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By Steve Kwan
Fantasy Sports 101 Baseball In any basic 5x5 fantasy league, the glamorous big sluggers are usually the first picks off the board, and with good reason; as far as the batting categories go, home runs and RBIs are the essential statistics to be successful. However, there is a difference between a “complete” slugger and a “power” slugger. A “complete” slugger, such as Alex Rodriguez and Matt Holliday, can tear it up on every category; they hit for a high average, provide home runs and/or RBIs on a daily basis, and can also provide extra goodies such as stolen bases or runs. A “power” slugger, however, is different. Usually, these players can neither run nor hit for a high average; what they do have is enough power to constantly launch the ball out of the park, which is what most baseball fans want to see. While power is a fairly desired quality in real life, drafting a one-dimensional slugger too high is a mistake that many fantasy owners make. Beyond a 5x5 league, the problem gets even more complicated; the more categories a custom league scores, such as strikeouts and OPS, the more muddy the water becomes. In past years, players such as Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell have been labeled as power hitters with frustratingly low averages. Dunn is basically in the same position as he has been these past couple of years, and Burrell looks to be a good value in the late rounds of drafts while batting with Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. Below is a list of five other power hitters who come with some baggage in the average or health departments. 2B Dan Uggla – Florida Marlins
Uggla hit 31 homers last year and has shown good power during his young major league career. However, last year his average slipped from .282 to .245, with 167 strikeouts to boot. There’s no telling how he’ll perform this year, but what is known is that the Florida batting order lost Miguel Cabrera and didn't get another big bat in return. With less help, Uggla will see much more aggressive pitches come his way. While Uggla’s draft stock isn’t grievously overrated, his low average and the pessimistic outlook on the Marlins in general makes him a bad option if you’re looking for anything more than home runs. OF Chris B. Young – Arizona Diamondbacks
Young is somewhat of a fantasy oddity; he flashes major power and can swipe bases, but his placement in Arizona’s lineup thus far has left him with very few RBIs to show for it. In addition, his average since reaching the majors has never gone over .250. Young is being drafted around the sixth round of many live drafts, with most owners willing to bet that he can boost his average and RBI total without sacrificing any power. He's penciled in to lead off for the D-Backs once again, which could put a damper on run production. 1B Adrian Gonzalez – San Diego Padres
Gonzalez is the breakout power star in San Diego, which is like being a one-eyed man in the land of the blind. On another team, Gonzalez might be good for 40 homers and over 100 RBI, but in the soft-hitting Padres lineup in the soft-hitting Padres park, it’s going to take a massive streach for him to improve. He’s being drafted over guys like Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher and Todd Helton, none of whom have the same kind of prohibitive factors as Gonzalez. OF Andruw Jones – Los Angeles Dodgers
For the sake of argument, let us all assume (as I like to do when I’m live drafting) that last year was just an incredibly down year that was not representative of Jones’ future fortunes. Even with that in mind, Jones never hit for a high average and has never shown much speed on the basepaths. He’s landed in a good situation hitting cleanup for the Dodgers, but his draft stock has been wildly fluctuating in live drafts, from as high as the fifth round to as low as the 12th. While his home run and RBI count will most likely rebound, his average, even at the most optimistic standards won’t break .260. DH Jim Thome – Chicago White Sox
How much pop does Thome has left in the cannon? His power seemed to finally have started to tail off last year, and this year should continue that trend. With his inability to play every day, even as a designated hitter, Thome will have a hard time exceeding 400 at-bats and 25 home runs. Many owners have fond memories of taking Thome as a sleeper his first year in Chicago and being handsomely rewarded, but that’s not going to happen again. Besides, do you really want to spend a single-digit-round pick on a player who’s only eligible to be a utility? |
