Stolen bases: easily the most overvalued statistic in fantasy leagues. How else can you explain Jose Reyes being a consistent Top 3 pick in fantasy leagues? In some of the drafts I participated in it was crazy to see how fervently owners were targeting base running threats.

Even our own Update! draft was no exception. Brian Roberts went 50th overall, ahead of players like Brian McCann, Cole Hamels and Chipper Jones. Why? Roberts has scored over 100 runs only twice and has hit over .300 just once in his career. It is not like Baltimore Orioles' offense is going to help pump his stats. Chone Figgins (54th overall) and Juan Pierre (99th overall) combined for three home runs last season, yet both were drafted within the first 100 players mostly because of their steals potential.

Fantasy owners seem to derive some sort of comfort by drafting for steals. But players with fast legs in one year can't be counted on to keep stealing bases at the same clip. Dave Roberts swiped 49 bags in 2006 before stealing 18 fewer bases in 2007. Felipe Lopez had 44 steals in 2006 but just 24 last season. Even scrappy Ryan Freel looked like a speed-lock for fantasy owners following a 2006 season that saw him steal 37 bases in 454 at-bats, only to see him steal 15 in 2007.

The same thing will happen again this year. Eric Byrnes registered 50 steals last season, but had just 65 career stolen bases before that in 652 games. Do you really want to rely on the Crash Test Dummy for 40-plus steals again? Similarly, Shane Victorino swiped 37 bags in 2007, but had just four stolen bases in 2006.

This season feel free to toy around with some free-agents in your league. There are several waiver-wire players that can provide steals in bunches. Sure they may not excel in other areas, heck some of them will even hurt you in a category or two if carried for too long, but if you use them wisely, you could become very competitive in the steals category without having a 50-steal threat like Carl Crawford or Hanley Ramirez on your roster. Here are just a couple of names that could help you compete in the steals race:


Houston Astros, OF
Comment: Bourn is capable of stealing 60-plus bases this season. In fact, he's such a big stolen base threat that manager Cecil Cooper has given him the green light to steal on virtually any situation. He does have some additional value because he's the leadoff hitter for the Astros, but because his on-base abilities are still a concern he's not likely to help you out in other areas.

Oakland Athletics, OF
Comment: Claimed off waivers by the A's (probably as insurance in case outfielder Travis Buck goes on the DL) Davis is a speed-demon that stole eight bases in his first 44 at-bats with San Francisco last season after being acquired from Pittsburgh. If Buck does indeed go on the disabled list, Davis could see a ton of at-bats temporarily and may see more consistent playing time the rest of the season if he performs well.

Minnesota Twins, OF
Comment: Gomez is a prolific base-stealer, oozing with base-running confidence. He's a big-time detriment to your batting average in his first full-season, but if you need to make up ground fast in steals, he's a great player to have.

Chicago White Sox, OF
Comment: Owens' is a bit of a risk as Carlos Quentin's play has impressed manager Ozzie Guillen, creating a crowded outfield situation. But if an injury occurs (and it will because Nick Swisher and Carlos Quentin are both injury-prone), Owens will be called upon to play. Before the season started, he was talking about touching 65 stolen bases.

Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Comment: His playing time is a concern, but there is nothing wrong with his wheels. Even without everyday at-bats, Pierre should be good for 30-plus steals this season and who knows, maybe manager Joe Torre will give him an everyday spot in the lineup at some point this season.