Fantasy owners that took a gamble on Dodgers' shortstop Rafael Furcal this year are being rewarded early on. Furcal, who was hampered by an ankle injury for most of the 2007 season, is off to one of his best starts ever. Notoriously a slow starter (April .avg over the past three seasons -203, .198, .228, .245.), Furcal is hitting .398 with a .663 slugging percentage and six stolen bases. In addition, he has drawn 13 walks which has propelled him .485 on-base percentage.

The hot start ensures that Furcal is going to stay at the top of the Dodgers' batting order too. Believe it or not, Joe Torre was actually debating who would hit leadoff for the team in spring training. Being at the top of the order should translate into more runs and hitting in front of Russell Martin will allow Furcal to see plenty of good pitches to hit.

Furcal, 30, has been a reliable fantasy option for most of his career. However, he could be on the verge of a career year. Consider, he is on pace for 254 hits, 23 HR's, 69 RBI's, 100 walks, 138 runs, and 46 SB's. Will that continue? Absolutely not, but his success is definitely more of a trend than it is a mirage. He ranks in my top five fantasy shortstops now, behind Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez, and maybe Miguel Tejada.