1.) Which starting pitcher(s) is undervalued in drafts thus far?
Dustin Hockensmith: Each season, it’s a good practice to identify mid-round starters ready to take the next step. There are always some exciting young arms in that group, but this season’s class is particularly deep. Oakland’s Brett Anderson, Tampa Bay’s David Price, Boston’s Clay Buchholz and Detroit’s Rick Porcello are all premium talents with enough Major League experience to make a leap.

Anthony Barton: Besides the names mentioned above, add San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez to the list of sleeper candidates. His high strikeout rate has always been helpful, but the high ERA has always been a problem. That said, take a look at his numbers after the All Star break, and there are improvements across the board. Sanchez is worth a flier to see if he has finally figured it out.

Jared Shanker: He has been around for a while, but Jon Garland is a middle-of-the-rotation starter ready to bounce back. He has two 18-win seasons to his name but has been under .500 two of the last three years. Pitching in San Diego, Garland will be in arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in baseball. Kevin Slowey is another starter you can grab in the late rounds. In an eight-start stretch between May 12 and June 19, Slowey had seven quality starts (6 IP, 3 ER). His season ended two weeks later. Read more »

Chris Coghlan, OF, Florida Marlins
Status: Hitting .353 since the All-Star break
Basics: .289 AVG, 7 HRs, 34 RBIs, 6 SBs in 90 games
Key Stats: Has a .391 AVG, 1.000 OPS this month
What to Watch For: Premium contributions - power, speed
Other Notes: Is a nice hitter who has an excellent approach and feel for the strike zone at just 24 years old … have to watch for speed potential; stolen bases will make or break his fantasy value … has walked 41 times to 63 strikeouts and posted a solid .365 on-base percentage … has multiple hits in 18 of his last 30 games, raising his batting average from .241 to its current .289 … has the second-most hits (34) in the National League this month
Verdict: Add him, even in mixed leagues; makes nice contributions across the board

Don’t sleep on Florida Marlins rookie outfielder Chris Coghlan. His numbers since being called up from Triple-A New Orleans haven’t exactly been stunning, but the potential is there and so is the opportunity. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez has moved the 23-year-old in the leadoff position, and Coghlan has responded.

Whether Coghlan’s growth translates to fantasy remains to be seen. Sure, a respectable batting average and some runs scored are nice, but what is he doing for us in the hard-to-find categories? Coghlan is worth watching because he could, one day, contribute in either home runs or stolen bases.  Read more »

Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan was a little known commodity entering the 2009 season. Coghlan is a former first round draft choice (36th overall, 2006), who has progressed through the Marlins’ system with relative ease, but nothing about his career statistics has pointed to super stardom.

Coghlan has slowly but surely added some premium tools to his repertoire, most notably at the plate, where he was hitting .344 with 3 home runs and 22 RBIs with Triple-A New Orleans at the time of his May 8 callup. More importantly, however, were his nine stolen bases in 10 attempts - the real key to his fantasy potential. Read more »