PLAYERS TO TARGET:

These will be popular rounds for snaring a sleeper middle infielder. Asdrubal Cabrera might very well be good for 90 runs, 20 SBs and a .300 average. If you're getting so desperate for steals that 20 ain't gonna cut it, Bill James thinks Elvis Andrus is good for 40+ this year. And don't forget that sophomore slugger Gordon Beckham will be moving to second base this season. A line of 90-20-90-10 seems pretty damn good for that position this late in the draft, huh?

The other position to strongly consider during these rounds is pitching. I have no idea whether Jake Peavy's going to be able to rebound suitably away from PETCO, but I think I'd be willing to spend an 11th-round pick to find out. John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Brett Anderson are all also good grabs here. And I think when you compare expected performance to ADP, Jose Valverde might be the best closer bargain in baseball this year. Dude was his old self in the second half last season.

PLAYERS TO AVOID:

I don't trust Jair Jurrjens' health.

Ian Stewart's power potential always lands him on sleeper lists, but I've watched that guy flail around at home plate and am not sure he can ever hit above .250. (This is a left-handed hitter who has never topped .242 against righties, fer cryin' out loud.)

Please do not make me come and smack you by drafting Jorge Posada when Mike Napoli and Miguel Montero are still on the board (and can be taken later on). 'Cause I'll do it.

Only draft Chipper Jones if you're also taking Troy Glaus so you can use this photo as your team logo:

Previous 2010 Draft Breakdowns: Rounds 1-3 | 4-6 | 7-9

Comments (12)

Matt Dewoskin said:

	... I really like Ian Stewart. I'd be willing to trade the batting average for production at a shallow, shallow position. Agreed on Posada and The Surgeon. I can't wait to not draft those guys.
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March 09, 2010
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Bob Taylor said:

	... Drafting Ian Stewart doesn't equate to "trading" batting average. It equates to shooting that category in the face with a sawed-off shotgun.
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March 09, 2010
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Kevin Foss said:

... Seeing as you only need to hit around .280 to contend in BA, Stewart can be helpful if you are light in power and decent in BA at other positions. He's not appreciably different than someone like Nick Swisher or Dan Uggla in that way. Some teams can use him, other teams, in the words of Borat, "not so much...." His main defecit is that he forces you to have certain types of players at other positions. Someone in every league will overpay for him this year because of his power, though.

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March 09, 2010
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Yummy said:

	... You are nuts if you think Beckham is still available in round 12. I have seen him go in round 6 and 9 so far.
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March 09, 2010
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Kevin Foss said:

	... "You are nuts if you think Beckham is still available in round 12. I have seen him go in round 6 and 9 so far." ^^^ What he said......
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March 09, 2010
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Bob Taylor said:

	... Beckham's current ADP at Yahoo is 133.5, which puts him in the 11th round of a 12-team league. Guess it depends on how many smart managers you have in your league. Or vice versa. But the numbers don't lie.
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March 10, 2010
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Kevin_Foss said:

	... His ADP at MDC is 88, with a high of 61 and a low of 104. That puts him around 7-8; I think that's a better barometer of his true worth, seeing as he will be 2B, 3B, and CI/MI eligible after the first two weeks. I guarantee you we won't make it into the ninth round on Sunday in our draft. Yummy don't lie, either, Bob. You are indeed nuts
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March 10, 2010
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Bob Taylor said:

... Look, I'm not saying you guys are wrong! You're not! In a league filled with serious managers, Beckham will go higher. Personally, I think the sixth round is too early for him, but it's certainly seems reasonable to snag him in the seventh or eighth. That's just not where the average Yahoo user is taking him. Maybe that list is too skewed by auto-drafters and casual players and what not. But, then again, a lot of this site's readers play in leagues that feature casual players and autodrafters. They might be able to get him for a steal in the 10th.

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March 10, 2010
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Nadingo said:

	... "Drafting Ian Stewart doesn't equate to "trading" batting average. It equates to shooting that category in the face with a sawed-off shotgun." They said the same thing about Mark Reynolds in 2009. Just sayin...
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March 10, 2010
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Bob Taylor said:

	... @Nadingo: Bah! Reynolds hit .280 in the minors and .279 his rookie year. Stewart did hit for average in the minors, so maybe you true believers will be rewarded this year.
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March 10, 2010
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TYWPA said:

... stewart a career .293 hitter in the minors, if you think he's a dan uggla/nick swisher type you're gravely mistaken. Average is overrated. He bumps to .260 this year and goes 30/10? Not too shabby from your 11th or 12th round pick? Beckham is a solid 8th-9th rounder, if you think you're getting him past the 10th I think you're dreaming. Your league is not very good if Beckham is going past the 10th, or its a 6-10 team league, which then again... not very good.

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March 12, 2010
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Bob Taylor said:

	... Who knew Ian Stewart was the player 2010 fantasy players were most passionate about? I'm putting his over/under at .250 and taking the under.
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March 12, 2010
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