We’re getting so deep into this fantasy baseball draft list that there are closers in this set of rankings – well, ok, not until the very end. But still.
51) Wil Myers, 1B/OF, SD; 1B Rank: 9 OF Rank: 18 – Breakout 2016 with 28 HRs, 94 RBI, 28 SBs, 99 runs, so this potential 30/100/30/100 man could get drafted much higher, but .250s average and a tendency toward long slumps between hot streaks makes him feast or famine.
52) Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX; 3B Rank: 6 – He’ll turn 38 a few days into this season, but had nice visit to the Fountain of Youth last year, clocking 32 HRs, 104 RBI, his most in both categories since 2012. Stopped stealing long ago, but can still hit around .300.
53) Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS; SP Rank: 12 – Injury-shortened season as usual, but still posted good numbers: 183 Ks/147 IP, .218 BAA and 1.10 WHIP (both his best since 2013) and stayed in the saddle long enough for 15 wins. Even just 175 IP should mean 200+ Ks.
54) Christian Yelich, OF, MIA; OF Rank: 19 – 21 HRs, 98 RBI, 9 SBs, .298 AVG. We expected fewer HRs, but more SBs. The AVG was spot-on, though he slumped late in the season. Like Myers above, a breakout 2016 means he could be off the table inside the top 50.
55) Gary Sanchez, C, NYY; C Rank: 2 – As with Schwarber, there’s more hype than a proven track record, but I’m buying anyway. 20 of his 60 hits in 201 ABs were HRs, and 1.033 OPS. Yankee lineup is packed with young power, and he could be the best of the bunch.
56) Buster Posey, C/1B, SF; C Rank: 3, 1B Rank: 10 – .300+ AVG, .800+ OPS and 90 RBI potential always has made up for lack of HRs, so .288 AVG, .796 OPS, 80 RBI and career-low 14 GRs is concerning, but if you’re not buying Schwarber/Sanchez hype, he’s your man.
57) Todd Frazier, 1B/3B, WHITE SOX; 1B Rank: 11, 3B rank: 7 – Didn’t take him long to take advantage of the Cell’s HR-friendly aspects. 40 HRs, 98 RBI, 15 SBs would be worth more with an AVG higher than .225 and OPS north of .767, but good bet for 35-40 HRs again.
58) Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT; OF Rank: 20 – Once very consistent and a top five fantasy guy just two year ago, he posted career lows in RBI, SBs and AVG. Final line of 24 HRs, 79 RBI, six SBs, .256 AVG doesn’t sound bad, but SBs and AVG now down three straight seasons.
59) Kyle Hendricks, SP, CHI; SP Rank: 13 – 16 wins, 2.13 ERA and 0.98 WHIP of the champs. 170 Ks in 190 IPs lessen his fantasy value, as does likelihood of rest this year for the WS Game 7 starter, but he’s still trending upward and could be a candidate to increase Ks per 9 IP.
60) Chris Archer, SP, TB; SP Rank: 14 – Want 225+ Ks guaranteed this late in the draft? Archer’s done it two straight years, and will again if he banks 200 IPs. Ugly 9-19 record and career-worst 4.02 ERA are his baggage, but value would jump if he’s traded to a better team.
61) Carlos Carrasco, SP, CLE; SP Rank: 15 – Tanking in the ranks as we speak with some spring arm soreness and possible DL trip to start season, but could reach 200 Ks even without 200 IP, and CLE is good enough to get him 15 wins even in just 20-25 starts.
62) David Price, SP, BOS; SP Rank: 16 – Very likely early season DL stint also has his value sinking. Postseason woes get attention, but has 225+ Ks, 15+ wins in three straight seasons, and another great BOS team will help him, but still unsure how long he’ll be sidelined.
63) Chris Davis, 1B, BAL; 1B Rank: 12 – Like Frazier, a 40-HR threat with a sub-.230 AVG. His 38 HRs, 84 RBI, 99 runs and 88 walks provide some value, but Davis is less consistent week-to-week than Frazier and for now lacks the 1B/OF dual eligibility he had last season.
