Good analysis ... even better that I'm mentioned... umm, what else...
LOL.
Just to elaborate, or add to what you were saying: at the lower limits I don't think "stealing" is profitable. "Stealing" means that you are betting / raising w/ garbage looking to take the pot or blinds. J2o, 93s, etc. Shit hands.
Value-betting with position, on the other hand, can and is profitable. Let's say our hero is on the button w/
A9s. (If it's folded to him at a 6Max game), the proper move is a raise here. Against two random hands (SB, BB) I think he's ahead. Of course, this looks like a steal to either blind.
So the more difficult question is what happens if / when it's threebet.