Fantasy Baseball Insiders

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Adam Dunn is an easy player to overlook. If you’ve ever owned him, you know it’s nearly impossible to trade the guy thanks to his .250 lifetime average.

On the other hand, only Albert Pujols (294) has hit more home runs than Dunn (282) since 2004. And it’s not like Dunn’s numbers have been up and down since then, either. In fact, he’s been fairly consistent, posting HR totals ranging from 38 (in 2009 and 2010) to 46 (in 2004).

Perhaps most impressive is Dunn’s ability to stay healthy. (Fasten your seat belts for this one.) Since 2004, Dunn has missed a total of 26 games. Chipper Jones, on the other hand, has missed an average of 40 games per season during that same time frame.

Looking forward to 2011, there’s even more reason to like Dunn. Instead of playing 81 games at Nationals Park (a neutral field in terms of HRs last year according to ESPN’s MLB park factors), Dunn now calls U.S. Cellular Field home (the park which favored HRs the absolute most in 2010).

Further, Dunn is expected to bat third in the White Sox lineup, behind Juan Pierre and Gordon Beckham; in front of Paul Konerko and Alex Rios.

Bottom line: Dunn will have every chance to reach 100 runs, 40 HRs and 100 RBI for the fourth time in his career.

Image courtesy of: J. Miles Cameron

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• Adam Wainwright to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Updated Pitcher Rankings
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Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Top 50 (projections included): Is Pujols Still the Top Pick?
• No. 51: Ubaldo Jimenez
• No. 52: Rickie Weeks
• No. 53: Derek Jeter

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact
• Adrian Beltre Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Guerrero to Baltimore: Why He’s Better Off in Camden Yards than Rangers Ballpark
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options