2015 Batter Profiles: D – F

Travis d’Arnaud

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/10/1989 | Team: Mets | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 112 20 1 0 5 4 .202 .286 .263 .254 -4.7 0.1 -0.1
’14 421 93 13 1 41 48 .242 .302 .416 .313 1.2 0.6 1.6
’15 502 114 17 2 60 53 .251 .313 .428 .324 5.9 5.3 2.9

Profile: We started writing about Travis d’Arnaud almost monthly here at FanGraphs after his return from Triple-A last year, and deservedly so. I personally noted from August fifth onward, he outdid Yan Gomes’ season line. A more aggressive approach per Nicholas Minnix was a big reason for his success. From pitch-type and discipline perspectives, TDA has little issue hitting breaking pitches; he swings less often than the league at pitches out of the zone and more often than the league at pitches inside the zone. His quality balls in play (line-drive) approach and batted ball spray should ensure counting stats. TDA should be a top 10 fantasy catcher next year. Last year, TDA had the ninth best catcher isolated slugging and contact rate. Only Jonathan Lucroy, Buster Posey and Brian McCann were top nine in both rates and Lucroy’s isolated slugging percentage (.174) was actually ten points under TDA’s. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Kevin Plawecki looming will hopefully motivate TDA. A healthier David Wright and the addition of Michael Cuddyer should mean more RBI-related counting stats for TDA. Batted ball spray and the ability to hit breaking pitches means batting average potential. 120+ games should mean 17+ homers. There is a good chance that TDA winds up as our seventh best fantasy catcher in 2015.


Jordan Danks

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 8/7/1986 | Team: Phillies | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 179 37 5 7 12 15 .231 .313 .369 .306 -2.1 -3.8 -0.0
’14 132 26 2 5 10 14 .222 .303 .291 .270 -4.7 0.3 -0.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .311 .365 .302 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Jordan Danks got to occasionally play professional baseball on the same team as his brother John, and that’s pretty cool. He’s not much of an asset at the plate, but received praise for his defense last season. He’ll likely open the year as a fourth or fifth outfielder and doesn’t have any fantasy value. (Chris Cwik)


Khris Davis

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/21/1987 | Team: Brewers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 153 38 11 3 27 27 .279 .353 .596 .406 10.7 -4.7 1.1
’14 549 122 22 4 69 70 .244 .299 .457 .330 3.3 -2.9 1.8
’15 418 93 18 4 54 48 .247 .314 .449 .336 4.6 -8.4 0.9

Profile: Davis experienced some adversity in 2014 in the form of advanced scouting reports and poor batted ball luck. With some extra effort in his swing that can take him off the ball sometimes, he won’t hit better than the .279 mark he put up in limited time in 2013. He hits the ball too hard not to have at least an average batting average on balls in play, though, so look for him to improve in all departments in 2015. A .260-.270 average with 25 homers is well within his reach as he settles into the league. That may be a bit ambitious for this year, but not impossible. (Dan Farnsworth)

Quick Opinion: Lots of power from a high effort swing characterizes most of Davis’ game. His average will not be elite, but the power is real and a Nelson Cruz season is the ultimate ceiling for him.


Chris Davis

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 3/17/1986 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 673 167 53 4 138 103 .286 .370 .634 .421 54.6 -13.5 6.8
’14 525 88 26 2 72 65 .196 .300 .404 .308 -5.8 -6.8 0.5
’15 551 117 30 3 79 71 .242 .326 .477 .348 12.7 -10.2 2.2

Profile: Chris Davis ought to know a lot about Murphy’s Law after last season. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. An early oblique injury got Davis started on the wrong foot, and he was never able to recover. His batting average on balls in play plummeted to .242, and he hit just .196. The pop was still there, though not as prolific. Things got worse as the season was winding down. Davis got popped for amphetamines, losing 25 games. According to Davis, he went back on his medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but no longer had an exemption for the medication. Davis said the condition made it tough for him to see the ball. Now he has the exemption this year, so there’s no excuse for poor play. His approach has always been some cause for concern, as players who strike out 30% of the time rarely post high averages, but he defied the odds in both 2012 and 2013. There’s potential for a nice rebound here, but it comes with a substantial risk. The power will be there, but the average might be awful. Even if that’s the case, it can’t be worse than last year. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Davis can’t really go anywhere but up, but there are still some things in his profile that should give owners pause. The power will be there, sure, but it’s really tough to expect him to post a high average when he strikes out so much.


Ike Davis

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 3/22/1987 | Team: Athletics | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 377 65 9 4 33 37 .205 .326 .334 .297 -3.2 -8.5 -0.0
’14 427 84 11 0 51 43 .233 .344 .378 .324 1.1 -10.6 0.3
’15 508 103 17 3 60 60 .239 .346 .415 .338 10.4 -8.7 2.0

Profile: With Brandon Moss traded to the Indians, and John Jaso on the Mariners, Ike Davis is probably your new semi-regular first baseman in Oakland. Davis cannot hit lefties, and his general manager already said that Billy Butler will start in the field against righties, so he doesn’t have upside beyond a platoon masher in deeper daily leagues. All of this could be moot as soon as top prospect Matthew Olson is ready, but that’s another year or two away. If you are in an AL-only league that utilizes on base percentage, and Davis really does start against all lefties, I would still consider platooning him for a bit of power and patience. Steamer is projected Davis for a .174 isolated slugging rate and a .337 weighted on base average, which was just above the average for 2014 MLB first baseman (.167 and .328 respectively). Surprised? (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: Ike Davis could take a few walks and a hit a few homers against righties in 2015. Given his team’s love of the platoon, though, he’s not likely to accrue counting stats that would make him a mixed-league asset.


Rajai Davis

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1980 | Team: Tigers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 360 86 6 45 24 49 .260 .312 .375 .305 4.9 -6.0 1.2
’14 494 130 8 36 51 64 .282 .320 .401 .319 8.0 -11.0 1.4
’15 417 102 6 29 39 49 .265 .310 .378 .305 -0.4 -7.9 0.6

Profile: Look over the 2014 stats for Davis, and you might conclude that he just had his career season. With a couple of injuries to the Tigers outfield, Davis became a full time player. He took advantage of the opportunity with near career highs in home runs, RBI and runs. His .282 average was his highest value since 2010, when he hit .284. His average has been improving from a low of .238 in 2011 to .282 this past season due mainly to a couple changes he’s made to his approach. He has dropped his strikeout rate from around 20% to 15% by making by making more contact when he swings (77% contact percentage in 2011, up to 83%). Also, he is taking advantage of his speed by hitting the ball on the ground more — his ground-ball rate has gone from 44% to 50%. His speed may finally be on the decline, though. His stolen base totals went from 45 in 2013 to 36 in 2014 in almost the same number of attempts (51 vs 47). His success rate dropped from 88% to 77%. The success rate is still acceptable, but be careful if it drops even further. One issue with Davis will be playing time. Besides the newly acquired Yoenis Cespedes, the other Tiger outfielders (Anthony Gose, J.D. Martinez, Stephen Moya, and Daniel Fields) have huge questions surrounding them. Davis will probably get his 30+ steals, but it remains to be seen if he gets enough playing time to contribute in the other categories. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Rajai was a full time outfielder for the Tigers in 2014 and he had probably his best season ever. He may not be able to repeat the season because of playing time issues, and his speed dropping off. Consider him a fringe mixed leaguer. 


