Now holding a regular spot in the Houston lineup, former Phillie Michael Bourn could prove a regular source of steals for fantasy owners throughout 2008.

AP

Every Thursday from now until September, you can come here to find an in-depth look at fantasy baseball's sell-high and buy-low candidates. But, as anyone who has yet to twist the space-time continuum knows, it's still only mid-March. Since most auctions and drafts haven't taken place just yet, we'll spend the next few weeks taking a closer look at the boom and bust picks at each position. This week it's a look at the only position that inspired the band name of an 80s one-hit wonder (Bullpen Catcher never quite made it), the outfield ...

BUY LOW

Michael Bourn, Astros: Normally, I don't go in for these one-dimensional shenanigans. But then I see Juan Pierre going in the top 100 of many a draft. And I see Bourn falling out of the top 200. And then I have to lie down because I get a really bad headache.

Because for fantasy purposes, they're the same guy. Pierre is Bourn. Bourn is Pierre. Finkel is Einhorn. Einhorn is Finkel. (You kids are still down with the Ace Ventura references, yes?)

They're both 5-foot-11, 180. They're both lefty slap hitters. They both provide no power. They're both are penciled in at the top of their respective lineups. They both can fly and pretty much run every time they get on. And I bet they both think Ziggy has gotten too preachy.

Bourn actually has a better approach at the plate despite being five years younger than Pierre. In 2006, essentially the last time Bourn saw regular playing time, he drew 56 walks in 535 plate appearances between Double- and Triple-A. Pierre drew 33 walks in 729 plate appearances last season. Pierre makes up for it with better numbers versus southpaws -- .288 over the past three seasons. Bourn hit minor league lefties to the tune of .268 in '06, not a good sign this season.

The bottom line is this: Pierre hit for a slightly high average. Bourn will get on base more often, therefore attempting just as many steals, and probably scoring more runs. Both will be big fat zeros in the power categories. And with Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and now Andruw Jones in L.A., Pierre is just as likely to end up on the bench as first-year starter Bourn. So why is one being drafted 100 spots in front of the other?

Austin Kearns, Nationals: Kearns must have felt like he spent the past two seasons trapped in some horror flick, like in The Shining when Jack Nicholson's wife couldn't escape from the snowbound hotel, or in Transformers when moviegoers couldn't escape two hours of plotless CGI garbage with about three minutes of good action.

Kearns spent his early years as an elite prospect, getting set to get fat off the jet streams that carry balls through the power alleys at Great American Ballpark. But instead he just got fat, and was sent to Washington, home of cavernous RFK Stadium. Kearns' numbers have been mired in mediocrity over two-plus seasons with the Nats, but a new home ballpark might change that.

Kearns hit .228 with a .365 slugging percentage at RFK last season. He hit .301/.454 on the road. Over the past two seasons on the road, essentially adding up to one full year, Kearns hit .278 with 20 homers, 82 RBIs and 99 runs. Those aren't mind-boggling numbers, but they are solid. And consider two things: (1) Kearns turns 28 in May, and figures to be entering the prime of his career. And (2), according to the good folks at MockDraftCentral.com, he's being taken 80th among outfielders, and more often than not outside of the top 300 overall.

Kearns is unlikely to ever live up to his elite prospect expectations. But this season, his average (just .266 last season) could jump 30 points, and he could easily top 25 homers, 90 runs, and 90 RBIs. There probably won't be 50 outfielders who outperform him this year. And there sure won't be 80.

SELL HIGH

Aaron Rowand, Giants: Rowand is a heck of a ballplayer. But he has undergone the biggest supporting cast downgrade since Axl Rose left GNR.

Rowand spent the bulk of his final season in Philly batting fifth, right between Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. This year, Rowand will be hacking at slop in front of Bengie Molina (you know, the clean-up hitter with a career .411 slugging percentage who sat at least 40 games in six of the past seven seasons), and in front of, uh ... Randy Winn? Rich Aurilia? Jeffrey Leonard? Candy Maldonado?

For the love of Rick Reuschel, this is an awful lineup. Rowand matching his 89 RBIs of a year ago? Unlikely. His 105 runs? The Giants might not score that many as a team this season. And the things Rowand can control, like his 27 homers? Not bloody likely going from homer-happy Citizens Bank Park (tops for home run hitters last season) to AT&T (24th). Maybe Rowand will get a chance to run a little more, but he has never stolen 20 in a season, and his steal total has dropped in three consecutive seasons to a career-low six last year.

San Fran's new franchise has no business among the top 150 picks of your draft.