At season’s beginning, quality rookie position players were tough to find. Cubs catcher Geovany Soto and Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury comprised the list, and of course Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was a near lock for eventual fantasy success. But, as the season has progressed, a number of rookies, both heralded and unheralded, have emerged to add some outstanding depth to the 2008 rookie class.

Soto and Ellsbury burst onto the scene and got fantasy teams started on strong notes. Longoria wasn’t far from behind, earning an early promotion when injuries bombarded Tampa Bay’s infield. Kosuke Fukudome was also a nice early surprise, but made more of a splash in reality than he did in fantasy. Read more »

The middle infield (2B/SS) gets a bad rap as being the thinnest and most difficult position to fill in fantasy baseball. While the sentiment is probably true, it is also an over-generalization that lumps second basemen and shortstops together. Where fantasy owners are hard-pressed to find production beyond the top tier of shortstops, a group of dynamic second basemen is emerging to make filling 2B/SS spots a much easier task.

Waiver wire finds like Mark DeRosa, Mike Aviles (also a SS), Alexei Ramirez and Jose Lopez have added to a group that runs 20 deep with steady, if unspectacular, producers. Ian Kinsler and Chase Utley give the group star power at the top, while the position’s depth can go toe-to-toe with any other in fantasy. The new-found strength has eased the usually excruciating middle infield search, which is a breath of fresh air for fantasy owners everywhere. Read more »

One interesting item to note each season is how teams handle their underperforming young players, especially those who have garnered top prospect status. Confidence is key, so clubs must be cautious in their decision to bench a rookie, demote him, or let him play through his struggles. Demotions make for interesting storylines because a player can, and often does, come back to the majors more prepared than ever for sustained success.

Four players come to mind as going that route in ‘08. The most heralded of the group was Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was called up for an early test in his first major league action since 2006 Tommy John surgery. Liriano crashed and burned in the earlyaudition and was sent to Triple-A Rochester, where he went 10-0 in his final 11 starts and hit the ground running upon his recall to Minnesota. Read more »

In a season full of pleasant surprises, has there been a more pleasant surprise in fantasy baseball than Texas’ Ian Kinsler? The 26-year old’s flawless 5×5 rotisserie game has pushed him to the top of second base rankings this season, while putting him in the conversation for Fantasy MVP honors.

With speed that was quoted by Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine as being “just a tick above average” in an SI.com article, Kinsler has still managed 26 stolen bases to go with 16 home runs. He ranks third in the American League batting race (.320), while leading the league with 99 runs scored and ranking second among major league second basemen with his 26 steals. Read more »