by John Halpin

Updated: April 25, 2008, 2:49 PM EST 2 comments

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For instance, as much as I want to write about Houston's Michael Bourn this week, I won't since he was in last week's edition. Even though Bourn is leading the majors in steals with 13, is owned in just 43.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, and I've been telling you for months that he's a Willie Mays Hayes clone who's going to steal a kajillion bases, I'll keep him out of this entry. Really, why would I want to bore you with repeated mentions of a player who could help you win a fantasy category all by himself?

Shane Victorino, OF, Phillies (48.9 percent owned)

Victorino is on the disabled list with a calf injury, but it's not considered serious and he should be back in the lineup next week. In case you forgot, the "Flyin' Hawaiian" batted .281 with 12 homers, 78 runs and 37 stolen bases in 131 games last season. I'm not sure exactly how good of a real baseball player Victorino is, but he's a terrific fantasy outfielder. Jump on him now, because you won't be able to for much longer. I'm confident that this will be Victorino's final appearance in "The Lower Half" due to eligibility reasons.

Randy Wolf, SP, Padres (39.2 percent owned)

It's the free agent list, so it's OK to take some chances. Wolf has thrown just 376 innings over the last four seasons and had Tommy John surgery in 2005, so he's a risky proposition. But last year, his second year after the surgery, he struck out 94 batters in 102 2/3 innings and was victimized by an unlucky .338 batting average on balls in play (BABIP).

This year, Wolf smartly signed a one-year deal to take the mound in the pitcher's paradise known as PETCO Park. If he stays healthy, his stats are going to see improvement as a result. Wolf's got a 2.49 ERA while averaging a strikeout per inning in four starts, and you could take far worse chances than him as a fifth starter. By the way, if you ever become a mediocre major league pitcher and file for free agency, take a one-year deal in San Diego to make yourself look good.

Conor Jackson, 1B, Diamondbacks (37.6 percent owned)

Jackson fills my D-Backs quota, since I love everyone on that team so much I need to include one of their players in every column. Jackson's 26, so while he's not a burgeoning superstar like Justin Upton, he's still got room for improvement. He's jumped out of the gate with a .377 average, three home runs, 17 RBI and 18 runs in his first 16 games. He'll obviously slow down, but a .300-20-90-90 season is well within reach. That doesn't make him Ryan Howard, but it does make him helpful.

Clay Buchholz, SP, Red Sox (28.2 percent owned)

Buchholz had a 6.75 ERA after his first three starts this season, thanks mainly to a 3 2/3-inning, seven-run stinker against the Yankees last week. People got jittery after the bad game and started dropping him and hopefully that created an opportunity for you to swoop in and pick him up. Buchholz is good enough to be the Boston's third starter right now, and I think he's going to pitch like it for the rest of the season — take a look at his scoreless Patriots Day outing for a glimpse of what you can expect. If you're in a keeper league, he can't possibly still be available ... right?

Billy Butler, 1B/DH, Royals (24.7 percent owned)

Have I used the phrase "hitting savant" yet to describe Butler? And did I get that phrase from somewhere else, even though I can't remember where? Whatever. In 1,481 minor league at-bats — with nearly every one taken as one of the youngest players in his league — Butler batted .336 with 68 home runs. Power is usually the last thing to develop, so while he's probably not going to be a big-time slugger for a couple of years, he can swat 20 homers with a high average right now. Who wants to bet me that he hits at least .310 this season? Like Jackson, as a free agent pickup Butler can definitely help, but in keeper leagues ... wow. Did I mention that he turned 22 last week?

Jon Rauch, RP, Nationals (15.4 percent owned)

Jon Rauch should get plenty of save opportunities this season, regardless of Chad Cordero's status. (Tom Uhlman / Associated Press)

Chad Cordero entered 2008 as the Nats' closer, and he's held that role for the last three seasons. However, Cordero was on the disabled list with a sore shoulder recently and in one of his first games back, his fastball topped out at 82 miles per hour, which is roughly 15 mph faster than my heater. Over the weekend, Cordero got up to 87 mph, and while that's progress, it's still 87 freaking miles an hour. Billy Wagner could probably throw 87 righthanded, for crying out loud.

Even if Cordero keeps improving, my expert medical opinion (I check WebMD occasionally) is that something's wrong with him. Don't trust him for one more second and nab Rauch since he's probably got at least a 50-50 shot at getting 25 saves.

Jeremy Hermida, OF, Marlins (14.5 percent owned)

OK, I'm confused. Hermida just turned 24 and is viewed as a player with strong potential. Last season, he batted .296 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI and 54 runs in 123 games, with a .330 average and 12 of those homers coming in the second half of the season. Now he bats third in the Marlins lineup, where he benefits from Hanley Ramirez terrorizing opposing teams on the basepaths in front of him. And he's owned in less than 15 percent of leagues? Really? Did the rest of you confuse him with Luis Hernandez or something?

Hermida's a really nice player, maybe even good enough to be your third outfielder in a mixed league. If you can pick him up now to fill the fifth outfield position or a utility slot, he'll make you happy.

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (10.3 percent owned)

Votto appears to have taken the bull by the horns in his lefty-lefty platoon with Scott Hatteberg, batting .298 with three homers and 10 RBI in the early going. The most intriguing thing about Votto from a fantasy perspective isn't his hitting skills, which are solid enough to hit 20-25 homers this season. It's his speed — he swiped 41 bases in the minors over the last two years.

Votto hasn't stolen any bases yet, and the fact that he's drawn only one walk so far is definitely a red flag. But if you need to grab a first-base type off the waiver wire — like if you had Frank Thomas, for instance — isn't a guy with Votto's power-speed possibilities worth a shot?