Alejandro De Aza

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 4/11/1984 | Team: Orioles | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 675 160 17 20 62 84 .264 .323 .405 .320 1.7 -3.2 2.2
’14 528 120 8 17 41 56 .252 .314 .386 .310 -6.6 2.4 1.4
’15 528 125 10 16 48 64 .263 .324 .398 .320 1.6 -3.8 1.6

Profile: The 2013 home run surge thrust Alejandro De Aza into a higher profile on the fantasy stage than his billing as a no-power, some speed kind of outfield stop gap player. As many predicted, that power regressed in 2014 and the hopes for a 20-20 kind of bat turned back into the player who might scratch his way to double digit home runs. At the same time, his stolen bases fell to a three year low of 17. He did see something of a resurgence in Baltimore after being dealt from the White Sox, slashing .293/.341/.537 but much of that was wrapped up in a .350 batting average on balls in play — although for a guy who hits few fly balls, that’s not unbelievable, and also not a far cry from his .330 career mark. De Aza ought to be guaranteed a good amount of playing time in Baltimore assuming they don’t make any further additions, and if healthy he can contribute in the traditional counting stats without killing you in batting average. But he’s probably best used as an injury replacement or fifth outfielder in competitive leagues. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Alejandro De Aza should find himself ample playing time in Baltimore and by the end of the season, you might be surprised to see that he’s pulled off 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases, although the rest of the package is pretty uninspiring. A nice bench bat if disaster strikes, but there’s no good reason to spend much on him.


Jaff Decker

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 2/23/1990 | Team: Pirates | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 31 4 1 0 2 3 .154 .233 .269 .228 -2.4 -0.1 -0.2
’14 5 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 -1.2 -0.0 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .315 .366 .305 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Many moons ago, Jaff Decker was an intriguing prospect in the Padres system. Fast-foward about five years and sift through a handful of injuries, though, and you’ll find yourself looking at a shell of that prospect. He still gets on a base a lot due to the free pass but his power output has dried up — making him a dude that has one trick up his sleeve. It’s actually pretty impressive that he still has a 40-man roster spot, given that the Pirates have at least five outfielders on the depth chart ahead of him. He doesn’t turn 25 until February so he still has age on his side but he looks like a future quad-A player who will either carve out a brief niche as a pinch-hitter or who will go make a bunch of money playing in Asia. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: If you play Japanese fantasy baseball, Decker might be a name to know in a year or two but, for now, he’s not going to be on your radar unless pigs learn how to fly or the Pirates release 40% or more of their big league roster.


David DeJesus

Debut: 2003 |  BirthDate: 12/20/1979 | Team: Rays | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 439 98 8 5 38 52 .251 .327 .402 .323 2.7 3.6 2.1
’14 273 59 6 0 19 24 .248 .344 .403 .335 4.1 -9.8 0.3
’15 539 113 9 6 46 60 .238 .319 .363 .306 -0.6 -10.8 0.7

Profile: David DeJesus found himself in a role better suited to his strengths in Tampa Bay in 2014, facing predominantly right-handed pitching. Unfortunately, that platoon did not have a positive effect on his overall numbers as his .248/.344/.403 triple slash numbers were all slightly down from his career levels. Now 35 years old, it’s hard to expect any kind of improvement from DeJesus moving forward. As a left-handed hitter, he will likely find some playing time behind the right-handed Brandon Guyer and Steven Souza, but 300 plate appearances might be the best-case scenario, and he will not make enough of an impact in that time to be fantasy relevant. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: The 35-year-old veteran David DeJesus has settled into a role as a fourth outfielder/platoon option in Tampa Bay. Expect fewer than 300 plate appearances and no fantasy impact in 2015.  


Matt den Dekker

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 8/10/1987 | Team: Mets | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 63 12 1 4 6 7 .207 .270 .276 .250 -2.2 0.3 -0.0
’14 174 38 0 7 7 23 .250 .345 .322 .307 1.7 -0.1 0.7
’15 151 32 3 4 13 14 .235 .298 .356 .292 -1.8 -1.5 0.1

Profile: While Matt den Dekker wasn’t awful against lefties in the minors, he hasn’t hit them with the same level of authority in the majors. So he joined Kirk Nieuwenhuis as Mets outfielders that were type-casted and faced righties 90% of the time in 2014. Based on his strikeout potential and walk rate regression, it will take elevated line drive rates and batted ball luck to ensure a usable batting average. He had a decent power-speed combo in the minors and maybe his age-27 will be the magical mystery kind if gets enough plate appearances, but that’s doubtful. Still, based on the combined contact rate and isolated slugging percentage, he could have the potential for more counting stats. I would probably prefer den Dekker over Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Eric Campbell as an NL-only outfielder on the Mets. (Dan Schwartz)

Quick Opinion: The contact rate and platoon issues means he’s a deep league at best. The power and speed mean he could be an interesting name at some point in those deep leagues, though. 


Chris Denorfia

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 7/15/1980 | Team: Cubs | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 520 132 10 11 47 67 .279 .337 .395 .323 8.4 12.8 4.0
’14 358 76 3 9 21 36 .230 .284 .318 .271 -9.6 2.4 0.4
’15 271 65 5 5 25 30 .263 .321 .388 .315 -1.0 -2.8 0.5

Profile: For about five years, Denorfia and teammate Will Venable combined to form a quietly competent outfield tandem in San Diego. Over that interval, each produced nearly three wins above replacement for every 600 plate appearances recorded, doing so in roughly the same way — which is to say, by playing average outfield defense while also recording offensive lines which, though unimpressive in raw form, were actually quite solid in the context of Petco Field’s deflated run environment. Denorfia is still that same basic player — although, at 34, it’s probable that his skills are declining. Moreover, it won’t be the Padres by whom he’s employed. Following the 2014 season, which he concluded as a Mariner after a deadline trade, Denorfia was granted free agency. He signed with the Cubs in January, where he appears likely to assume an outfield platoon with Chris Coghlan in left field. The most probable outcome is that he produces roughly league-average everything in the least conspicuous way possible. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Denorfia has been a better hitter than his raw numbers might suggest, having played the bulk of his career in offense-negating Petco. He’s past his peak by a number of years now, but ought to work reasonably well as a platoon/bench player for the Cubs.


