By Eric Cunningham
August 26, 2009 11:10am CDT

Throughout the fantasy baseball season, some of the most aggravating players can be those stuck in position battles with teammates. How each owner navigates these situations can determine just how successful their fantasy team will be, especially in deeper leagues. Here, the goal will be to dissect a handful of fantasy-relevant position battles each week as an aid. While this article may be geared more towards deeper leagues there should be something here that leagues of all shapes and sizes can take away.

Houston Astros - Catcher

The Candidates

	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Ivan Rodriguez	337	45	8	37	1	.258	.289	.392	.681
Taylor Teagarden	140	17	6	22	0	.200	.269	.386	.655
Jarrod Saltalamacchia	280	34	9	34	0	.236	.293	.375	.668

It sure is nice to see Ivan Rodriguez back in a Texas uniform, but it was shocking to see just how long it had been since he had last donned one (2002). Nevertheless, Rodriguez brings some veteran leadership to a very promising group of young catchers. Don't go out of your way thinking that Rodriguez is going to revert to the old Pudge now that he is back in his old stomping grounds and is in a nice hitter's ballpark. He averaged .322-24-69 in his last three seasons in the lone star state, but he hasn't had that much value since he left, and now he's 37. However, it has been a nice honeymoon since his return (4-for-6 with a pair of runs, doubles, and three RBI).

The 25-year-old Taylor Teagarden has started to get a few more looks behind the plate as of late. His 44 at-bats in the month of August are the highest in any given month this season and it's no surprise his production is as well. He only has six home runs on the season, but four of them have come over the last 11 games in which he has played. While his batting average isn't exactly something that wows fantasy owners he is currently riding a pretty hot streak in which he has posted a .333 mark with five hits in his last five games.

The best power hitter of the bunch has been Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but unfortunately he's had a lot of trouble in a lot of other facets in the game. He's currently on the 15-day disabled list but signs are pointing to a return on September 1 when the rosters are expanded. He's someone to keep an eye on for the future.

The Forecast

Right now, fantasy baseball players should be opting between Rodriguez and Teagarden, and clearly Teagarden is getting more playing time. It's going to be at least a 60-40 split in his favor and he should be getting all of the at-bats against southpaws since he is hitting .310 against them this season. Rodriguez also has some good numbers against lefties, but his numbers against right-handed pitchers are better than Teagarden's. His .304 batting average in August is his highest in any month this season. AL-only leagues could use a part-timer like Rodriguez, but if Teagarden continues to establish himself as the catcher of choice Pudge's value will start to dwindle.

St. Louis Cardinals - Centerfield

The Candidates

	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Colby Rasmus	357	54	13	41	2	.252	.310	.423	.733
Rick Ankiel	309	40	10	34	2	.233	.280	.401	.681

The 30-year-old Rick Ankiel has done an amazing job in his repacking from inconsistent pitcher to strong-armed outfielder. Now he's splitting time with five-tool prospect Colby Rasmus as the third outfielder with the suddenly red-hot Cardinals. Unfortunately, the Cardinals have run into quite the conundrum with these two; how do you platoon one position between two batters that can't hit southpaws?

Since the All-Star Game, Ankiel has been significantly better for fantasy baseball players. He's already hit as many home runs as he hit in the entire first half (5) and has upped his batting average from .215 to .282. Even so, he's been losing at-bats each month since topping 100 in June. In a platoon with Rasmus, at-bats against right-handed pitchers are at a premium. His batting average isn't much better one way or the other, but all 10 of his home runs this season have come off of right-handers.

Rasmus is the future of Cardinals outfielders. He's the piece the Cardinals wouldn't deal to try and get Roy Halladay at the deadline and they seem more sure then ever that he is legit. However, for the current pennant race, Rasmus has only been able to wrangle himself some platoon duties with Ankiel. Like Ankiel, Rasmus can hit the righties just fine. 12 of his 13 home runs this season have come off of them, and his batting average jumps from .150 to .285. Since it isn't a great option either way for the Cardinals, Rasmus has gotten the majority of the left-handed at-bats as of late. It makes sense to give him as much time as they can to help his development. Someone has to take the at-bats.

The Forecast

Both Ankiel and Rasmus have value in all sorts of leagues. While neither of them will help out with their mid-.200 batting averages, they each bring a decent amount of pop to the table and play in one of them most explosive lineups in baseball right now. As the season goes on it wouldn't be surprising to see the Cardinals start shifting this platoon in favor of Rasmus to see how he holds up in the stretch run. Rasmus certainly has all the makings to be a real asset to fantasy teams in the future, but right now expectations have to remain tempered.