MLB Fantasy Tips
What is the purpose of picking up hitters from the free agency pool?
- One of your hitters is struggling;
- You took a chance in your draft which didn’t pan out;
- One of your hitters was sent to the infirmary room commonly known as DL.
Depending on the situation you either need a long term or a short term solution. I’ll try to cover both bases in this list. Before that I’ll provide you with a couple of general rules (more like guidelines):
[the_ad id=”471″]Rule #1 – Don’t panic if injury strikes
There are always players in the FA pool who can provide help (very deep leagues are an exception). Sometimes it might even be a good thing since it gives you the flexibility to move players around, try different options and possibly add one of those out-of-nowhere Adam Duvalls who can bring you closer to a championship.
Rule #2 – Try to replace the stats
Even if you lose a star player, remember, all players go through slumps and hot streaks alike. Also, you don’t need to replace the player, but his stats. Therefore check his stats and see if you can get a player who can provide you or has the potential to provide you with similar ones. If you can find none, then replace the main stat/stats. For example, you lose a player like Nelson Cruz (a home run hitter). Go after a Jayson Werth, or a Mitch Haniger, players whose other stats might fluctuate, but should give you a steady dose of homers.
Rule #3 – Get a high batting average player
Many times there are no FA’s available in order to obey Rule #2, so the least you can do is get a high Avg player, especially if you’re not a risk-taker. Worst case scenario he won’t be a burden.
OK, now let’s get this started.
1. Howie Kendrick (2B/OF) Phillies
Howie is the ideal pickup at the moment if you’re asking me. He gets regular at bats for a young, up-and-coming Phillies team, he’s infield and outfield eligible, hits for average (currently and always) and might add a steal here and there. I lost Jean Segura in one of my leagues and added Kendrick immediately. Yes, he won’t give me the steals, nor the home runs, but he will fill in nicely and won’t damage my team in any way. He’s currently hitting .407/.484/.593 (AVG/OBP/SLG). Those numbers are bound to go down, but he is a career .290 hitter nonetheless. Just realize he belongs to the group of free agents you pick up to help you out temporarily. It’s very possible that Philadelphia will be out of playoff contention and he’ll cede at-bats or get traded at one point during the second half of the season.
2. Cesar Hernandez (2B) Phillies
Hernandez belongs to the other group of free agents. Those who you can add and they’ll be with you for the length of the season because they are young, and might become very valuable if they break out. Personally, I don’t think Cesar will ever break out per se, but because of what he brings to the table he also will be not valuable. In order to create a winning team (in real life and in fantasy), you need to have great players and gel players. Those gel players are the ones who nobody talks about, yet they are the ones who actually make the team click on all cylinders. Seemingly just role players, you take them out of the equation and suddenly the team stops functioning. Well, Cesar Hernandez has all the traits of a gel player. He had 17 stolen bases last season and could easily surpass that number considering he got caught 13 times. He doesn’t strike out too much and walks enough. He’s currently hitting .286/.342/.514. The slugging percentage will go down, but the other two are close to what he had last season (.294/.371) and are very sustainable. Thus, I feel he’s underrated in fantasy circles. Nothing that he does stands out and when you check the player rater at the end of the season you realize he’s a top 10/15 second baseman and owned in only around 25-30% of all leagues. A classic example of ‘The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts’.
3. Mitch Haniger (OF) Mariners
[the_ad id=”384″]An excellent spring turned the former Diamondbacks prospect into a hot commodity to the point where he became a very popular fantasy sleeper pick. Those who follow the minor leagues closely though might have anticipated what has transpired. He had 2 excellent campaigns in 2015 and 2016 during which he hit .310 with 13 HR and 12 SB and .321 with 25 HR and 12 SB respectively. That alone was assurance enough he’ll get his chance eventually. The age was probably a deterrent (26) for the D-Backs, and Seattle acquired him as an add-on in the Jean Segura for Taijuan Walker swap. He might turn out to be more valuable than either of the two. He has already rewarded the fantasy owners who took a chance on him with 3 HR and more are joining the bandwagon every day. I think this guy is no fluke and will perform for the duration of the season. He hits second in front of Cano and Nelson Cruz, which means he’ll see plenty of hittable balls. So, invest with confidence if you’re in need of some outfield help and/or home runs.
In the case of Haniger is no longer available then a good fall back option is Matt Holliday. He doesn’t have the upside Haniger has, but like Kendrick, he’s on a young roster, hits in the middle of the lineup and as long as he stays there and remains healthy, he will be useful (as he has always been). Just again, like Kendrick, don’t expect it will last all season. He’s rather a temporary than a permanent solution.
