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The Minnesota Twins are off to an atrocious start. A new ballpark and bolstering their team by resigning mega contracts with their stars has thus far backfired. Joe Mauer is out for an extended length of time until mid-May, and Justin Morneau has struggled to regain his former self at the plate.

They were the studs that the lineup fed off of. Instead of timely hits being made by the rest of the Twins, they’ve all faltered. Their batters from the three to seven spot have lacked any type of consistency, even Cuddyer who has risen over the last few years. Pitching was supposed to ride on the arms of Francisco Liriano. Sure he had a no hitter, but besides that start he has been rocked. This is not the direction the Twins were expected to go with their big three. Are they stuck with the mega contracts of these players? It appears so. An overhaul with their farm system, or trades for other teams prospects is likely.

One pitcher that has been able to manage outings well is Scott Baker (2.97 ERA). Minnesota’s defensive efficiency has struggled, but not when Baker has been out there. Baker has had solid command, and is making owners satisfied for drafting him in later rounds. He is getting his bang for his buck, but you’d have to say his first six starts are a mirage. Baker has been known for getting hit around and having short outings on the mound on a regular basis.

You can pick your spots with Baker, but he definitely shouldn’t be starting each time he is due to pitch for your fantasy team. Depth at pitcher is vital but you also need to manage your innings pitched. Having a pitcher like Baker can make that easier. The outing where Baker lasts three innings and gets lit up was just a matter of time. Today against Detroit he lasted just four innings. Unable to command his pitches, which led to five walks and six hits. Giving up a total of five runs.

Likely if you were trying to sell Baker high, no other owner bought it. They’ll definitely not now. Use Baker as an occasional starter and you’ll be fine. Just don’t expect him to put together five to six solid outings like he started the year off with.

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When an ace is inconsistent you know it’s only a matter of time before he snaps out. They get that solid start and from there build upon it. An 0-5 start though, won’t just get into the pitcher’s head, it’ll also drive fantasy owners crazy. This is definitely a tough scenario to deal with as a fantasy owner.

You can trade him now, but what will you get back for him. Likely not much. So instead of selling him high, maybe you should break down his statistics. He is on a San Diego Padres team that has offered little to nothing in terms of run support. They’re obviously digging and searching for replacements since the Adrian Gonzalez departure. Heck, even with Gonzalez in the lineup, they often struggled for runs. Their team leader for batting average is Chase Headley at .245.

So the frustration shouldn’t be pinned completely on Latos. A young lineup like the Padres is going to take time to develop. It may not happen this year, but the bats should come out and spike at a more frequent rate.

Breaking down Latos statistically is where you can see that he still can be a strong factor. His WHIP is up but it has more to do with a few extra walks than it does hits. The hits have also been big blows, as six of the thirty one giving up have been home runs. What jumps out at you, is that he is still averaging a strikeout per inning.

Latos should not be giving up on just yet. His last three starts have been atrocious. Not lasting barely past the sixth inning and giving up a combined five home runs. So he could be headed down a bad lane for fantasy owners. Most of you should be over your projected season totals for innings pitched. Instead of throwing Latos out each start, sit him and see how he does.

Being in the NL West, he’ll get to face favorable matchups throughout the season. So far he has pitched against dynamic offenses, including the Phillies, Braves, and Reds. Tough outings for any pitcher. Don’t sell him low. When September comes around, you’ll forget that Latos was even in this poor stretch.

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Jumping out the gates in April is always great. If you’re an owner that has shot to the front of your league, you can further yourself from the pack with proper moves. Deciding on the right players to deal out and capitalize off their hot start is the tricky part. Being in a competitive league, you almost have to nowadays play your leverage to further differentiate your team. If not, owners can capitalize off their waiver position and gain on you by August.

In every league there are going to be owners quick to make changes that are suffering out the gate. Making a sneaky proposal just to break the ice is the norm. A good percentage of the time no deal is going to be done after the first offer. If a guy has a major need and he continues to see your offered players do well, he will bend. Give it some time.

Here are some players that have started off very well, that you may be able to get high value for before they dip back down to reality.

