1. Evan Longoria - TB

Longoria saw his homerun total drop from 33 to 22 last season, but the rest of his production was strong.  We don’t like how he has worn down late in the season for the past two years and his supporting cast in the lineup is somewhat questionable, but it’s not enough to drop him out of the first half of Round 1.

2. David Wright - NYM

The career-high 161 strikeouts and drop in average from .307 to .283 certainly raises an eyebrow.  But, Wright rebounded back to elite status in the power category.  If I have to put up with a .280 average to have a better chance at 30-100-20, I’ll take that any day.

3. Ryan Zimmerman - WAS

Injuries limited Zimmerman to 142 games, but his .307-85-25-85 output proved valuable to owners.  He won’t have Adam Dunn hitting behind him this season, but Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche should help keep pitchers honest.  If his nagging groin injury just turns out to be the “Spring Training Flu,” select Zimmerman with confidence in the early rounds.

4. Alex Rodriguez - NYY

A-Rod has averaged 133 games over the past 3 seasons and has seen his average drop from .302 to .270 over the same time span.  He’s entering the twilight of his career, but he still has 30 HR potential at a thin third base position.

5. Adrian Beltre - TEX

Beltre posted a nice comeback season in Boston and parlayed it into a 6 contract with the Rangers.  Unlike the time when he left the Dodgers for the Mariners, he lands in a very hitter-friendly stadium.  The average may regress, but the power should be plenty evident.

6. Jose Bautista - TOR

How many homeruns will Bautista hit this year?  That seems to be one of the most popular questions entering 2011 fantasy drafts.  We’ve seen his ceiling last season at 54 and we’ve also seen his floor (several times), so 20-25 would appear reasonable, but we are wary of him maintaining the .260 average.  Next year, people might be asking – “What will Bautista’s batting average be?”

7. Aramis Ramirez - CHC

Nagging injuries, freak injuries, major/minor, you name it – Aramis Ramirez has experienced them all.  He hasn’t played in a full season in 2 years, but, if he can just manage to squeak out 140 games (I know, it’s a lot) he can challenge 25 HRs and 90-100 RBI.

8. Martin Prado - ATL

Although Prado was limited to 140 games due to an oblique injury, he still posted an acceptable .307-100-15-66-5 line.  He hits near the top of the lineup, so RBI opportunities may suffer, but he still packs plenty of punch for someone who qualifies as a 2B/3B.

9. Casey McGehee - MIL

McGehee proved skeptics (that would be us) wrong and increased his power numbers in 2010.   Anything that resembles last year’s output of .285-70-23-104 would be OK with most owners who miss out on one of the top third base options.

10. Michael Young - TEX

Young turned in a productive Spring Training, so, at least for now, the offseason distractions about trades and position changes don’t appear to be hurting him.  In fantasy terms, he’ll have multiposition eligibility; so another .280-20-90 season would make him an everyday fantasy player.