Ride The WAVE - NL West Outfielders

AVG/OBP/SLG, followed by AVG/Runs/HR/RBI/SB:

ARI: Eric Byrnes - .277/.341/.463

• 2007 was clearly Byrnes' career year. He should fall in nearly every category, but the fact that he produces in 4 out of 5 roto stats means he's still a high end outfielder. WAVE is projecting .277/96/22/81/38 in 614 AB.

ARI: Chris Young - .253/.314/.490

• Like Byrnes, Young is also a 4 category producer. His AVG should improve in year two, but scouts have always maintained that he would be a low average hitter, meaning that much growth beyond this shouldn't be expected. WAVE: .253/92/33/75/29 in 578 AB.

ARI: Justin Upton - .253/.321/.398

• He's only 20. Expecting more than his WAVE projection would be foolish, but Upton does possess the skills to make us into fools. The likely scenario is that Upton begins to produce at an All-Star level in another year or two. WAVE projects .253/64/11/54/12 in 478 AB.

COL: Matt Holliday - .333/.396/.587

• One of the premier sluggers in the NL, many believe Holliday was robbed of the MVP last season. He'll set out to win the 2008 version of the award, and has the bat to potentially do it. WAVE pegs him at .333/114/33/127/13 in 618 AB.

COL: Willy Taveras - .292/.337/.345

• It's scary that Taveras missed so much time in '07 due to leg injuries, considering that all of his value is dependent on his speed. Even his high AVG was produced as a result of legging out 27 bunt hits. Since the legs seem to have held up every other year, we'll have to assume Willy's issues in 2007 were nothing more than a fluke. WAVE: .292/81/2/30/37 in 531 AB.

COL: Brad Hawpe - .293/.388/.515

• Hawpe looked like a future 40 homer man in the minor leagues, but hasn't been able to figure out Major League left handed pitchers, batting a measly .214 against them in '07. If he ever managed to figure out southpaws, Brad would instantly become an elite slugger for fantasy purposes. Also, a lot is being made of the fact that Hawpe batted .308 with 19 HR at Coors, while hitting .273 with 10 HR away from home. I think this is fluke more than anything else. If anyone had bothered to check his 2006 splits, they'd see that he hit .282 with 6 HR at Coors, while batting .303 with 16 homers away from home. Sometimes too much is made of the "Coors Field Effect". WAVE projects .293/76/25/105/1 in 515 AB.

LAD: Juan Pierre - .289/.329/.360

• I'm aware that I have too many projected AB's for the Dodgers outfield. Something's gotta give. Pierre is the worst player of the four, but his large contract will likely ensure that he plays regularly. If LA is smart, and playing to win, they'll play they're three best outfielders, meaning Pierre will sit. A trade is also a possibility. So long as he's playing, Pierre provides plenty of fantasy value with his wheels. WAVE: .289/94/1/42/61 in 672 AB.

LAD: Matt Kemp - .300/.335/.487

• A major sleeper for the upcoming season, Kemp has been compared favourably to Manny Ramirez in the past. The problem is playing time. If the Dodgers can't find a taker for Juan Pierre, and decide to play him regularly, that will leave Kemp in a platoon role, making him a high risk high reward player for '08. WAVE sees Matt hitting .300/93/20/82/20 if he can find 546 AB.

LAD: Andruw Jones - .241/.332/.478

• Ths shiny new Dodger center fielder is the only outfielder on the roster that doesn't have to worry about playing time. Provided he's healthy, Jones will play. Chavez Ravine isn't going to do Andruw any favours is his bid for a comeback season, but all in all, his numbers should improve in 2008. WAVE: .241/91/35/109/5 in 573 AB.

LAD: Andre Ethier - .293/.357/.463

• Ethier is likely to either be the odd man out in the Dodger outfield, or in a platoon situation, limiting his fantasy appeal. If the Dodgers can manage to move Juan Pierre, or put his contract size out of their minds and play Ethier every day, he'll have fantasy value. WAVE pegs him at .293/50/12/62/2 in 430 AB.

SD: Scott Hairston - .266/.328/.469

• A popular sleeper pick entering 2007, it didn't take long for Hairston to prove that he hadn't progressed at the plate since his rookie season in 2004. He's the favourite for the starting Left Field gig in San Diego, but could be pushed aside by Matt Antonelli or Chase Headley before the season is out. WAVE: .266/55/17/48/3 in 388 AB.

SD: Jim Edmonds - .255/.345/.445

• Edmonds hasn't accrued 500+ AB's since 2001, and at 37, is likely not to ever again. Playing half his games in pitcher friendly Petco won't help his power numbers either. Probably just an NL only player on the downside of his career, WAVE is projecting .255/52/17/64/2 in 384 AB.

SD: Brian Giles - .273/.376/.418

• I often wonder if Giles will be lumped into the "Steroids Era" group of one-time power hitters gone weak, or if the move to Petco Park will explain it all away, when looked at by future generations. In OBP leagues, Giles still has his uses, but doesn't offer much to standard roto owners. WAVE sees him hitting .273/79/13/64/7 in 524 AB.

SF: Dave Roberts - .270/.342/.379

• Value as your steals man, but only so long as he's playing. It's been said that Roberts may be platooned, potentially limiting his value for 2008. WAVE: .270/66/3/31/33 in 422 AB.

SF: Randy Winn - .293/.348/.448

• Winn generally offers a little in all 5 offensive categories. WAVE likes him to hit .293/78/15/62/15 in 594 AB.

SF: Aaron Rowand - .297/.360/.485

• Just one year removed from finishing off a .262/.321/.425 season, the Giants signed Rowand to a 5 year $60 million contract. Aaron is likely to fall in almost every offensive category in 2008, and doesn't steal bases like he used to. He's likely to cost more at the draft table, than he will earn by seasons end. WAVE: .297/90/21/76/9 in 559 AB.

SF: Rajai Davis - .271/.337/.345

• Rajai is a real burner, and may platoon with Dave Roberts in '08. Even in limited playing time, he's likely to steal a bundle of bases, making him a bit of a sleeper. WAVE: .271/38/1/12/29 in 255 AB.