There are a couple of franchise-level players on this list here. Beyond the top two are very good players that are capable of being a top flight contributor on a fantasy championship level team. Owners should have some money set aside for these players, because they are not going to come cheap. That is to be expected, especially in keeper leagues where there is a smaller talent pool at auction.
1) Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox
Crawford was the top free agent everyday player this offseason, and the Red Sox ($142 million/7 years) paid him accordingly. Crawford is one of the most exciting players in the game. He put up excellent (.307/.356/.495 over 657 PAs) offensive numbers which earned him some MVP votes (he finished seventh in the voting) last year. He also has excellent speed (107 stolen bases over the last two seasons), and that makes Crawford one of the best power/speed combinations in the majors. The Red Sox lineup is the best one that Crawford has ever been in. He is primed for an excellent year though his steals might go down, because Crawford can be more selective in the spots when he chooses to run. No longer is he in an offense that needs him to steal 60+ bases a year in order for the team's offense to be good. That is not going to be a problem in Boston who have (at least on paper) an offense that is capable of scoring 1,000 runs in the 2011 season. A 2011 season with a .295+ average, 18-20 homers, 95+ runs, 75+ RBIs and 35+ steals is well within his abilities. At auction expect Crawford to garner $35-37.
2) Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
Hamilton had an outstanding year (.359/.411/.633 over 571 PAs) last season, and those numbers were good enough for Hamilton to win the American League MVP award. He brings a lot of power (35+ home runs two of the last three seasons) along with very good RBI production (100+ RBIs two of the last three seasons). However, what makes him a fantasy franchise level player is his ability to post a high batting average (.300+ two of the last three seasons). He had a solid walk (7.53% of his PAs) last year and his strikeout rate (16.64%) was solid as well. The one chink in his armor has been his ability to stay healthy even last year, his MVP season, he still missed a month. Even with the injury risk with Hamilton he will be a player that fantasy owners will have to bid a lot in order to acquire him. A season with a .295+ average, 85+ runs, 25-27 homers, 100+ RBIs and 8-10 steals is possible in 2011 for Hamilton if he can stay healthy. On auction days, expect him to be in the $33-35 range.
3) Delmon Young, Minnesota Twins
Young finally had the breakout season, at 24 years old, that many baseball insiders had predicted for the last several years. He put up good offensive (.298/.333/.493 over 613 PAs) numbers in 2010, but Target Field cut into his power (15 of his 21 homers were hit on the road). He continued his impatient ways at the plate with a small walk rate (4.57% of his PAs), but his strikeout rate (13.21%) was very manageable last year. He is not a good defender, so he needs to have a good offensive season to maintain his grip on the starting job. Young is only going to be 25 years old for the 2011 season, so a bigger season is possible. A 2011 season with a .285+ average, 18-20 homers, 80+ RBIs and 70+ runs is possible for Young. At auction, he should go for $26-28.
4) Juan Pierre, Chicago White Sox
Pierre's game is based entirely on his legs, because he does not have any power at all. However, his speed is still worth a few points in roto leagues in the stolen base category (98 steals over the last two seasons). Pierre also has a manager that will let him leadoff and gives him a green light on the base paths as well. He hits for a good, but not great average (.280+ average four of the last five years) which makes his run scoring ability (85+ runs three of the last five seasons) a big key to his value. A fantasy owner that has Juan Pierre on their roster needs to acquire a very good power hitter or two to compensate for Pierre's lack of power. A 2011 season with a .285+ average, 85+ runs and 50+ steals is within Pierre's abilities. At auction, he should be in the $24-26 range.
5) Vernon Wells, LA Angels
The Angels did acquire a big name (or at least a big salary) player when they traded for Vernon Wells. He bounced back from a lackluster 2009 season (.260/.311/.400 over 684 PAs), and put up an above average season (.273/.331/.515 over 646 PAs) in 2010. His walk rate was solid enough (7.74% of his PAs), and the strikeout rate (13%) was very good last year for a power hitter of his ilk. A 2011 season with a .265+ average, 22-24 home runs, 70+ RBIs and 80+ runs is doable for Wells. At auction he should fetch $23-25.
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