Pitching is the theme for teams in the National League East as the perennial favorites have stock piled arms in the rotation and bullpen in preperation of deep playoff runs. Of course as good as the pitching can be teams still need to score and the pitchers need run support. So with that in mind we take a look at the top ten offensive fantasy options coming out of the NL East.

The one team with the weakest rotation and whom figures to occupy the division cellar for the majority of the season is the Florida Marlins. The Marlin's aren't going to win many games on the strength of their starting pitching; what they might be able to do are squeek out a few wins due to their super-stud fantasy player that they have. Of course I'm taking about Giancarlo Stanton, who is poised for a wickedly good year and not supringly tops our fantasy ranking for the division.

Stanton is akin to offensive fantasy value as Stephen Strasburg is to fantasy pitchers. There is a measurable drop off from Stanton to the rest of the field. While Stanton isn't the best fantasy outfielder in the NL, that honor goes to Ryan Braun, Stanton still must be considered a top-five fantasy option at the position.

While the Washington Nationals dominated the NL East’s top fantasy pitching prospects, it is the Atlanta Braves who are best represented in the offensive categories. The Braves have four legitimate offensive fantasy options on their roster and that excludes Dan Uggla who could easily have himself a bounce back year and find himself as the best fantasy 2B in the division.

Here is eDraft's ranking for the top ten fantasy offensive players from the NL East.

1- Giancarlo Stanton - OF Miami Marlins

Here is the scary thing about Giancarlo Stanton. 2012 was a banner year, he hit more homeruns, had a better batting average, higher OBP and slugging percentage than ever before and he did it all while getting 67 fewer at bats from 2011. The only drawback for Stanton this season is that he has nobody in the Marlins lineup who can offer him any protection. It is unlikely that Stanton will see enough quality pitches as the season progresses. So long as Stanton can stay selective at the plate and not give into the frustration of being pitched around his OBP will remain high despite a dip in batting average. Best case scenario for fantasy owners is a season in which Stanton sees pitches and promptly deposits them over the fence; 50 homeruns and 100 RBI’s are possible here.

2- Jason Heyward - OF Atlanta Braves

2012 was a nice bounce back year for Heyward as he recorded a solid 27 homerun, 82 RBI campaign. This season promises to bring even better fantasy numbers as Heyward is poised for yet another 20/20 season and he should hit for a higher average as his pitch selection is improving with his major league experience. Expect most fantasy GM’s to draft Heyward based off his potential rather than his proven production. The upside for a young player like Heyward is sky high and he will very likely be an early second round pick in standard format 10-12 player leagues.

3- David Wright - 3B New York Mets

When healthy, David Wright is an elite fantasy option at third base. His fantasy production is consistent over the healthy years and prospective owners can pencil Wright in for another season of 20+ homers, close to 100 RBI’s and an average hovering around .300. The NY Mets don’t have a lot in terms of offensive threats; however, Wright should be able to step-up and be a very serviceable fantasy option at the hot corner.

4- Justin Upton - OF Atlanta Braves

The younger of the Upton brothers has seen his fantasy value increase dramatically since his trade to the Atlanta Braves. There is no question that Justin will benefit from having his brother B.J and guys like Heyward and Freddie Freemen in the lineup. Justin should see more pitches to hit as teams will challenge him prior to getting to the meat of the Braves order. Upton is very capable of posting a 20/20 season with an average right around .285. I wouldn’t expect Justin to be available past the third round in most leagues as his fantasy upside in Atlanta is huge.

5- Bryce Harper - OF Washington Nationals

This season Bryce Harper can focus on getting ready for a full season of major league ball. There will be no distractions nor chatter about where he will start the season and when might he get called up. Harper will take advantage of the extra at bats to build upon his stats from last season. This season for Harper could very well consist of 30 homeruns, 20 + stolen bases and a .280 average. Avoid the temptation to draft Harper off name recognition; he will be a productive fantasy option; however, he is not yet worthy of a high draft position. Look for Harper around the fifth or sixth round and if he goes any earlier then consider it a blessing.

6- Freddie Freeman - 1B Atlanta Braves

This 23 year old already has two full seasons of major league ball under his belt and both years were very similar in terms of fantasy production. This season could very well be the break out year as Freeman now has protection in the lineup behind him as opposed to being the one offering the lineup protection. There should be more RBI opportunities for the sweet swinging lefty this season as the addition of the Upton brothers in Atlanta should spark some offense. I really like Freeman’s potential this season; if he can keep his batting average up he could just crank out a better fantasy year than Jason Heyward.

7- B.J. Upton - OF Atlanta Braves

Rounding out the Braves contribution to our fantasy list is B.J. Upton. Upton’s fantasy owners are always frustrated by the low batting average that accompanies otherwise great stats. Hopefully the change to the National League invigorates the batting average and with it Upton will propel himself into must-own fantasy territory. Like his younger brother, B.J. is capable of hitting for power and stealing bases. A 30/30 season is very attainable this year for Upton. Typically most mock-drafts I’ve been a part of have B.J Upton going a couple rounds after his brother; however, the more I’ve seen this happen the less I’m inclined to agree with it. There is the very real chance that it is B.J. Upton who has his way with the NL pitching and leapfrogs his brother in terms of fantasy value.

8- Ryan Zimmerman - 3B Washington Nationals

The biggest concern for Zimmerman’s fantasy owner is his durability as the season grinds down. Zimmerman has lost significant time due to injury over the past few seasons and it does not behove anyone to draft an injury riddled player. When healthy, Zimmerman has great fantasy upside as he can hit for power and for average. There aren’t many third basemen whom are likely to have better fantasy seasons than Zimmerman. David Wright, Hanley Ramirez and Chase Headley are likely going to have more productive years and Aramis Ramirez is a decent option as well; however, after that there is a significant drop off.

9- Chase Utley - 2B Philadelphia Phillies

A risk-reward pick here in Chase Utley as he hasn’t strung together a full and healthy season in over three years. The reward for drafting Utley could very well be a highly productive 2013 season in which 20+ homeruns, 70+ RBI and a batting average around .260 are achievable. Keep in mind that Utley is 34 years old and the nagging injury concerns will always be there for him.

10- Ian Desmond - SS Washington Nationals

Desmond had himself a career year last season as he paced most shortstops in offensive statistics. I typically don’t advocate drafting players based on career high numbers; however, the shortstop pool of talent is fairly shallow at the moment and Desmond represents solid value as a mid round pick up.