Deep League Waiver Wire: Conor Jackson, Darwin Barney, Wilson Ramos

In today’s Deep League Waiver Wire, we look at three players who could help your batting average, among other things.

Conor Jackson | 0% Owned (Y!) | 0% Owned (ESPN)
Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jackson was a solid fantasy contributor from 2006 to 2008, hitting for a high average and knocking in a few bombs while he was at it. Jackson has long since been forgotten by most, but not by the Oakland A’s. Jackson is a backup in Oakland barring an injury, but it appears that the A’s are going to do their best to get him in the lineup when they can. Jackson has been starting games against left-handed pitching, and he’ll also see a bit of time against righties as the A’s attempt to keep their outfield healthy this season. Unfortunately, playing in Oakland won’t be like playing in Arizona for Jackson, and his power numbers will take a significant hit because of it. Even if he won’t be hitting dingers, Jackson still has value as a safe bet to hit at least .280 with decent runs and RBIs.

Darwin Barney | 2% | 1%
I haven’t asked his friends or family, but I assume that everyone in the world was unimpressed by Barney’s minor league track record. He didn’t consistently hit for a high average, he showed mediocre on base skills, and he didn’t steal many bases. The Cubs have given him a shot, though, and he’s parlayed it into some early big league success. Barney has struck out less than 10% of the time this season, a number that while low, shouldn’t be too surprising, as keeping the Ks to a minimum is one thing Barney did well in the minors. Part of Barney’s success has been BABIP driven, but he’s earned a good deal of it with a nice batted ball profile. Barney won’t steal you bases or hit you homers, but he could hit .290 (or higher) for you while scoring runs atop Chicago’s lineup.

Wilson Ramos | 5% | 0%
The Nationals’ “Catcher of the Future,” Ramos is seeing big league at bats in 2011. Manager Jim Riggleman has said that Ramos will be in the lineup against left-handed pitching, and we know that Ramos is just an injury away from playing every day. In non-OBP leagues of a deep nature, Ramos is worth stashing away.