Player who will make me punch the screen when he gets drafted in front of me: Vladimir Guerrero

I almost talked myself into having a Julio Borboner for Julio Borbon, but I think his draft position is about right and there are a TON of guys with his skill set this year. The Impaler will never be the force of nature that he was in his days with the Expos or the above average/often-injured guy he turned into with the Angels. The only reason he isn't going earlier is because he doesn't have a position. If you have him on your roster, I recommend drafting more than a few guys with multi-position eligibility. If you have to mix and match due to injury/suckage, you'll be limited with you utility spot taken up by a full time DH. I like Vladdy in 13th to 14th round, assuming I have an open utility spot.

The downside: Josh Hamilton can't find the field and Vlad spends more time than he should (any) in the outfield. I don't want Vlad the outfielder. I do want Vlad the hitter. If he has to play the outfield, he's being exposed. He's a Dominican 35 which is probably closer to 40 at this point in his career. Vlad in the outfield wears down faster and misses more games. Vlad in the DH spot should just produce.

The bottom line: The projections like him for around 20 homers with around 80 RBIs and a solid average. I think that should be easy enough for Vlad to reach. I'd love to merge him with Hideki Matsui. Hidekimir Matrerro would be a top-50 pick. They're essentially the same guy at this point, why not just count their stats together? The only way the paring would get more bizarre is if Vlad was signed by the Yankees. I believe in Vlad, but I'm worried that some daffy GM will reach on him in the 10th or 11th. I think I might go for the keyboard headbutt instead of the screen punch.

Player who will make me fist pump when he goes two rounds earlier than he should: Josh Hamilton

I'm not a Josh Hamilton guy. I was the guy who was cracking jokes when he was going in the top 20 last year. I think he's an incredibly talented individual who will wind up as a cautionary tale for the next generation of ballplayers. I guess he never read about Doc and Darryl when he was younger. The potential is astounding, but I think he's damaged goods. He'll never put together the seasons he could have. It's sad really. It's already March 8th and Hamilton has shoulder issues. It must be hard to hit baseballs with that massive red flag sticking out of his back.

The upside: Hamilton stays healthy and delivers on his 40+ homer potential while leading the Rangers to a division title. All of the projections are rather bearish on Josh. Bill James is the most optimistic with an .860 OPS in 549 PAs. Meh. His upside is a .900+ OPS and a chance at a fantasy title.

The bottom line: Josh is the ultimate fantasy mirage. He had one amazing season and everyone thought it was the norm and not the outlier. He's currently being drafted ahead of Adam Dunn in Yahoo!-style leagues. He'll give you a few extra points in batting average, but Dunn comes with far less risk. You'll probably spend more time reading news stories like this, than watching Josh play baseball this year. Until they start letting guys hit off of tees, I think you should pass on Josh Hamilton. Wait a few rounds and grab my man crush, Carlos Quentin. Quentin has similar risk and similar upside, but he's going almost 50 picks after Josh Hamilton. Well, not the same risks. Carlos probably won't be featured on Deadspin any time soon.

Player who no one is buying but should: Rich Harden

It is almost a guarantee that Rich Harden won't make it to 30 starts, but I still think he's undervalued. He's going after Joba Chamberlain, Daisuke Matsuzaka and David Price. Why? I have no idea. Joba doesn't have a guaranteed rotation spot. Daisuke carries more risk/less reward than Rich. David Price is a fantasy enigma. At least you know exactly what you're getting with Harden. He's the de facto ace on a team that should have a top three offense in the AL. I think he'll be a win magnet as long as he's in the rotation. He finished 9-9 with the Cubs last year, but he struck out 171 batters in 141 innings. That's why I don't mind the risk. He missed time with a back strain in May and "fatigue" in September. Back strains happen. I'm not going to read anything into it. The "fatigue" was far more troubling. I'm hoping it was related to conditioning/the Cubs packing it in early as opposed to a hidden injury. As long as there is nothing wrong with his arm, elbow or shoulder, I have no problem taking him in the 16th-18th rounds. If I hear the words "dead arm," I'm not going any where near him. It's crucial for Harden to make it out of spring training with as few issues as possible.

The downside: It's Rich Harden. He would be a top-20 starter if he could find a way to stay on the field for more than 24 starts. Worst case scenario is that he makes it through spring training and his shoulder explodes like the Death Star in his first start. If he goes down with any injury related to his arm/knee, I say cut him. You'll be out an 18th round pick. Big deal.

The bottom line: If you choose to draft Harden, I suggest pairing him with a low WHIP guy who will make 25 or so starts. I think a Harden/Hiroki Kiroda pairing would offer solid fantasy production. I'd even go so far as to pair Harden with his DL brother, Ben Sheets. Will either make it to 30+ starts? No, but Rien Hareets might make it to 40.  I like Harden for double digit Ws with more than a K per inning. The projections like him for an ERA anywhere from 3.33 (Bill James) to 4.12 (CHONE). I like him somewhere in the middle. In the 18th round, I'll take the Ks with double digit wins and an ERA that won't suck and forget the warts....until he's on the DL in May and I'm cursing myself for being so effing stupid.

Previously on In the Draft Room ... Baltimore Orioles | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | Kansas City Royals | Los Angeles Angels | Minnesota Twins | New York Yankees | Oakland A's | Seattle Mariners

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