Here's something to help get your wheels turning in preparation for your fantasy football draft. After devouring every podcast, scanning the mock draft results over on Fantasy Football Calculator's ADP tool and reading piece after piece of fantasy football information over the past few weeks, I have started to compile a list of players who I - and other poeple in the know - think will either provide great value in your fantasy football draft or simply come out of nowhere to help out your squad.

So here they are, a few players who are not getting a ton of respect... which is

The Angels acquired the big prize hitter on the trade market sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to the Braves for slugger Mark Teixeira.  The move should better position the team from Orange County for a serious run through the playoffs.  The Angels are virtually assured of winning the AL West, but their offense would probably be an issue against the other contenders like Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Teixeira should fit nicely hitting either in front or behind Vladimir Guerrero.  With the additions of Teixeira, Torii Hunter, and Juan Rivera

If you need a hitter, in any format, Toronto outfielder Adam Lind is your man.  Most of the chatter and attention around this time of year is centered around who will be traded and how those moves affect player values in fantasy.  Lind’s terrific recent performance has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I have promoted Lind since he was called up once again back on June 22, and he has more than delivered.  The Blue Jays finally let him play everyday (and likely

The Diamondbacks have acquired pitcher Jon Rauch in an attempt to shore up their shaky bullpen.  Arizona had seen their relief corps as a strength earlier in the season, but the performances of Brandon Lyon, Chad Qualls, and Toney Pena have dropped off in recent weeks and Juan Cruz and Doug Slaten remain on the disabled list.

Rauch has been solid this season as the closer for the Nationals for most of the season.  At 6-foot-11 he is the tallest pitcher in major league

Baltimore’s Adam Loewen has decided to give up pitching after suffering through several injuries to his arm and will try to become an outfielder.  Loewen was drafted No. 4 overall in 2002, and was named Baltimore’s top prospect by Baseball American in 2004.  He was rated second best in 2006.  This move is surprising given how rare a move like this is at the major league level, but the successful conversion of Rick Ankiel shows that it can be done.

Usually, an All-Star game of any kind is little more than an exhibition.  This year, baseball’s version lived up to its billing as the “Midsummer Classic.”  The American League continued its dominance winning the game 4-3 in 15 innings in front of a sellout crowd in the last year of Yankee Stadium.

 

Justin Morneau scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Young by just beating Corey Hart’s throw to the plate.  The game last