Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Zac Gallen Note
	49. Zac Gallen SP Gallen built on his excellent 2019 season with an even more impressive 2020 campaign. Not only did he drop his ERA slightly to 2.75, but he cut way down on his walks (10.8% to 8.6%), which led to a much-improved 1.11 WHIP. Gallen has a 28.5% strikeout rate in 152 MLB innings, and an excellent fastball, curveball, and changeup. There's just not much negative you can say about him other than he might again struggle for wins playing for a mediocre team in a good division. But, as always, wins are fickle in fantasy baseball, and he should be drafted as a strong SP2. 1 day ago

Ketel Marte Note
	77. Ketel Marte 2B,SS,CF Most fantasy managers expected regression from Marte after his breakout 2019 season, but few saw last year coming. Marte hit two homeruns in his 45 games, and contributed minimally elsewhere other than batting average. His walk rate dropped to a miniscule 3.6%, and although he struck out less than ever, the quality of his contact was overwhelmingly poor. Truth be told, both 2019 and 2020 are probably outliers for Marte, and the truth probably lies somewhere between his 2018 (.260/.332/.437) and 2019 (.329/.389/.592) seasons. Those numbers will play at second base, especially given Marte's draft cost, but give up dreams of him hitting 32 home runs ever again. 1 day ago

Christian Walker Note
	168. Christian Walker 1B

Eduardo Escobar Note
	216. Eduardo Escobar 2B,3B

Kole Calhoun Note
	231. Kole Calhoun RF

David Peralta Note
	242. David Peralta LF Peralta is entering his age-34 season and coming off a season during which he hit just five home runs, but he still makes a fairly reliable late-round selection. His career batting average is .291 (and he hit .300 last year), and his 162-game pace is roughly 20 home runs and 160 combined runs and RBI. Even if his steals are gone, there's still plenty of production left in the bat for someone who will be drafted well beyond the top 200 picks, and who had shoulder surgery prior to the 2020 season which likely affected his production. The upside isn't there anymore, but safe and boring can sometimes be the right move. 1 day ago

Daulton Varsho Note
	249. Daulton Varsho C,LF,CF Varsho saw plenty of action between catcher and the outfield last year for the Diamondbacks, and although he batted just .188, he hit three home runs and stole three bases. That may not sound like much but for a catcher-eligible player in 37 games, it's plenty. The problem for Varsho is that the Diamondbacks' roster looks pretty full, especially with the signing of Asdrubal Cabrera, and there's a good chance he begins the year in the minors. There's a ton of potential for Varsho, given that he was a high-average hitter during his minor-league career, but it seems increasingly likely that fantasy managers will need to wait a bit longer for him to become someone to start in fantasy leagues. 1 day ago

Joakim Soria Note
	288. Joakim Soria RP The Diamondbacks gave Soria a one-year, $3.5 million deal after his successful stint with the A's. Soria fixed his home run problem from 2019, which was an outlier for his career anyway, and his 2020 numbers looked much more in line with his typical output. Soria hasn't been named the closer, but given that he has totaled at least 16 saves in eight separate seasons, it's a strong bet that he'll begin the year in the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks aren't expected to be competitive, so if you do draft him, bank on him being traded to another team, and into another role, by mid-season. 1 day ago

Carson Kelly Note
	294. Carson Kelly C

Stefan Crichton Note
	339. Stefan Crichton RP Crichton filled in admirably for Archie Bradley after Bradley was traded last season. His strikeout numbers weren't particularly impressive, but he had a 2.42 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, and tallied five saves. He doesn't have prototypical "closer's stuff," but he's more than capable of getting major league hitters out. The Diamondbacks signed Joakim Soria to a one-year deal (and added Tyler Clippard, too), so Crichton seems unlikely to begin the year as the closer, even though it's an open competition at the moment. He's not worth anything other than an extremely late-round pick as a speculative ninth-inning option. 1 day ago

Madison Bumgarner Note
	341. Madison Bumgarner SP

Nick Ahmed Note
	349. Nick Ahmed SS

Caleb Smith Note
	352. Caleb Smith SP

Luke Weaver Note
	389. Luke Weaver SP

Merrill Kelly Note
	461. Merrill Kelly SP

Keury Mella Note
	493. Keury Mella RP

Tyler Clippard Note
	583. Tyler Clippard SP,RP

Asdrubal Cabrera Note
	621. Asdrubal Cabrera 1B,2B,3B

Josh Rojas Note
	636. Josh Rojas 2B,LF,RF

Kevin Ginkel Note
	652. Kevin Ginkel RP

Corbin Martin Note
	661. Corbin Martin SP

Taylor Widener Note
	662. Taylor Widener RP

Tim Locastro Note
	703. Tim Locastro LF,CF,RF

Alex Young Note
	719. Alex Young SP,RP

Pavin Smith Note
	739. Pavin Smith 1B

Stephen Vogt Note
	853. Stephen Vogt C,LF

Humberto Mejia Note
	916. Humberto Mejia SP

Chris Devenski Note
	1001. Chris Devenski RP

Ben Heller Note
	1005. Ben Heller RP

Riley Smith Note
	1006. Riley Smith RP

Ryan Buchter Note
	1008. Ryan Buchter RP

J.B. Bukauskas Note
	1009. J.B. Bukauskas SP

Matt Peacock Note
	1039. Matt Peacock SP

Taylor Clarke Note
	1040. Taylor Clarke SP,RP

Humberto Castellanos Note
	1120. Humberto Castellanos RP

Jeremy Beasley Note
	1139. Jeremy Beasley RP

Joe Mantiply Note
	1142. Joe Mantiply RP

Taylor Guilbeau Note
	1181. Taylor Guilbeau RP

Yoan Lopez Note
	1206. Yoan Lopez RP

Jon Duplantier Note
	1247. Jon Duplantier SP,RP

Wyatt Mathisen Note
	1356. Wyatt Mathisen 3B

Andy Young Note
	1372. Andy Young Util

Seth Beer Note
	1375. Seth Beer LF

Stuart Fairchild Note
	1435. Stuart Fairchild LF

Trayce Thompson Note
	1484. Trayce Thompson CF,RF

Domingo Leyba Note
	1510. Domingo Leyba SS