Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
16.
Framber Valdez
SP
Framber Valdez took a step back in 2023 but still pitched 198 innings of stellar ball for the Astros. He ended with a 3.46 ERA, though his 4.33 xERA suggests he was lucky. On the other hand, his xFIP was 3.39, and he was one of 17 pitchers who struck out 200 or more. Valdez remains a cheat code in leagues with Quality Starts as a category. Even in traditional 5x5 leagues, he is an excellent SP2 with SP1 upside that you can probably get in the fifth round.
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17.
Josh Hader
RP
Josh Hader experienced the bounceback foretold last offseason. He dropped his ERA from 5.22 to 1.28, which was much more in line with his career numbers. He struck out 85 batters in 56 1/3 innings and collected 33 saves. His elite xBA of .157 is in the 100th percentile, and batters have yet to figure out how to get any barrel on the Southpaw's pitches. Hader's downfall will always be his BB% (13.0), but fantasy managers inclined to take a closer early in drafts should feel confident they're getting one of the top two here.
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55.
Hunter Brown
SP
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62.
Cristian Javier
SP
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117.
Ryan Pressly
RP
Ryan Pressly saved 31 games for the Astros in 2023, striking out 74 batters in 65 1/3 innings. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, his ERA took a big leap to 3.58 after being under 3.00 in 2021 and 2022. He also allowed harder contact than in previous years. Pressly is a closer with a strong positive (pitches for the Astros) and some downside (K/9 barely over 10, high ERA). When closers start flying off the board in the 7th-9th rounds, Pressly is a decent option. Just don't reach for him in the upper tier of RP.
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160.
Bryan Abreu
RP
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190.
J.P. France
SP
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264.
Ronel Blanco
SP,RP
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276.
Lance McCullers Jr.
SP
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300.
Luis Garcia
SP
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392.
Rafael Montero
RP
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459.
Jayden Murray
SP
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475.
Spencer Arrighetti
SP
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486.
Bennett Sousa
RP
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526.
Miguel Diaz
RP
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577.
Shawn Dubin
SP,RP
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594.
Misael Tamarez
SP,RP
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671.
Colton Gordon
SP
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692.
Oliver Ortega
RP
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787.
Tayler Scott
RP
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835.
Forrest Whitley
SP
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893.
Kaleb Ort
RP
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951.
Brandon Walter
RP
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