Jose Reyes is a fantasy first rounder in 2008, but what about Carlos Beltran?

Catchers – Brian Schneider, Ramon Castro

When selecting a catcher for fantasy baseball, a phrase you generally do not want to hear is "handles a pitching staff well." That said, you could certainly do worse than Brian Schneider, who as recently as 2004-2005, had back-to-back seasons of double-digit home runs. Still, Schneider is nothing more than an end game selection. Ramon Castro will back up Schneider, and he brings a power bat to the plate (11 home runs in 144 at-bats last season). Barring injury, Castro will likely not see that much time, but in deep leagues that start two catchers, he is worth a late pickup.

First Base – Carlos Delgado

Delgado had the worst season of his career in 2007, failing to top 30 home runs for the first time since 1996, and putting up the lowest full-season batting average of his career. Of course, he turns 36 this year, and without performance enhancers, there are significant questions as to whether he can recapture that old form. Certainly, Mets fans will rationalize 2007 by pointing out Delgado was returning from offseason wrist and elbow surgeries, and that he put together a strong second half. However, I think expecting another 35 home run season is a bit optimistic – 30 should be within reach, however, as should 100 runs batted in. Still, do not expect the batting average to climb above .270. A mid-round NL-Only pick, if you miss out on the Pujols', Howard's, and Fielder's of the world.

Middle Infielders – Luis Castillo, Jose Reyes, Ruben Gotay

Luis Castillo had a strong, albeit brief, 50-game stint with the Mets last season, displaying strong on base skills, and scoring nearly one run per game. The Mets then rewarded him with, in this writer's opinion, a contract of fair annual salary, but absolutely insane length. Although the days of 50 and 60 stolen bases are long gone, Castillo can still steal 20-25 bases on his surgically repaired knee, and hitting in front of David Wright and Carlos Beltran should help him approach 100 runs, for only the second time in his career.

At shortstop, some of the shine came off Jose Reyes with an atrocious September during the Mets swoon. Even with those struggles, Reyes is as good as it gets, and a clear first round fantasy selection. He may not reach 20 home runs, but at the very least, he should net you double-digits in that category. The 78 stolen bases last year is also easily repeatable, and if he continues to develop his plate discipline (from 27 walks to 53 walks to 77 walks in the last three seasons), the on base percentage could approach the .370 range. If you have any complaints about owning Reyes, well, then chances are you will never be satisfied.

Backing up in the middle infield will probably be Ruben Gotay, a flamed out Kansas City Royals prospect who found new life in New York. He will only have value if there is an injury.

Third Base – David Wright, Damion Easley

David Wright is, simply put, about as good as it gets. Durable (missed only 12 games in three seasons); hits for power (30 home runs last year); hits for average (.325 average last year); steals bases (34 stolen bases last year); has excellent plate discipline (94 walks last year; .416 on-base percentage); and, even though it does not matter for fantasy purposes, is also a gold glove third baseman. Wright is a sure-fire first round pick, with another 30-30 a near certainty.

If, heaven forbid, anything were to happen to Wright, Damion Easley would likely be the temporary stopgap "solution" at third base. Although Easley was rejuvenated last year in New York (10 home runs in 193 at-bats), he is nothing more than a bench player who should be avoided in all but the deepest of leagues.

Outfielders – Carlos Beltran, Ryan Church, Moises Alou, Endy Chavez, Marlon Anderson

In center field, Carlos Beltran battled through nagging injuries all last season to post a strong campaign. It is unlikely that he will return to the days of stealing 40 bases, but it is not unreasonable to expect 25 stolen bases from him. Power wise, he is a good bet for at least 30 Home runs. Combine that with a .275 batting average and 100 runs and runs batted in, and you have got yourself a pretty strong fantasy selection.

Right field this year will be Ryan Church, who was acquired along with Brian Schneider in a questionable deal for Lastings Milledge. Church has seemingly been marginalized during his four-year major league career. With a change of scenery, and a stronger lineup, it is not unreasonable to expect 20 home runs from Church, to go with a .280 batting average. Of course, if you read my sleepers column earlier, you would know that already!

In left field is the ageless wonder, Moises Alou. It is a virtual guarantee that he will be sidelined with various ailments throughout the year, but when he plays, he produces. In fact, last year, he posted the highest batting average of his career (.341). When drafting Alou, keep in mind that the odds of him reaching 400 at-bats are about as likely as Roger Clemens admitting he took steroids. Still, if you are sure that you will be able to obtain a quality replacement for those periodic injuries, draft Alou with confidence. .300-18-65 is not out of the question.

