5. 3B Mark DeRosa
At age 33, DeRosa had a career year last season for the Cubs. He set career highs in homers, RBI, and walks, all the while improving his OPS 66 points from a season before. But can he sustain it? Logic says no. Still, because of his versatility, DeRosa continues to have value to fantasy owners.
4. C Victor Martinez
Though Martinez is set to play some 1B and DH this season, he still qualifies at catcher. This year's crop of catchers is better than the usual, but Martinez still ranks near the top of the list, even if injuries destroyed his 2008 campaign. The big question with Martinez is his power. Can he hit over 20 homers again?
3. SS Jhonny Peralta
Peralta has been nothing but steady the last two seasons. He's averaged a .273 AVG, 21 homers, and around 80 RBI. That's good enough for most fantasy owners. Peralta also scored 104 runs last season, topping his previous career high by 17. He's a consensus top 10-15 shortstop in mixed leagues.
2. SP Cliff Lee
Lee was the biggest surprise of the season last year, going from a fringe starter on a decent club to the AL Cy Young winner. The numbers were staggering: 22 wins, a 2.5 ERA, 170 K's, and a 1.1 WHIP. While the number of wins almost certainly won't repeat itself, the impressive peripherals means Lee should still be a very successful pitcher this season.
1. CF Grady Sizemore
Sizemore is about as good as it gets in fantasy circles. He contributes in all five categories, and at 26, he's only getting better. He should be a top ten draft pick in all leagues, end of story.
Matt Wood is a web editor for 
Leave a comment