The constant “also ran” in the AL East will be the subject to our preview today. The Blue Jays always have good talent, especially from a fantasy perspective, but hardly win the division. Even though they may finish in third place again, there are several players that will help you finish in first place.

Top 3 Players:

1. Vernon Wells, OF - This is the easiest pick on the entire team. Power and speed make him a great fantasy player and a great blue-chip player to draft. He may not hit over .300 this year, but his .239 ISO last year was the best of his career. Adding Thomas for protection will help.
2. Roy Halladay, SP - As I have stated in the Group B post, Halladay is not my kind of pitcher. His K/9 (5.40) last year was below the league average, but his control (3.88 K/BB) makes up for that. He is a solid pitcher that can anchor a staff, and be had during the 5th or 6th round of your draft.
3. Troy Glaus, 3B - Glaus is a solid and dependable source of power in a very deep 3B position. He is being drafted in the middle rounds, and is considered to be the 8th ranked player at 3B. Why is he special? He has SS eligibility in Yahoo leagues!

Top Prospect:

Adam Lind, OF - When you look at the stats of Lind, you quickly realize why Toronto is willing to trade Rios. He started last year in Double-A, then moved to Triple-A, and then to the Majors. He hit over .310 throughout last year, including .367 while with the big club. Add in an OPS of over 1.000, and an ISO above .233. Maybe he starts in the minors again this year, maybe not. However if Rios gets dealt, this could be a great pickup.

Bounce-back Player:

AJ Burnett, SP - Over the last few years Burnett’s BABIP, WHIP, and Batting Average Against have been steadily climbing. However, last year his HR/9 jumped. This may be misleading and so I say he will bounce-back from the injuries he dealt with last year. I love his K rates, and added offense should help in the win column as well.

Player to Avoid in Your Draft:

Frank Thomas, DH - Last year he was the comeback player of the year in my opinion. Don’t expect similar numbers this year. His overall production has been trending downward over the last four years. He is the classic example of declining power hitters that can do well every other year. By the way, his ISO dropped significantly from 2005 (.371) to 2006 (.275). Also the DH only eligibility kills it for me.
Not on Everyones List, But Should be:

Reed Johnson, OF - Johnson is the overlooked lead-off hitter for Toronto. He hit a quiet .319 last year. He provides fantasy value in those deep leagues, and can be drafted in the last 2 rounds of a 12-team draft. I personally think that he is nice pick in the 25th round, and could give a .300 AVE with 10 HRs and 10 SBs. Not bad for a bench player on your team.

High Risk / High Reward:

Alexis Rios, OF - Which player will show up this year? He was nothing special until last year, but was also injured during part of the season. He has potential to be a 25/15 guy and hit for decent average. He could also revert back to his previous form. Definitely worth a middle of the draft pick.