Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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33.
Jesus Luzardo
SP
Luzardo's 2020 campaign wasn't terrible, but it certainly left fantasy managers wanting more. The strikeouts were there, but not quite at the level that was expected. He rarely went deep into games. And he was just more hittable than he ever was in the minors or in his brief time as a reliever in 2019. Luzardo throws four quality pitches and is working to improve his arsenal as we head into the 2021 season, so there's little reason to downgrade your opinion of him too much from where it was prior to the 2020 campaign because of one nine-start stretch. He's an incredibly high-upside pitcher who carries with him plenty of injury risk, and the combination leaves him as a solid SP3 for fantasy leagues.
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50.
Trevor Rosenthal
RP
After missing the 2018 season and most of the 2019 season, Rosenthal bounced back in a huge way last year. He stepped in as the Royals' closer, notching seven saves, and then was unhittable with the Padres after a mid-year trade. He parlayed his success into a one-year contract with the A's, where all signs point to him being the undisputed closer. Rosenthal was an outstanding reliever in his prime and once had back-to-back 45-save (or better) seasons. And his raw stuff looked excellent last year, as he totaled the best strikeout rate of his career. If he stays healthy, he has a shot at being a top-5 closer, but you can draft him a little later than that and likely make a profit.
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51.
Frankie Montas
SP
Montas had a terrible 2020 season, but it was more than likely due to a back injury he suffered early on which probably bothered him throughout the year. He started off with four excellent starts (four runs and 22 strikeouts in 23 innings) before he was scratched with back tightness and returned with lower velocity. Yes, he had the PED suspension in 2019, but Montas's splitter was, and should continue to be when a healthy, a dominant pitch, and a healthy season should mean a return to being a starter you can "set and forget." If he can ever get away from throwing his sinker so much, and incorporate more of his splitter and/or four-seam fastball, he could be a monster. Montas was diagnosed with COVID-19 right at the start of spring training, but he has returned healthy and looked good in the spring, so he's an ideal sleeper.
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67.
Chris Bassitt
SP
Bassitt doesn't wow you with his raw stuff, and is never going to be a high-strikeout pitcher. But he has above-average command and is able to generally limit hard contact and home runs. If he were being drafted on the basis of his 2.29 ERA last year then he would be someone to avoid, but the fact is he is never going to be drafted on the basis of his actual numbers given his sub-par strikeout rate and his significantly higher FIP and xFIP (versus his ERA). He can add plenty of value on the back end of a fantasy rotation, so long as you have strikeouts covered elsewhere.
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85.
Sean Manaea
SP
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143.
Jake Diekman
RP
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153.
A.J. Puk
RP
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179.
Daulton Jefferies
SP
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198.
J.B. Wendelken
RP
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224.
Yusmeiro Petit
RP
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231.
Lou Trivino
RP
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258.
Sergio Romo
RP
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309.
Adam Kolarek
RP
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365.
Mike Fiers
SP
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422.
Cole Irvin
RP
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459.
Trey Supak
SP
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523.
Burch Smith
RP
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535.
Grant Holmes
SP
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540.
Brian Howard
SP
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561.
Parker Dunshee
SP
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593.
Paul Blackburn
SP
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620.
Daniel Mengden
RP
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663.
Deolis Guerra
RP
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717.
Reymin Guduan
RP
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743.
Wandisson Charles
RP
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750.
James Kaprielian
RP
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814.
Jordan Weems
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817.
Miguel Romero
RP
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