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in 138 at-bats before, between and after DL stints. As his minor league record shows, he's pretty much a pure hitter with above-average power. Depending on his fantasy flexibility (he may even be eligible at second base in some leagues), he should be pretty useful.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Consider

NL-only: Acquire

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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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