Top 5 Overall Pittsburgh Pirates - 2009 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been pretty dismal over the past decade. But that doesn't mean there arent' individual players that could turn into fantasy gems, and help you win your fantasy baseball league this season. Here are a look at the top 5 overall fantasy players on the Pittsburgh Pirates this season.

1. Nate McLouth

2. Ryan Doumit

3. Freddy Sanchez

4. Adam LaRoche

5. Matt Capps

#1 Overall Pittsburgh Pirate: Nate McLouth, Center Field

Last year was a breakout year for McLouth, as he went on to lead the Pirates in every offensive category. He should only be better this year, and should hit 30 home runs. His opportunities for RBIs and runs scored should be decreased this year after the Pirates traded away Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, but McLouth should still put up decent numbers in those categories.

#2 Overall Pittsburgh Pirate: Ryan Doumit, Catcher

At any other position, Doumit's 15 home runs and 60 RBIs wouldn't be worth much, but the Pirates have committed to him as their everyday catcher for the future, and a catcher that can hit for average and still provide a couple HRs is pretty valuable. If you don't land an elite catcher like Joe Mauer, Doumit might be a great Plan B.

#3 Overall Pittsburgh Pirate: Freddy Sanchez, Second Base

Last season was a disaster for Sanchez, making his fantasy baseball value this year low. But he has been great in the past, winning the 2006 NL batting title with a .344 batting average. So is he the guy that hit that .344 in 2006 or the guy who hit .271 with no power last year? Probably somewhere in the middle, and a second basemen that can hit .300 makes him a decent fantasy play.

#4 Overall Pittsburgh Pirate: Adam LaRoche, First Base

LaRoche is a decent power hitter, but at the first base position, the numbers he'll offer are fairly pedestrian. The one good thing about LaRoche is that he's a notoriously slow starter, meaning you may be able to pick him up for cheap off the waiver early in the season, and end up with a decent back-up at the first base position for the rest of the summer.

#5 Overall Pittsburgh Pirate: Matt Capps, Relief Pitcher

If you find yourself desperate for relief pitching, Matt Capps is the Pirate's closer. The Pirates are a bad team, so he won't get very many opportunities, and Capps doesn't have the type of stuff that can blow hitters away, so he'll blow a couple saves too, but he should end up in the neighborhood of about 20 saves this year.