Craig Wilson

Two separate hand injuries robbed Wilson of nearly two-thirds of his 2005 season. The injury sapped him of his upper-body strength, limiting his home run production to just five in 197 at-bats. In 2004, Wilson smashed 29 homers and drove in 82 runs in 155 games. How often Wilson will play in 2006 remains to be seen. The Pirates expect Sean Casey to handle the everyday duties at first base and Jeromy Burnitz to patrol right field. Wilson could put up strong numbers as a fantasy backup -- his three-week hot stretches are legendary, but his lack of a starting spot limits his overall fantasy worth heading into the new year.

In his first season as a full-time player, Wilson led the Pirates in homers (29) and tied for the team lead in RBI with 82. The bonus here is that in most leagues Wilson qualified as a catcher. However, in 2004 he only appeared behind the plate in four games, starting one, so in most formats he has lost his eligibility at the position. The good news is that may not last long since Jason Kendall is gone and there is a solid chance that Wilson will be deployed at catcher enough to regain the coveted eligibility. Wilson is no whiz with any of the three gloves he carries (C, 1B, OF), but the Pirates will find ways to keep him in their lineup because they absolutely need the power he provides. With a little more patience at the plate – he whiffed 169 times, the third highest total in the majors – Wilson could improve on his .264 average, but the bottom line here is that the moment he qualifies as a catcher, his fantasy value will take a quantum leap forward.

Wilson strikes out too much and isn't a good defensive player, which explains why the dangerous hitter hasn't already established himself as an everyday player. With Brian Giles gone and Reggie Sanders not expected back, the Pirates need to get his big bat in the lineup on a regular basis in 2004. Last season, 14 of his 18 homers came after the All-Star break and given 500 at-bats, he could put up some solid power numbers. Wilson's versatility is also a plus, particularly considering that he's likely to be catcher-eligible once again.

Wilson has jaw-dropping power, but he starts the season on the Bucs' bench. He is a two-category guy, max; his strikeouts will keep his average in the .260s and any stolen bases are a bonus.