One of the most surprising players in the 2009 fantasy baseball season has been Jason Bartlett, the shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays. However, due to an ankle sprain, Bartlett’s magical ride has been out of order since May 24th.

On Wednesday, Bartlett was able to start running. The Rays expect him to start playing in some minor league games within the next couple of days. If all goes as planned, Bartlett should be able to return at some point next week.

On the season, he’s hitting .373 with seven homers, 30 RBI, 32 runs and 14 stolen bases. He also has 11 doubles, two triples, an on-base percentage of .418 and an OPS of 1.014.

Considering that he’s never been much of a hitter, these are shocking numbers out of Bartlett. It’ll be interesting to see if he can keep his hot bat once he returns from injury. If you have him in a fantasy baseball league, now might be the time to trade him while his value is high.

Jason Bartlett Injury Update (Image: Zuma Press)

Which fantasy baseball players are the hottest? Here’s a look at the hottest fantasy baseball players at each position:

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.

In the 2009 fantasy baseball season, there isn’t much depth a the catcher position. There are also a number of sell high catchers that you should put on the open market. Here are the sell high catchers in 2009 fantasy baseball:

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.

Which 2009 fantasy baseball pitchers are pitching better than expected? Here are five pitchers that you should sell high on to maximize their value.

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)

Yesterday, we took a look at the fantasy baseball disappointments so far in the 2009 baseball season. Today, we’ll take a look at the 2009 fantasy baseball surprises.

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.

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals
Although Kurt Warner has been a lot better than expected during the 2008 fantasy football season, he hasn’t been overly productive in the fantasy football world as of late. In his last five games, he has one touchdown pass in four of those contests. In Week 16 against the New England Patriots, Warner could very well struggle.

RB Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
There are a lot of reasons to be wary of Brandon Jacobs this week. First of all, he’s coming off of an injury and there’s no telling how healthy he really is. Secondly, the Giants are facing the Carolina Panthers this week. Last but not least, Jacobs doesn’t have a 100+ yard outing since Week 10.

WR Laveranues Coles, New York Jets
Laveranues Coles has had a relatively good fantasy football season, but he simply hasn’t been consistent enough to trust as of late. In two our of his last three games, he has less than ten yards receiving. He also only has one touchdown in his last seven games. Even this week’s solid matchup against the Seattle Seahawks doesn’t make him a very good start.

TE Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins
Even though he’s a well known player, Chris Cooley isn’t giving fantasy owners much reason to believe in him. During the entire 2008 NFL season, Cooley has only one touchdown grab. Last week against a bad Cincinnati Bengals defense, the Redskins managed only 13 points. Going against a tough Philadelphia Eagles defense this week, it’d be best to look elsewhere for tight end production.

QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
After starting the season with three straight three-touchdown games, Rivers has had just two touchdowns in his last two games. He’s still rated highly by a lot of fantasy football owners due to his fast start, so sell him high if you can.

RB Steve Slaton, Houston Texans
While Steve Slaton is a great story and has been a fantastic fantasy football pick this season, his stock likely won’t get any higher. Now would be a good time to sell considering that he’s a rookie who could hit a rookie wall at some point. Not only that, Ahman Green may start to split carries with him at some point.

WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
Like Slaton, DeSean Jackson is a rookie — which means he hasn’t proven himself. For savvy fantasy football owners, that’s a reg flag. Add to that the fact that Kevin Curtis is coming back and Donovan McNabb has looked poor the last few weeks and now is a good time to shop Jackson.

TE Chris Cooley, Washington Redskins
After a huge Week 5 performance, selling high on Chris Cooley makes a lot of sense. A good chunk of his stats came off of trick plays, which can’t be counted on going forward. If you can sell Cooley at an inflated value, don’t hesitate.

QB Brett Favre, New York Jets
In Week 4, Brett Favre was amazing. His six touchdown passes reminded the world what he is capable of doing. However, don’t hesitate to sell him high if another fantasy owner comes calling.

RB Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
The last time the 2008 fantasy football world saw Ronnie Brown, he was scoring five touchdowns against the New England Patriots defense. With his value likely never to be higher, now is a good time to try to trade him.

Can Ronnie Brown keep it up or was Week 3 a flash in the pan.

WR Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is banged up and Greg Jennings is coming off of a great game. If Rodgers goes down, Jennings’ stock will plummet. A sell high might very well be in order.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
As long as Damon Huard is the quarterback for the Chiefs, Tony Gonzalez will have value. But that quarterback job in Kansas City is so tumultuous that it could change at any given moment.

D Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have been very good so far in this fantasy football season. However, their schedule has been friendly and it is about to get a lot harder. Sell high if you have a buyer in your fantasy league.

Photo: Newscom

Quarterback - Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
After a great Week 1, it may be hard to let go of Donovan McNabb. However, keep in mind that his schedule gets a lot tougher and McNabb has a history of injuries. If you can sell him high, do so and don’t look back.

Running Back - Willie Parker, Pittsbugh Steelers
Willie Parker scored three touchdowns in Week 1. Last year, he scored two touchdowns total. Knowing that, you can’t expect Parker to remain a touchdown threat all season long. Trade him now if you can get a good value.

Wide Receiver - Wes Welker, New England Patriots
While Randy Moss is sure to be affected as well, Wes Welker might be most hurt by Tom Brady being out for the season. Brady loved dumping the ball off to Welker. Now Cassel won’t be able to use him as much.

Read more

Guest Blog By Fantasy Fanatics

We are at the point of the season when most coaches have settled on their rotations and most players have settled into their roles. As a result, there are not many players who are going to shock us with a dramatic change in their production level, unless an injury or trade plays a role. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the movers and shakers of the fantasy basketball world.

