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6 Must Have Players in Fantasy Baseball

6 Must Have Players in Fantasy Baseball
Tyson Ross could provide returns far greater than his current draft position

Tyson Ross could provide returns far greater than his current draft position

We all know what happens in the first round… the expected names go off the board and we move on with the draft. The bigger question is who do you make sure to grab after all the “top” players have been taken?

It may be easy if you’re in love with one specific player that you consider undervalued, but that may not always be the case and that’s just one guy. If you’re in need of some players to add to your must-have list, then we’ve got some names for you. Our featured experts have picked hitters and pitchers that they want on all of their rosters.

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Q1. Who is the one hitter outside the top 10 in hitter ADP you are targeting as a must-have on all your teams?

Khris Davis (LF – OAK)
Hitter ADP: #104
“Davis is one of the better power hitters in baseball, and considering how much is put into that aspect of fantasy, it’s a wonder he doesn’t rate higher with gamers. With a full season of at-bats, he could perform just as well as his higher-drafted homonym in Baltimore, though Oakland’s Davis also has the ability to throw in a handful of steals. With health, he’s a .250 hitter with 35 HRs who could be a few gusts of wind away from being Jose Bautista. With any sort of progression in his development, you could be looking at Giancarlo Stanton.”
R.J. White (CBS Sports)

Jose Abreu (1B,DH – CWS)
Hitter ADP: #18
“Abreu in the second round of fantasy drafts is a super-safe choice. There is a perception out there that Abreu’s sophomore season was a disappointment, and that has driven his cost down this season. If you are lucky enough to grab Manny Machado or Carlos Correa as your starting shortstop in the first, Abreu offers a super-safe floor of average (career .303 hitter) and power (30-homer floor) as your round 2 pick.”
Heath Capps (Fake Teams)

Randal Grichuk (OF – STL)
Hitter ADP: #93
“While doing mocks and early drafts, I’ve found myself drawn to Randal Grichuk again and again. The Cardinals are excellent at grooming talent and Grichuk stepped up big time for them last year with his power bat. His power plus a decent amount of speed makes him a nice target right now as his ADP is a bit low at 154 overall. I have him well inside of that in my rankings at about 115 overall so it gives me some nice chances to pick him up on a bit of a discount, especially if I targeted some speed early in the draft and need to make up with some power later.”
Dennis Esser (Coach Esser)

Q2. Who is the one pitcher outside the top 10 in pitcher ADP you are targeting as a must-have on all your teams?

Tyson Ross (SP – SD)
Pitcher ADP: #32
“Ross is very close to being a fantasy ace yet is treated like a poor No. 2 or solid No. 3 in many drafts. He has the strikeout rate you want from a front-line starter, and he even upped his game in this regard in 2015. He also pumped his groundball rate higher than it has been in the past. Maintain those two aspects of the game and shave off a little bit of his walk rate (i.e., double what he did in the second half), and he should be highly profitable considering his price.”
R.J. White (CBS Sports)

Felix Hernandez (SP – SEA)
Pitcher ADP: #15
“Hernandez keeps falling to me in drafts, and I keep selecting him, so he is my choice. The man is a workhorse, having thrown 200 innings or more every season since 2008. He is also a virtual lock for 200 strikeouts. I know mileage is a concern, but King Felix is still only 29 years old. I am hitching my wagon to this proverbial hoss until the wheels fall off (I don’t think that will happen in 2016).”
Heath Capps (Fake Teams)

Michael Wacha (SP – STL)
Pitcher ADP: #38
“It’s all Cardinals for me as must haves this year.  I have and will continue to take Michael Wacha again and again in almost every draft.  His ADP has him going about 1 or 2 rounds after where I have him ranked at #88 overall. It’s not a case where I can kind of wait on Wacha and take him, but he is an excellent choice for owners who like to load up on bats early, like me, and try to take some steady arms and upside arms later. I have some teams where Wacha is my SP1 and I still feel pretty comfortable with that.”
Dennis Esser (Coach Esser)

Thank you to the experts for taking the time to name their must-have players. Got an opinion? Leave a comment below.

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