Fantasy Baseball 2012: Ranking the Top 10 Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves have begun spring training, and you know what that means—it's time to prepare your draft sheets and get ready for fantasy baseball.

Yes, it is the time of year where husbands neglect their wives, fathers forget to play catch with their kids and conversations are had in your boss' office about your lack of productivity due to you preparing for your upcoming draft.

Whatever the case may be, this is the one time of year where fans are immersing themselves in stats to figure out the best draft strategy.

Whenever it comes to a fantasy baseball draft, I have one rule that I usually try to follow: pick with my head and not with my heart.

My heart is with the Braves. Sometimes, that can get you into trouble when it comes to a fantasy draft.

So, unless it's a player I absolutely need for my team to help with a certain category (Michael Bourn with steals or Tommy Hanson and Brandon Beachy for strikeouts), then I try my best to avoid any Braves at all costs.

However, there are some cases where the players at certain positions are very thin, so drafting a Brave there might be needed.

If you're one of those who lets your heart get in the way, then here is a look at the top 10 Braves to consider when drafting for your fantasy baseball team.

10. Martin Prado

The biggest advantage Martin Prado has is that he has multi-positional eligibility.

Being third base and outfield eligible, Prado provides owners with a unique opportunity to use him in more than one position, especially if there's an injury to another player at one of those positions on the fantasy team.

Last year, Prado batted .260 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. Various sites have different predictions for him, but I think it's safe to say that he'll have a little higher of a batting average and will hit about the same number of home runs with a few more RBI.

The one thing you have to be careful with him, however, is that he's landed on the disabled list three of the last four years, which is not good if you're trying to win a league title.

Although he's eligible in two positions, Prado is one player I would wait until the later rounds to draft.

9. Jair Jurrjens

Jair Jurrjens had an excellent first half of the season last year.

After the All-Star Break, things fell apart for the right-hander.

With the rumors of him possibly being traded in the offseason, Jurrjens will no doubt have a chip on his shoulder to prove that he is the pitcher of the first half last year, and not the second half.

And with him becoming a free agent in 2014, it's time for Jurrjens to step up and show that he is a big-money pitcher like his agent (Scott Boras) will try to tell teams.

This year, I expect Jurrjens to win 12 or 13 games, have an ERA around 3.60 and strike out 120 batters.

8. Jason Heyward

To say that Jason Heyward slumped in his sophomore season is an understatement.

The one thing about Heyward is that he has all of the potential in the world. He was expected to be an All-Star for many years to come after his first season, but struggled a little last year.

There's no reason to believe that Heyward won't recover this year.

However, he's still a third outfielder on most fantasy teams.

After batting .227 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI last year, Heyward will rebound this season. I expect him to hit above .260 and get near 20 home runs and 80 RBI.

7. Freddie Freeman

Freddie Freeman is a great first baseman.

The only problem is, first base is a very deep position in fantasy baseball.

With guys like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Mark Teixeira, Adrian Gonzalez and many others ahead of Freeman in the power rankings, Freeman is likely going to be a backup on many teams unless you're in a league that is deep with 14 or more teams.

I believe Freeman will hit .290 with 23 home runs and 91 RBI, which is great.

But, the question will be, can you find someone better?

If you really want Freeman on your team, fill other positional needs first, as he'll still be there in the latter part of the middle rounds.

6. Tommy Hanson

Tommy Hanson is the ace of the Braves staff, but there are injury concerns.

Last year, he won 11 games and struck out 142 batters. He would've had better numbers had he not spent portions of the year on the DL with shoulder tendinitis.

Due to the injury concerns, Hanson is ranked lower. If he's fully healthy, he'd be No. 2 or 3 on the list.

This year, I expect Hanson to win 15 games and strike out 200 batters. If he can do this, he will legitimize his standing as the ace of the Braves staff.

5. Michael Bourn

If you're looking for a guarantee of 60 or more stolen bases throughout a season, Michael Bourn is your man.

The Braves' leadoff hitter is great at getting on base and swiping second or third, something the Braves have missed since Rafael Furcal left town.

Bourn is projected to score 100-plus runs and steal 60-plus bases. So, that's two categories you can help take care of with this one player.

The fact that he doesn't get many home runs or RBI means that owners will wait until the early part of the middle rounds to draft him.

So, if he's one of your targets, you can take care of other positional needs before aiming for him in the sixth or seventh rounds.

4. Brandon Beachy

Some people may not agree with Brandon Beachy being this high on the list as a No. 3 or 4 pitcher, but he has tremendous upside.

Beachy is another strikeout pitcher I expect will get 200-plus strikeouts.

What he's going to need to work on is his stamina, as the Braves are going to need him to go deeper into games than he did last year.

If he can do that, he'll slot himself into the No. 2 slot in the rotation for many years to come.

Not bad for someone who signed with the Braves as an amateur free agent.

3. Dan Uggla

Yes, Dan Uggla was ugly throughout the first half of the season last year, but he recovered in the second half, hitting 36 home runs and 82 RBI.

This year, if Uggla can get going from the start, there's no reason to believe he won't hit .260 and hit close to 40 home runs. I'm even predicting that he'll reach the 100-RBI mark, as long as he stays healthy throughout the year.

The one thing with Uggla is that he plays a position that is not especially deep.

Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia are the only second basemen who rank ahead of Uggla, as guys like Brandon Phillips and Chase Utley compare well with Uggla.

If Cano and Pedroia go, and Uggla is available in the draft, it would be wise to take him.

2. Craig Kimbrel

It's hard to put a closer this high in the rankings, but Craig Kimbrel is special.

He's going to be in the top five for saves in all of baseball, so he'll likely be one of the first closers taken off the board.

Depending on what's going on with the Braves, and the fact that the bullpen should be stronger and not force Kimbrel to pitch in games where the outcome is already decided, Kimbrel could put up 50 saves and 100 strikeouts this year.

However, drafting a closer too early can hurt your team, so I recommend not being the first owner to draft a closer unless you absolutely have the urge to.

Then again, once the first closer is drafted, there is a run of closers, so if it's still a while before you pick when the first closer is taken, you could be out of the best closers in the league.

1. Brian McCann

I believe Brian McCann is the best catcher in all of baseball.

Sure, there are guys like Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana, who have more home runs and RBI, but they still have a lot to prove.

The one thing you can guarantee with McCann is that he'll give you 20 or more home runs and close to 80 RBI every year.

And for what is considered one of the thinnest positions in fantasy baseball, reaching for McCann is not bad—just don't do it in the first round.

He's the one player I don't even think twice about when it comes to drafting him. If he's available in the third or fourth rounds, I'm taking him. You should, too.