Lance Berkman– Berkman seemed buried alive with the New York Yankees last year. The notion figured to be another overpaid big name turned bust. Age seemed to have caught up to Berkman. He went undrafted in many leagues and figured to be an after thought with the St. Louis Cardinals. While other big names on the Cardinals started off rocky, Berkman was the bat the produced. An owner with him is probably thinking when will he slow down? It’s going to happen, and his numbers will likely tail off drastically. Offering him up for desperate owners on the other side, may be the route to go.

Travis Hafner- Injury issues sometimes just never leave a player, until it causes the exit of his/her career. That seems to be the number one issue for Hafner. Health. Cleveland as a whole has exceeded April’s expectation with their start. Hafner is widely available in 46% of Yahoo leagues, which is a troubling number in itself. This is a guy that can produce and if he can sustain for another month, will be worth dealing to give yourself extra depth in a necessary area.

Ike Davis- Talk about a guy having a career year. When a young player has a start like this, it’s hard to project if he can sustain it. Often times though, it’s just a streaky run. Pitchers and managers will figure out Davis’s weaknesses and expose them. Once a rut begins, Davis could tail back off to his earthly averages of a year ago. Which were abysmal. Davis already has five home runs, when he only hit nineteen last year. Every statistical category he is on pace to crush exponentially. With Davis’s age, leveraging should figure better for the fantasy owner.

Ben Zobrist- The key with Zobrist now is that he is getting on base and the whole Rays lineup is delivering. With Evan Longoria returning to the lineup, numbers could continue to soar. On the contrary, Zobrist has never been a great hitter. A career .253 hitter. His power numbers have never jumped out at you either. There’s no questioning that he could be on the brink of a career year. Will he turn that corner completely, and shake off career averages?

By Zack Cimini

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have been buried in the depths of major league baseball over the last several years. Management changes, poor attendance, and constant shuffling of youthful prospects. Now Kirk Gibson gets his chance to resurrect a franchise that just a little over ten years ago won a world series. He has made it known that no ones job is safe. He will make just as many risks as the franchise has made over the last few years. What he won’t do is let inconsistency stay apart of his lineup.

A guy right now that is driving the franchise and fantasy owners crazy is Chris Young. Limitless talent as a strong defensive center fielder, he has struggled to be consistent at the plate. Over the baseball off-season he rededicated himself to becoming a better hitter. Countless hours of work hasn’t translated on the field in the first month of the season. He is still showing the boom or bust at the plate. Striking out, creating an out, or going deep. Owners can’t let go of his power numbers. He hit two home runs yesterday to boost his total to seven home runs now. It’s safe to assume that he should easily get between twenty five and thirty home runs.

Will he be able to progress at the plate? Currently he has a .216 batting average. What may me the biggest problem for Young is the fact that he hasn’t been settled in a spot in the batting order. Gibson has shuffled him up and down the order. Once Gibson figures out a proper batting order, Young should calm down and hopefully get his scary average to a respectable number.

Another Diamondback that didn’t figure to play a large role but has made the most of his opportunities is Ryan Roberts. He is only 49% owned in Yahoo leagues. Another couple of solid series for him and that should change drastically. Roberts is doing it all. At home he has been a force. Finding a groove and batting .344 overall at home. Away his numbers aren’t too bad but dip down to .276. He gets on base regularly, and now the Diamondbacks must find a way to keep him in the lineup. Five home runs, a .311 batting average, fifteen RBI’s, eleven runs, and three stolen bases. Tell me that you don’t have a fantasy roster spot to fit Roberts on your team?

By Zack Cimini

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Acquiring a name from the Tampa Bay Rays wouldn’t seem like a strong idea. Their team has been horrid from the plate. An abrupt retirement from Manny Ramirez figures to drop their capabilities even more. Tampa Bay, tried blending in a mix of the older veteran players with youth. That idea has now come to a screeching halt. If they’re going to build it’s going to come from their own in-house talent.

Currently only owned by 30% of fantasy leagues, Sam Fuld has been quite impressive. He is obviously not going to hit for power. At the small size of 5’10 and 185 pounds, he is just someone the Rays want to get on base. He’s showing the discipline at the plate to make his coaching staff believe in him. Thus far he is batting .313, and already stolen six bags.

Streakiness in any sport is bound to happen. Fuld’s shown that a good day with his bat, or team is going to translate exponentially in his stats. April 7^th, he was able to get on base twice with a hit and a walk. The green light was given to him and he was able to get three steals. In the back from death game for the entire Rays squad against the Boston Red Sox, Fuld nearly hit the cycle. Cranking out two doubles and a home run.

