Fantasy Baseball: Diamond Hunting Late in Drafts

Our post on finding some stars buried in the rankings prompted us to take a look at other players that you can steal late in drafts. These players are going in the later third of most drafts, yet are still providing a good deal of upside for owners.

As you look for depth and try to understand where you can gamble and where you need to move early, knowing that these guys will be around should help to make that call.

Mark Reynolds, 3B (Arizona)

There has been a lot of buzz around this guy recently. RotoSavants just did a profile on him here and a Twitter pal at fakebaseball is similarly high on him. Reynolds isn't going to help much with your stats at batting average, but he did nearly hit 30 home runs and finished just shy of 100 RBI.

The Arizona third basemen shows how deep the corner spot is right now. Sure, we all want to get an elite David Wright or Alex Rodriguez, but Reynolds can provide decent power numbers at a very late stage in the draft.

He's a mixed bag, as he hit .280 against lefties, but did most of his power damage against righties. He even brought 10 stolen bases to the party. Reynolds has only had one full season of experience, so his average should get better.

He'll likely still strikeout a fair amount, but look for Reynolds late to fill a corner spot, utility role, or even start at third. His late ADP is a decided advantage for owners that look to build their middle infield early because of the limited depth.

Rick Ankiel, OF (St. Louis)

Ankiel is out to prove that last season was no fluke. His 2008 was solid, if not spectacular. With .264/25/71 stats, he's proof that you can get power late in the game.

Building a team with consistent 25 and up home run power across the board is entirely possible and will create solid balance. Ankiel is another player that allows for focus on other areas with the owner having the knowledge that he's available near rounds 18-20 in ten or 12-team leagues.

Look for him to produce at a similar power clip, but also know that he's likely going to run in to at least one stretch where he can't buy a hit. We saw that in fits and spurts all of last season. Ankiel had a strong April and July, but fell apart in May and August specifically.

The more time he spends in the majors, the more likely he is to smooth out those trends. Look for the average to come up this season more because he'll understand the demands that the position requires. His power numbers will remain steady with an increase to 85 RBI or so.

Adam Lind, OF (Toronto)

I didn't include Lind on the sophomore list, because he's actually played parts of two seasons at this point. When one reader asked about him compared to Chase Headley, I took Lind.

Why? Let's look.

What I like about Lind is that he plays in a friendly park and hit very well against his division. He had nearly 50 at-bats against every team, and was only below .300 against Tampa. He had similar power numbers to Headley, so the comparison is completely valid.

Headley has a higher ceiling, but his division is littered with pitcher-friendly parks, and playing 81 games in Petco undermines his total value.

Lind demonstrated 20 and up home run power in the minors, and has completely refined his swing. I like Lind for better production this year IF he ends up with the starting job in Toronto. Look for him to go .285/24/80 for the Jays in 145 games (est.).

Coco Crisp, OF (Kansas City)

Crisp spent much of the 2008 season platooning with Jacoby Ellsbury in Boston. Now though, he has a starting job with the Royals. That may not seem like much, but his numbers part-time in Boston merit consideration.

Crisp stole 20 bases in 118 games, hitting .283 with seven homeruns. He's not going to provide power, but he certainly adds an element of speed that is normally long gone by the latter rounds of a draft.

Playing full-time, he could easily steal 30-35 bases without breaking a sweat. Kansas City is going to look to create runs because they don't necessarily have the true fire power. Crisp's speed will play a large part in that.

George Sherrill, RP (Baltimore)

I don't think Chris Ray is getting his job back. There, I said it.

At least initially, Sherrill is going to be the guy at the end of the bullpen. If the name of the game is saves, he's going to be available. His ERA and WHIP may kill you to look at, but he did post 31 saves last season.

Sherrill struggled with his command, and his hits/IP ratio doesn't exactly bring a ringing endorsement.

That said, because of how few innings he will actually pitch, the WHIP and ERA numbers don't harm you in the same way they do for a starter. Sherrill averaged about 10 innings a month, as opposed to seeing that in a week from starters.

At the end of a draft, look to him to find some saves if you're in need.

Conor Jackson, 1B (Arizona)

Jackson hit .300 last season with 12 home runs and 75 RBI. The guys at FantasyPros911 feel he could be this year's Carlos Quentin.

Reality is, that's not a stretch. Jackson is maturing every year and is bringing with him a sense and ability to produce. He'll be 27, and in his fourth full season. This is a prime example as to how deep first base is as well.

You may not want Jackson as your starter, but you could certainly look to him as a bench player or utility option based on how he has improved his average. Banking on him getting 20-25 home runs and 85 RBI should be in order this season.

Other Gems: Justin Upton, Brandon Lyon, Pat Burrell, Luke Scott, and J.D. Drew