64) Jacob deGrom, SP, NYM; SP Rank: 17 – Struggled with injury last year, so people are leaving him on the draft board longer this spring, but in 2015 he struck out 205, with 14 wins, a 2.54 ERA, and most impressive, a 0.98 WHIP, and has looked 2015-ish in spring training so far.
65) Hanley Ramirez, 1B, BOS; 1B Rank: 13 – 147 games played was his most since 2009, so maybe not surprising he posted 30 HRs, his most since 2008, and 111 RBI, a career-high. Still wondering if we can trust him after so many lost seasons, but he seems to love life in BOS.
66) Ian Kinsler, 2B, DET; 2B Rank: 7 – 28 HRs and .831 OPS were both category-best since 2011. Can usually be counted on for 13-15 SBs and a .290 or so AVG, but we’ll be surprised if he hits for that much power again. 20 HR/20 SB threat is there if you’re an optimist.
67) Yoenis Cespedes, OF, NYM; OF Rank: 21 – 31 HRs, 86 RBI offered solid power value if you want those stats from your outfield, but came down a bit from his 35 HRs, 105 RBI in 2015. AVG dipped a little to .280, and lacks SBs, but a consistent power threat for sure.
68) Justin Upton, OF, DET; OF Rank: 22 – Another big power bat. Matched career high with 31 HRs last year, but 87 RBI, nine SBs show he’s far from the 30/100/20 threat he once was. AVG slid to .246 last year, and also notoriously streaky with his HR production.
69) Khris Davis, OF, OAK; OF Rank: 23 – Yes, you can find a 40-HR threat this low on the list (and there’s still at least one more to come). 42 HRs, 102 RBI built on power displayed when he previous sporadically in MIL, so it looks real. Take him now if your roster lacks HRs.
70) Matt Kemp, OF, ATL; OF Rank: 24 – Shipped out of SD, this notoriously slow starter had himself a year, with 35 HRs, 108 RBI, most since 2011, the year he lost the NL MVP to the drug-enhanced Ryan Braun. Maybe a repeat in order if ATL gives him RBI opportunities.
71) Jean Segura, 2B/SS, SEA; 2B Rank: 8, SS Rank: 8 – Dangerously low rank for 20 HRs, 33 SBs and .319 AVG. Revived his career hitting leadoff with ARI last season, but not sure he can do 20/30/.300 again, as ARI has a top-five hitter-friendly park, but SEA is in the bottom five.
72) Matt Carpenter, 1B/2B/3B, STL: 1B 14, Rank: 2B Rank: 9, 3B Rank: 8 – 21 HRs, 68 RBI, 81 runs were far drops from 2015 numbers, but he missed 33 games with injuries, and could prove a sneaky threat for 20+ HRs, 80+ RBI and 100 runs.
73) Dee Gordon, 2B, MIA: 2B Rank: 10 – Couldn’t find consistency at the plate after PED suspension last year, yet still managed 30 SBs. He need to hit higher than last season’s .268 to be the 50 SB threat he was before the suspension.
74) Kenley Jansen, RP, LAD; RP Rank: 1 – LAD is being picked by many to have the best regular season record in MLB this year. That means tons of opportunities for a guy who had 47 saves, 1.83 ERA, ridiculous 0.67 WHIP and even more ridiculous 104 Ks in just 68 IP.
75) Aroldis Chapman, RP, NYY: RP Rank: 2 – Can’t say I’m high on him after he looked pretty tired in the postseason, yet Yankees will be good, he excelled in his brief earlier stretch with them, and has potential for 40+ saves, 100+ strikeouts, sub-2.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP, making him a lock as a top three reliever.
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Previously:
* The 2017 Fantasy Fix Draft Guide, Pt. 1: Bryzzo!
* The 2017 Fantasy Fix Draft Guide, Part 2: Schwarbs!
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Dan O’Shea is our man in fantasyland. He welcomes your comments.
Posted on March 21, 2017