Rockies DJ LeMahieu: fantasy baseball lightweight
By Gavin Tramps
If you don’t set your expectations too high, the Colorado Rockies DJ LeMahieu could be a good pick next season.
The Colorado Rockies second baseman failed to reach the heights that he achieved in 2016, but despite posting a below-average 94 OPS+, DJ LeMahieu still had a useful season.
He has lost much of his fantasy value as a high batting average speedster, as he is no longer a threat on the base paths. His stolen base total has dropped from 23 in 2015, to 11 in 2016, down to just six last year. Those six came in 11 attempts, so don’t expect LeMahieu to be given the green light too often unless he can dramatically improve the 55% success rate.
His batting average remains high, and three straight years hitting above .300 shows a level of consistency that you can rely on in your draft if you need a batting average boost.
He is remarkably healthy, averaging 150 games over the last four seasons. But, despite the high number of plate appearances, LeMahieu does not contribute many counting stats. The 95 runs are useful in any format, but eight homers and 65 RBI is a disappointing return from a player drafted in the top-100 picks.
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With hindsight, it is easy to say that LeMahieu was over-drafted in 2017, when he went with an ADP of 80, more than 25 spots ahead of Jose Ramirez or Dustin Pedroia. But he was fresh from leading the league with .348 AVG and was only one year removed from a 23 stolen base season.
Surprisingly, ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft still aggressively ranks LeMahieu in his top-100 (82nd to be precise) as his eighth second baseman. It seems unlikely that he will return that sort of value but second base is very shallow in 2018. Once you get past the elite trio of Jose Altuve, Ramirez and Daniel Murphy, there is not much to choose between any of the next 10-12 players.
His Gold Glove-caliber defense ensures that LeMahieu will enter the 2018 season as an integral part of Colorado’s plans.
As with all Rockies, LeMahieu is an intriguing pick in daily fantasy formats. Along with the usual boost from playing games at Coors Field, the second baseman also demonstrated a significant platoon split, posting .724 OPS vs. right-handers and a very impressive .961 OPS vs. lefties.
Next: Can Noah Syndergaard rebound?
At 29-years-old, LeMahieu enters 2018 in the prime of his career, hitting second in a potent lineup and enjoying half of his games in the favorable conditions of Coors Field. He will help you in runs and batting average, but don’t overpay for production in just two categories.