Fearless Fantasy Baseball Predictions: National League

After spending some time on Friday looking at how the American League could shake out with a few predictions, it's time to review the National League. How it all works out is anyone's guess, but I like to think we could see a few of these come to fruition. 

Remember, even the best hitters fail 70 percent of the time. Let's hope for that type of success with these! 

Joey Votto will outperform Derrek Lee 

There aren't many people out there that don't love Votto, but this may be taking it further. Lee will likely go ahead of the Reds first baseman in most drafts, and given history that wouldn't be surprising. Lee has shown he can hit for average and does have the power. The issue is the power has been latent since a wrist injury.

Votto nearly hit .300 in his rookie campaign and managed 24 home runs. He's only going to get better. He could easily end the year as a top-five first baseman in the National League behind Lance Berkman, Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and maybe Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez. 

He'll produce better all-around numbers than Howard, as Votto won't have the average and strikeout issues. Votto hits in a better park than Gonzalez and isn't as one-dimensional as Fielder. All in, he could be a steal at first for fantasy. 

This is Conor Jackson's Breakout Year 

It seems every year we wait for this, but I have a good feeling on him this season. The Diamondbacks are realizing that Jackson's best fit is not in the cleanup spot. He does his best work simply getting on base and is more a perfect No. 3 hitter than anything. I could also see him in the two hole. 

If Arizona looks to take advantage of his ability to see pitches, work counts, and get on base to set the stage for guys like Stephen Drew and even a rejuvenated Chris Young, it will benefit the entire team. 

Jackson should be able to relax, and with that will come better power numbers than we've seen from the Arizona player. He hit .300 with 12 home runs last season. I see him staying north of .300 with 19 home runs and 90 runs batted in. Not bad for a corner infield spot or an extra outfielder, where he also qualifies. 

Jeff Francoeur Will Bounce Back from 2008 

Here's a guy who drove in over 100 runs in his first two full seasons and ended up demoted for a short stint last year. The concern has to still be his power numbers, which have plummeted. 

Francoeur may not be a 30 home run threat, but he's not a .240 hitter either. He should bounce back to 20 home runs with a .285 average this season if he stays healthy. No doubt he lacks some plate discipline, but there are plenty of others that are worse. 

Look for him as a free agent once we get through April in mixed leagues, as that's where you're probably best and won't waste a pick. 

The Cubs Will Regret Dumping Kerry Wood 

I know, Carlos Marmol has done the job, and we've seen some limited good things from Kevin Gregg, but this is about a feeling.

Marmol's stuff hasn't looked sharp in any outing I've watched in the WBC. I'm not talking results—I'm talking about the way the ball comes out of his hand. It may be some rust, but his secondary pitches seem flat, and his fastball isn't elite enough to get everyone out. 

Kevin Gregg pitched well for Florida, but not so well that they felt he couldn't be replaced. This will be a platoon situation, with neither pitcher recording more than 20 saves.  

Ryan Ludwick is not a One-Year Wonder 

Ludwick seemed to come out of nowhere, and basically did. He did, though, produce power numbers in the minors, and has had four professional seasons with more than 25 home runs. At 30, he's not ready for a severe drop quite yet. 

I won't go out and say he'll hit 37 home runs again, but I do believe he'll hit 30 and drive in another 100-plus runs. He's being valued about right in drafts, and I wouldn't hesitate to look at him in any format. 

J.J. Hardy Will Still Frustrate Owners, but Produce 

No player generated more questions for me last year than Hardy. Owners got frustrated early, as Hardy wasn't producing the power he promised after a solid 2007 season. He ended 2008 with 24 home runs and 74 RBI to go with a .283 average. 

What's odd is that Hardy's splits on that average were nearly identical between pre- and post-break. He's underrated in a lot of regards, and in a year where the middle infield is shallow, he provides good power. 

Hardy may frustrate you early again, but expect very similar production to 2008 by the time all is said and done. 

Chase Headley Will Disappoint 

Headley was one of those major prospects that came up with some fanfare last season. He still offers promise and is worth a spot in all keeper league formats, but he's just not quite ready for prime time.

The one thing he has going for him is playing time. Headley will see time either in left field or at third base in San Diego, mainly because they have no other options. He should even improve on the .269 batting average that we saw last year. I just don't think a .300 season with 20 home runs is in the offing yet. 

He'll get there, but don't expect it in 2009. You'll be disappointed. 

The Mets Will be Thankful for J.J. Putz 

People get on me for this one, but I'm just not impressed with Francisco Rodriguez. I thought he was overrated last season with the Angels, and I think the Mets overpaid for his services.  

The issue as I see it is that he doesn't necessarily do much more than get three outs. Look at the numbers from last season. Rarely was he asked to get four outs or even come in with men on base. With the Mets, that chance is going to be there. 

J.J. Putz could end up being the savior in that regard. Putz can get that extra out, and the Mets will likely look for him to do so. In that way, he'll steal some saves from Rodriguez as well, because they won't use him for just one out. 

It's why I've dropped Rodriguez to a borderline top-10 closer on my rankings. 

Jimmy Rollins is Back 

People sometimes forget that Rollins was hurt last season with an ankle injury and was still swiping bags. 

That ankle likely bothered his swing as well and could have been the reason for the moderate decline in power we saw. His 11 home runs were far short of the 30 from his MVP season in 2007, and were an abnormality if you ask me. 

Look for him to steal close to 50 bases, hit .300, and bring his home run total back over 20 for the Phillies. He's going to provide great value for being picked outside of those first couple rounds. 

Manny is Still Manny, and Matt Kemp is Overrated 

I shouldn't need to fully explain this one. 

Ramirez hit everything being thrown at him when he was traded to the Dodgers last season. He needs so little time to get ready for the season that this abbreviated spring won't hurt him. Ramirez could roll out of bed and hit .300 with 35 home runs. He'll do just that with the Dodgers this year. 

If he's around in round three of your draft, you need to own him. 

Matt Kemp is the guy getting a lot of hype, and he seems to have 30-30 potential written all over him. I still struggle with the fact he can't hit right-handed pitching very well yet. He should improve that number, but he's being overdrafted. 

I'm not saying he's going to fall off the map after a breakout year, but don't be surprised if we don't see the tremendous growth that many are looking for.

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub Roundtable. You can get your fantasy questions answered by sending an email to [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.