Every Thursday evening we pick some Fantasy Baseball questions out of the mailbag, helping owners with trade offers, roster decisions and just plain chatter.

W.J., Md.: Will Travis Hafner or Erubiel Durazo ever play a game at first base this season? I just need one game, and they're killing me right now only qualifying at DH. Should I start looking for first basemen, or do you think they'll get a game in the field anytime soon?

M.L.: Very good question. Since your league has just a one-game requirement for position eligibility, there is a very good chance both players will become qualified for first base in the very near future. Interleague play starts next week. Oakland will travel to San Francisco for a three-game series and Cleveland will travel to Cincinnati. Since both series are at the National League team's park, the designated hitter will not be used. Durazo and Hafner are too good to be stuck on the bench, so you'd expect each to play some first base.

Chris Kimmel Shady Cove, Ore.: I have Adrian Beltre and Pedro Feliz as my options at third base. Do you think that Beltre will turn this season around or was last year a fluke? Should I try to trade Beltre for a quality starter? I have Prior, Colon, Smoltz, Webb, Marquis and Wakefield on the team right now.

M.L.: One of the great things about owning Feliz is that you can put him at 3B, 1B, SS and OF -- not to mention CI, MI or utility. A guy with that kind of eligibility is invaluable. Beltre was the best third baseman in the league last year, so stick with him. It is usually a slow adjustment for a player when they move to another league and this has definitely been the case with Beltre. Obviously don't expect the .334/48/121 he posted last year, but 30 home runs and 100 RBI are still realistic goals.

Ron Romanelli, Sharon Hill, Pa.: I am considering dropping Victor Zambrano, but I am unsure of who to pick up. I am considering Brad Penny, Eric Bedard, Adam Eaton, John Garland and Cliff Lee. Who would be more beneficial?

M.L.: All four of these waiver-wire starters are a step up from Zambrano. The Mets are considering re-inserting Aaron Heilman in the rotation and sending Zambrano to the bullpen or even the minor leagues. If Penny is still available after that seven-inning, one-hit, no-run performance against the Reds, scoop him up. Garland has started his season off 6-0, but will have to face the Orioles, Rangers (twice) and Dodgers (twice) in his next five games. Those teams rank No. 3, 4 and 5 in runs scored in the major leagues. Eaton and Bedard are each up-and-coming strikeout artists, but Penny is the one to go with.

Lee West, Fresno, Calif.: I just can't get enough of Bleacher Banter! I read it all the time to evaluate trades and work on my starting lineup. Keep up the great work. I play in a 5x5 league that starts four outfielders. I have been offered Luis Gonzalez and Shawn Green for Vladimir Guerrero. My outfield already has Cliff Floyd and Ryan Klesko with options on Chone Figgins, Brandon Inge and Coco Crisp. I also have Mike Lowell on my bench and I keep hoping he is going to break out of his season-long slump. So would you pull the trigger on this trade?

M.L.: We appreciate the support, Lee. Although this deal sounds fair on paper, I'm not a big advocate of dealing one of the studs in the game for two middle-level players. Granted, Gonzalez is one of the better hitters in the National League, but Green is not nearly as reliable as he was earlier in his career. Since you are in a 5x5 Roto league, an outfield of Guerrero, Floyd, Klesko and Figgins or Inge is decent. You might even want to shop Floyd, who is fresh off a 20 game-hit streak.

Craig Bowers, Sydney, Australia: Greetings from Down Under. I have been offered a trade in my 12-team keeper league with standard CBS scoring format with the only difference (-1 pts) being for strikeouts. The guy wants either Jose Reyes or Chase Utley for either Alex Rios or David DeJesus.

What do you recommend? While I am obviously thinking about the future, I believe I will also make the finals this year.

M.L.: Good day, mate! All four players you mentioned are quality, young keeper candidates. Many scouts expect Alexis Rios to become a five-tool player, but he's been basically a singles hitter with minimal run production thus far. DeJesus has done an adequate job leading off for Kansas City's version of a baseball team, but he's a long way away from the 20-20 season Royals management dreamed off when they dealt away Carlos Beltran. Utley has been earning more and more playing time -- his presence even pushed Placido Polanco into the outfield recently -- and is already one of the best hitting Fantasy second basemen in the game. Reyes has the talent to hit .300 and steal 35 bases this year! Hold tight, Craig. You already have the top-two players in this possible deal.

