Fantasy Baseball 2018: One-Dimensional Hitters for speed or power

Do you need extra fantasy baseball help in stolen bases and home run categories? Here are some suggested players who can provide you value in one target category.

Many fantasy baseball owners abstain from using a roster spot for one-dimensional hitters. The simple logic is that drafting players categorized as such will only add value to one category. A speedy but punchless hitter batting seventh might only help you tally steals.

Hitters launching thirty long balls with a .220 average only meaningfully contribute to your home run total, maybe RBI. A hitter who possesses the rare power/speed combination can tally stats in five statistical categories. The latter is more highly prized for obvious reasons.

It’s fair to put off drafting these types until the later rounds if at all. Your strategy may change mid-season, however. When your team starts competing you’re able to see how your squad measures up. If you’re competitive in every category, a one-dimensional player can give you a win or extra point.

If you lose 4-3 in steals, the three stolen bases from your players added zero value that week. As a regular occurrence, this is an alarming inefficiency and addressing it should be your top priority. You’d be better served trading those players for ones who will put you over the top elsewhere.

Of course, most leagues don’t exhibit sufficiently fluid player trades to make that an option. A more realistic strategy is acquiring a player who consistently puts points on the board in the target category.

More from Fantasy Baseball

The same logic applies to home runs, RBI, runs, any category. If you fall just short, take it as a clear sign of an inefficient team. Each category accounts for ten percent of your performance in most leagues. Therefore, successful owners are required to design their team to be as economical as possible.

If you run a team in a rotisserie league, you can plug your speedster in when players rest or on off days. This move potentially snags you an extra base per week moving you up the ladder in steals. You can employ the same idea with a one-dimensional power bat as you assess your ability to compete in power categories.

You’re even better suited to utilize these otherwise castoffs in a weekly head-to-head contest. As few as one or two extra steals or home runs can log you a win in either category. So which available players can add significant value in a category?

Runs and Stolen Bases

Travis Jankowski is still owned in just 22 percent of Yahoo leagues and 13 percent of ESPN leagues. He is a prime asset to target for stolen bases and runs. Since being recalled in late April, the youngster has flourished in the leadoff spot for San Diego.

In his first 18 games, he has scored 11 runs and stolen 7 bags. He has gotten on base at a .471 clip while batting .390. Those numbers will surely drop and the Padres are a bottom ten offense in runs scored. However, speed and lineup placement will allow him to light up the steals and runs category for you.

Pirates minor leaguer Austin Meadows recently got the call to replace the injured Starling Marte. Meadows’ ownership rate is 21 percent in Yahoo leagues and 10 percent in ESPN leagues. The prospect has batted 7th in his first couple of games and is unlikely to amass many runs.

Still, Meadows can use his legs to capture steals for you. He had 8 steals in 32 games for Triple-A when he got the call to the show. Meadows’ current assignment is ostensibly just filling in for Marte. However, this is an opportunity for Pittsburgh to see what he can do. If the kid can prove himself at the highest level, he may stick around. As long as he’s in the Pirates’ lineup, he’s worth a look

Michael A. Taylor deserves some considerations if you’re looking exclusively for steals. His ownership rate is 24 percent in Yahoo leagues and 18 percent in ESPN fantasy leagues. He plays nearly everyday and will chip in a steal or two per week for you. In 2017, he stole 17 bases in 399 ABs and has stolen 11 bags in just 159 ABs this year. A combined 28 stolen bases in his last 549 ABs is as solid a number as you’ll find on the waiver wire.

A .189 batting average late in the order of a National League lineup will put a damper on runs scored. While it may be tough to crack the first half of Washington’s lineup, it stands to reason he’ll produce closer to his 2017 triple slash of .271/.320/.486 than his current .189/.254/.314 line.

You shouldn’t depend on Taylor to score ample runs in 2018. He will likely continue to hit at the bottom of the order and could even lose playing time. However, as long as he’s in the lineup he can be very useful in the steals category, especially if his on-base percentage increases.

Home Runs and RBI

Tyler Austin is owned in 7 percent of ESPN leagues and 11 percent of Yahoo leagues. The 26-year old has a history of injuries that kept him to under 95 games two out of the last three years. He has been mostly healthy at 1B this year. You can expect some solid home run and RBI totals.

He is batting just .247 in 99 ABs in the bottom half of the order. With New York’s prolific lineup though, he hasn’t been deprived of RBI opportunities. He has 8 home runs, 23 RBI while slugging to the tune of .557.

Like fellow call-ups Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, hitting in the bottom half of the order hasn’t completely stifled his ability to produce counting stats. Unlike Torres and Andujar, however, Austin is still readily available in a vast majority of leagues.

Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso broke out at age 30 and popped 28 home runs in 451 ABs for Oakland and Cleveland. Not quite at 2017 production levels, the power breakout looks to be legitimate as he has hit 9 homers and put up a respectable 23 RBI.

He most consistently bats fifth for the Indians and if he can raise his .213 average, he should be able to contribute to RBI in addition to homers. Despite his power numbers, his triple slash has dropped quite a bit from last year, putting up a .213/.279/.420 line.

His production dropped off has hurt his stock considerably and he is owned in just 25 percent of Yahoo leagues now. However, we’ve seen that he hasn’t completely forgotten how to hit bombs and now may be an ideal time to buy low as a bench player providing pop.

Did you know that Pedro Alvarez hit 36 home runs and 100 RBI in 2013? He put up just a .770 OPS that season. The 31-year old does not look to get on base other than to trot around them. He won’t become an everyday player for the Orioles nor will he hit in the heart of the order. However, he is at least worth mentioning in this conversation as a streaming option for home runs.

In just 99 ABs in 33 games, he has managed to put up 8 homers. The guy is hitting under .200 but slugging an even .500. He still has power and the ability to launch at a great rate. He is the deepest of adds with ownership at one percent, but he has the ability to help you win home runs. Monitor the regularity of ABs for Alvarez. If his ABs spike, you can add some home runs as he’ll almost certainly still be available.

Next: Dee Gordon fractures toe

At this point, you should have a pretty good grasp on how your team will fare in all categories. If you find you need just a few more steals or homers, you should add one of these one-dimensional players.

Home/Fantasy Baseball