Fantasy Baseball is about to get underway. Some valuable sleepers will be available late due to their injury status. Who’s going to be available?
Baseball is set to get started in just over a couple of weeks and Fantasy Baseball alongside it. While many teams are geared up to start their seasons, some players are going to have to wait a while to make their debuts.
While losing a player can really hurt your team, gaining a good player can help elevate your team to the next level. There are a slew of players likely to start the season on the disabled list and while it may hurt their teams, you stand to benefit from their injuries.
By heading into your draft, no matter what kind it is, with a plan to draft a couple of these players late can give your team an added boost down the stretch.
Getting high quality players later in the draft is a rarity and while they wont be able to help you out from day one, they’ll be very valuable to you down the stretch.
All of these players are going to have an average draft position (ADP) that is lower than it would be if they were healthy.
With that being said, let’s get to the players who’ve been hit by the injury bug and who should slide down the draft board as a result.
Next: Wheelin And Dealin
Zack Wheeler: ADP – Undrafted
In 25-man formats, Zack Wheeler isn’t even being drafted, but why not burn a pick on him with your final pick of the draft. You’re not likely to get much value there anyways.
At that point, you’ve probably already got most of your starters picked out and you’re likely looking for depth pieces. If you have a DL slot in your lineup you can slot Wheeler into that spot and then head to the waiver wire for a replacement.
Wheeler is recovering from a Tommy John‘s surgery he endured last March but is expected to back at the beginning of July. That means he’s going to get plenty of baseball in this season.
In 2014, Wheeler was 16th in the league in strikeouts and he averaged more than a strikeout per inning. He also carries a very respectable ERA of 3.50 in his short career. His WHIP isn’t all that desirable because he walks so many batters, but he’ll get that under control at some point.
For a player that you are only going to use for the second-half of the season, a guy that strikes out a batter per inning is a great find.
Next: Not Too Long
Devon Travis: ADP – Undrafted
Devon Travis may be ready to go even sooner than Zack Wheeler as he’s expected back in late May or early June. While it would be nice to see a full season of production from this second baseman, he put up a lot of production last season in very few at-bats.
In a season marred by numerous injuries, Travis put up a slash line of .304/.361/.498 in only 217 at-bats. He also had eight home runs, 18 doubles, and 35 RBIs in that span.
If he can put up those kinds of numbers across around 350 at-bats, that projects to 29 doubles and 13 home runs. It also means around 56 RBIs which isn’t bad for half a season of work.
He’s in a lineup that is going to score runs in bunches so he’s going to have plenty of opportunities to score runs and drive them in.
Don’t worry too much about his production after coming back from the injury either. Before he got shut down for the season last year, he slashed .368/.421/.500 in his final month of play.
If the Blue Jays’ offensive production is as potent this season as they were in 2015, Devon Travis could wind up being one of the best second basemen in the league even in a short season.
Next: Mikey Likes It
Michael Brantley: ADP – 96th
Michael Brantley was initially expected to miss the first month of the season or possibly more. He’s recovering from his November shoulder surgery must faster than expected and could even be ready for opening day.
While he’s going in the tenth-round of most standard leagues, he’s worth well more than that. If he starts the season in the lineup, getting him in the tenth-round will be the steal of the draft.
From 2013-2015, two outfielders lead the way in batting average. Those outfielders are Andrew McCutchen, who’s currently going ninth in most drafts, and Michael Brantley.
Brantley also has 55 steals in the time frame compared to McCutchen’s 56. The big difference there is that Brantley has only been caught six times compared to McCutchen’s 18.
While they have nearly the same amount of at-bats as each other, Brantley has struck out half as many times as McCutchen.
While Bratnley only has 45 home runs during that stretch, he leads baseball in doubles and falls within the top-ten in RBIs. If the Indians can figure out how to get their offense going, he should only improve in that category.
Bottom line: Brantley is going to be an All-Star and an MVP candidate. Don’t hesitate to take him in the tenth round if not sooner.
Next: Home Is Where The Heart Is
Homer Bailey: ADP – Undrafted
Homer Bailey and the Reds are being extremely aggressive in trying to get Homer Bailey back into game action. The Reds have nothing but young pitchers in their rotation so it makes sense why they’re longing for his return to action.
Even though Bailey had his surgery last May, the Reds are still targeting a mid-May return for the starting pitcher. While he’s never going to be your fantasy ace, he’s still a reliable starting pitcher when healthy.
He spent time in 2014 hurt and missed virtually the entire 2015 season, but in 2013 he had a really good year. He pitched to a 3.49 ERA which isn’t bad considering the bandbox of a stadium that he plays in.
He also had a great strikeout rate that season as he struck out nearly a batter per inning. His WHIP was also the best of his career.
While it’s probably going to take Bailey a while to get up and running, he could bounce back later in the season. He’s not probably someone you want to play early and often, but playing the match-ups isn’t a bad idea.
While his strikeout rate is higher at home than it is on the road, he supports a career 3.81 ERA away from his home park. Again, playing match-ups will be key, but you could do worse than Homer Bailey.
Next: Speedy Recovery
Jarrod Dyson: ADP – Undrafted
It’s unfortunate for Jarrod Dyson that his season is going to start of like this. For the first time in his career, he earned the right to start for a team. Now he gets to sit the bench for a few weeks until he’s ready for game action.
The good news is that he’s only expected to miss a couple of weeks with his injury. The other good news is that because he’s been a career backup, the missed time shouldn’t hurt his production.
Jarrod Dyson has one huge fantasy weapon that he carries with him. He’s great a stealing bases in large quantities, but he actually does some decent stuff with the bat.
