This week’s advice is based on a couple of separate problems I was having early in draft season: losing track of steals and waiting too long to fill outfield slots.
It makes sense to slightly discount steals after last year’s significant drop off league-wide, but that doesn’t mean we’re good to go after drafting a single early-round 30 stolen base guy. We need about three. And we also need three starting outfielders — even more in deeper leagues.
I’m going to skip past the obvious early round speedsters — we’re all going to get at least a few stolen bases early. The point is that even the Trea Turner and Dee Gordon owners need to grab more along the way. And for those who start with the likes of Mookie Betts, Charlie Blackmon, Tommy Pham, Byron Buxton, Starling Marte, Lorenzo Cain, Jean Segura, etc., don’t forget that you still have work to do, too.
Here are six players who solve my two problems at once: qualify for outfield and supplement those annoying stolen bases. (NFBC ADPs from Feb. 15-March 15.)
Chris Taylor (2017: .288/85/21/72/17; ADP: 93.02): The Dodger leadoff man is something of an enigma this draft season, the 2017 breakout not fully bankable but his amazing playoff performance fresh in our minds. I’m a sucker for the talk about swing changes a la Justin Turner, and leading off offers a nice floor even if the power drops off a little. The position flexibility is another reason to take the risk inside the top 100 picks — shift Taylor to the outfield after securing a cheap MI late.
Ender Inciarte (.304/93/11/57/22; ADP: 121.85): Screw the humidor. In today’s power hungry times, I like guys who can crack a .300 average — it’s the most under-appreciated category in 5×5 roto. A poor swipe success rate hasn’t stopped Inciarte from topping or pushing 20 steals in each of the past four years, even in shortened seasons. And the 85 and 93 runs he tallied the past two years pays the bills in another overlooked category.
Eduardo Nunez (.313/60/12/58/24); ADP: 133.8): Again we find a player poised for a very good average a little pop, with plenty of playing time through the first half of the season. I’m not really worried about the second half — Nunez is versatile enough to find a spot in the lineup with regularity once Dustin Pedroia returns from “cartilage restoration” knee surgery. We might not see 2016’s 40 bags, but last year’s 24 seems like a floor — and, again, the position flexibility will help our fake teams as the season wears on.
Kevin Kiermaier (.276/56/15/39/16; ADP: 157.61): Less bankable than the rest of this list but with potentially the most upside, Kiermaier has continually enticed over parts of the past two seasons. After breaking out for 10 bombs and 18 stolen bases as a 24-year-old in 2015, the dynamic Tampa center fielder has flashed a rare combination of speed and power with 12 home runs and 21 swipes in 105 games in 2016 and another 15 and 16 over 98 games last year. If the health holds up, the breakout could push 30/30. This is the 13th round of a 12-teamer people!
Brett Gardner (.264/96/21/63/23; ADP: 178.56): Your league mates might yawn when you take Brett Gardner, then they’ll wonder why they didn’t think he’d be sauntering around the bases 100 times in front of the legit mashers in the Yankee lineup. Gardner is 34 now, so the days of 40-plus stolen bases are long gone (damn he was good), but 44 home runs plus stolen bases last year, along with 96 runs, suggest there’s plenty of production left.
Delino DeShields (.269/75/6/22/29; ADP: 195.70): Recently anointed the starting center fielder and leadoff man, drafters are dreaming of a full season out of the Rangers’ speedster. DeShields scored freaking 75 runs in 120 games last year, and his 29 stolen bases tied with Byron Buxton for eighth in the league. And he did it in 71 fewer plate appearances than the hyped former top prospect. Give this kid a job!
Follow Danny @_dannycross_.