Daniel Descalso

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 10/19/1986 | Team: Rockies | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 358 78 5 6 43 43 .238 .290 .366 .284 -6.3 -7.4 -0.3
’14 184 39 0 1 10 20 .242 .333 .311 .297 -3.2 -3.3 -0.1
’15 252 59 3 4 24 26 .262 .330 .376 .313 -4.9 -1.9 0.1

Profile: Daniel Descalso finally escaped the middle infield talent logjam in St. Louis and now finds himself in Colorado. Troy Tulowitzki is unquestionably the best shortstop in baseball when he is on the field, but he has missed substantial time in four of the last five seasons. That means that Descalso has a clear path to playing time, but unfortunately, he does not have the skillset to matter much in fantasy. Even when he saw 350-450 plate appearances in seasons with the Cardinals, Descalso never exceeded five home runs or six stolen bases. If he does sub for Tulowitzki in 2015, Descalso will likely offer a .240 batting average and little else. Even Tulowitzki owners in deeper formats should look elsewhere for a backup. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Descalso has a much easier path to playing time behind the oft-injured Troy Tulowitzki in Colorado than he did in St. Louis, but he does not offer the fantasy potential to make him draftable in even deep leagues.


Ian Desmond

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 9/20/1985 | Team: Nationals | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 655 168 20 21 80 77 .280 .331 .453 .341 15.1 11.6 5.0
’14 648 151 24 24 91 73 .255 .313 .430 .329 11.2 7.2 4.1
’15 619 146 18 18 72 69 .258 .313 .416 .322 3.8 4.4 2.9

Profile: Ian Desmond has gone 20/20 in each of the past three seasons, which is quite valuable, especially at shortstop. And health, a concern in the past, was his comrade once again, as he suited up in more than 150 games for the third time in four years. Unfortunately, not everything is good news. Desmond’s weighted offensive production (wRC+) declined from 128 in 2012 to 116 in 2013 before settling at 108 last season. And while that doesn’t matter in most leagues, it’s still concerning. The main culprit for his dwindling production: strikeouts. Desmond’s swinging strike rate increased yet again. It appears he may have passed the point of equilibrium in the trade of more power in exchange for more empty swings. Desmond’s still a talent, and he likely has more good seasons in him, but he can’t afford to swing and miss much more. It might not happen soon, but a decrease in production seems to be in the cards. He doesn’t seem likely to fall off a cliff, but it’s not hard to see him beginning to teeter a little. (Landon Jones)

Quick Opinion: It’s hard to bet against Desmond’s fantasy stats, but the parts that make up the machine are showing their faults. Desmond needs to, at least, stop the bleeding if not clog it altogether in order to continue his run of above-average offensive seasons.


Chris Dickerson

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 4/10/1982 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 109 25 4 5 13 17 .238 .266 .400 .291 -1.6 2.5 0.5
’14 112 22 2 3 6 12 .224 .309 .327 .290 -1.1 -3.1 -0.1
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .243 .316 .374 .309 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Chris Dickerson looks like a lot more than he is. Built like a linebacker, ex-teammate Nick Swisher described Dickerson in 2014 as having “light-tower power.” Unfortunately, not only is that a phrase Nick tosses around quite a bit, but the power has never quite surfaced for Dickerson. Rather, what has surfaced for Dickerson were a ton of strikeouts, and a ton of new teams. Dickerson has been with four different organizations in the last three years, and finds himself without a team as of this writing. The toolsy 32-year-old outfielder will likely latch on with another organization in some capacity for 2015, but his ceiling is no higher than what he’s done the past two seasons: 100 or so mediocre plate appearances in an injury-riddled outfield. (August Fagerstrom)

Quick Opinion: Chris Dickerson looks like he should be a perennial All-Star contender, but unfortunately physical appearance doesn’t always equate to production. Dickerson is largely a Quad-A, replacement-level type, and doesn’t have much upside past a utility outfielder role.


Corey Dickerson

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 5/22/1989 | Team: Rockies | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 213 51 5 2 17 32 .263 .316 .459 .335 -1.2 -0.7 0.5
’14 478 136 24 8 76 74 .312 .364 .567 .399 20.1 -10.3 2.6
’15 523 136 20 10 71 70 .285 .335 .493 .359 7.1 -8.9 1.5

Profile: Dickerson was a Hot Sleeper™ going into 2014, and after a brief hiccup (he was optioned to the minors for a week in early April), he made plenty good on that, contributing in runs, RBI, home runs, and batting average. Despite just 478 trips to the plate, he ended up being the 15th most valuable outfielder in 2014, per Zach Sanders’s end of year rankings. Like most Rockies, he had noticeable home-road splits, but unlike Drew Stubbs and Charlie Blackmon, Dickerson was a useful hitter away from Coors, too; he hit 9 of his 24 HR on the road while posting a weighted offensive line that was 4% above league average. He’s slated to platoon with Stubbs going into 2015, but no one should be surprised if he usurps Blackmon’s full-time role, as he is a much better overall hitter than Blackmon with his less pronounced splits (both home-road and vs. righties/lefties), higher walk and line drive rates, and greater power. Even as a platoon player, he gets the fat side of the platoon. It’s difficult to anticipate how he’ll be valued in fantasy drafts and auctions, but he will contribute significantly for owners once again as a four-category player. The upside comes from wresting full-time plate appearances away from his platoon mate. (Robert J. Baumann)

Quick Opinion: Dickerson was a top-15 outfielder last season despite somewhat limited playing time. He has the makings of a fantasy stud. Discount his draft valuation only based on the number of plate appearances you think he’ll net, not over doubts on the quality of his bat.


Derek Dietrich

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 7/18/1989 | Team: Marlins | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 233 46 9 1 23 32 .214 .275 .405 .297 -1.7 -5.1 0.0
’14 183 36 5 1 17 31 .228 .326 .386 .322 1.9 -4.6 0.3
’15 98 21 3 1 11 10 .239 .299 .400 .310 -0.4 -1.0 0.2

Profile: The Miami Marlins are rolling out a new-look infield in 2015 with the additions of 3B Martin Prado, 2B Dee Gordon, and 1B Michael Morse. Defensive whiz Adeiny Hechavarria remains the infield anchor at shortstop. That doesn’t leave anywhere for Derek Dietrich to play, which is probably a good thing for Marlins fans after the infielder struggled to hit at a replacement level each of the past two seasons. The good news for the former Rays draft pick is that he should have a shot at back-up role on the 2015 Fish, if he can out-perform Danny Solano and/or Miguel Rojas in spring training. Dietrich has some pop in his bat but he’s ultimately undone by too many strikeouts and not enough patience. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: The ceiling for Dietrich in 2015 is bench bat, with his floor being quad-A injury replacement. The 2015 Marlins (and you) can do better.


