Fantasy Baseball Advice: Start 'Em vs Sit 'Em and What's Wrong with Hanley

Hanley Ramirez is the definition of a fantasy cornerstone. Since his rookie season in 2006, Ramirez has averaged 25 homers, 78 RBI, 112 runs, 39 stolen bases and a batting mark of .313. At first glance, these numbers are fairly outstanding; however, Ramirez mans a position (shortstop) absent of viable hitting options, augmenting the Marlin's fantasy worth.

Yet something has been amiss in South Florida this spring, as Ramirez is hitting .219 with just four bombs. El Nino is walking with regularity (18 BBs) and has nine swipes, but has also been thrown out five times. Keeping in mind that Ramirez was a consensus top-5 draft pick, it's not hard to make the case that the former Rookie of the Year is the biggest fantasy disappointment in 2011.

But should you throw in the towel with Han-Ram? At this interval, one would likely get nowhere near the value that a player of his stature commands. Moreover, Ramirez has slowly begun to revert back to his former self.

However, there are a plethora of players underperforming around the league, some whose future prospects may not be as bright. Here are a few notable struggling stars, and what actions should be taken:

Carl Crawford - His average on the season (.215) is distorted from his atrocious April, which saw him hit .155. May has been a new chapter as Crawford has been respectable with a .286 average. Crawford's OBP isn't stunning, but that's historically been the case. Stay with Crawford as a) it appears he has settled into the friendly confines of Fenway and b) his stumble out of the gate has scarred his image for the foreseeable future, deflating his trade value.

Ubaldo Jimenez - Ubaldo owners may wonder what's up with the erratic pitching of Jimenez. The truth of the matter is this: aside from his spectacular start in 2010, Jimenez has been, well, prosaic. Through his first 11 starts last season, the Colorado ace had a 0.78 ERA in 80.1 innings, correlating to a 10-1 record. However, Jimenez went 8-7 with a 4.08 ERA for the rest of the year, and has appeared to carry that pedestrian performance into 2011. Jimenez owners may be encouraged by his recent outing against Milwaukee (eight innings, two earned runs), but Jimenez remains a wild card. Hope that another owner in your league remembers the Jimenez hype from 2010 and unload him as soon as possible.

Adam Dunn - It seemed like the perfect match: a homer-happy hitter in a homer-happy park. Yet the Adam Dunn Era in Chicago has been anything but exultant. An appendectomy hasn't helped matters; however, by all accounts Dunn has recovered from the surgery. He's a notorious streaky-hitter, but four home runs and a .189 average are simply inexcusable. The problem could be as simple as failing to assimilate to the pitching on the Junior Circuit. Then again, that issue doesn't seem to be ending soon. Deal Dunn for anything you can get.

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