4. Gerardo Parra (OF) Rockies
A prototypical fourth outfielder, Parra always makes the best of the opportunities he receives. He’s one of the more fringy outfielders you can get your hands on and his future prospects are bleak (David Dahl will eventually come back and Raimel Tapia is knocking on the Rockies door). Don’t mistake him for a bum though. He has hit .375/.394/.500 so far this season and as long as he gets regular at-bats in the thick Colorado air, he deserves at least a bench spot on your roster. Don’t overlook him. You could do much worse.
David Peralta is the left-handed version of Parra. He’s off to a slow start and a platoon player, but keep an eye on him as he might become a worthy pick up if he warms up.
5A. Lucas Duda (1B) Mets
Duda is one my favorite pick-ups, especially for points leagues. Most commonly, 1B is the position which should provide you with home runs, so if you missed out on the best first basemen in your draft, Duda is a very simple and effective alternative. He always hits HR’s and makes up for bad days at the plate with excellent ones. Being a left-hander and platooning with Wilmer Flores is not an ideal situation and injuries have plagued him in the past. However, when he’s on, he can be extremely useful. He had 30 HR in 2014 and 27 in 2015. Given a full season, he’s fully deserving of a roster spot.
5B. Ryan Zimmerman (1B) Nationals
Zimmerman is a popular pick up right now and rightfully so. You should use him while he’s hot, seeing as he will likely wither eventually. The best case scenario is he gets his old form back and becomes a staple in your fantasy roster for the rest of the season. That’s unlikely but possible. If it happens you got yourself a coup.
6. Yunel Escobar (3B) Angels
[the_ad id=”384″]Escobar is my favorite fill in at 3B whenever I have an injured player at the position. He seems to always be available even though his batting average constantly floats around the .300 mark. He’s currently hitting .455/.500/.636. Home runs and stolen bases are not an often occurrence, and that is why he’s always available and precisely why you have nothing to lose by adding him, particularly now while he’s on a roll.
I could have easily put Eugenio Suarez here. He’s raking at the moment, but I remember him doing the same at the beginning of last season, only to go on a prolonged slump afterward. He also has Nick Senzel breathing down his neck, so if he continues to do well, the Reds might use the opportunity to trade him out of the friendly confines of Great American Ball Park. Therefore, he’s a decent add while hot, but that probably won’t last for long.
Bonus:
I felt guilty not mentioning any catchers. Not having at least a decent catcher can be a very painful season-long struggle for a fantasy team. Here are a couple who might ease the pain.
Jason Castro, the former Astro, appears to have adapted smoothly to life in Minnesota. He’s hitting .316/.536/.526 with 9 walks and only 2 punch outs. I’m not convinced the average is tenable, but at a very shallow catcher position, he’s a worthy add at the moment. As for the rest of the season, well, who knows? At 29 years old he’s experienced and can ask Joe Mauer for hitting advice…
James McCann of the Detroit Tigers offers more upside but comes with a price. He strikes out quite a lot and walks very little. Additionally, the batting average will seldom go above the .250 mark. Yet, he does have some sneaky appeal. There are not many catchers who hit for a high average at this point and time, and there are not many who hit home runs on a regular basis either. I’ve had the feeling like McCann has been on the verge of a break-through since last season. He has hit 3 HR already and despite the .200 average, I see a reason for optimism. Go ahead, add him. It might not be as bad as you think.
Honorable mentions:
These are 2 players who made the opening day rosters and are fighting for at bats. If they would end up with regular ones long-term, they would be in my list above.
Yandy Diaz 3B Indians
A career .300 hitter in the minors, the 25-year old earned a spot in the Indians starting lineup by hitting .458 this spring along with 15 RBI. He hasn’t had the same success at the top level yet, hitting only .200, but that’s just a matter of time. The problem is when Kipnis comes back from the DL, he’ll go to 2B and move Jose Ramirez to 3B, the position currently occupied by Diaz. That means he’ll struggle to find at bats and needs someone getting hurt to avoid becoming a utility player.
Trey Mancini 1B/DH (OF) Orioles
Mancini has a similar profile to Diaz. Also 25 years old, also a career .300 hitter in the minors, albeit with more home runs than Diaz, he earned a spot on the opening day roster by hitting .333 during spring. He’s a 1B/DH player and that limits his potential. The Orioles are trying him out at left field and if he would to get eligibility there, he immediately becomes more valuable. If he somehow starts receiving regular every day at bats, he’s capable of doing some real damage and immediately becomes an excellent waiver-wire pick up.