Andy Dirks

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/24/1986 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 484 112 9 7 37 60 .256 .323 .363 .306 -5.6 5.3 1.7
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .262 .321 .397 .318 0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Dirks missed all of 2014 with an inflamed back after having had surgery on it. He’s back with the Blue Jays, which offers some opportunity for play, considering the holes in their outfield — but the deal is a minor league one, so they don’t have much faith in his ability to help. The 29-year-old has never been a very productive player. Prorating his major league career to 500 plate appearances seasons, he would have hit 12 homers, stolen six bases, and put up a .276 average. Those numbers are okay, but less exciting for an aging fourth or fifth outfielder. Hopefully his back will allow him to be a useful player, but will he return to his previous low production level? There isn’t a great reason to own him in any league unless he finds a way into a starting role. Even then, he’ll probably platoon. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Injury and production concerns make Andy Dirks unownable in all formats right now.


Greg Dobbs

Debut: 2004 |  BirthDate: 7/2/1978 | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 267 54 2 1 22 21 .228 .303 .300 .265 -11.1 -0.9 -0.4
’14 43 7 0 0 2 0 .171 .186 .195 .170 -5.9 -0.6 -0.6
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .247 .291 .348 .282 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: I was a Phillies fan back in 2007 when Dobbs began to make a name for himself as a pinch hitter. At the time, I would have bet anything that he’d never reach free agency. Not only did Dobbs become a free agent, he survived in the majors through his age-35 season. He’s a veteran of 11 major league campaigns. The utility fielder may be done at the top level after spinning a .171/.186/.195 line in 43 plate appearances last season. Still, his longevity in the game is something to applaud. (Brad Johnson)

Quick Opinion: Dobbs may have seen his last major league action after a brutal 2014. If so, his career spanned 11 major league campaigns. That’s surprising longevity for a pinch hitter who only once exceeded showed a line that was better than league average.


Matt Dominguez

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/28/1989 | Team: Astros | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 589 131 21 0 77 56 .241 .286 .403 .301 -10.3 -0.2 1.0
’14 607 121 16 0 57 51 .215 .256 .330 .260 -27.4 -7.5 -1.7
’15 331 70 10 1 36 33 .230 .278 .378 .290 -6.7 -0.2 0.4

Profile: Generally considered to be a defensive specialist, Matt Dominguez showed some offensive promise in both 2012 and 2013 with the Astros — at least in fantasy terms — but 2014 was not Dominguez’s year. The third baseman saw nearly all facets of his game drop off last season: his batting average dropped 26 points, he hit five fewer homers, and drove in 20 fewer runs. Despite appearing in games across four seasons, Dominguez won’t turn 25 until the end of August, but odds are aging isn’t going to do much to solve his offensive problems. With Colin Moran now in the system and Jed Lowrie able to move over to third base when Carlos Correa is ready for the bigs, Dominguez doesn’t have a secure hold on the big league job past 2015, and his position could be in jeopardy earlier if Moran is hot out of the gate. Even if you’re in an AL-only league, look elsewhere for production. (Zach Sanders)

Quick Opinion: Dominguez has yet to find sustained success at the plate in the bigs, and while he’s just 24, the Astros have other options on the way shortly. Look elsewhere in 2015.


Chris Dominguez

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 11/22/1986 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 18 1 1 0 2 1 .059 .111 .235 .126 -2.4 -1.0 -0.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .218 .252 .336 .260 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: The 28-year old has some stiff competition as he tries to snare a utility role with San Francisco — a role his bat all but prevents him from winning. (Drew Fairservice)


Josh Donaldson

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 12/8/1985 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 668 174 24 5 93 89 .301 .384 .499 .384 37.1 12.1 7.7
’14 695 155 29 8 98 93 .255 .342 .456 .351 19.1 16.7 6.4
’15 632 147 26 5 87 83 .264 .342 .470 .356 17.9 12.7 5.6

Profile: The Oakland Athletics’ trade of Josh Donaldson is something that could push the third baseman to the next tier of fantasy cornerstone players. As is the case with so many players the A’s have traded, the move in ballparks should bring about a boon to Donaldson’s offensive stats. His new home in Toronto helps to play up his already significant right-handed power. The Rogers Centre was the fourth-best major league park for righty home runs and Oakland was ninth-worst. After slugging 24 home runs in 2013 and 29 last year, it would be a serious disappointment if he didn’t clear the 30 home run plateau this season. He may very well slot in behind Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, two players who get on base regularly and should provide Donaldson plenty of RBI opportunities. A minor gripe about his offensive game may be that he is “only ” 12% better than league average against right-handed pitchers. Donaldson makes up for that by absolutely tattooing southpaws at a clip 65% above average. Add in his double digit walk rate and sub-20% strikeout rate and Donaldson nearly a complete hitter. As a cherry on top, his eight stolen bases last year represented a single season high and he wasn’t caught at all. While it is doubtful to ever see Donaldson grab 20 bags, if he can simply repeat another handful of successful bags, his value goes even higher. (David Wiers)

Quick Opinion: Donaldson can be a fixture on any fantasy team given his power and counting numbers. Factor in the improvement in his home park and you have yourself an excellent fantasy baseball player, and on the infield to boot.


Ryan Doumit

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 4/3/1981 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 538 120 14 1 55 49 .247 .314 .396 .311 -4.5 -12.9 0.0
’14 166 31 5 1 17 11 .197 .235 .318 .244 -9.5 -1.5 -0.7
’15 324 70 9 2 36 33 .237 .293 .382 .298 -5.2 -4.3 0.1

Profile: Ryan Doumit was extremely bad last season and is still currently a free agent. It is difficult to imagine a scenario where Doumit is productive in any fantasy league this year. (Ben Duronio)


Brian Dozier

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 5/15/1987 | Team: Twins | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 623 136 18 14 66 72 .244 .312 .414 .319 3.2 1.3 2.7
’14 707 145 23 21 71 112 .242 .345 .416 .340 22.1 -2.7 4.6
’15 653 138 16 16 63 78 .240 .320 .381 .314 1.5 2.1 2.7

Profile: Dozier turned the corner from “nice little second baseman” to “among the game’s best” in a pretty short span. And it’s all because of walks. Dozier hit .244/.312/.414 in his breakout 2013 season. In 2014, he hit .242/.345/.416. That’s virtually an identical slash, with a 4.4% uptick in walks. Dozier also stole 21 bases at a solid clip, played fairly good second base defense, and scored 112 runs hitting atop one of the more underrated lineups in all of baseball. He is a dead-pull hitter, but that’s the perfect fit for his home digs at Target Field, where the left field corner plays way, way better than any other spot in the park, allowing Dozier to pop 23 and 18 home runs the last couple seasons. If you’re bothered by strikeouts, pop-ups, and the poor batting average that comes with them, Dozier might not be your guy. Otherwise he’s rounding into one of the best second sackers the junior circuit has to offer.  (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Dozier has power, speed, and has recently developed a pretty good eye at the plate. He won’t give you batting average, but he’s good pretty much everywhere else.


