Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
Since the Phillies traded for Cliff Lee, he has been amazing. Last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner is baffling NL hitters. In his first three starts with the Phillies, Lee is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP.

John Lackey, Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have desperately needed a few of their starting pitchers to step up and get batters out. Lackey has responded to the challenge. Over the last month, he has four wins, an ERA of 1.79 and a WHIP of 0.93.

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Whenever there is a list of best starting pitchers, you can safely assume that Tim Lincecum will be mentioned. The Giants’ superstar continues to be very good. In the last month, he has 46 strikeouts in 37.2 innings to go along with a 1.91 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP.

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
Going into baseball’s trade deadline, Roy Halladay was the biggest name available. Although he could have easily been distracted by that hoopla, Halladay has remained focused even after all the trades fell through. Count on him to be a stud for the rest of the fantasy baseball season.

Roy Halladay continues to star for the Blue Jays (Image: Zuma Press)

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C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Since coming back from injury, Mauer is on a tear.

1B Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
The $180 million contract makes a lot of sense.

2B Dan Uggla, Flordia Marlins
Uggla is a streak hitter who is on fire.

3B Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
The offseason hip surgery isn’t slowing him.

SS Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros
Tejada has surprisingly been a beast as of late.

OF Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
What a great free agent signing by the Phillies.

OF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
He’s getting on base and stealing tons of bases.

OF Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
Cruz has been on a sick tear for the Rangers.

SP Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
Jackson is finally living up to his potential.

RP Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers
Hoffman hasn’t given up a run yet this year.

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Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins (Image: Zuma Press)

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
After returning from his back injury, Joe Mauer has been arguably the best fantasy baseball player in the major leagues. But it’s highly doubtful that he can keep anything close to this pace. Add in his injury risk and he’s a classic sell high.

Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox
Even though Jason Varitek’s stats aren’t too impressive, the fact that he has ten homers has his value higher than it should be at the moment. If you have Varitek on your roster, shop him around for anything of value.

Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
Jorge Posada got off to a great start for the Yankees. After getting hurt, Posada is once again ready to play. That said, now is the time to trade him. He’s probably going to continue to be injury prone and his stats won’t get any better.

Brandon Inge, Detroit Tigers
To begin the season, Brandon Inge was on fire. However, in the month of May, his numbers have plummeted. Trade him now before other realize how cold he truly is at the moment.

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Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
So far in 2009, Heath Bell has been great. But can he keep it up? Doubtful. His 0.47 ERA has to start heading north and while he already has 13 saves, those opportunities will likely start slowing down as the Padres cool off. Sell him high now before his value drops.

Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Just like Bell, Frank Francisco is a closer who is pitching great for an overachieving team. He hasn’t given up a run and the Rangers are near the top of the American League. Francisco’s value will only go down from here.

Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers
While with the Tampa Bay Rays, Edwin Jackson showed instances of potential. But it’s highly doubtful that his 2.55 ERA and 1.10 WHIP are here to stay. Trading Jackson would make a lot of sense right now.

Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates
Zach Duke is having a great season for the Pirates. He has a 2.77 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08. But considering that his best marks over the last three years were a 4.47 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP, it’s difficult to imagine him keeping up his current pace.

David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Right now, David Aardsma has a lot of value. He’s the closer for the Mariners and he’s sporting a 1.25 ERA. But this is the same reliever who has been with five different teams over his last five seasons. If he was this special, wouldn’t someone have held on to him? Sell.

Sell high on David Aardsma (Image: Zuma Press)

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Tim Lincecum, Fantasy Baseball (Image: Newscom)

Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Coming into the 2009 fantasy baseball season, Tim Lincecum was considered as the best fantasy starting pitcher. Even though his stats are down a little bit, he looks primed for a dominant run. Get him now if you can.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
After helping Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series, Cole Hamels got off to a slow start this start. But now he’s turning it around and is value is sure to sky rocket over the next few weeks. Buying low would be a smart move.

Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox
This year, the Red Sox’s ace has either been really good or really bad. But his stuff looks solid and there’s a very good chance that he’ll be money during the stretch run. Send out trade offers now before he heats up.

Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks
If your fantasy baseball team is performing well, consider trading for Brandon Webb. Although he’s injured, he should return within six weeks and when he’s pitching there are few better fantasy baseball pitchers in the game.

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Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were happy when they acquired Ibanez in the offseason. Little did they know they’d be this happy with him. He already has 14 home runs, 37 RBI, 34 runs and four stolen bases for Philadelphia.

