It may come as a surprise, but this week's batch of sleepers may very well be veterans. There are really only two true young players to make this list. However, the other three players have been off to good starts and have the chance to put up very solid weeks. I cannot be certain, but the five players listed below could produce well, especially given the competition they'll be playing against. There is no guarantee that the listed players will perform as I predicted. They are merely players who are currently playing well, have received little recognition, and have a chance to continue their current success. Hopefully by this time next week the listed players will have matched my predictions.

Ryan Ludwick (OF - St. Louis Cardinals) - Ludwick is off to a great start, but still isn't getting the recognition he deserves. He has had an off and on career, but he's getting considerably more playing time now. The Cardinals seem to be off to a decent start and Ludwick is a good reason for that. He's already coming off of a solid week, and he has the chance to build on it. The Cardinals are hitting the ball well so there will be a good amount of chances for Ludwick to drive in some runs and score some as well. This week Ludwick will get to tee off of against the Brewers and Giants. The Brewers have had some good pitching, but he'll have a chance to do some damage against anyone not named Ben Sheets. As for the Giants, well, their pitchers get lucky whenever they win a game. I project Ludwick to have a stat line that reads as follows: 8/24, 4 runs, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, and a .333 AVG. He's off to a good start and anyone in a lineup that includes Albert Pujols and the slugging Rick Ankiel has a chance to put up solid numbers.

Joey Gathright (OF - Kansas City Royals) - Gathright is one fast guy. However, he's had problems getting on base in the past. He seems to be finally stepping up and accepting that fact that he'll never be a power hitter. He's been slapping the ball and beating out throws, plus he has the speed to put up some monster numbers. This week he'll get to face the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and the Oakland A's. Each team is equipped with some good starters, but a fast guy can change the way a pitcher produces in a game. Gathright could lay down a bunt then cause the pitcher to be jittery and possibly try to overthrow the ball. I project him to have a stat line as follows: 9/24, 6 runs, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 5 SB, and a .375 AVG. He has a ton of speed and the ability to get under a pitcher's skin.

Billy Butler (1B/DH - Kansas City Royals) - Butler has been on a tear, yet he still isn't getting much recognition. He's currently got a 13-game hitting streak under his belt. Not bad at all. He makes contact, rarely strikes out, and is an extremely talented young player. He could put up some big numbers, especially if my previous prediction comes true. If Gathright could set the table, combine that with a hot Alex Gordon, and Billy Butler could start getting some good RBI chances. He'll face some tough pitching, but if the Royals can get to the bullpens of the Mariners, Angels, and A's then Butler could wind up having a field day. I project his stat line to be as follows: 11/26, 4 runs, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB, and a .423 AVG. It may be a bold prediction; however, Butler is hitting the ball well and if people start getting on base then those hits will translate into RBI's. He's a very talented player and could have a big week.

Brad Lidge (RP - Philadelphia Phillies) - Brad Lidge is an accomplished major league pitcher. He joins the list this week because he's recently coming back from injury. He's already gone two-for-two in his save opportunities, but the fashion in which he did it is the reason that fantasy owners should keep an eye on him. He will get to face the Astros and Mets this week and each of those teams has one major weakness: their bullpens. The Phillies have a great offense, can wear starters down, and then go to town on the relievers. The Phillies' pitching is inconsistent at times; therefore Lidge should have some chances to come into a game that will present him with save chances, even though there could be lots of overall runs. Lidge demonstrated his slider this week against the Cubs and it was dominant. He has a chance to open some eyes and could have a stat line that projects as follows: 1 win, 2 saves, 4 IP, 6 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP. It may be a bit much in the saves department, but Lidge has shown great stuff in his return from the DL. On top of that, honestly, how much faith can the Phillies still have in Tom Gordon anyway?

Shaun Marcum (SP - Toronto Blue Jays) - Marcum gets no recognition. He pitches great, but the Jays can't even get him a win. On top of that it seems fantasy owners are taking their sweet time to notice him. He is currently outperforming A.J. Burnett, yet Roy Halladay still gets the nod as top pitcher on that team. Marcum recently struck out eight in seven innings of one-run ball against the A's. He'll have two fairly easy chances for wins this week. First he'll pitch against the Orioles, and then he'll take the mound against the Tigers. The Orioles have Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis. Those two are the two best players on the Orioles; there aren't many more threats after that. After that he faces the struggling Tigers. They've got players such as Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, etc. The list goes on and on, but none of them are hitting. That spells good news for Marcum, especially if he has good stuff while facing them. In his two starts I project his stat line to read as follows: 2 wins, 14 IP, 12 hits, 6 BB, 4 ER, 18 K, 2.57 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.29. He has about as good a chance as any pitcher to get some wins this week, especially if the Tigers continue to struggle.