Stephen Drew

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 3/16/1983 | Team: Yankees | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 501 112 13 6 67 57 .253 .333 .443 .337 3.8 10.9 3.4
’14 300 44 7 1 26 18 .162 .237 .299 .238 -21.6 1.5 -1.1
’15 429 84 11 3 43 44 .221 .297 .364 .294 -8.6 3.7 1.0

Profile: What a strange turn of events for Stephen Drew. After reportedly turning down several multi-year contract offers, Drew sat out the first two months of the season, ultimately signing in late May with the Boston Red Sox, accepting a pro-rated share of a qualifying salary offer. You could call that getting Kendrys Morales’d, but I imagine it will come to be known as “getting Drew’d” since it tends to roll of the tongue a little cleaner. What’s worse is once he signed, his bat never caught up. He went on to hit just .176/.255/.328 for the Red Sox, who then dealt him to the New York Yankees where he managed to hit worse, registering a .150/.219/.271 slash line. It would be foolish to forget that he was a very productive shortstop as recently as 2013, and if he can find regular playing time with the Yankees at second base this year, most reasonable projections will put him in double-digit home run range with middling runs and RBI. Given position scarcity, that might make him usable enough in deeper leagues. His plate discipline numbers weren’t that far off of his career rates and his batting average on balls in play was an abysmal .194 in 2014, so a bounce back of some kind seems likely. But Drew turns 32 early in 2015, so he’s on the wrong end of the aging curve and given his history, he’s not likely to hit for a decent average. (Michael Barr)

Quick Opinion: Scott Boras held his cards perhaps a little too long on Stephen Drew and he not only paid for it with his pocketbook, but Drew paid for it on the field. His batting line was the worst of his career in 2014, and a regular role in 2015 is anything but guaranteed. Even at second base for the Yankees.


Lucas Duda

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 2/3/1986 | Team: Mets | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 384 71 15 0 33 42 .223 .352 .415 .340 6.9 -16.5 0.2
’14 596 130 30 3 92 74 .253 .349 .481 .361 21.1 -11.0 3.0
’15 621 125 24 3 75 69 .234 .333 .419 .332 9.5 -12.5 1.7

Profile: Sometimes, you’re just three years too early. Like when you like Lucas Duda in 2012 because he showed good power with a good strikeout rate in a half-season 2011 sample, and because his minor league numbers had grown to be great by the end of his tenure on the farm. And then 2012 and 2013 convinced everyone that you were an idiot, that this guy can’t make contact, can’t play defense, can’t be aggressive enough to turn his good eye into good results. And then his team traded away the incumbent first baseman and installed Duda in his natural-born position, and — finally comfortable, you might say — the Big Easy swung a little more, improved his strikeout rate, and showed his best major league power numbers. Now that The Dude has shown that he’s capable of 30 homers and everyone’s going to (maybe) pat you on the back as they rush out to pay market price for the slugger in New York. But in the meantime, the player has aged, and will be 29 by the time next season starts, and in some ways last year really represented the best-case scenario for his skill set. So now you’re the damp washcloth in the room, and it feels weird because you liked him first. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Yeah, Lucas Duda had power — we all should have seen that. But he still whiffs a bunch, still has platoon issues, and still won’t be an asset in at least two categories. Don’t pay too much for that power, even if he’s relevant in all leagues now.


Matt Duffy

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 1/15/1991 | Team: Giants | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 64 16 0 0 8 5 .267 .302 .300 .273 -2.1 -0.0 -0.0
’15 46 10 0 1 4 4 .247 .301 .329 .282 -0.8 -0.2 0.0

Profile: It’s a bit incongruous to think of Duffman when you think of Matt Duffy. After all, one weighs about 140 soaking wet, and the other is a beefcake spokesperson for a fictional beer. But there’s the one, on the bat of the other, and so it makes sense to pair them. Do you love Matt Duffy? You should. pic.twitter.com/S1jMuewqeN — Eno Sarris (@enosarris) September 26, 2014 As a right-hander that can field any infield position well and showed good walk and strikeout numbers in the minor leagues, Duffy should be useful to the Giants in 2015. He can platoon with Brandon Crawford if the incumbent doesn’t retain the gains he made against lefties in 2014. He can help do the same thing at second, or third. He can help defensively all over the infield. But if he wants to live up to his namesake, he’ll need Crawford to take a big step back offensively, or for Casey McGehee to crater. These thinks are possible, if not probable, so store the name away for later. (Eno Sarris)

Quick Opinion: Matt Duffy won’t make you thrust in his general direction. But Matt Duffy has the upside to be better than average when it comes to patience, contact, and defense. Maybe if he gains a few pounds (or forty), we could talk about some power potential, too. In the meantime, he’s just a useful real-life part that shouldn’t be a factor on draft day.


Adam Dunn

Debut: 2001 |  BirthDate: 11/9/1979 | Position: DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 607 115 34 1 86 60 .219 .320 .442 .331 -0.8 -20.9 -0.2
’14 511 94 22 1 64 49 .219 .337 .415 .334 0.7 -17.1 0.0
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .203 .308 .376 .306 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: Despite hitting 22 home runs and having a season not terribly different from his previous two, Dunn decided to retire at the end of the year, finishing his career with 462 home runs and a shiny 15.8% walk rate. Dunn will be remembered fondly by everyone who ever played in a league that counted on-base percentage, unless he was on your team in 2011, in which case you want to kill him. Dunn finished his career at 255.3 defensive runs below average, fourth in major league history on the FanGraphs leaderboard, with only Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, and Frank Thomas logging more negative defensive runs. Not terrible company, but the three of them averaged more than 40 WAR more than Dunn logged for his career (22.7). (Jeremy Blachman)

Quick Opinion: As tempting as his combination of walks and home run power might be, he retired at the end of the year, so please don’t draft him.