The reserves here are Marlon Anderson and fan-favorite Endy Chavez. Damion Easley could see some time in the outfield as well. Chavez could be worth owning in a deep league for some cheap speed, but Anderson and Easley are essentially pinch hitters who will not collect enough at-bats to have a fantasy impact.

In leagues that have minor leaguers, keep an eye on uber-prospect Fernando Martinez. He is extremely young, but he has "guaranteed" that he will be in New York this season. In keeper leagues, he is an excellent one to stash away for 2009, 2010, and beyond.

Starting Rotation – Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez, Orlando Hernandez, Mike Pelfrey

Now we finally get to the most essential point when talking about the Mets: Johan Santana. The trade to acquire Santana was arguably the biggest splash of the off season, particularly when it ended up that Santana was not going to either the Red Sox or Yankees. With the move to the National League, and the overall craziness of New Yorkers (trust me, I live here), it is a little hard to get an accurate forecast of Santana. That said, if he can strike out 230 batters in the American League, it is not entirely unrealistic to see him approach 250 strikeouts and 20 wins. Combine that with his generally stellar earned run average and WHIP, and you have a first round selection (even from me, who despises taking pitchers in the first round).

The rest of the rotation has the potential to be extremely strong, although each player has his question marks. Pedro Martinez showed flashes of his old self after returning from injury last year. Does he have enough in the tank to make 30 starts? I would anticipate about 175-180 innings with between a 3.40-3.60 earned run average and a WHIP between 1.15 and 1.20. Martinez should also be good for nearly a strikeout per inning.

The third starter looks to be John Maine, who had an unbelievable first half last season, which was followed up by a brutal second half, except for his last start of the season, when he threatened to be the first pitcher in Mets history to throw a no-hitter. Is the first half John Maine or the second half John Maine the real one? Chances are, it is somewhere in the middle, and his overall numbers from last year, are a good baseline.

The fourth starter is Oliver Perez. If you have played fantasy baseball before, you have an Oliver Perez story, which may or may not involve breaking something as he gave up nine runs in two innings one night, and struck out 12 the next night. Perez was another pitcher who had a phenomenal first half, but struggled in the second half. The end result is that we do not know which Oliver Perez will show up in 2008. However, it is reasonable to expect a sub-4.00 earned run average with a WHIP in the 1.30 range (due to the continuing periodic control issues).

Finishing the rotation is Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who is, approximately 127 years old, by my count. Yet, he is still pitching, and pitching effectively. Like Moises Alou, he will miss time with injuries, and ultimately is unlikely to throw more than 150 innings But, those 150 innings should be solid enough, with an earned run average near 4.00 and a fairly strong WHIP. Additionally, he still strikes out nearly one batter per inning, thanks to his never-ending arm angle changes.

When Hernandez gets hurt, Mike Pelfrey is due to get the call. A first-round draft pick, Pelfrey has struggled mightily in 100 major league innings, with a 5.55 earned run average. One should probably avoid Pelfrey for now, until he proves something. If you are in a keeper league, he could still be a decent pitcher to stash on your bench. Be warned though: this could be his last chance.

Bullpen – Billy Wagner, Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano, Duaner Sanchez, Matt Wise, Joe Smith, Jorge Sosa, Scott Schoeneweis

Although he will be 37 this summer, Billy Wagner continues to put up strong closer seasons, and this year should be no different – draft with confidence.

The middle relievers were a problem last year, except for Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano who return this year. Feliciano is largely a lefty specialist, which makes him a good source of holds (if your league uses them), but reduces his value somewhat for a more traditional 5x5 or 4x4 league. Heilman is the workhorse, and an effective one at that. Also an excellent source of holds, Heilman can be a valuable earned run average stabilizer with his 80+ innings with a strong earned run average and WHIP. The rest of the pen includes Duaner Sanchez returning from a year off due to injury, free agent signing Matt Wise, long reliever Jorge Sosa, lefty specialist Scott Schoeneweis, and sidearmer Joe Smith. Sanchez is the x-factor here, as he was outstanding in 2006, before injuries forced him to miss 2007. He could even see some saves if Wagner needs to take the day off, or gets hurt. The remainder of these pitchers could put up decent enough numbers, but should not be factors in any fantasy league, save for the truly deepest of the deep.

Projected Lineup

Jose Reyes, Shortstop
Luis Castillo, Second Base
David Wright, Third Base
Carlos Beltran, Center Field
Carlos Delgado, First Base
Moises Alou, Left Field
Ryan Church, Right Field
Brian Schneider, Catcher

Projected Rotation

Johan Santana

Pedro Martinez

John Maine

Oliver Perez

Orlando Hernandez

Closer
Billy Wagner

Next in Line

Aaron Heilman/Duaner Sanchez