This team has some promise, but it lost it’s greatest fantasy player when Soriano left. Personally I think the GM was too stingy, and got nothing in return for him. Until the new stadium is build there really is nothing to get excited about. The NL east has become stronger and the Nationals have become weaker. Also, if you need pitching, look elsewhere.

Top 3 Players:

1. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B - Personally I love this guy, but if your best fantasy player is a second year pro, you know you are in trouble. Zimmerman is a solid hitter and could hit .294 with 24 homeruns and 14 stolen bases.
2. Felipe Lopez, SS - Lopez can get you stolen bases with some decent average. His best asset may be with 2B eligibility. To start the year Lopez will only have SS eligibility, but he is listed on depth charts at 2nd base this year with the return of Christian Guzman. Give him a few weeks, and the second position should be available.
3. Chad Cordero, RP - Cordero has good numbers and should be a lock for 30 saves, but there may be limited opportunities.

Top Prospect:

Kory Casto, 3B - Man, I had to really dig to find this one. The only player ranked higher in their system was still in rookie ball. Casto posted an OPS of .847 with 20 HRs last year in Double-A. He was also voted Nationals minor league player of the year in 2005.

Breakout Player:

Austin Kearns, OF - This was a lot easier then the top prospect. Kearns is entering the magical age 27 year and all of his stats are trending in the right direction. His K% is coming down while the BB% is trending upward. He also had an increase in his flyball tendencies. Should get 20-25 Hrs, but may even do better.

Player to avoid in your draft:

John Patterson, SP - You could actually put the entire Nationals pitching staff in this section. Patterson had a great 2005, but was injured much of last year with an arm injury. Way to risky of a pick to take in the middle rounds of a 12-team league draft. Let someone else have him.

Not on everyones list, but should be:

Ryan Church, OF - New manager, new attitude. That could be the scenario with Church. Since losing the starting job last year, he has been working extremely hard to not have that happen this year. If everything pans out, and he plays all year, he could hit around 20 HRs. Not bad for a player that is no being drafted at all. Just have him on the radar as a possible waiver claim if he takes off.

High Risk / High Reward:

Nick Johnson, 1B - Under normal conditions I would have him ranked in the Top 3 players on the team. A bad leg injury last year has him starting the year on the DL. If you have multiple DL spots, he may be a good risk to draft and store on it. When he returns, he could give the patient owner a great return.