After releasing our Top 25 rookie rankings last week, we’ve decided to throw a few fantasy baseball type lists each week. This one is our top 10 “unexpected difference makers,” guys who have made deep impacts without costing arms or legs on draft day.

These rankings are hardly scientific, just a simple process of weighing a player’s overall impact vs. buzz and expectations for him in the preseason.

1. Jose Bautista, 3B, TOR: HR leader keeps going; hitting .362-8-26 after the break
2. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, COL: Has struggled of late, but remains on pace for 24 Ws
3. Alex Rios, OF, CHW: Strength in balance; 1 of 3 members of 15 HR, 20 SB club
4. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, COL: On pace for impressive .321-34-110-109-24 season
5. Mat Latos, SP, SD: True dominance for a 22-year-old with 88 hits in 123.2 IP
6. Adrian Beltre, 3B, BOS: Afterthought acquisition has arguably been Sox’ best hitter
7. Corey Hart, OF, MIL: Speed has deteriorated, but re-emerged as solid MLB hitter
8. Scott Podsednik, OF, LAD: 32 SBs are nice; also on his way to career-high RBIs
9. Aubrey Huff, 1B, BAL: Hit-or-miss veteran combines power, run production, high AVG
10. Angel Pagan, OF, NYM: Developing into speed threat with across-the-board abilities

The end of a season is just about the only time where fans and fantasy owners can sit back and appreciate what their favorite players have accomplished. All things are equal then, so all numbers count the same. But, up until that point, there’s an ebb and flow to every player’s season, where hot streaks, cold streaks and fundamental changes should alter how he is viewed by fantasy owners.

There are all kinds of ways to split the numbers and get a deeper sense for a player’s long-term value. One of the easiest, most common ways is to take periodic snapshots of his production. Constantly take looks at the last seven days, the last two weeks, this month, last month, before the All-Star break, after the All-Star break. The numbers and the trends reveal stories and tell you where players have been and where they could ultimately be going. Read more »

Base stealers play a valuable role in all fantasy leagues. And the more bases your light-hitting, fleet-footed hitter can steal, the less concerned you are about the eye sores in his home run and RBI columns. Re-enter Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, a fantasy force in the early 21st century who is swinging a hot bat and tearing up the base paths in the twilight of his career.

Podsednik is benefitting from the absence of regular left fielder Carlos Quentin, who is eligible to come off the disabled list as soon as today. Podsednik figures to keep getting regular at-bats, seeing as manager Ozzie Guillen will do anything he can to get that stagnant offense going, but pay attention to exactly what Quentin’s return from the DL means. Read more »