Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - AL

June 25, 2010 @ 04:03:49

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Bryce McRae

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - NL

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)
Watch	Track player, add if trend continues
Pass	Do not add player (in most circumstances)

 

Middle infielders

Jayson Nix, 2B/3B, Cleveland Indians

Be suspicious!

The Tribe claimed Nix off waivers from the Chicago White Sox and optioned Luis Valbuena to Triple-A Columbus. Manager Manny Acta plans to let Nix and Anderson Hernandez duke it out for PT at the keystone. Hernandez carries little offensive potential. Nix, though, has a bit.

Nix, 28, has a .200 lifetime average, but when he has played regularly, he has produced more ... adequately. Cleveland may start handing out trial runs to anyone with a pulse, so the situation is fluid. Nix has a little pop and could hit .250 with 10 homers or more, though. He might also be eligible at shortstop.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Acquire

Outfielders

Matt Joyce, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

Since his arrival in a trade before last season, Joyce has struggled to be part of Tampa's lineup because of injuries. Now, the problem is Tampa's depth. Skipper Joe Maddon will find some time for this left-handed bat, though.

Expectations for Joyce shouldn't be high, but he may offer a bit of power. His elbow problems limit that ability in the short term but haven't put it to an end. He was hitting .293 with three homers in 92 at-bats with Triple-A Durham. If he works his way into a platoon, he will carry value as depth.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Acquire

Pitchers

Doug Fister, SP, Seattle Mariners

The M's activated Fister (shoulder) today and will send him to the hill on Saturday versus the Milwaukee Brewers. He has been quite a surprise, posting three wins and a 2.45 ERA in 10 starts. He has limited opponents to a .225 average, a mark due for a correction. Fister doesn't rely on high velocity.

Fister's figures may seem improbable, but it's possible that he'll continue to be at least moderately successful. The right-hander keeps the ball on the ground more than half of the time and has issued 1.29 free passes per nine. He doesn't hurt himself, at least. At this point, he's a saint for Seattle.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - NL

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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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