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Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Elly De La Cruz Note
Elly De La Cruz photo 29. Elly De La Cruz 3B,SS
Elly De La Cruz might be the most exciting and riskiest player on the board. He has a ton of potential that he occasionally flashed in his rookie season. For instance, he stole 35 bases in only 98 games and is in the 100th percentile in sprint speed at 30.5. He also hit the ball hard... when he hit it. His K%, Whiff%, and Chase% are all in the "highly undesirable" range, which drove his OBP down to .300. The primary question for fantasy managers is: When do you believe he will figure out major league pitching? De La Cruz's minor league stats suggest that day will come, and as part of Cincinnati's wave of the future, the 21-year-old will have a very long leash to figure things out in 2024. If you want his potential on your fantasy team, you will have to grab him earlier than you probably want. I'd stay away from him until the fifth round in 2024.
32 weeks ago
Spencer Steer Note
Spencer Steer photo 72. Spencer Steer 1B,3B,LF
Spencer Steer is expected to be eligible for 1B/3B/OF, and possibly even 2B in some formats. With a solid 2023 season of 156 games, 23 homers, and 15 steals for the Reds, Steer is a promising fantasy pick. Batting in the middle of an exciting lineup with huge potential, he's on track to surpass his 86 RBI from last year. While not standing out in advanced metrics, Steer's consistent performance offers value in Round 9 and beyond, and the fact he plays half his games at Great American Ballpark is a plus for fantasy managers.
32 weeks ago
Christian Encarnacion-Strand Note
Christian Encarnacion-Strand photo 82. Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B,DH
Christian Encarnacion-Strand got 241 plate appearances for Cincinnati in 2023, hitting 13 home runs and slashing .270/.328/.477. The acquisition of Jeimer Candelario leaves the 24-year-old without a regular position other than DH, but that's all fantasy managers will need him for. CES has the profile to become a very helpful fantasy bat and can slot in as a corner infielder in lineups nicely.
32 weeks ago
Jeimer Candelario Note
Jeimer Candelario photo 117. Jeimer Candelario 1B,3B,DH
Jonathan India Note
Jonathan India photo 120. Jonathan India 2B,DH
TJ Friedl Note
TJ Friedl photo 152. TJ Friedl LF,CF
In 2023, TJ Friedl surpassed projections, but a decline is likely ahead. His actual stats were .255/.335/.429, higher than his predicted .240/.290/.321. With 18 home runs and over 20 steals, his potential remains if he keeps leading the batting order, possibly yielding 80 runs. His strong Whiff% and K% don't guarantee an improved OBP. Caution against valuing him based on his 2023 performance; expect lesser results in 2024.
32 weeks ago
Jake Fraley Note
Jake Fraley photo 158. Jake Fraley LF,RF,DH
Matt McLain Note
Matt McLain photo 173. Matt McLain 2B,SS
Tyler Stephenson Note
Tyler Stephenson photo 174. Tyler Stephenson C,DH
Will Benson Note
Will Benson photo 182. Will Benson LF,RF,CF
Noelvi Marte Note
Noelvi Marte photo 201. Noelvi Marte 3B,DH
Joey Wiemer Note
Joey Wiemer photo 321. Joey Wiemer CF,LF
Santiago Espinal Note
Santiago Espinal photo 391. Santiago Espinal 2B,3B,DH
Stuart Fairchild Note
Stuart Fairchild photo 419. Stuart Fairchild LF,CF,RF
Blake Dunn Note
Blake Dunn photo 433. Blake Dunn CF,LF
Jacob Hurtubise Note
Jacob Hurtubise photo 439. Jacob Hurtubise LF,CF,RF
Dominic Smith Note
Dominic Smith photo 463. Dominic Smith 1B
Rece Hinds Note
Rece Hinds photo 618. Rece Hinds RF
Bubba Thompson Note
Bubba Thompson photo 675. Bubba Thompson LF,CF
Peyton Burdick Note
Peyton Burdick photo 720. Peyton Burdick RF
Mark Mathias Note
Mark Mathias photo 729. Mark Mathias 2B
Conner Capel Note
Conner Capel photo 730. Conner Capel LF,RF
P.J. Higgins Note
P.J. Higgins photo 735. P.J. Higgins C
Erik Gonzalez Note
Erik Gonzalez photo 776. Erik Gonzalez SS