Fantasy managers sometimes have a hard time blurring the line between fantasy and reality. After all, we're so used to looking at things from a statistical point of view, we tend to forget that there is more to baseball than just the categories found in a classic five-by-five league.

Take, for instance, the Arizona Diamondbacks. They lead the NL West and have sat in first for a good portion of the season. They are young, fun to watch, play with a lot of energy and find ways to win close games.

All this is great for a team in "real" baseball. But for fantasy purposes, the Diamondbacks are a wasteland. Sure you may get great production from outfielder Eric Byrnes, relief pitcher Jose Valverde and starting pitcher Brandon Webb, but if you built your fantasy roster primarily with Diamondbacks players, you would likely find yourself in the cellar of your league.

But what if you had to build your roster with just one team of players to choose from? What teams are loaded with fantasy talent?

UPDATE! broke down the Top 5 fantasy-friendly MLB teams for your reading pleasure:

Comment: The Phillies are fighting desperately for their playoff lives, but in fantasy terms, they are the cream of the crop — especially in offensive categories. Their frightening infield of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have combined for 92 HR, 315 RBI, 320 R and 47 SB. Outfielder Aaaron Rowand has excelled in his walk year, hitting .313 with 26 HR, 88 RBI, 102 R and 6 SB. And while the Phillies pitching has been repeatedly cited as a weakness, starting pitcher Cole Hamels has been terrific in his second season, going 14-5 with a 3.54 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 164 SO in 175.1 IP. If injuries had not decimated their pitching, perhaps they would have already clinched a playoff spot.

Comment: Their chances of making the post-season are close to finished, but Detroit has yielded big-time fantasy production in 2007. Acquired from the Yankees in the off-season, designated hitter Gary Sheffield has been a nice addition to this Detroit lineup, hitting .267 with 25 HR, 74 RBI, 105 R and 22 SB (he hasn't swiped this many bags since 1998). And outfielder Curtis Granderson has blossomed into quite the fantasy commodity in his second full season, batting .302 with 23 HR, 73 RBI, 117 R and 23 SB. Infielders Placido Polanco (.342 AVG, 9 HR, 65 RBI, 102 R, 7 SB) and Carlos Guillen (.293 AVG, 19 HR, 97 RBI, 81 R, 12 SB) have enjoyed terrific seasons at their position. And who can forget Magglio Ordonez, the slugging outfielder had elite production this year with a sparkling .358 batting average, 27 HR, 133 RBI, 113 R and 4 SB. If they could improve their pitching in 2008, Detroit clearly has all the offense they need to make a run at next year's AL Central title.

Comment: The Braves have been a big disappointment this season. Many expected them to give the New York Mets a run for the AL East Division. While they may have failed to live up to expectations in "real" baseball, fantasy owners everywhere have reaped the benefits of this useful squadron. Grizzled veteran starters John Smoltz (14-7, 2.95 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 189 SO in 201.2 IP) and Tim Hudson (16-9, 3.34 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 127 SO in 218.1 IP) have shown that they still have gas lefft in the tank. Corner infielders Chipper Jones (.341 AVG, 27 HR, 98 RBI, 103 R, 5 SB) and Mark Teixeira (.308 AVG, 27 HR, 98 RBI, 83 R, 0 SB) displayed the ability to hit for power and average. Meanwhile, outfielder Jeff Francouer put his "swings at everything" critics to bed by hitting a surprising .290 this season, to go along with 17 HR, 101 RBI, 79 R and 5 SB. There is a lot to like about this Atlanta team going into next season, for fantasy owners and Braves fans alike.

Comment: The Angels made winning look easy this season with a tremendous balance of pitching and hitting. On the pitching side, starters John Lackey (18-9, 3.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 177 SO in 217 IP) and Kelvim Escobar (17-7, 3.46 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 156 SO in 189.2 IP) have been solid at the top of the rotation while closer Francisco Rodriguez (5-2, 38 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 90 SO in 65.2 IP) has had another solid season. Vladimir Guerrero has been the clear leader of the Angels offense (.323 AVG, 26 HR, 123 RBI, 88 R, 2 SB). Shortstop Orlando Cabrera (.304 AVG, 8 HR, 85 RBI, 99 R, 20 SB) has had arguably his best statistical season of his career. And how about super-utility guy Chone Figgins? His line is impressive despite missing about 50 games due to injury and poor play early in the season: .344 AVG, 3 HR, 57 RBI, 79 R, 40 SB. It is important to note that Figgins has hit at a staggering .397 since the All-Star break! A lot of teams are kicking themselves for not making a move for Figgins when the Angels were practically looking to give him away.

Comment: The Bronx Bombers were in full display this season, storming back from a massive 14.5 game deficit in the AL East and playing the best baseball of any team in the second-half. The Yankees yielded some of the biggest names in fantasy this year. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is a lock for the AL MVP and had, arguably, his best fantasy season ever with this line: .312 AVG, 52 HR, 146 RBI, 138 R, 24 SB. A-Rod's contract has been the subject of scrutiny this season, but don't forget about catcher Jorge Posada. Hip-hip-Jorge is going to demand big bucks with his standout year: .337 AVG, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 89 R, 2 SB. Double-play duo Robinson Cano (.303 AVG, 18 HR, 89 RBI, 89 R, 3 SB) and Derek Jeter (.319 AVG, 11 HR, 68 RBI, 96 R, 14 SB) both were among the top performers at their position. Corner outfielders Bobby Abreu (.284 AVG, 16 HR, 98 RBI, 115 R, 24 SB) and Hideki Matsui (.287 AVG, 25 HR, 102 RBI, 99 R, 4 SB) started the season poorly, but got it going in a hurry to finish with superb numbers. As great as the lineup has been, future Hall-of-Fame closer Mariano Rivera (3-4, 30 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 73 SO in 69.1 IP) has enjoyed yet another great campaign.



Starbonell is UPDATE! Major League Baseball Editor.