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Nick Markakis Profile (Fantasy Baseball)

Nick Markakis Profile (Fantasy Baseball)
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Nick Markakis could be a hidden gem for owners in OBP leagues

Hello, my name is Lance and I have an unhealthy obsession with Nick Markakis in fantasy baseball. Before you rain down judgment upon me, hear me out – and yeah, I can feel you questioning my sanity. It does hurt my feelings by the way…

After a major power outage in 2015, Markakis bounced back with 15 home runs in 2016 and drove in his most runs (89) since 2009 (101). Now, don’t expect this type of run production from Markakis in 2017, but he once again teases fantasy baseball owners who have largely ignored him since 2013.

Markakis has a knack for consistency. He consistently puts the ball in play, consistently gets on base with a strong command of the strike zone, and is able to consistently hit the ball to all fields. Why he has been such a source of frustration in fantasy baseball circles since 2009 is the fact he appeared on the verge of a major breakout after his 2007 season when he popped off for 23 home runs and stole 18 bases. His follow-up to that breakout year was still good but fell well short of expectations, and his performance in both real baseball and fantasy regressed from that point on.

While Markakis has been one of those frustrating players for fantasy owners since about 2009, he’s been nothing short of consistent. Which, if anything, can count for quite a lot in fantasy baseball – especially down the stretch when you’re vying for a playoff spot or waiting for Giancarlo Stanton or another starting OF on your roster to return to full health.

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Supporting Cast

The Atlanta Braves were a hot mess last season. The team as a whole had a .130 ISO, the lowest in all of baseball, scored the second-fewest runs in the majors, and their collective wRC+ was a measly 86 – third-lowest output in baseball. With that said, the team does figure to be a bit better offensively this season. With the likes of Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson continuing the teams’ youth movement (and a hopefully healthy season from Matt Kemp), there is a glimmer of hope for Markakis to be presented with additional run-scoring and run-producing opportunities throughout the season.

But I wouldn’t count on it.

They hit groundballs nearly 48% of the time last season, third highest in baseball, and given the makeup of at least half their projected 2017 lineup, that figure isn’t likely to improve much. Depending on where Markakis bats in the lineup, which right now projects to be either second or fifth, will likely determine his approach at the plate and run scoring and producing opportunities. He’ll either hit ahead of Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp, or behind Kemp.

The Expectations

Absolutely none. Okay, that’s not entirely true. His stronger showing offensively last season may have piqued the interest of a small portion of fantasy baseball owners, but likely not many. And that’s why you’ll be able to snag up Mr. Consistent in free agency and stream him as necessary or win him for one whole dollar at auction.

The reason is because no one believes he can contribute much, especially being on the Braves during this massive rebuild and also entering his age-33 season. From a fantasy baseball perspective, Markakis borders on being a zero-category player in some respects. What I mean by that is he doesn’t really do any one thing well. He’s not terrible in any one category, other than steals, but he’s not going to carry your team or have a monster scoring period where he contributes a couple homers and double-digit RBI or runs scored. Even when he’s on a hot-streak of some kind, do not expect much in the way of power or offensive counting stats.

Here at FantasyPros, we’re projecting a .275/.348/.388 batting line with double-digit home runs and a mediocre output of runs and RBI. This projection likely isn’t far off, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him hit closer to .300 and an OBP more towards .360 if the Braves use him as more of a table-setting option as opposed to someone they expect to drive runs in or move guys over. Plus, he is expected to be the everyday RF for the Braves this season and a younger, more athletic roster around him could make him fantasy relevant for at least one more season.

If you’re in an OBP league with 12 or more teams, Markakis is one of those hidden gems that no one ever really notices but is worth having on your roster.

The Value

Nick Markakis has an ECR of 94 among all outfielders, with his highest position being ranked 50 and his worst at 106. Overall, Markakis is going largely undrafted in many leagues because he’s just not a sexy fantasy baseball player. He doesn’t hit many home runs, he doesn’t have a strong supporting cast, and he’s one of those guys that never really lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him after his stellar first three seasons in the big leagues.

The real value with Markakis for fantasy owners is this – you will most likely be able to draft him in the final round of your draft in standard leagues, or only have to spend one or two dollars on him at auction. He’s especially useful in OBP leagues because he is so consistent in over performing in that one category.

Consistency is his real value to fantasy baseball owners. Knowing what to expect from a bench player when your starter goes down can bring about value – and peace of mind.

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Lance Rinker is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Lance, check out his archive or follow him @LanceMRinker.

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