Adam Duvall

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 9/4/1988 | Team: Giants | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 77 14 3 0 5 8 .192 .234 .342 .257 -2.5 -1.4 -0.2
’15 53 11 2 0 6 5 .222 .273 .384 .291 -0.6 -1.0 -0.0

Profile: Likely to feel the roster squeeze all season, Adam Duvall projects as a below-average bat providing cover at both first and third base. The pop might be nice (he owns .232 isolated slugging as a minor leaguer) but it looks like it will take an injury — or two — before Duvall gets a chance to show that he can make enough contact for that power to play as a big leaguer. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: Big power in the minor leagues but contact issues and an unclear path to the big leagues make it tough to envision much use for Adam Duvall.


Jarrod Dyson

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 8/15/1984 | Team: Royals | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 239 55 2 34 17 30 .258 .326 .366 .307 4.4 10.6 2.5
’14 290 70 1 36 24 33 .269 .324 .327 .293 -0.1 18.9 3.1
’15 304 68 2 27 23 33 .246 .308 .330 .287 -3.6 5.3 1.3

Profile: Jarrod Dyson was looking to get plenty of playing time until the Royals went out and signed Alex Rios for $11M. The Royals aren’t going to pay that much for Rios to have him start only against lefties, so Dyson will be sitting most days with Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon in the other two outfield spots. Don’t discount Dyson’s value too much though, especially in AL-only leagues where I expect him to get 30 or so stolen bases this season. Even if he is not starting, he will get pinch running opportunities late in games. Additionally, the rest of the Royals outfield have not always been the healthiest and have spent a decent amount of time on the disabled list in the past. Cain, for example, has never managed more than 502 plate appearances in a season. (Jeff Zimmerman)

Quick Opinion: Jarrod Dyson’s value took a hit when the Royals signed Alex Rios. He is still a asset in deeper leagues because of the stolen base potential.


Adam Eaton

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 12/6/1988 | Team: White Sox | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 277 63 3 5 22 40 .252 .314 .360 .301 -1.5 -11.2 -0.5
’14 538 146 1 15 35 76 .300 .362 .401 .340 8.7 -1.6 2.7
’15 596 143 6 18 46 72 .270 .340 .376 .321 2.0 -3.6 1.9

Profile: There are still some flaws, but Eaton proved to be an effective leadoff man when healthy. That last caveat is important, because Eaton tends to go all out every play. That type of playing style doesn’t lead to great health. Eaton played 123 games, but missed time with thigh issues early and an abdomen injury late in the year. The thigh may have impacted his ability to steal bases, as he was caught nearly as much as he was successful in the first half. He did show some improvement in that department in the second half, but his recklessness on the bases is a bit of an issue. The good thing is, Robin Ventura allows Eaton to go whenever he wants, so better health could lead to more steals. Since Eaton isn’t going to add any pop, his performance will likely be based on the guys behind him. The White Sox could have a strong top of the order, and Eaton could be a sneaky run producer when he’s in the lineup. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Eaton proved to be a useful leadoff man, though his playing style could lead to some time on the disabled list. He won’t provide power, but should pick up steals and could score runs as a solid clip.


A.J. Ellis

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 4/9/1981 | Team: Dodgers | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 448 93 10 0 52 43 .238 .318 .364 .304 -2.9 10.1 2.2
’14 347 54 3 0 25 21 .191 .323 .254 .270 -17.1 3.5 -0.4
’15 182 35 3 1 16 16 .226 .326 .329 .297 -2.7 5.3 0.9

Profile: A.J. Ellis’ 2014 really couldn’t have gone worse, as left knee surgery and a badly sprained right ankle limited him to only 347 plate appearances, and when he did play, his performance was among the worst of any semi-regular catcher in baseball. If there’s good news, it’s that he walked more, struck out less, and put up an unsustainably low .225 batting average on balls in play, so with even slightly better health, 2015 should be better. Of course, he’s a 34-year-old catcher with one good year under his belt, and he’s now backing up Yasmani Grandal, so expectations should be kept to a minimum. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: At 34 and coming off an injury-plagued, under-performing year, A.J. Ellis may have to battle for playing time in 2015, limiting his utility in all but the deepest fantasy leagues.


Mark Ellis

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 6/6/1977 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 480 117 6 4 48 46 .270 .323 .351 .300 -4.8 7.0 1.8
’14 202 32 0 4 12 15 .180 .253 .213 .212 -14.5 4.5 -0.4
’15 241 53 2 3 19 22 .240 .297 .321 .278 -7.2 2.7 0.3

Profile: Mark Ellis has been a solid backup and platoon option at second base in recent seasons, but knee and oblique injuries and the emergence of Kolten Wong in St. Louis limited Ellis to a career-low 202 plate appearances, no home runs, and a .180 batting average in 2014. He is currently a free agent, and while his glove should be enough to land him a roster spot with a big league team, the days of 400-plus plate appearances are probably now behind the 37-year-old Ellis. He has no value in fantasy. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Ellis has had a nice career, but at 37 years old, his best days are likely behind him. Wherever he lands in 2015, he will have little fantasy value.


Jacoby Ellsbury

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 9/11/1983 | Team: Yankees | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 636 172 9 52 53 92 .298 .355 .426 .343 20.5 12.0 5.8
’14 635 156 16 39 70 71 .271 .328 .419 .327 10.6 2.1 3.6
’15 631 155 16 32 64 81 .271 .329 .418 .329 8.8 4.8 3.7

Profile: When Ellsbury signed a long-term deal to play for the Yankees, many fantasy owners dreamed of a return to the monster 32-homer, 105 RBI season he had in 2011. That’s understandable given Yankee Stadium’s hitter-aiding ways, but those who drafted him as one of the first outfielders off the board may have been a tad disappointed. He did hammer 16 homers and drive in 70, though his batting average finished 20 points below his career mark and he posted his lowest full-season on-base percentage. The steals were down, as well; his 39 were tied with 2011 for the lowest he’s had in a full season, and the 44 attempts he made were by far his fewest in a full year. He also struck out more frequently than he had before at the big league level; slotted into the third spot in the lineup for two-thirds of his plate appearances, he swung more often at pitches outside the strike zone than he ever had and posted his highest swing percentage since his rookie year. Was he pressing to carry an offense filled with aging, hobbled players? Only Ellsbury knows for sure, though a strong line drive rate suggests that he’s owed some batted ball luck for 2015. It’s likely that we’ll continue to see a decline in his steals now that he’s entering his age-31 season, and 20 home runs would seem to be a better upside bet than a return to his 2011 numbers. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Ellsbury still does plenty to help fantasy owners and retains significant upside, but he should probably be viewed more as a strong second mixed-league outfielder as opposed to the top-five option some pegged him to be entering 2014.


