We will be rolling out plenty of 2010 fantasy baseball coverage in the coming days, weeks and months, but let’s start right here with player-by-player profiles of our rough top 100 preseason rankings. Stay tuned to the site for more player profiles, draft kit information, rankings, sleepers, busts, etc. as the regular season approaches.

Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas Rangers
Overview: Dynamic, five-tool outfielder with a checkered past and a recent history of injury troubles … had surgery on his abdomen last season and missed time with back and groin injuries … already has a bruised shoulder early in spring training but not considered serious … was still on pace for over 100 RBIs last season despite playing just 89 games.
2009 numbers: .268 avg, 10 HRs, 54 RBIs, 43 runs in 89 games
Key splits and trends: In one of the friendliest parks for a hitter, Hamilton surprisingly just hit .226 at home … when finally healthy in August, Hamilton tore the cover off the ball, hitting .342 and driving in 17, but had just one long ball … continued a strong trend of hitting in clutch situations, with a .314 avg. with RISP.
Strengths: Few can match Hamilton’s raw power, which he showcased in the 2008 Home Run Derby with 28 homers in the first round … hits well away from home and is a strong run producer … finally appears to have his head on straight.
Weaknesses: Always have to wonder about a drug relapse … has a short track record of success, and it’s been marred by recent injuries … already has a bruised left shoulder in spring training.
Bold prediction for 2010: Power numbers, and health, return and he’ll make another run at 30 HRs and 120 RBIs.

Last week, we took a look at the pleasant surprises in baseball. “The All-Overachievement Team” featured players in the midst of career seasons; the kinds of guys who step up and make huge differences in their teams’ pennant chases. This week, we go in the opposite direction and make mention of the not-so-hot players who are going in the tank and taking their real-life and fantasy teams with them.

Just as timely late fliers on Raul Ibanez or Mark Reynolds can push fantasy teams to the top of the standings, early picks on Josh Hamilton or Matt Holliday can anchor them to the bottom. Either through injury, ineffectiveness or some combination of both, underachievers put fantasy teams permanently behind the eight-ball.

Fantasy owners often recover from bad draft days, but can rarely bounce back from drafts that feature multiple swings and misses in the early rounds. The following lineup consists of those kinds of players - highly acclaimed busts and sleepers who have yet to wake up. Read more »

The Texas Rangers have been one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises this season, and not just for the fact they enter Wednesday’s games leading the American League West by 4.5 games.

Texas has finally assembled a pitching staff that can keep its potent offense in games, which is all that can be expected of it. How the group can sustain its [relative] success is another question entirely, but for now it hangs in the middle of the pack in Major League ERA and supports the game’s seventh-highest scoring offense. Read more »

Having gone through a couple of early mock drafts, a few facts — some specific to 2009, others not — have become more clear. Even in the heart of winter, with spring training updates still to come, players are settling into slot positions and trends are beginning to develop.

For starters …

After the top seven players — Hanley Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Grady Sizemore and Miguel Cabrera — drafts are wide open. The eighth pick is as good as the 14th, which makes late first-round decisions as hard as ever. Read more »

Josh Hamilton was a late-round pick in 2008 drafts, and Carlos Quentin went largely undrafted. Yet, both ranked among the top sluggers in the American League and finished with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Owners who managed to acquire their services were boosted unexpectedly in their quests for league championships. But, looking ahead to ‘09, which player is more likely to replicate, maybe even build upon, their surprising success?

It’s tough to argue against the fact that Hamilton is the better overall baseball player. His motions are more fluid, he’s more athletic, has more charisma, and plays better defense. Fantasy owners don’t much care about that, though. It’s all about offensive numbers, and in our estimation, Quentin, assuming his wrist is 100 percent come Opening Day, will be the more valuable player in ‘09. Read more »

Over the course of a 162 game season, Major League teams change their lineups countless times, promote prospects from the minor leagues, make trades, and face constant struggles about what to do with certain players. Fantasy owners are no different.

Injuries, slumps, and platoons have owners throwing fits over the course of a season. Players get benched, get traded and catch fire. Through hot streaks and slumps, good games and bad, fantasy owners are there to stomach it all.

Beginning on draft day, fantasy managers have tough decisions to make. When do you draft your first closer? Should you take a risk on that rookie or go with the proven veteran? How do you avoid getting stuck with weak players at the shallow positions? ImaginaryDiamond.com is here to address some of the lessons you should have learned regarding these situations and more in 2008. Read more »

As the Major League Baseball season draws to a close, fantasy owners are starting to separate themselves into two categories: “pushing for a championship” or “looking ahead to 2009.” The final three weeks are among the trickiest, as rookies invade team clubhouses, players run out of gas, and playoff clinchers like the Angels begin exercising caution with their veterans.

Here at Imaginary Diamond, we re-emerge from the doldrums to piece together some overall player rankings, a list we believe to be the largest and most comprehensive on the Web. Three of us contribue to the rankings - myself, Stan Whyte and Ryan Staloff - which leaves them up for fragmented opinions, but allows us to better provide news and notes for 101 different players. Read more »

When we look back at the 2008 season, Josh Hamilton’s incredible career turnaround will be considered more than a fairy tale. His exploits will be re-told and exaggerated, his feats will become super human, and his every hit will be dripping with dramatics.

Hamilton is becoming a real-life, modern-day Bill Brasky. One day, we’ll be gathered with our buddies at the bar telling hard-to-fathom stories about Hamilton the same way that Will Ferrell and company did about Brasky. Read more »

Following up our National League All-Star team, we now present our American League stars. Same deal as the NL, where preseason expectations factor into the nominations. A highly regarded player can still make our cut, but it takes a pretty special first half to do it.

Chances are, high draft choices who haven’t missed significant time with injuries are producing in the neighborhood of what you expected. The difference in a fantasy team’s fortunes come down to guys on this list, who are outperforming their preseason draft stock. Read more »

It’s hard to know what to make of the 2008 Texas Rangers. Sure, offseason acquisitions Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley are talented players, but are they THIS good? And are they capable of staying healthy? Is David Murphy, the 22nd-ranked prospect in the organization entering the season, really a legitimate, middle-of-the-order type hitter?

Lots of individual questions, to be sure, but the collective question is, is the Texas offense for real? Yes and no, I think, is the answer to that one. The Rangers lead the majors in scoring, total bases, doubles, slugging percentage and OPS, using a mix of veterans, unknowns and emerging youngsters to put up staggering numbers. Read more »