Fantasy Baseball 2012: Top 5 Players at Each Position

With baseball's first Opening Day taking place on the other side of the world (Athletics vs. Mariners in Japan), we'll seize one last preseason opportunity to feature the top five fantasy stars at every position: catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field, designated hitter, closer (reliever) and starting pitcher, both right-handers and southpaws.

Upon finishing the 13-slide pictorial, one thing will be abundantly clear: We have extracted every ounce of pre-draft preparation out of this blog.

Now, for better or worse, it's time to build a pennant-contending roster. Good luck!

Starting Pitcher (Righty): Justin Verlander, Tigers

Justin Verlander, a regular candidate for hitting 99 mph on the radar gun in the eighth and ninth innings, is one of the most bankable and durable assets in fantasy.

The Tigers ace (targets: 18 wins, 237 K's, 2.56 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) headlines a stellar class of right-handers, followed by Jered Weaver, Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez and Tim Lincecum.

Starting Pitcher (Lefty): Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

This may be a true golden age for left-handed starting pitchers in fantasy.

Clayton Kershaw (targets: 18 wins, 242 K's, 2.33 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) and Cliff Lee are bankable superstars, but there's also room in the top 13 overall starters for Cole Hamels (No. 8), CC Sabathia (No. 9) and David Price.

Catcher: Carlos Santana, Indians

Fantasy owners could shuffle the deck with the top five catchers 100 times and still find acceptable rankings each time out.

From my perspective, though, Carlos Santana (targets: 27 HR, 84 RBI, 86 runs, 4 steals, .266 BA) and his C-1B versatility rules the roost.

The Indians backstop is flanked by Brian McCann, Buster Posey, Mike Napoli and Joe Mauer.

First Base: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

Thanks to a pair of sunglasses, the fantasy world still has one of its biggest gate attractions.

Miguel Cabrera (eye injury) has already begun taking batting practice again and may be back with the Tigers by Opening Day.

Good thing for him, since the top-five competition at first base is spectacular, from Albert Pujols and Joey Votto to Adrian Gonzalez and Prince Fielder.

Second Base: Robinson Cano, Yankees

A wave of young stars has pumped new life into second base this spring, but the position remains a showcase for veteran marvels like Robinson Cano (a four-category machine), along with Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler, Dan Uggla and Brandon Phillips.

Third Base: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays

Jose Bautista stands as this countdown's only star to get maximum exposure at two positions.

In likely his final year at third base, Bautista (targets: 40 HR, 100 RBI, 100 runs, 8 steals and .315 BA) leads an elite class of versatile stars at the position: Evan Longoria, Adrian Beltre, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman.

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies

Troy Tulowitzki is hardly a surprise entry as the fantasy king of shortstops. When healthy, he's a comfortable lock for 30 HR, 97 RBI, 85 runs, 10 steals and a .306 average.

The star power at the 6-hole continues with Hanley Ramirez (3B-eligible sometime in late April), Jose Reyes, Elvis Andrus and Starlin Castro.

Designated Hitter: David Ortiz, Red Sox

Since very few leagues require a pure "DH" slot, fantasy owners will likely only tussle over David Ortiz (29 HR, 96 RBI, .308 batting average in 2011), Billy Butler, Adam Dunn, Edwin Encarnacion and Mariners rookie Jesus Montero from Rounds 6-13.

Left Field: Ryan Braun, Brewers

Ryan Braun, the reigning National League MVP, is potentially the most explosive five-category force in all of fantasy.

But can he be as prolific without Prince Fielder in the lineup?

Braun (targets: 27 HR, 100 RBI, 26 steals, 101 runs, .312 BA) headlines a left-field class of Carlos Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Matt Holliday and Alex Gordon.

Center Field: Matt Kemp, Dodgers

The new Dodgers owners, led by Magic Johnson, will love watching their own Marquis de Sade every night.

Matt Kemp (targets: 32 HR, 106 RBI, 107 runs, 36 steals, .304 batting) headlines blue-chip talents like Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Andrew McCutchen and Michael Bourn at center field.

Right Field: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks

Jose Bautista should be the pictorial leader for right field, but he's already busy commandeering third base.

In the interest of sharing the wealth, Justin Upton (targets: 28 HR, 97 RBI, 102 R, 24 steals, .296 batting) gets high-priority billing at No. 2, followed by Giancarlo Stanton, Hunter Pence and Nelson Cruz.

Relief Pitcher: Craig Kimbrel, Braves

What can the 24-year-old Craig Kimbrel do for an encore after dominating the closer scene last year with 46 saves, a 2.10 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 77 innings (14.8 K/9 ratio)?

This baby Brave is the easy choice to lead the relievers, followed by John Axford, Mariano Rivera, Drew Storen and Jonathan Papelbon.