D.J., Rockland, N.Y.: I've been offered Roger Clemens for Torii Hunter and Brett Myers. Is Clemens going to win games and will he keep up his ERA and WHIP? And because I'm in a keeper league is Myers too good to trade? And is Hunter going to keep on running?

M.L.:You should definitely make this deal. At age 42, the Rocket has not shown signs of slowing down. His ERA will likely finish around 3.00, but the strikeouts and wins will rank among the league leaders by year's end. He's thrown quality starts in all seven of his starts and looks as dominant as ever. Hunter's stolen bases have dropped considerably recently -- after stealing 11 in April -- and has zero in May. Myers is pitching better now that ever before in his career. Inconsistency plagued him much of his first three years, so you can expect a cold stretch in the near future.

Justin Weller, Crofton, Md.: What in the world am I to do with Barry Bonds? I'm not in bad shape at any position, but I could always use another starting pitcher. Should I trade him for whatever I can get at this point and be done with him, or just suck it up and wait until he either comes back or announces he's not playing this year?

M.L.: Bonds recently underwent his third knee surgery since the end of January and remains out indefinitely. He could return by mid-season, but the truth is nobody knows when Bonds will return. However, dropping a player that hit .362 with 45 home runs, 101 RBI and 129 runs last year is not a wise idea. When he comes back, he has the talent to carry a Fantasy team. Good things come to those who wait.

R. Buonauito, San Diego, Calif.: Should I be trying to trade Manny Ramirez at this point in the season? At the rate he continues to get hit by pitches, he may end up missing most of the rest of the season. Has he become a target this season for pitchers because he’s too good of a hitter?

M.L.: Although Manny has been plunked quite a bit recently, that is no reason to trade the slugger. He is, without a doubt, one of the most reliable hitters in the game. Currently he's on pace for 39 home runs and 142 RBI and those numbers are very realistic achievements. He's hitting just .241 right now, but Man-Ram is a bona fide .300 hitter. Unless you can get a superstar like Albert Pujols, Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz or Miguel Cabrera, hold tight with Ramirez.

D'Angelo Bowden, Sparks, Md.: I've been offered Jeremy Bonderman and Kelvim Escobar for Rich Harden. Right now, my current pitchers are Curt Schilling, Eric Gagne, Roy Oswalt, Yhency Brozabon, Jose Contreras, John Lackey, Billy Wagner, Jarrod Washburn and Barry Zito. We can start nine pitchers. If I make the trade, whom should I release?

M.L.: Although Harden is one of the best up-and-coming pitchers in the game, this deal is too tasty to pass up. Bonderman is finally realizing his potential this year and will likely finish with similar numbers as Harden. Escobar is one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game, so this deal makes sense for you. With Gagne nearing his activation, Brozabon is the definite odd man out, although Washburn and Lackey could eventually hurt your ERA and WHIP.

Mitchell C., N.J.: I need to pick up a pitcher, which one of the following would you pick up: Daniel Cabrera, Kris Benson, Sidney Ponson, Jeff Suppan or Ezequiel Astacio?

M.L.: If you need wins, Suppan is a nice option. He won 16 with the Cardinals last year, but doesn't help a great deal in the WHIP and strikeout categories. Ponson has been very solid this year, if you don't count his three-inning, nine-run debacle against the D-Rays, he is quietly 5-0 with a 3.38 ERA on the year. Cabrera struggled early, but has been great in his past two starts -- posting a 0.56 ERA with 19 strikeouts. That dangerous Baltimore lineup is a serious asset for both pitchers. Astacio's tenure in the rotation could be coming to an end, so avoid him. Benson has only been a .500 pitcher throughout his career but could breakout with the Mets this year. He's still a bit of a question mark. Ponson or Cabrera will make the best additions to your squad at this time.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Bleacher Banter in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.