D’Backs Chris Owings: Could the utility man provide a fantasy spark?

After missing much of the 2017 season due to a broken finger, Chris Owings looks to build back on his promising improvements. Could he be a fantasy value in 2018?

The D’Backs are looking to contend in the NL this season, and have plenty of talent on their roster as well. While they have plenty of players for too few of spots, that playing picture became clearer as the team demoted Yasmany Tomas.  Thus, opening the door for the versatile Chris Owings to creep back into fantasy discussions.

Could Owings now be a fantasy value in 2018?

Arizona has had high hopes for Owings since taking him in the first round in the 2009 draft. Since debuting in 2013, Owings has played second, short, and in the outfield. He played 147 games as a regular in 2015 but fell flat on his face posting a .227/4 HR/42 RBI/.587 OPS line.

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He was well off the fantasy radar heading into 2016. Yet, he decided to post a career-best season, .277/5 HR/49 RBI/21 SB/.731 OPS line that year.

He reasserted himself into fantasy discussions and was targeted as a mid-round upside player in drafts last spring.

For those owners that took the plunge, Owings came out of the gates swinging in 2017, slugging 12 HR/51 RBI in only 386 at-bats. Unfortunately, his career-best start was derailed in July after he broke his hand.

The fracture cost him the rest of the season, leaving owners to once again ignore him in terms of fantasy. Digging deeper into his batted ball from last season, Owings made strides in his FB rate. He raised his FB rate to 36%, a 5% climb from his career norm. He maintained great levels of contact as well, posting 52% Med and 32% Hard contact rates. 

He has never been one to draw walks, he has only notched a 4% rate the last two years, and his K rate jumped to 23%. While the OBP leaves a lot to desire, Owings has shown XBH ability and the thievery on the basepaths. He led the league with  11 triples in 2016 and would have easily surpassed his career high of 21 steals in 2018, if not for the hand.

Looking at his value in 2018, Owings path to playing time seems a little easier now that Tomas is out of the way and the fact that he is proven his value as a MI. Between Ketel Marte, Nick Ahmed, Jarrod Dyson, and David Peralta, it is not as though anyone of those players poses an insurmountable hurdle.

Dyson and Peralta are left-handers and have checkered track records. Nick Ahmed has never proven to be a reliable offensive threat, and even though Marte is talented, he has yet to put it all together either.

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With the launch angle improvement and his FB rate surge, Owings has 20 HR/20 SB type of upside. We have drummed home the idea that SB threats are nearly impossible to find on the market this year, meaning Owings is once again an intriguing late-round flier. With a still favorable ballpark, his position versatility, and spot in a deep lineup, Owings still holds that upside that fantasy owners chased after.

Keep a close eye on him.