Last week, I went over options to look at in your AL-only draft. This week, we pivot over to the National League.
Between the two, NL-only leagues are even more difficult. With the archaic approach of having pitchers still hit, NL-only competitors lose out on extra starting hitters to draft.
Let’s take a look at some different options that you should keep in mind when building your team.
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Catcher
Austin Barnes (C – LAD)
In the 2017 playoffs, the Dodgers showed their preference to Barnes. That led to a lot of preseason hype for 2018, but Barnes failed to live up to it. With Yasmani Grandal now out of the picture, it’s Barnes’ job with Russell Martin as the only competition. Where’s the hype this year? Barnes is the 15th National League catcher off the board, per NFBC ADP, which makes him an absolute steal.
First Base
Wilmer Flores (1B/3B – ARI)
Speaking of opportunity, Flores is finally getting one now that he’s out of New York. He’ll enter the season with only first and third-base eligibility, but he’s going to be the everyday second baseman for the Diamondbacks with Ketel Marte moving to the outfield. Flores had the label as a lefty-masher, but he has more career homers and a near-identical batting average against righties.
Flores can provide 20 home runs and a .270 average. Not bad for the 433rd pick on average. In fact, here’s how Steamer compares him to Gleyber Torres for the upcoming season.
Steamer Projections:
Wilmer Flores: .278/.328/.467, 21 homers, 1 steal, 111 wRC+, NFBC ADP 580
Gleyber Torres: .257/.329/.439, 22 homers, 9 steals, 107 wRC+, NFBC ADP 56#FantasyBaseball
— Michael Waterloo (@MichaelWaterloo) February 4, 2019
Second Base
Luis Urias (2B – SD)
Urias has post-hype written all over him. Known for his bat-first profile and elite contact, Urias struggled during his first taste of the big leagues. He’s going to hit at the top of San Diego’s lineup, where he’ll provide a nice average and help in the runs category.
Shortstop
Enrique Hernandez (2B/SS/OF – LAD)
On a game-by-game basis, we have no idea what the Dodgers’ lineup will look like. Dave Roberts has done a masterful, but maddening job of rotating his lineup, limiting predictability for fantasy players.
One player we know is locked in a role is Hernandez against lefties. He’s especially valuable in daily leagues where you can play him at multiple positions.
Third Base
Jung-Ho Kang (3B – PIT)
Whether or not you think Kang should be allowed back in the league is one thing, but I’m focused on fantasy baseball here. After not contributing in 2017 or 2018, the Pirates brought Kang back in 2019. Colin Moran is the projected starter at third base, but what is that really saying?
If Kang can recapture any of his success from 2016, he’d be a sneaky sleeper in a world where sleepers are hard to find.
Outfield
Scott Schebler (OF – CIN)
Schebler was on the verge of a breakout last year before injuries derailed his season. Working against him is a crowded outfield with Matt Kemp, Jesse Winker, Yasiel Puig, and eventually Nick Senzel. Working in his favor, though, is that none of those three big-league outfielders can handle center field. It’s Scheber’s job if Senzel doesn’t break camp as the starter.
Mac Williamson (OF – SF)
Williamson, too, was on the verge of a breakout season after hitting 13 home runs in 52 Triple-A games last season. But it was a concussion that limited Williamson – along with a high strikeout rate – in the big leagues. He’s 28 years old, so it’s possible last year was an outlier. But at 558th overall, there’s little risk and nothing but a high power reward.
Dexter Fowler (OF – STL)
Look, Fowler has always been overrated from a fantasy perspective, but he’s not a .180 hitter like he was last year. The Cardinals are paying him through 2021, so he’s going to play. He’s going as the 478th pick off the board, so he has a good chance to return value as a bounce-back candidate at that price.
Pitcher
Pablo Lopez (SP – MIA)
One thing you want to look at in a young pitcher before he breaks out is his repertoire. If they have three pitches and can throw a major-league ready changeup, then you need to get stock in them. Lopez falls in this category. He has swing-and-miss stuff, and if he can further develop his fastball and curve to go along with the changeup, expect Lopez to become a trendy waiver wire pickup this year. Beat the rush and grab him now.
Trevor Richards (SP – MIA)
Richards had a big second half in 2018, upping his strikeout percentage and improving his SIERA, as pointed out by Dan Richards of Pitcher List.
Richards, like Lopez, has an elite changeup. Ben Palmer, also of PitcherList, took a look at the pitch, which was the seventh-highest chased pitch of 2018.
Robbie Erlin (SP – SD)
The guys at Pitcher List do a great job, and yes, they had me raise an eyebrow to Erlin, too. Ben Palmer highlighted Erlin’s changeup and mound positioning. Look, in a league this deep, you’ll try to find any positive nugget you can.
Matt Strahm (RP – SD)
Strahm is similar to Brad Peacock for the Astros. He has absolutely dominant stuff out of the bullpen, but he also is preparing as a starter in spring training. Unlike Peacock, Strahm doesn’t have a lot of competition in San Diego’s rotation. If stuck to the bullpen again, he’s a middle reliever who can provide value in strikeouts and ratios.
Joe Ross (SP – WAS)
The Nationals added Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez to an already great duo of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, but getting Ross back from injury may be just as important as the Sanchez signing.
Ross made a few late-season starts last year after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The Nationals will manage the 25-year-old’s workload, but he should still give fantasy owners 125-130 solid innings.
Players to Target in Your AL-Only Drafts
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
