Max Kepler

Kepler's incremental raises in home runs (17, 19, 20) and wOBA (.313, .315, .316) suggested he was still a boring player not progressing nearly rapidly enough to target in most mixed leagues. Yet he made some gains in 2018 that pointed to more significant development. Surely enough, he appears to have expedited his growth by hitting .261/.331/.525 with 23 home runs. He's also batting leadoff against righties for one of baseball's hottest lineups while carrying over 2018's improvements in strikeouts, and fly balls. Enjoying a full-fledged breakout, Kepler is now a must-start option even in shallow three-outfielder leagues.

As odd as it is to imagine, Kepler just started playing baseball a decade ago so it should be no surprise that his breakout came a little late. It appears to be here to stay, however, and while the batting average and speed will never be a plus, 100 RBIs, 100 runs and 35 homers will certainly do the trick for fantasy owners.