Dear Mr. Fantasy: Who's the top dog?

Rob Habbouche from Garner, Iowa come on down. You are the next contestant on The Price is Right!

Don't you get the feeling Alex Rodriguez knows he's the best player in Fantasy? (US Presswire)

Fine, I'm lying. So sue me. We are not one of America's favorite daytime television shows, but I'm sure if the brass at CBS were interested in giving me air time, I would give the retired Bob Barker a run for his money. Or I would just embarrass them chasing after all the gorgeous models that showcase the nice gifts. I'm not quite sure which category I fall under. I will get back to you on that.

Regardless, I do want to bring Rob into this week's Dear Mr. Fantasy. Rob sent in a very intriguing question -- is Hanley Ramirez the best player in Fantasy Baseball?

Now, I know what you are thinking. "Oh god, this guy hates Hanley. He will never admit Ramirez is the best player in Fantasy." Not the case. Well, I mean I don't think Hanley is the best Fantasy player, but I probably would rank him in the top five.

No, the answer to this question is still Alex Rodriguez, despite his slow start. How many guys do you know that have 500 or more at-bats for 12 straight seasons? A-Rod has been a model of health over the last decade. During the 12-year span, he has averaged 43 homers and 124 RBI per season. That's mucho impressive. Let's not forget he is also a career .306 hitter. He might not be a clutch guy, but the numbers always add up for Fantasy owners in the end.

Also, Rodriguez might not have the wheels like Ramirez, but there is no way Hanley is ever going to touch A-Rod's power potential if he doesn't bulk up. He yields 25 pounds to Rodriguez. Again, my draft philosophy is always power over steals. After A-Rod, I like Chase Utley and Albert Pujols. Utley is a monster Fantasy producer at arguably the thinnest position in Fantasy, and how can you not be a fan of Pujols? The guy is basically playing with one good arm and is still among the top MVP candidates. Unreal.

Now, it's time for the rest of the questions. Enjoy ...

What's wrong with Ryan Howard? He is killing my team. -- Marvin Powers

MH: The easy answer last season at this time was a left quad injury. Howard started with just three homers, 13 RBI and .221 average in April 2007. We eventually found out he was bothered by an injury that landed him on the DL for a few weeks. As soon as he came off, he was back to his bashing ways in May en route to 47 homers in 2007. Howard has already circled the bases five times this season, but his 37 strikeouts in 92 at-bats and sub-.200 average is troubling. Howard isn't fighting another injury, just himself. As manager Charlie Manuel said recently, Howard isn't succeeding putting the ball in play. No way, really? But, the skipper also reported that Howard is working hard in the batting cages and can see him turning the corner soon. Manuel added that Howard needed to be quicker with his hands, but has no worries the former NL MVP is primed to rebound. Just ask recently released Matt Morris of the Pirates, who served up a monster home run to Howard Saturday.

I have Mark Reynolds and Chipper Jones, and wanted to know which one should I be starting consistently? -- David Brenner, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.

MH: Easy answer -- you play Chipper until he is injured or in a slump. The two players have similar power numbers to date, but Chipper trumps Reynolds as far as batting average is concerned. Reynolds will have his moments, but he is a streaky hitter. Chipper has shown throughout the years to be a very patient hitter (per his .309 career average) and has earned the right to be a high-end Fantasy 3B. It's just the frustrations mount because he is a fragile player. But that is about the only time I would bench Larry Wayne.

