Mar. 19, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton throws his bat after striking out in the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The calendar is steaming toward April which means that it is time for many fans across America to draft their fantasy baseball teams.  I know there are a good number of folks who are baseball fans and do not participate in fantasy sports.  Although fantasy owners are considered “nerds”  or “geeks”  by some people,  it is hard to ignore an industry that is worth a billion dollars.  For the record, I am in a “keeper” league which means that you get to keep 10 players from your previous year’s squad.   So which Arizona Diamondback  players are good for us Fantasy guys?

The D-Back player that will probably be drafted highest in most leagues is Justin Upton.   He is probably a second round pick at the moment but is poised to have a season that would catapult him into the first round in 2013.   Miguel Montero is a Top Five Catcher and with free agency on the horizon, owners would be wise to grab him as their starter behind the plate.   On the pitching side,  Ian Kennedy  is sure to attract interest as a late second or early third round  selection off his brilliant 2011 campaign.  Although J.J. Putz  saved 45 games last season, he may be taken later than his stats suggest.  Owners will be worried about his injury history.  Plus, there is not a huge emphasis on relievers as you can pick a good one late or off the waiver wire.

One D-Back player I will be watching is Daniel Hudson.   Our league allows you three Starting Pitchers per week and I am set with Tim Lincecum, CJ Wilson  and Zack Greinke.   However, I love the upside for Hudson and hopefully he will be there for my second pick.   Chris Young is not bad for the Outfield but his low batting average hurts as does his penchant for strikeouts which negatively affect owners in some leagues.  If he can re-discover his 2009 and 2010 stroke, Aaron Hill would be a great pickup at Second Base.  Ryan Roberts is pretty good for Third Base but you will have to find more pop in your lineup if he is your starter.  If you are in keeper league like me, Paul Goldschmidt  would be a nice late pick.  If he blossoms into a  star, you won’t have to worry about First Base for a long time.

I know some drafts have already taken place.  Maybe all of the players I mentioned in this post have already been taken.  For those of us that have not drafted yet, I hope this provides us with a  little cheat sheet in our Draft War Rooms.

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