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Orioles Chris Davis likely headed to DL: Fantasy Fallout

By Brad Kelly

Jun 4, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) reacts after he struck out looking to end the eighth inning during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 4, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) reacts after he struck out looking to end the eighth inning during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chris Davis looks bound for the DL after straining his oblique for the Orioles. What is the fantasy fallout of the news?

Things just went from bad to worse for the Orioles. The O’s have easily been one of the more disappointing teams this season thanks to a horrid pitching staff and underperformances from key players. Now add the loss of Chris Davis to the list of things going wrong, as he will head to the DL with an oblique strain. Oblique strains are tricky injuries, so the timetable for a return is hard to predict. What is the fantasy fallout from this news?

Fantasy owners know what type of player Davis is. He has been one of the more prolific power hitters in baseball since going to Baltimore. Power is his only fantasy value and he was off to a decent start, .226/14 HR/26 RBI/.781 OPS, this season. The RBI total is shockingly low, but not too surprising since the Orioles continue to lack any semblance of table setters at the top of the order.

With the good in Davis, comes the bad, as he also leads the league in K with 95 in only 61 games. He was whiffing at a career-best rate, yet somehow fantasy owners are never shocked by it. But, in terms of replacing him, there is no one on the wire that can match the raw power streaks that he can go on.

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Usually in terms of fantasy, first base offers plenty of waiver wire options but that does not seem to be the case currently.

Looking at strictly first base options, guys like Danny Valencia and Kennys Vargas could be power replacements or owners could go for the opposite of Davis in the form of the high AVG/OBP skillset in John Jaso.

The Orioles will deal with the blow by inserting one of the lone bright spots this season, Trey Mancini, at first. Mancini will get a lion’s share of at-bats in the middle of the order and his stock will continue to rise.

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No matter the flaws in Chris Davis’ game, he is one of the best power threat every night.  Fantasy owners hopefully have some roster flexibility that allows them to look at the entirety of the waiver wire, not just at first base. The power threats are out there, it will just be a matter of finding the one that can bridge the gap to Davis’ eventual return.

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