Jake Elmore

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 6/15/1987 | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 136 29 2 1 6 16 .242 .313 .325 .289 -5.3 -2.9 -0.4
’14 12 2 0 0 0 0 .182 .250 .182 .206 -1.0 -0.4 -0.1
’15 53 12 0 1 4 5 .248 .318 .322 .290 -0.9 0.1 0.1

Profile: In 221 major league plate appearances, Jake Elmore owns a .221/.288/.291 slash line. In fairness, he’s posted a solid 88% contact rate and, in seven seasons in the minors, a .290/.385/.388 slash line with walk rates consistently in double digits, suggesting that he could be league-average or better at reaching base. He hasn’t received much of an opportunity in his parts of three seasons in The Show, however, and entering his age-28 campaign, he’s likely been typecast. Elmore needs to end up with an organization that gives him a legit chance to claim a bench spot. Even if he were to stumble upon semi-regular playing time, though, his fantasy upside is limited to the volume that results from it. One stolen base in seven MLB opportunities indicates that, on the farm, he was just an opportunist. At best, he’d be worth an in-season Free Agency Auction Budget claimer. (Nicholas Minnix)

Quick Opinion: Elmore hasn’t received much of a major league chance, but his minor league marks suggest that he’s pretty good at reaching base. He’s not on the fantasy radar, however, because he has no power, speed, or firm grip on a 25-man roster spot.


Edwin Encarnacion

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 1/7/1983 | Team: Blue Jays | Position: 1B/DH
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 621 144 36 7 104 90 .272 .370 .534 .388 33.0 -15.9 4.1
’14 542 128 34 2 98 75 .268 .354 .547 .389 30.8 -15.8 3.6
’15 636 147 35 4 101 91 .268 .359 .515 .378 29.3 -17.0 3.6

Profile: Over the past three seasons, this many players hit more home runs than Edwin Encarnacion: one. Miguel Cabrera is the only man to go deep more than Encarnacion since 2012, hitting 113 bombs to EE’s 112. Over that time, a grand total of six players produced higher weighted offensive numbers (wRC+, min 1000 plate appearances). He’s tied for the highest isolated power in that time, too. Encarnacion has basically been the equal of Giancarlo Stanton since the start of the 2012 season — doing so while striking out less than half as often as the very rich Marlin. Encarnacion is an elite slugger, one of the best in the game. He might not have the cache of Jose Abreu or Anthony Rizzo and he perhaps exists in the shadow of teammate Jose Bautista, but Encarnacion will produce just as much offense for his team as those sexier names. He doesn’t boast as high a batting average but he hits in the heart of a juicy lineup and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is admirable. Slowed by a groin strain for July and August, there is little reason to suspect anything short of the real Edwin Encarnacion shows up in 2015. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: One of the league’s premier sluggers flies just enough under the radar to be a great value and worthwhile target. Edwin Encarnacion quietly gets the job done, year after year.


Eduardo Escobar

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/5/1989 | Team: Twins | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 179 39 3 0 10 23 .236 .282 .345 .278 -7.0 -3.9 -0.5
’14 465 119 6 1 37 52 .275 .315 .406 .317 1.6 4.4 2.3
’15 226 52 3 2 21 22 .251 .297 .356 .290 -4.2 1.1 0.5

Profile: Escobar was a surprising piece in what amounted to a pretty good Twins offense in 2014. The pint-sized infielder hit .275/.315/.406, and stroked 35 doubles to rank behind only Jhonny Peralta among shortstops. Where it all came from is a bit of a head-scratcher; Escobar has shown good pop at times but has never really put it all together for an extended period. Prior to 2014, he had hit just .228/.280/.307 as a big leaguer (332 plate appearances), and he has still only hit .269/.316/.358 as a minor leaguer. It seems as though the Twins view him as a luxurious utility player, which is probably the best way to keep him from being overexposed. Danny Santana will likely play shortstop full-time in 2015, leaving Escobar to man third, short and second behind a trio of guys who could all regress moving forward. It’s not ideal for Escobar, but it’s a nice position for the Twins to be in. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: Even if Escobar secures the starting shortstop job again, it’s unlikely he’ll hit like he did last season (.336 batting average on balls in play).


Alcides Escobar

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 12/16/1986 | Team: Royals | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 642 142 4 22 52 57 .234 .259 .300 .247 -28.9 18.0 1.1
’14 620 165 3 31 50 74 .285 .317 .377 .307 2.4 9.0 3.4
’15 602 146 5 23 51 61 .260 .295 .347 .285 -10.8 10.4 2.1

Profile: At the plate in 2014, Alcides Escobar had another one of those seasons in which it seemed like he used his bunting ability and speed to boost his batting average on balls in play to just above average. That path is what it takes for him to be an almost-average hitter, and so it was nice after his absolute disaster in 2013. His 2011 and 2012 seemed to follow a similar pattern. So which hitter is he? Probably neither or both. He will probably put up an average between .260 and .270 and hit four or five homers while not being lucky to get on base at much over 30 percent of the time. His defensive prowess is irrelevant in most fantasy leagues. However, what he does provide is a shortstop who plays a crazy number of games (158, 155, 158, and 162 the last four seasons, respectively) and provides steals the few times he does manage to get on base. Even in in his disaster seasons, he steals more than 20 bases, and in good years, he breaks 30. That makes him very valuable in category leagues. He is not a top shortstop, but he should be a starter in just about all category leagues, and his playing time makes him useful in most points leagues, as well. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Alcides Escobar is an an average or above-average player in real baseball who is overrated because he is fun to watch in the field and on the bases. In fantasy baseball, even when his lousy bat sinks to particularly horrific levels, he still has value in category leagues because of his steals.


Yunel Escobar

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 11/2/1982 | Team: Nationals | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 578 130 9 4 56 61 .256 .332 .366 .311 -0.2 17.5 3.9
’14 529 123 7 1 39 33 .258 .324 .340 .299 -4.1 -11.0 0.2
’15 522 127 7 3 49 52 .271 .333 .367 .313 -1.7 5.0 2.1

Profile: Another Rays player with above average plate discipline and contact rates, and another Rays player whose 2014 outcomes left something to be desired. After a worthwhile 2013, here’s how Escobar’s most recent season ranked in each of the tradition fantasy stats among shortstops with 300+ plate appearances: 31st in runs scored; 22nd in RBI; tied for 15th in home runs; 29th in stolen bases; and 17th in batting average. Danny Santana and Jordy Mercer were more valuable fantasy assets, and half-seasons from Josh Rutledge, Chris Owings, and Marwin Gonzalez yielded similar results in terms of counting stats. One positive going forward is that it seems like the Nationals acquired Escobar to start at second base. It’s possible that Escobar will bounce back a bit in 2015 given some likely upward regression with his batting average on balls in play –– he posts league average line drive rates and better than average infield fly rates –– but he’s a fairly extreme pull hitter when it comes to ground balls, so he’s a prime candidate to face defensive shifts, too, which might mitigate that BABIP regression. Steamer is bearish; you should consider abiding this projection. (Robert J. Baumann)

Quick Opinion: Escobar logged his fewest plate appearances since 2008, and his counting stats followed suit. “Normal” luck with balls in play might get his batting average back up to a respectable level, but a possible platoon role in Washington doesn’t bode well for his run or RBI totals.


