Rafael Furcal's early struggles can be your gain, provided you don't own him already.

If New York Yankees fans were fantasy owners, they would sell high on A-Rod.

You shouldn’t.

It doesn’t matter to the fantasy world whether he can do it in October, just that he gets the numbers now.

Week Three saw some player’s getting back into their swing, and others take a turn for the worse. It’s important to understand how injuries, order movement, and past history can play into a player’s value and cost.

Burners

Rafael Furcal, Shortstop, Los Angeles Dodgers - Furcal was one of the top ten players selected at a shallow short stop position on draft day. His production is betraying the high price paid for him hitting an atrocious .158 average with a .431 OPS. Furcal’s offensive woes may be connected to his rehabilitation of the ankle he sprained during spring training. Since his return, he has five runs with two steal in the nine games. Those who drafted him may be growing tired of waiting on the Dodgers’ shortstop to hit his groove and it could be a good opportunity for an owner to add his consistent yearly runs, stolen bases, and batting average production to their roster on the cheap.

J.J. does not stand for A-Rod, but this week it could have.

J.J. Hardy, Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers - Owners stayed away from him during drafts because of his nasty ankle sprain in the beginning of the 2006 season. In 35 games last year in an injury-shortened season, Hardy five homers, 14 RBI, and 13 runs. Through Week Three of this season, he has almost matched that production with five homers, 12 RBI, and 11 runs in 16 games. Healthy this year, the 24-year-old shortstop looks ready for a breakout year.

Mike Mussina Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees – Mussina has started throwing, but he is still a little way off from returning, likely by Week Five, and the strapped Yankee rotation certainly could use it. He was not having the best of seasons even before the injury, with no wins, one loss, and an ERA of 9.00 in his two starts, and he pitched all of six innings in those two, so it was pretty clear he wasn’t right – one start of only six innings would not seem right for the Moose, let alone two. However, fantasy owners that are looking for a strong veteran pitcher on the cheap may want to contact Mussina’s owner. He might not be a sexy or trendy pick, but there are few more consistent pitchers in the game than Mussina, who has averaged 15 wins and 199 innings pitched in his six seasons in the pinstripes. Moose should get back on track when he returns, and there is going to be no point in the season where he comes cheaper.

Turners

Michael Barrett, Catcher, Chicago Cubs - He came into this season as a top ten catcher, and he has yet to disappoint. As of this writing, Barrett is first among catchers in homers with four, first in RBI with 15, and fifth among Major League catchers with a .281 batting average. So, let’s see – that puts him on pace to hit 36 homers and over 130 RBI. It’s not going to happen. Barrett is coming off of his third straight season with 16 homers, and he has never picked up more than 65 RBI. Barrett’s a 30-year-old catcher with not the most-HMO-friendly track record – expecting him to suddenly crush his previous career norms is more than likely a mistake, and chances are you’ve already gotten a quarter of his home run production in less than one-sixth of the season. In other words, sell.

He's great now, but can he maintain it? It's not a safe bet.

Eric Byrnes, Outfielder, Arizona Diamondbacks - He is starting off strong once again this season, batting .313 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 12 runs, and six stolen bases. At this pace, another 20/20 season is certainly possible. Of course, only twice in his seven seasons since he debuted has he been able to put together full seasons as a regular, and the Diamondbacks certainly have a plethora of quality outfielders in their system – if he slumps or gets injured, he could lose his job to one of them and not get it back. I do not think Byrnes will see his value get any higher than it is right now so he is a good turner candidate.

Josh Hamilton, Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds – Hamilton’s story is both inspirational and enlightening. After dealing with years of drug abuse and failed rehabilitation, he has sorted himself out both personally and professionally, and he is hitting .289 right now with five home runs, 11 RBI, 10 runs, and one stolen base. While his story of redemption is all warm and fuzzy, that story alone will not be enough to keep him producing at this pace. There’s more than enough buzz out there to make him someone you can sell high, and almost certainly more so in keeper leagues.