Tampa Bay isn’t going to be a despot, which is scary for any league owner. Don’t sleep on picking Fuld up now though. The team will show enough offense to help Fuld utilize his speed on bases. Remember Evan Longoria should be back in in ten to fourteen days. At this early stage in the year, most owners should be getting a feel for their team and not panicking. Still the likelihood of having that gut feeling that you need to dispense a certain player is there. Make that move and bring up Fuld.

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Lack of depth was supposed to be the outcome from the vast amount of trades the Orlando Magic have done this year. Has it shown? Not necessarily. The Magic haven’t changed their game plan. They run and gun threes and force feed Dwight Howard. They’re style of play alone keeps them in games for the most part. That has a lot to do with how well numerous athletes can shoot the long ball.

Problems with depth were pin pointed at center. Behind Dwight Howard for the last several years was Marcin Gortat, and they also had 6’10 forward Rashard Lewis. Ryan Anderson hardly received minutes, but it’s beginning to look like the Magic needed to find him minutes. Over the last month or so you can see that he is in the flow of the offense and his team is searching for him. It’s tough to cover a 6’10 big man that’s agile. Anderson is just that. He is able to find his spots on the perimeter and be wide open for the most part.

That could be why he is gunning up between five and seven threes a game. A stat most coaches would frown upon from their big man. Anderson though is shooting the three point shot at near 40%. He does the little things as well. He’ll attack the glass and get some put backs when the Magic go with a small guard lineup. Which they have had to do for stretches.

For the Magic to have post season success it’s going to come from an unfound young talent. It won’t be veterans Jason Richardson, Jameer Nelson, and definitely not Gilbert Arenas. Turkoglu has shown his age, even though he typically raises his game in the playoffs. Anderson is comparable to Channing Frye but a tad bit higher in terms of talent. If he can transfer his forty percent three point shooting with this veteran cast into the playoffs, watch out.

From a fantasy standpoint, Anderson will deserve a shot to be drafted next season in later rounds. His minutes won’t peak above the thirty minutes a game mark, but he gets enough done with his minutes. With Turkoglu on the decline who knows how his minutes will fare. There’s tremendous upside for Anderson and he should be on all fantasy radars as a potential steal in next years drafts. Remember he came out of college in 2008 from California early, and won’t be 23 until next month.

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San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs have been struggling lately and might lose the top spot in the West by season’s end, but they’re the kind of team that won’t be affected in the postseason by regular-season issues. If Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and the solid role players around them stay healthy, the Spurs could very well be hoisting another trophy in June.

Los Angeles Lakers – If the Spurs do indeed lose the No. 1 seed by playoff time, it will probably go to the Lakers. They’ve got all the tools to accomplish a three-peat. Their size is a huge advantage on offense and defense, they’ve got athleticism and experience in the backcourt and Kobe Bryant has willed his team to victory so many times before that it would almost be surprising not to see him in the Finals.

Dallas Mavericks – Time is winding down for Dirk Nowitzki to win a ring. The players around him can score, rebound and play defense, making the Mavs a well-rounded team. Dallas will have to contend with teams like the Spurs, Lakers and Thunder before they can think about getting out of the West, so this postseason will be as tough as any other for Nowitzki and the Mavs.

Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder are one of the teams of the future, and they’ll make things interesting in the playoffs, but they won’t get too far. If the season ended today they would be playing the Denver Nuggets in the first round, which is a winnable series, but there’s still too much talent and playoff experience for the Thunder to deal with.

Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets will probably enter the postseason with the most momentum of any team in the league, but that doesn’t mean much when the playoffs start. Don’t expect Denver to make it out of the first round. They’ll give Oklahoma City a good fight, but the Nuggets will make another first round exit this year.

New Orleans Hornets – Losing David West for the season was a tough loss for the Hornets, who, if they will be playing the Lakers in the first round, might be able to steal a few games because of Chris Paul’s leadership and the talented role players the team has around him.

Portland Trail Blazers – If they play the Lakers in the first round, as they would based on current standings, the Blazers could play a competitive series. LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and the young Blazers have the energy to win at least a few games in the first round, and though they’ll probably leave the playoffs early, they can push their opponent out of their comfort zone and expose some weaknesses.

Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies aren’t going to give the Spurs any trouble in the first round, but they do have the pieces to be a playoff team for a long time. They’ve got size in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, a proven scorer in Rudy Gay, and solid players at the guard and forward spots.

Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls – The Bulls have been an elite team the entire season, and will stay in that category for a while. Derrick Rose has grown into a leader and a superstar, and has the drive to push his team far into the playoffs. They’re still too young to get past teams like the Boston Celtics, but this team will make noise in the East for a long time.

Boston Celtics – Though the Bulls and Heat are higher seeds, the Celtics still have more championship experience than those teams and should never be counted out. No one would be surprised if the Celtics knocked off the Bulls and advanced to the Finals behind the leadership of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. The shock of losing Kendrick Perkins would all but disappear if Boston went back to the Finals this year.

Miami Heat – Everyone’s least-favorite team has the potential to make it to the Finals, but the Heat could also have a tough time just getting out of the first round. As of now, they would be playing the New York Knicks, a team with its own superstar issues. These teams have made for some dramatic matchups and storylines, and the Heat will probably win an exciting first-round series and go on to make more drama.

Orlando Magic – The Magic don’t have the experience to make it out of the second round of the East, but there’s no doubting their talent. Dwight Howard is the most dominant post player in the game, and he’s surrounded by good shooters and playmakers, but the team doesn’t have the experience or explosiveness to compete with the Celtics, Bulls or Heat for a seven game series.

Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks are slated to play the Magic as the East’s No. 5 seed, and just like the 2010 postseason, they’ll probably be eliminated by Orlando. The Hawks have been hovering around the above-average category in the East, and with their youth, they’ll probably stay there for a while.

New York Knicks – The Knicks have made headlines, but they won’t make it to May. Since the Carmelo Anthony trade, New York has been streaky, going on winning and losing streaks without showing much consistency. It will take a while before Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and the Knicks develop a chemistry that can make them legitimate contenders.

Philadelphia 76ers – The 76ers are a young team with guards that can score. That could mean one win against the Celtics in the first round, but not much else. If the core of Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and players like Louis Williams and Jrue Holiday stick around, the Sixers should be a consistent playoff team.

Indiana Pacers – There’s enough size and talent on the Pacers to think that they could make things interesting as the No. 8 seed, but they’ll make an early exit from the playoffs after returning to the postseason for the first time in five years.

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Heading into the 2010 offseason, everyone knew the free agent market would not only be focused on ace lefthander Cliff Lee, but two All- Star outfielders as well.

Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford hit the free agent market with high expectations, and both outfielders struck gold with big paychecks and new homes.

After four above average seasons in Philadelphia, Werth entered free agency looking for big money. However, no one expected the Washington Nationals to be players in the Werth sweepstakes. $126 million and seven years later, Werth now calls the nation’s capital and Nationals Park home. There are several precautions before drafting Werth to serve as your middle of the order, right fielder.

First and foremost, Werth bolted Philly, but remains in the ultra competitive National League East. With almost no protection in the Nationals’ lineup, Werth will face the Marlins, Braves, Mets, and Phillies almost 20 times each every year. Clearly, there is an abundance of strong pitching in this division with Ricky Nolasco, Javier Vasquez, Johan Santana, and Mike Pelfrey in the division. Then there’s the all star rotation in Philly that consists of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels.

Facing elite pitching day in and day out won’t be easy for Werth and the Nats. Werth was never the go to go in the extremely powerful Philadelphia lineup, and it will be interesting to see if he can deal with being the “big bat” for Washington.

Then there’s Crawford who despite being courted by the Yankees and Angels, signed a seven year, 142 million dollar deal with the Red Sox. Similar to Werth, Crawford remains in a division that is loaded with talented pitching, but Fenway Park and Boston’s potent lineup make the difference.

Boston manager Terry Francona will most likely choose to bat Crawford third in his lineup, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia in front of him. Those two will provide plenty of RBI chances given their speed and ability to get on base. Most importantly, newly acquired first basemen Adrian Gonzalez will bat cleanup after Crawford. Talk about good protection. Opposing pitchers won’t want Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Crawford on the base paths with Gonzales stepping into the batter’s box.

With his speed, power, and the talent surrounding him, Crawford is poised for a big season in Boston. He is a sure bet for your fantasy outfield.