Fantasy

It’s slim pickings now that there are just eight teams left.  Naturally, since the pool of players dwindles significantly you have to be on top of your game to come out ahead.  Here are some guys that could be under-the-radar fantasy baseball contributors.

1.CJ Wilson, SP TEX

With the fantasy baseball season coming to a close, this is the most ideal time to get an early jump on your research for next year.  Many leagues are won and lost by the decisions made months before the draft takes place.  Take a look at these guys listed below and have them on your fantasy baseball draft boards entering 2011.

For those who were concerned with Clayton Kershaw prior to the season, they certainly had their questions answered early and often in 2010.  While the Dodgers opted to shut him down early due to a heavy workload (he went from 171.0 innings in 2009 to 204.1 innings in 2010), that couldn’t put a damper on his amazing campaign.

Let’s take a look at the numbers before putting his success in perspective:

Was there a more surprising 2010 performance than R.A. Dickey’s?  Signed as a minor league free agent, he didn’t open the year in the Mets rotation.  By year’s end, however, he had entrenched himself as their most dependable starter.

Drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft (16th overall), Brett Lawrie appears primed to be a future fixture in the Milwaukee Brewers’ batting order.  He certainly posted an eye-opening Double-A campaign:

554 At-Bats
.285 Batting Average (158 Hits)
Eight Home Runs
63 RBI
90 Runs
30 Stolen Bases
.346 On Base Percentage
.451 Slugging Percentage
.350 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Desperate for an option over the final few days of the season? It’s certainly worth looking under the radar, especially for those in deeper formats.

I don’t think you can get much further under the radar than Mets outfielder Lucas Duda, who has silently emerged as a viable option.

It’s funny.  Two years ago I found myself in desperate need of saves in August, and my league rules limited my options for trades (in August you can only trade with a team two spots from you in the standings). 

With excess power, I was able to coerce the team behind me to trade me Jonathan Papelbon and Melvin Mora in exchange for Ryan Braun and Jonathan Sanchez.

The Diamondbacks lineup, when healthy, is fairly potent. They are right in the middle of the pack in runs scored (16th with 694 through Saturday) and fifth in home runs (175).

Their home ballpark helps to inflate power, so using a spot start pitcher against them never seems like a very good idea.

Over the final week of the season, though, things may be different.

Are you in a two-catcher league, and looking for an under the radar option to potentially carry you over the final week of the season?  Surprisingly, there are probably many of you out there, with players like Geovany Soto and Yadier Molina being lost for the year.

We all know that filling out your catcher spots are difficult the deeper your league is, but Brad Davis of the Florida Marlins could be an interesting option to turn to.

First, let’s look at what he has done through Friday:

Speed is something that fantasy owners trying to make a late season run in their leagues are searching for.  In recent days you may have lost Coco Crisp, Hanley Ramirez, Michael Bourn, or Scott Podsednik.  If you have been holding onto a player like Elvis Andrus, you’ve seen the stolen bases dry up.

Let’s take a look at a few names who may be available on your waiver wire who could provide a little boost over the final week of the season