On the Rise

Gilbert Arenas – Guard – Wizards – Word is that Arenas has started more extensive workouts in preparation of a return shortly after the All-Star break. This may be the time to see if you can grab him at a bargain from an owner that is getting impatient.

Kirk Hinrich – Guard – Bulls – Although the statistics did not show it, Hinrich was starting to get his stroke back some before missing some game is month with back spasms. He exploded for 38 points on Wednesday night against Indiana. With Luol Deng and Chris Duhon sidelined for a while, there should be more big nights on the way for Hinrich. A word of caution, though, back injuries scare me some because they tend to linger.

Wally Szczerbiak – Guard/Forward – Sonics – If you were like me, you did not give Szczerbiak a chance to have much of a fantasy impact this season. First, he was coming off of an injury-filled season in Boston. Second, he was traded to a team in full-blown rebuild mode at age 30. This month, he has definitely been worthy of fantasy consideration. Despite being marred in an 0 for 11 January, the Sonics are playing Szczerbiak over 25 minutes a game. In that time, he is averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 three pointers. The downside is that he does not give you much else outside of great percentages.

Al Thornton – Forward – Clippers – Thornton was a sleeper pick for Rookie of the Year going into this season. He started out extremely slow, averaging only 6.3 points in November and 8.1 points in December. Not only was he having trouble getting acclimated to the league, he was also loosing the confidence of the coach. In January, he is gaining that confidence by posting 13 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.7 blocked shots per game. It is probably too little, too late to be in the running for the R.O.Y award. Still, if he can continue this type of production, he could make the first team of the All-Rookie Team, helping your fantasy team along the way.

On the Way Down

Larry Hughes – Guard – Cavaliers – What happened to this guy? He used to be a solid fantasy starter and borderline fantasy star. He is still young enough to be in the prime years of his basketball career at age 29. Regardless, his numbers have gotten progressively worse each of the past four seasons. His production has hit a concerning low in January. His 8.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 36% field goal percentage should have him nailed to your bench until, or even if, he finds his groove.

Yi Jianlian – Forward – Bucks – Yi is going to be good someday, many agree, but he is not quite ready to be counted on for consistent fantasy production yet. He can frustrate fantasy owners with games of 29 points and 10 rebounds and then have 8 points and 5 rebounds the very next game. Part of the problem is that Yi gets himself into early foul trouble too often. His 8 point, 5 rebound January averages do not merit a spot on your fantasy team right now.

Jamaal Tinsley – Point Guard – Pacers – Tinsley enjoying a re-birth of his fantasy value earlier this season. He has struggled so far in 2008 thanks to injuries and inconsistency with his jumper, shooting a woeful 34% from the field and an even worse 6% from three point range. The positive side here is that he is keeping up with his assist totals, despite his horrid shooting. He has some bounce back ability, but you may be better off trading the Pacers point guard to a team desperate for assists.

Martell Webster – Guard/Forward – Blazers – Webster has huge upside as an offensive player. His production has yet to match his potential in his first two and a half years in the league. Although his statistics are up this season from the previous two seasons, he is not showing enough consistency and is constantly getting lost in the shuffle of the young emerging talent in Portland. His seven single digit scoring games and eight games with five rebounds or less in eleven January games suggest that he is a long way from helping your fantasy squad. Still, Webster is worth watching closely, he is not that far away from being a fantasy force.

Skimming the Free Agent Pool

Maurice Evans – Guard/Forward – Magic – Evans has taken over for Keith Bogans as the starting shooting guard in Orlando. His numbers as a starter this season in nine games (eight with the Magic, one with the Lakers): 11 points, 3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and a three pointer per game on over 50% from the field. The numbers do not blow you away by any means, but he could help if you are hurting for points and three pointers.

Linas Kleiza – Guard/Forward – Nuggets – Kleiza is an offensive force. His problem is that he plays on a team with two other offensive forces in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. However, Kleiza has proven when given an opportunity he can light up the scoreboard. His 41 point performance against Utah was a display of what this guy can do. He filled in for an injured Anthony the past two games and averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 three pointers in those games. Anthony is not expected to be out an extended period of time. However, Kleiza has proven that he can still be produce in limited opportunities, just not as consistently.

Kendrick Perkins – Center – Celtics – You have to love Perkins, the forgotten man on the Celtics starting five. His job is to rebound, play defense, and stay out of the way on offense. Nevertheless, Perk does have some ability to put the ball in the hole. He does not have many plays called for him. Instead, he has to rely on put-backs and passes from double-teamed teammates. There seems to be more of those opportunities lately as he is averaging: 7.4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 59% shooting from the field in January. The warning here is that he shoots under 60% from the line for the year. Perkins is worthy of a pick up if you need short term help at the center position.

Luke Ridnour – Point Guard – Sonics – Ridnour has struggled through an injury plagued season in Seattle. He is back in action and playing pretty well in limited minutes off the bench. In his last six games, he is averaging 8 points and 6.2 assists despite not playing over 28 minutes in any of those games. His production is still under that of starter Earl Watson, but you may see the Sonics go to Ridnour more often to showcase for a trade.

The Deep End:

Nenad Krstic – Forward/Center – Nets – Krstic may be back from his prolonged rehab in a week or so. He has a couple of battles ahead of him: the injured knee and the fine play of youngsters, Josh Boone and Sean Williams. If Krstic is healthy, which is yet to be determined, when he returns, he is at the very least worth a reserve spot. The payoff could be huge. Remember, he was averaging 17 points and 7 boards on 52% shooting before going down with the injury last season.

FantasyFanatics.com is a premier fantasy sports community. Need help deciding who to sit and who to start? What about help with a big trade? Chat with the fantasy basketball experts on FantasyFanatics.com.