He’s not going to hit home runs, but he does get on base at a .320 clip. His slugging percentage is only .380 so he’s not hitting much more than singles.
That’s not a bad thing, because it leaves three bases in front of him to steal. While he’s never had 300 at-bats in a season, he does have 30 or more steals in three seasons.
If he can get close to 600 at-bats this season, he could be a good candidate to steal around 50 bases or more. He’s also only been caught a total of 23 times in his career leaving his net steals at 123.
If you’re in need of someone who is going to win you the steals category, it’s hard to find a better value than Jarrod Dyson.
Next: R-Yu Serious?
Hyun-jin Ryu: ADP – Undrafted
Hyun-jin Ryu didn’t pitch at all in 2015 when he finally gave in and had shoulder surgery. He’s also going to miss up to the first two months of the 2016 season.
His appearance in 2016 is dependent on his recovery. He’s had setback after setback and needs to avoid anymore to salvage the 2016 season.
When healthy, there are few better values the Ryu. While he’s not going to wow you with his strikeout numbers, he’s still close to eight strikeouts per nine innings in his career.
He also has 14 wins in both 2013 and 2014 while posting a career ERA of 3.17. His WHIP during his two years in the Major Leagues is 1.198 so he’s going to be among your team leaders in both of those categories.
Ryu is certainly worth a flyer at the end of your draft and could wind up being one of your best starters in the second-half of the season.
The Dodgers are a good team and should win their fair share of games. Look for Ryu to benefit from that and help you out in wins, ERA, and WHIP categories.
Next: Lancelot
Lance McCullers: ADP -158th
Lance McCullers is going ot open the season on the disabled list after the Astros shut him down with a case of shoulder soreness. The good news is that the MRI came back clean.
The bad news is that they have yet to announce a time table for his return. That could mean he appears in late April or late June. It’s really anyone’s guess at this point.
While his average draft position has him going in the 16th round, it’s going to start dropping drastically due to his recent injury. He may even be available at the very end.
McCullers struck out more than a batter per inning last season in over 120 innings of work. He also posted an ERA of 3.22 during that time and showed that he’s one of the best young pitchers in the league.
While this injury is bad news for the Astros, it’s good news for fantasy owners that haven’t drafted yet. If you have drafted him already, stash him in your DL spot until you find out the severity and length of his injury.
Next: Yu Gotta Be Kidding Me
Yu Darvish: ADP – 133rd
Yu Darvish is currently expected to return to the Rangers’ rotation by early June. If he’s still available in the 14th round, or even a little sooner, don’t be afraid to grab him.
Not only does Darvish strikeout everyone, and I do mean everyone, with a Ks/9 of 11.2 in his career, he also has a career ERA of 3.27.
While it’s impossible to predict whether or not he’ll return to form immediately, he’s still worth the pick up.
From 2012-2014, only three pitchers have more strikeouts that Yu Darvish. What that means is that you’re getting a top-five fantasy pitcher more than halfway through the draft.
Even if Darvish doesn’t come back until July, he’s still going to have a chance to put up some big numbers. It’s going to be nice to have Darvish jump into your lineup before playoffs start and give your team an extra boost.
Next: Test The Waters
Matt Wieters: ADP – 173rd
Matt Wieters may not start the season on the disabled list but he is currently shut down in Spring Training. He’s got a bout of elbow soreness in his right arm which is unsettling considering his Tommy John Surgery.
Wieters has over 20 home runs in three of his seasons, but he’s been unable to stay healthy for the past couple of seasons. He missed more than half the season in 2015 and almost all of the 2014 was lost to injury.
More from Fantasy Baseball
- Fantasy Baseball 2016: DFS Pitching Sleepers 4-5-16
- Fantasy Baseball 2016: Opening Day DFS Love-Hate
- Fantasy Baseball 2016: Rookie Sleepers At Each Position
- Fantasy Baseball 2016: Sleepers On The Waiver Wire
- Fantasy Baseball: Head To Head Mock Draft Review 2016
If he’s healthy, he’s got a chance at being one of the best hitters in the league. He could be a 30 home run hitter if he’s healthy and plays a full season.
Baltimore’s lineup is imposing and they play in a very hitter friendly ballpark. He could be well protected in the lineup allowing him to drive in a lot of runs and hit a lot of home runs.
From 2011-2013, he was second only to Mike Napoli in the home runs category and fell second to only Yadier Molina in doubles. He was one of only two catchers to hit more than 100 doubles in those three seasons.
If he can produce like he did before the 2014 season, he has a good shot at being not only a steal, but one of your best hitters.
Next: Use Caution
While it’s always a risk taking someone who’s hurt, the reward is often worth it.
While I think one or two of these players would be great for a team, I don’t recommend taking more than one of them.
More from KC Kingdom
- Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule
It’ll be nice when these players come off the disabled list and give their team the extra push they need. But if you fill your entire team with injury laden players, you may spend all season waiting for your season to start.
In keeper leagues, these players may be valued a little bit higher especially the younger ones. Make sure you have room to keep them if you want to take them early in those formats. That is if they’re not already kept.
Of course, while some of these players could have great seasons, some of them may turn out to be absolute busts after they come back. It’s never a guarantee that a player will come back after an injury and perform as well as they did before.
Next: Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Review
While that’s a big risk, advances in medical technology and training have made the chances of returning better and better.
So what do you think Fantasy Baseball fans? Who are you going to target that’s going to start the season laid up? Which players are you leary of picking up? Let me know your thoughts in the comments’ section below.