#18: D. Jeter – NYY SS

#18: D. Jeter

Derek is like the captain of all of baseball. You either love him or you hate him. You either like him or A-Rod…or if you don’t live in New York, both of them. However, you can’t Deny Jeter’s contributions in fantasy baseball. He consistently has a high average to go along with enough HR and SB to keep your fantasy team thriving. The man is Mr. Consistency and he had his career year last year. You can expect a small dip in his numbers but nothing below his career norm which is still quite high.

Here's a little more about Derek: Over his 11 year career, he has hit below .300 only 4 times and only once has he hit below .290 which was during his rookie season. He will consitantly hit between 10-25 HR and steal 20-30 bases. He has played his entire 11 year career with the Yankees, moving from leadoff to batting second when Damon arrived on the scene last year, despite the fact that the numbers make Jeter a better leadoff man.

One reason not to take him: He won't hit you 40 HR or steal you 50 Bases. What he will do is provide a consistant source for you all season and provide a high AVG. He should have about 100 RBI and 120 Runs. Last year was a huge jump in RBI (97 compared to 70 the year before) due to his move to the #2 spot and as long as Jeter stays healthy, he should repeat his RBI and Run numbers.

One reason to take him: Jeter is consistant. That is the best word to describe him. His month by month low in BA was .293 (excluding 1 Regular season game in October). He just doesn't really slump. He is a machine.