I have Trevor Hoffman on my team and this year he hasn't impressed me very much. He is even scaring me at times because I think he might be playing for his job. George Sherrill and Brian Wilson are both available in my league. Do you think its time to drop Hoffman and add one of these other guys? Are they going to be the real deal all year? -- Mario R. Cortes

MH: It is time to sell Hoffman, but don't flat out drop him. Because he has had so much success over the years, you can still get pretty decent value for the struggling closer. I recently read from a scout that Hoffman has some pretty weak stuff these days. He is having a hard time locating the zone, and when he does, the zip on his pitches is almost non-existent. It's almost like batting practice to hitters. If he doesn't improve soon, there is a chance he might get removed from the closer's role. As far as Sherrill and Wilson, I wouldn't hesitate to grab a closer on a bad team. Potential last place teams might not win a lot of games, but when they do, it's usually a close contest. If I had to choose between the two, Sherrill is my guy because he is the less erratic/hittable of the two. Wilson has trouble with 1-2-3 innings and his WHIP was pretty bad in the minors.

Is Ryan Zimmerman ever going to live up to the hype and promise he showed as a rookie? -- Scott Thomas, Jacksonville

MH: I believe this question needs to be re-worded. If you are referring to the potential of Zimmerman's rookie season in which he hit .287 with 20 homers, 110 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 614 at-bats, then he has already reached that stage. Last year's numbers -- 24 homers, 91 RBI, four stolen bases, .267 average -- were a little disappointing, but they were pretty much on par with his rookie campaign. I believe your question is: will he ever live up to the David Wright billing? My answer: not in 2008 and not ever. Granted, Zimmerman is still a young pup (23), but let's face it, Wright is a player in a class of his own -- on and off the field. As long as these two play in the NL East, Zimmerman will forever be in Wright's shadow. Wright is going to be a potential first-round Fantasy pick for years to come. Zimmerman will likely be just a No. 1 Fantasy 3B. Now, I can live with what Zimmerman has produced thus far. Those are some pretty decent numbers any way you slice it. But I just don't know if his numbers will improve that much through the years.

Now that Adam Lind was recalled, what are your projections for him for the remainder of the season? -- Jake Martinsen, Houston

MH: The Blue Jays are going to have a hard time finding Lind at-bats near the top or in the heart of the lineup. There is potentially a situation where he will be the big left-handed bat in the 7-8-9 hole all season. But in the AL, that is not such a bad thing since they have the DH. Lind went hitless in his first seven at-bats this season, but no need to panic. He hit .300 in the minors pretty much throughout his career and could get close to that in his second season in the majors. I project .270-.280. Lind has some decent power, and he really missed only a month of at-bats, so 15-20 homers is possible. But since he will likely bat all season after the big thumpers, 60-65 RBI is a safe bet. And don't even look to him for more than a few stolen bases.

Should I try and pick up Jeff Keppinger? Do you think he will be replaced at short when Alex Gonzalez returns? -- Steve Bales, Glenolden, Pa.

MH: Two things are going against Keppinger -- Gonzalez is a veteran and the Reds have already shown with the firing of GM Wayne Krvisky that they want to mix it up. Keppinger is off to a nice start, but once Gonzalez (knee) is healthy, skipper Dusty Baker's love affair with veteran players might get him back in the lineup ASAP. Also, Gonzalez is a whiz with the glove, which could help him jump back into action quickly. Keppinger showed throughout the minors he has a keen eye for the ball and can hit better than .300. But his power and RBI production will level out and he will be just a stopgap Fantasy option at best in my opinion. I would hit the waivers or trade market for options with better potential and not in jeopardy of losing their job.

I'm looking to drop Placido Polanco. Should I pick up Aaron Hill or Mark Ellis? -- Noah Kim

MH: I warn Fantasy owners to be a little more patient with Polanco. A back injury was really affecting his play through the first few weeks and that is why he was struggling at the plate. He got nearly a week to rest and look at him now. In his first four games back, he had two multi-hit outings, two RBI, three walks and one stolen base. In his first 14 games, he had two multi-hit games and four RBI. A healthy Polanco is a productive Polanco, and a guy that can hit over .300. Also, don't forget he will see some great pitches hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Gary Sheffield. The only guy I would consider dropping Polanco for is Hill. His numbers will rival Polanco's at season's end and Hill should hit for more power.

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