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March 20, 2006

Dh

It's a stronger group than in recent years, with plenty of pop at the top

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      Avg. HR RBI Runs SB  
1. AL David Ortiz, Red Sox .300 47 148 119   Runner-up for AL MVP in '05, he led the majors in RBIs and is the only DH worthy of a first-round fantasy pick.
2. AL Travis Hafner, Indians .305 33 108 94    
3. AL Jim Thome, White Sox .207   30 26    
4. AL Jonny Gomes, Devil Rays .282 21 54 61    
5. AL Dmitri Young, Tigers .271 21 72 61    
6. AL Juan Rivera, Angels .271 15 59 46    
7. AL Mike Sweeney, Royals .300 21 83 63    
8. AL Javy Lopez, Orioles .278 15 49 47   That he retains eligibility as a catcher is the only thing that makes Lopez intriguing from a fantasy standpoint.
9. AL Shea Hillenbrand, Blue Jays .291 18 82 91    
10. AL David Dellucci, Rangers .251 29 65 97    
11. AL Carl Everett, Mariners .251 23 87 58    
12. AL Bernie Williams, Yankees .249 12 64 53   Longtime centerfielder has to adjust to role as a spot player but will be an inexpensive source of RBIs.
13. AL Frank Thomas, A's .219 12 26 19    
14. AL Rondell White, Twins .313 12 53 49    
15. AL Phil Nevin, Rangers .237 12 55 46    

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

SPOTLIGHT

Juan Rivera

In the fantasy projections for 2006, you won't find Rivera within an Albert Pujols blast of the top sluggers in the game. Yet the 27-year-old Angel had the type of finish last year that could portend big things this season. Over the last 17 regular-season games he hit .333 with four home runs and 14 RBIs, and in 350 at bats for the season he finished with 15 homers and 59 RBIs, both career highs. Against the Yankees in the Division Series, Rivera batted .353 to help L.A. advance to the League Championship Series. He's still not an every-day player because the Angels have a crowd of standouts in the outfield, including Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad. But with a .454 slugging percentage in '05, Rivera provides pop to a power-challenged lineup, so L.A. will find a way to get him at bats.

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