Percentage of players available taken from Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball leagues
Jose Guillén (KC-OF) – 52% owned
Guillen is one of many players this season who is on the road to recovery after an injury. Before playing in only 81 games with blood clots in his legs (which Guillen said almost killed him), the outfielder hit 20 home runs in five of the last 6 seasons while driving in close to 100 runs in ’07 and ’08. If the injuries are behind him, Guillen finds himself in the middle of the Kansas City lineup and could provide an extra power boast with a decent average the rest of the way for your team. The hot start (.341 4 HR 9 RBI) is going to make Guillen a hot commodity on the wire. If he’s still there, and there’s a 50-50 chance that he is, and you need an extra outfielder, the Kansas City cleanup hitter is not a bad place to look.
Iván Rodríguez (WAS-C)- 30% owned
A career .299 hitter with plenty of opportunities for ABs with catcher eligibility? The Hall of Fame catcher is hitting like it’s 1999 and if you’re lacking at the vapor thin position of catcher, I-Rod is not a bad option to consider. While the Nats brought I-Rod in primarily to work with up-and-coming talents like Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Jon Lannan, I-Rod has made the most of his time with the team at the plate, cracking 13 hits in 37 AB’s with 6 RBIs with only one strikeout in the early season. Discount shopping on the wire can net you a gem in I-Rod as a backup or starting catcher in most league formats.
Eugenio Velez (SF- 2B,OF) – 4% owned
After starting CF Aaron Rowand took a Vincente Padilla fastball to the face on Friday, Eugenio Velez stepped in on Saturday against the rival Dodgers, going 3-5 with a double, run scored and RBI. With Rowand possibly facing time on the DL, the 27-year-old outfielder will man center and bat lead off while Rowand makes his way back to the club. His 2B and OF eligibility adds to his fantasy value and could serve as a viable middle infield in deeper formats. In 2009, Velez posted respectable numbers (.278 5HR 32 RBI 10 SB) in little less than half a season when coming up in July of last year for the Giants. He is widely available in all league formats and could be a great fantasy option in those deeper mixed leagues