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Position player six-pack

Conor Jackson, 1B (ARZ): Still waiting for Travis Hafner to come around? Who knows when that'll happen. In the meantime, pick up Conor Jackson immediately. Jackson leads the National League in runs and triples, is tied for third for RBIs and fourth for average. He even threw in a stolen base in his last game. One of his triples came in a game where he could have stopped at second and ended up with a cycle instead.

He is no secret; he was expected to hit like this in the majors and now he's in the heart of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup.

Ryan Ludwick, OF (STL): You probably didn't think the St. Louis Cardinals would be atop the National League Central at this point and you probably didn't think Ryan Ludwick would be one of the reasons why they are there. I'm going to list some stats here and for the record, because it is Ryan Ludwick, I want to make it clear that I'm not making this up.

.391 AVG, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, .848 SLG

The Cardinals are the new Atlanta Braves - players go there and get 10%- 20% better and they also field a competitive roster of anonymous faces. Pick him up and drop him later if he cools off.

Skip Schumaker, OF (STL): Continuing the theme of anonymous faces that are leading the Cardinals, Skip Schumaker has been very solid at the top of the lineup. And considering he's projected to finish with 136 runs scored and 26 stolen bases, maybe you should find a spot for him in your lineup. Schumaker is hitting .317 with 16 runs and three stolen bases this season. He hits in front of Albert Pujols, so he'll be crossing the plate a lot this year. He is a very underrated source for runs and stolen bases.

Ryan Church, OF (NYM): Ryan Church has had a strong start to the season and his 17 runs scored are tied for second in the NL. He's hitting .344 with a couple of home runs and 10 RBIs. He's hitting .417 over his last seven games and has clearly won an everyday job in the outfield. It helps that Moises Alou is on the disabled list and probably won't be back until late April.

Erick Aybar, 2B/SS (LAA): With Howie Kendrick nursing a calf injury on the 15-day DL and Maicer Izturis in a slump, Erick Aybar has made a case for an everyday role in the lineup. After going 0-for-7 in his first seven at-bats this season, Aybar has hit .386 with four RBIs, nine runs and three stolen bases over his last 12 games. Included in that are five multi-hit games. He is a solid source of stolen bases and runs, especially since the Angels are among the American League leaders in home runs.

Joey Votto, 1B/OF (CIN): Need some help with batting average and power? Take a look at Joey Votto, who has hit consistently for the Cincinnati Reds this season. His power numbers have really come around over his last five games. He has three home runs, three doubles and nine RBIs in that span. He's also scored a run in four of his last five games. The difference has been more playing time. The Reds are still figuring out their batting lineup, but Votto should be a part of it. When he gets steady playing time he is a valuable fantasy player.

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About this blog

Dave Golokhov
Fantasy sports are to Dave Golokhov what a lack of power is to the Orioles lineup; it is not just a hobby, it is a way of life. Dave has been a fantasy expert for Rotowire and hosts a weekly fantasy show on Saturdays at 12 p.m. EST on Hardcore Sports Radio, Channel 186 on Sirius Satellite Radio. From draft day decisions to waiver-wire watching, he'll be the fantasy version of your fantasy Dr. Phil: just ask the questions and he'll dole the advice. E-mail Dave
Dean Jones
Dean Jones Jr. is a Web producer at baltimoresun.com. Thanks to fantasy sports, he is able to make decisions that he wishes the Orioles and Ravens would make for their teams. He will be a regular contributor to the fantasy blog.
E-mail Dean
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