Akinori Iwamura Declared “Useful” by Heater Fantasy Baseball Magazine

I think that’s a great label for Akinori Iwamura (pictured left in this 2007 Upper Deck Masterpiece baseball card) from a fantasy baseball perspective. Going into the season I thought he’d be a nice fantasy baseball second baseman, despite the fact that he was light as a third baseman last year. My analysis had Iwamura pegged at 285-300 batting average with a dozen or so home runs and steals. He was slated to lead off for the Rays so 100+ runs seemed like a lock. Not the kind of numbers you could ride to a championship but a solid producer at a thin position that was readily available in the end game of virtually every fantasy baseball draft. We picked him up in round 16 of the NFBC and I grabbed him for $1 in my beer league.

Iwamura had a brutal April but Heather Magazine points out that since May 1st he’s hitting .307 with 32 runs. He’s only on pace for 9 runs and 9 steals but I still think he’ll crack a dozen in both categories and could push 15 for the first place Tampa Bay Rays. I say buy low if your fantasy baseball team needs help at 2nd base.

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