FORT LAUDERDALE -- While Adam Wainwright is talented and cocky as all get out, the best part about him this spring is he is a box of chocolates gift for someone in the mid-to-late rounds on Fantasy Draft Day.

We don't know what we'll get.

That is what makes scouting Fantasy Baseball's new starters so intriguing in the hunt to find sleepers. Wainwright is a shining example of a player who we just don't know how good he can be.

"I have no fear of anything; there shouldn't be any fear," Wainwright said of entering his first full season as a big-league starting pitcher. "If there is fear, I'm in the wrong business."

The 26-year-old big-league sophomore already looks, and acts, poised beyond his years. After watching him pitch a spring game against the Orioles, we say buying this first-timer has the potential to net you a 15-game winner. With that lanky 6-foot-7 frame and wicked stuff, he looks the role of a poor man's Chris Carpenter, who is a perennial Cy Young candidate and early round Fantasy ace.

Our projections say 14 wins, a 3.99 ERA and 179 Ks, which puts him just out of the top 40 among starting pitchers. That's before we have ever seen the former top prospect start a game for the Cardinals.

"I've been a starter all my life, just not at the big-league level," he said. "I have pitched in some real tough situations last October -- real tough -- and I came out of it all right."

Wainwright was going to be a Fantasy gem this spring, regardless of his role. He was either going to start or close for the defending world champs. After last October's postseason heroics, he was in a no-lose situation.

"Closing is the last thing on my mind right now," he said. "It's a growing process for me. (Jason Isringhausen) is looking great, feeling good and it's now about me getting my mind on being a starter. It's my job to lose."

As a first-time big-league starter to target on Draft Day, the only hesitation we might have on him is selecting him too early. He is still basically a rookie in starter's terms and has never done that 180-inning Year 1 tune-up.

"It depends, man," he said on whether he can reach the 200-inning mark, the usual basement of a Fantasy ace. "Depends on how I pitch -- whether it's a tight game and they need to go to the bullpen. (Getting 200 innings) is out of my hands completely.

He has no doubts he can be a full-go ace in Year 1, alluding to two years ago when he pitched a league-high 182 innings in Triple-A, before doing his 75-inning apprenticeship in relief last year.

The postseason success and potential to close has kept his value high. He is going 141st overall, according to CBS SportsLine's Draft Averages, which is 45th among starting pitchers. He's 68th overall in NL-only Head-to-Head leagues.

But now that he's clearly a full-time starter -- something we haven't seen him do -- perhaps he will fall to you on Draft Day.

New starters by position

Going through our updated/projected depth charts, here are the guys we have highlighted as entering their first full season as a starter in the big leagues. There are some potential further hidden gems here:

Catchers -- Gerald Laird, TEX; Chris Iannetta, COL; Josh Bard, SD.

First basemen -- Casey Kotchman, LAA; Ryan Shealy, KC; Scott Thorman, ATL; Ryan Garko (maybe), CLE; Larry Broadway (maybe), WAS.

Second basemen -- Howie Kendrick, LAA; Kelly Johnson, ATL; Dustin Pedroia, BOS.

Shortstops -- Troy Tulowitzki (maybe), COL; J.J. Hardy, MIL.

Third basemen -- Alex Gordon (maybe), KC; Andy Marte, CLE; Wilson Betemit (maybe), LAD; Kevin Kouzmanoff, SD.; Ryan J. Braun (maybe), MIL.

Outfielders -- Delmon Young, TB; Chris Duncan, STL; Carlos Quentin, ARI; David Dellucci, CLE; Jason Kubel, MIN; Chris B. Young, ARI; Nelson Cruz (maybe), TEX; Josh Fields (maybe), CHW; Chris Burke, HOU; Corey Hart, MIL; Shane Victorino, PHI; Terrmel Sledge, SD; Eric Reed (maybe), FLA; Nook Logan (maybe), WAS; Sammy Sosa (maybe), TEX.

Starting pitchers -- Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS; Jonathan Papelbon, BOS; Adam Wainwright, STL; Kei Igawa, NYY; Brandon McCarthy, TEX; John Maine, NYM; Braden Looper, STL; Mike Pelfrey (maybe), NYM; Robinson Tejeda, TEX; Shawn Hill, WAS; Micah Owings (maybe), ARI; Jason Hirsh (maybe), COL; Yusmeiro Petit (maybe), FLA; Sergio Mitre (maybe), FLA; John Danks (maybe), CHW; Fausto Carmona (maybe), CLE; Joe Kennedy (maybe), OAK; Kyle Davies (maybe), ATL.

Closers -- Takashi Saito, LAD; Joel Pineiro (maybe), BOS; Brendan Donnelly (maybe), BOS; Octavio Dotel, KC; Salomon Torres (maybe), PIT; Seth McClung (maybe), TB; Henry Owens (maybe), FLA; Matt Lindstrom (maybe), FLA.

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