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10 Burning Questions: Zack Wheeler, Jonathan India, Starling Marte (2021 Fantasy Baseball)

10 Burning Questions: Zack Wheeler, Jonathan India, Starling Marte (2021 Fantasy Baseball)

The NFL Hall Of Fame game can only mean one thing in the fantasy baseball world – the fantasy baseball playoffs are just a few weeks out! There are still tons of storylines even with the 2021 fantasy baseball season beginning to wind down. Now, it’s all about making sure your roster stays healthy and ends the season on a high note. You don’t have to focus on being the number one team in your league – just making the playoffs is the most important factor right now.

Several players are putting up massive fantasy production lately, and it’s only right we focus on this stellar play. These 10 players listed below have created 10 burning questions that I had from the previous fantasy baseball week!

As always, you can find my last article here.

Also, these rankings and statistics are up to date as of August 10th via Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) and average draft position (ADP) from FantasyPros.

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1. Was Zack Wheeler the best starting pitcher to target in fantasy baseball?

I pose this question after Wheeler completed a dominant complete-game shutout versus his former team. Now the front runner for the NL Cy Young, Wheeler has been nothing short of spectacular this year. Before the season, Wheeler had a rough ADP of around 80. He was constantly drafted outside of the range where aces are normally taken (1st-3rd round). Now, Wheeler is looking like the best value draft pick in all of fantasy baseball. He should continue to dominate as we conclude the 2021 season, and he will be part of many winning fantasy baseball rosters.

2. Is Walker Buehler underrated?

This question, largely intertwined with the previous one, was on my mind after yet another dominant outing from the Dodgers’ ace. I was taken aback by looking at Buehler’s recent success. The last time Buehler DID NOT have a quality start was July 5th. That’s a statistic that stuck with me, and that goes to show just how great Buehler has been. With all the headlines and distractions the Dodgers have had this year, Buehler continues to just produce each outing. He is right on Wheeler’s toes for NL Cy Young honors, and it should be a treat watching these two continue to pitch spectacularly.

3. Was Jonathan India ever dropped in your league?

The good news, India was on my fantasy team at one point. The bad news, I dropped him when he hit a rough patch during the season. Now, India is making me look like a fool. The rookie second baseman is manning the leadoff spot for an explosive offense in the Cincinnati Reds. It seems like India is producing at the plate nearly every day, and he is showing no signs of being a rookie. He has been one of the best waiver wire pickups of 2021 and looks like the real deal. Congrats if you kept him on your roster during the minor speed bumps.

4. Can Luis Gil carve out a role in the Yankees’ rotation?

Another rookie makes his way into the article. Gil, the 23-year-old top prospect, has always been a tantalizing prospect. He consistently hits the high 90s in his fastball and has a wipeout slider. Now, he’s making an immediate impact on a team that is desperate for starting pitching. Many speculated Gil would return back to the minors after a brief stint at the major league level, but he’s making the case to stay for good. There’s no reason Gil shouldn’t be rostered as long as he stays in the Yankees’ rotation.

5. Has Cleveland found yet another diamond in the rough?

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce you to the next Cleveland pitching phenom, Cal Quantrill. How these guys just continue producing stellar pitching after stellar pitching is beyond me. Quantrill has been in the league since 2019 and showed flashes of strong pitching with the Padres, but Cleveland has already unlocked new potential for Quantrill. He has looked fantastic recently and is displaying strong whiff capabilities. He should be rostered in all formats and looks like another gem found by Cleveland and their front office – bravo to them.

6. Has Shane McClanahan found some consistency?

Speaking of pitchers with incredible stuff – McClanahan has recently found some stellar consistency for the Tampa Bay Rays. The potential for McClanahan to be fantasy-relevant in 2021 was always there, so it’s very nice to see him with some strong starts. McClanahan arguably throws harder than any other starter in the league and again should be rostered in all formats – especially managers who are in dire need of some consistency with their pitching.

7. Were you able to buy low on George Springer?

I wrote about Springer just a few weeks ago and told fantasy baseball managers to buy low on Springer (if they could). Springer is finally finding his groove and what it’s really come down to is that he is just playing every day. Springer’s career OPS always hovers around .800, so it’s good to see him get in that range yet again. It was evident that he would find himself hitting well again in one of the best offenses in all of baseball. I hope you were able to buy low on him if the opportunity ever presented itself.

8. Will Jorge Soler be the most fantasy-relevant outfielder for the Atlanta Braves?

As we know, Ronald Acuna Jr.’s forced the Atlanta Braves organization to make a plethora of moves. Several outfielders were acquired at or near the deadline by the Braves. I really liked this specific pickup because I felt Soler was a change of scenery away from getting back to his 40 HR per season days again. Now, Soler has been tremendous for his new team and has already carved out a role atop the lineup. This is only good news for his fantasy value, and he appears to be a keeper for the remainder of 2021. That being said, make sure to watch him closely because he is prone to going through long, strikeout heavy slumps.

9. Can Starling Marte continue to step up for the Oakland Athletics?

Marte was acquired at the deadline in a rather big and uncharacteristic move by the Oakland Athletics. They liked what they saw from the former Marlins’ centerfielder, and he has done nothing but deliver for his new team. Now, with Ramon Laureano suspended for the rest of the season (and postseason), Marte may be asked to deliver even more than he already has. Marte will likely be up to the task, and he should continue to be a strong option for fantasy production. It will be interesting to watch how he does for the remainder of the season.

10. Has Vladimir Gutierrez been picked up in your league?

Gutierrez is one of the most slept on fantasy starting pitchers in all of baseball right now. The 25-year-old has a quality start in five of his last six starts. Gutierrez flashed potential at times, but it was always a question of whether he would be fantasy-relevant this year. Well, Gutierrez is very relevant this year and should be rostered in all formats. The Reds are trying to make the playoffs, and marching Gutierrez out there every five days gives them their best chance to do so. Gutierrez might be due for one or two more poor starts, but I’ll bet he has several more quality starts under his belt. Pick him up with confidence.

All statistics were taken from FanGraphsMLB.com, and Baseball-Reference.

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Travis Cain is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Travis, check out his archive and follow him @TravisCain_.

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