No time to digest our 1,000 player updates in the past week since the start of spring training action? Well, here's a quick rundown of the top 10 risers and fallers in an early spring edition of our Fantasy Power Players, which we will do every week of the regular season.
| This week's top gainers | ||
| Position, player, team | Spring stats (through March 8) | |
| 1 | 3B Ryan J. Braun, MIL | .600 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB |
| With 3B spot open, the 'next David Wright ' comes out swinging. | ||
| 2 | 1B Dan Johnson, OAK | .133-1-2-3-0 |
| Mark Kotsay's bad back makes him starting 1B ... at age 27 no less. | ||
| 3 | LF Terrmel Sledge, SD | .400-3-7-3-0 |
| Came in to hoping to win LF job; he might have done it in Week 1. | ||
| 4 | SP Braden Looper, STL | 1-0, 1.42 ERA, .240 BAA, 2 K, 1 BB in 6 1/3 |
| So far so impressive for closer-turned-middle reliever-turned starter. | ||
| 5 | RF Brad Hawpe, COL | .333-1-5-4-0 |
| Like Johnson, another age-27 slugs way out of possible platoon. | ||
| 6 | RP Henry Owens, FLA | (1-0)-0.00-.308-2-1 in 4 innings |
| If season started today, Owens just might be the Marlins' closer. | ||
| 7 | LF Chris Duncan, STL | .292-2-6-6-0 |
| Just in case you had questions about his power, he answers it early. | ||
| 8 | SP Rich Harden, OAK | (0-0)-0.00-.143-5-0 in 2 innings |
| Ks are nice, but just the fact he's healthy and on track is paramount. | ||
| 9 | SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS | (0-0)-0.00-.182-3-1 in 3 innings |
| Most impressive part of spring is how well he's building up his arm. | ||
| 10 | C Jason LaRue, KC | .400-3-4-4-0 |
| Early HRs show LaRue can be late-round steal in AL-only leagues. | ||
| Honorable mentions: OF Hunter Pence, HOU; 3B Alex Gordon, KC; SP Micah Owings, ARI; SP Josh Beckett, BOS; SP Adam Loewen, BAL; DH Jonny Gomes, TB; OF Shannon Stewart, OAK; SP Matt Chico, WAS; SP John Maine, NYM; SP Fernando Nieve, HOU; SP Adam Wainwright, STL; OF Geoff Jenkins, MIL; 3B David Wright, NYM; SP Yusmeiro Petit, FLA; SP Mike Maroth, DET; SP Ramon Ortiz, MIN; SP Jason Marquis, CHC; CL Joe Borowski, CLE; 2B Esteban German, KC; OF Jason Lane, HOU; SP Shawn Hill, WAS; SP Erik Bedard, BAL; DH Sammy Sosa, TEX; OF Josh Hamilton, CIN; 1B/OF Brad Eldred, PIT; SP Daniel Cabrera, BAL. | ||
| This week's top decliners | |||
| Position, player, team | Spring stats | ||
| 1 | SP Josh Johnson, FLA | DNP (forearm), out until at least June | |
| Another reason why we warn you about overpaying for young arms. | |||
| 2 | OF Gary Matthews, LAA | .154-1-2-1-0 | |
| Might we have found reason for last year's surprising breakthrough? | |||
| 3 | SP Kris Benson, BAL | DNP (shoulder), might be out for year | |
| Had hoped rehab would help him avoid surgery; had recent setback. | |||
| 4 | 1B Nick Johnson, WAS | DNP (leg), out until at least June | |
| News kept getting progressively worse as spring camp approached. | |||
| 5 | SP Mike Hampton, ATL | DNP (elbow, side), out until at least late April | |
| Was turning the corner on TJ surgery and then gets a side injury. | |||
| 6 | OF Mark Kotsay, OAK | DNP (back), out until at least mid-May | |
| Back problem to sideline him 2-3 months, make him more worthless. | |||
| 7 | RP Taylor Tankersley, FLA | DNP (shoulder), out until at least mid-April | |
| Injury not considered serious, but knocks him out of closer's mix. | |||
| 8 | SP Ricky Nolasco, FLA | (0-0)-0.00-.143-1-0 in 2 innings | |
| SP injuries force him to start instead of close; that hurts his value. | |||
| 9 | SP Philip Humber, NYM | (0-1)-45.00-.429-0-2 in 1 inning | |
| One inning to start spring may have punched his ticket to Triple-A. | |||
| 10 | SP Keith Foulke, CLE | DNP (elbow), retired | |
| He never made it to spring, choosing to hang it up before camp. | |||
| Honorable mentions: SP Jered Weaver, LAA; 2B Mark Grudzielanek, KC; OF Shawn Green, NYM; OF Jeremy Hermida, FLA; RP Shinji Mori, TB; SP Jerome Williams, WAS; SP Homer Bailey, CIN. | |||
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