2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies

Some fantasy baseball owners will over think when drafting their team and focus too much on predicting breakout stars and rookies and not pay enough attention to players that are definitely going to have good seasons. It's easy to understand why because if you get the players that are definitely going to be good and then correctly predict the future of a few players then that might just be a championship team. None of the following American League rookies should be taken too high, but they could be valuable in fantasy baseball this year.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies
Austin Jackson, CF, Tigers
Austin Jackson is at the top of everybody's American League fantasy rookie list. One of the most difficult aspects of predicting a rookie's season is to simply know at what point in the season they are going to start. Austin Jackson seems locked in as the Detroit Tigers everyday starter in centerfield from opening day and there aren't many rookies you can say that about.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies
Brian Matusz, LHP, Orioles
The pitcher everybody is talking about in 2010 is Stephen Strasburg but Brian Matusz is probably the rookie pitcher that will have the biggest impact this season. Matusz will probably make the Orioles starting rotation to open the season, unlike Strasburg who won't be up until middle of the season and could falter with no major league experience.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies
Brett Wallace, IF, Blue Jays
Brett Wallace has already been the main piece in the Matt Holliday-to-Oakland trade and was then swapped for Michael Taylor (the main piece in the Roy Halladay-to-Philadelphia trade) so there are high expectations. Wallace won't start opening day but there have already been many Lyle Overbay trade rumors to make way for Wallace. If Overbay struggles or one of the designated hitters struggle then Wallace could be up sooner rather than later.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies
Michael Taylor, OF, A's
Michael Taylor looks like a midseason call up so don't draft him too high, or maybe even wait to pick him off the free agent list, but as bad as the A's offense is Taylor should definitely get plenty of action this year.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: American League Rookies
Wade Davis, RHP, Rays
Wade Davis is the main reason the Rays had no problem parting ways with Scott Kazmir last season. According to the Rays website the starting rotation has already been set with Davis being the fifth pitcher in the rotation. Although teams' rotations don't always match up with each other it is very possible that Davis is matched up against other teams' fifth starter, which could equal some wins for him.

Sources:
Jason Heyward, Stephen Strasburg lead Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects, Sports Illustrated, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/03/02/top.prospects/index.html,