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays
The second baseman for the Blue Jays didn’t get much attention heading into the 2009 fantasy baseball season. Now, Hill is neck and neck with Ian Kinsler for the rights to the claim of best fantasy second baseman.

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
Jones was considered a sleeper heading in the 2009 campaign. He’s now wide awake. The outfielder for the Orioles is hitting .370 and has nine homers, 27 RBI, 36 RBI and three steals.

Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays
Where did this production come from? Bartlett was a known commodity heading into this season — or so we thought. He’s on pace to shatter all his career-highs. Bartlett is hitting .379 with five homers, 22 RBI, 28 runs and 12 stolen bases.

Orlando Hudson, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers basically signed Hudson in the offseason because they thought he was too good to pass up. How right they were. He has a .413 on-base percentage to go with 30 runs, 27 RBI, four steals and three long balls.

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Jose Reyes, New York Mets
Although his numbers aren’t horrible, Reyes just hasn’t produced like a top five pick so far in the 2009 fantasy baseball sesaon. He’s hitting .284 with two homers, 15 RBI and 18 runs.

Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
Not only was a lot expected of Sizemore in the fantasy baseball world, many experts begged Sizemore as the likely AL MVP. So far, his .215 batting average is damaging his fantasy worth.

Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
Rollins didn’t have a great season last year but most thought he’d bounce back with a stronger 2009 campaign. That hasn’t been the case to date.

B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays
After a strong postseason run last year, Upton was expected to burst upon the scene thsi year. Try again. He’s hitting .183 with only two homers and six RBI.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
The reigning AL MVP hasn’t lived up to the hype this year. Although he’s hitting .315, the rest of his numbers are down across the board.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox (Image: Zuma Press)

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Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers (Image: Newscom)

1) Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
No one should be surprised Kinsler is at the top of the list. Last season when he was healthy, he was an American League MVP candidate. In 2009, he has already hit for the cycle and is looking better than ever.

2) Emilio Bonifacio, Florida Marlins
Who? Bonifacio has come out of nowhere to be one of the biggest surprises of the 2009 fantasy baseball season. While he’s already cooling off a bit, he’s worth keeping on your roster for the time being.

3) Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays
For a long while, Hill has been touted as a prospect with a lot of potential. This season, he seems like he’s living up to that potential. He’s hitting for power and his glove hasn’t disappointed yet.

4) Orlando Hudson, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers thought they got a bargain when they signed Hudson and the early returns appear to be positive. He’s hitting the ball great and he’s been a terror on the base paths.

5) Brian Roberts, Baltimore Orioles
A lot of fantasy experts expected Roberts to start a decline. But so far, so good in 2009. He’s stealing bases and his on-base percentage is over .500 at this early stage of the 2009 fantasy baseball season.

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1. Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays
No one is swinging the bat quite like Adam Lind. The left fielder is hitting .462 with three homers and 12 RBIs. His RBIs are a high in either league. Coming into this season, Lind only had 22 home runs in his entire big league career.

2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Through six games, Miguel Cabrera is proving why many scouts believe he’s the most talented player in all of baseball. He’s hitting .500 with three dingers and ten RBI. He also has two doubles and three walks so far in the 2009 baseball season.

3. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
In fantasy baseball, Albert Pujols was a top three pick. So far, he’s living up to his billing. The Cardinals slugger went to work on Sunday night, hitting two home runs and knocking in seven runs.

4. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Last season, Evan Longoria was the prized rookie phenom for the Rays. This year, he’s already heading toward superstar status. His four home runs lead the major leagues and his .455 batting average isn’t too shabby, either.

5. Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
Hanley Ramirez is another superstar who is starting the season like a superstar. He has a .421 batting average to go with his two home runs and his nine RBIs. On Saturday, the Marlins finally lost their first game of the season.

Hanley Ramirez tribute video:

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Here are the ExpertFantasy third baseman rankings in fantasy baseball:

1. David Wright
2. Miguel Cabrera
3. Alex Rodriguez
4. Evan Longoria
5. Aramis Ramirez
6. Kevin Youkilis
7. Russell Martin
8. Chris Davis
9. Chipper Jones
10. Garrett Atkins
11. Ryan Zimmerman
12. Aubrey Huff
13. Chone Figgins
14. Alex Gordon
15. Edwin Encarnacion
16. Adrian Beltre
17. Michael Young
18. Pablo Sandoval
19. Mark Reynolds
20. Jorge Cantu

Another player whose health plays a big role in their rank is Chipper Jones. Last year, Jones had a very good season but struggled with injuries. If he can put those injury woes behind him, he may very well climb into the top five.

Here is a Chipper Jones video:

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