Danny Espinosa

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 4/25/1987 | Team: Nationals | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 167 25 3 1 12 11 .158 .193 .272 .206 -14.2 3.7 -0.6
’14 364 73 8 8 27 31 .219 .283 .351 .280 -10.0 4.2 0.6
’15 181 36 4 3 17 17 .218 .278 .348 .278 -5.4 1.7 0.2

Profile: There’s a chance Espinosa will open the year as the Nationals’ second baseman, and that at least makes him intriguing. In the past, he’s shown the ability to post strong power and steals totals, but that comes at the expense of his batting average. On top of that, Espinosa’s on-base percentage is dependent on him getting hit by a fair amount of pitches. Espinosa has always had issues batting from the left side, and the club may look to end his switch-hitting experiment soon. Manager Matt Williams announced that Espinosa will attempt to hit from the right side against some right-handers during spring training. It’s an interesting idea, and could boost Espinosa’s value slightly. Expectations should remain small, but there’s at least some use here if Espinosa gets the full-time job. (Chris Cwik)

Quick Opinion: Espinosa has shown a strong power and speed combination in the past, and that should make him an interesting fantasy option. He hasn’t hit for average in the past, and Yunel Escobar is probably the favorite for the starting job, and that limits Espinosa’s upside.


Andre Ethier

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 4/10/1982 | Team: Dodgers | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 553 131 12 4 52 54 .272 .360 .423 .340 12.9 -2.7 2.9
’14 380 85 4 2 42 29 .249 .322 .370 .307 -3.0 -2.3 0.7
’15 181 42 4 1 19 19 .261 .336 .400 .324 1.5 -3.9 0.3

Profile: Andre Ethier’s ninth big league season was easily his most disappointing, as he spent most of the year as a reserve and flopped badly in a midseason stint as the everyday center fielder. Ethier’s offensive downturn wasn’t fueled by bad luck so much as it was by simple awful performance, as he hit as many homers as Madison Bumgarner — a pitcher, obviously — and was outslugged by Dee Gordon. Perhaps most frustrating of all is that Ethier was platooned more heavily than he’d ever been before, and yet he still couldn’t perform despite facing nearly entirely righties, who he’d always hit well. 33 in 2015, and with a batted ball distance that’s been almost consistently down from his 2009 peak, it’s fair to wonder if Ethier’s days as a starting outfielder are behind him. (Mike Petriello)

Quick Opinion: Andre Ethier’s worst year couldn’t have come at a worse time, because as he heads into his age-33 season, it sure looks more like the start of a bad decline phase than a down season. There’s hope for a slight bounce-back here, but it seems clear that this is the beginning of the end.


Tim Federowicz

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 8/5/1987 | Team: Padres | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 173 37 4 0 16 12 .231 .275 .356 .266 -7.6 2.5 -0.0
’14 78 8 1 0 5 2 .113 .158 .197 .162 -8.8 2.0 -0.5
’15 212 42 4 1 19 18 .217 .277 .336 .274 -5.8 4.9 0.6

Profile: The Los Angeles Dodgers packaged 27-year-old backup catcher Tim Federowicz alongside Matt Kemp in a deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason that returned catcher Yasmani Grandal and two pitching prospects. Considered by some to be more of a defensive specialist than a crafty batsman, Federowicz will likely be in a similar backup, platoon, or late-inning defensive replacement situation in San Diego with newly acquired backstop Derek Norris earning most of the plate appearances as the Friars’ primary backstop. In seven years on the farm, Federowicz compiled a .293/.359/.465 slash line with a sprinkle of pop (65 home runs and 352 runs batted in), so the ability to make contact and get on base is there. But in just 89 games in the first division, the right-hander owns an ugly .194/.247/.300 triple slash with five long balls, 22 RBI and an awful 29.5% strikeout rate. In deeper “only” leagues that roster two catchers, Federowicz could be an option for owners simply looking to gather plate appearances. (Alan Harrison)

Quick Opinion: Federowicz is more of a defensive specialist than run producer, so he’ll likely be in a backup, platoon or late-inning defensive replacement situation in San Diego. He should only be considered for owners in super deep two catcher formats.


Prince Fielder

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 5/9/1984 | Team: Rangers | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 712 174 25 1 106 82 .279 .362 .457 .358 15.2 -17.7 2.3
’14 178 37 3 0 16 19 .247 .360 .360 .305 -5.0 -3.4 -0.3
’15 599 144 24 1 86 81 .282 .380 .483 .373 20.4 -17.4 2.4

Profile: Even before his mess of a 2014 season, there were questions around Prince Fielder. Prior to 2013, he was an outstanding producer in both real and fantasy baseball. In the latter’s category variant, he regularly racked up runs, RBI, and homers, and usually threw in a good average, too. But in 2013, things started to go wrong. He wasn’t walking quite as much, or hitting for average, but more troubling was the drop in power. Was Fielder’s conditioning (or lack thereof) catching up with him? Then the Tigers traded Fielder to the Rangers, but no answers were really forthcoming as his 2014 season ended after 178 (dreadful) plate appearances due to a brutal and unusual neck injury. There are not any obvious examples of a hitter coming back from having bones in his neck fused together. This would seem to have obvious effects on his hitting, but it is not clear what the recovery will be like. Moreover, Fielder was clearly in decline before the injury. Just from prior numbers, one might expect something like .280/.380/.480 for Fielder, but that does not take his injury into account. Do not pay for those numbers, but do not let him go as if he is worthless. Draft him lower/pay less for him than you think he is projected to go so that if he does produce it is a bonus — treat him like you might have treated Victor Martinez going into 2014. Here is hoping he surprises, but there are so many unknowns with him. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Fielder is a big risk in 2015, but the Rangers have no choice but to play him. Do not let him drop off the board, but err on the side of buying low.


Chone Figgins

Debut: 2002 |  BirthDate: 1/22/1978 | Position: 2B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 76 13 0 4 1 8 .217 .373 .267 .308 1.9 1.2 0.6
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .209 .286 .281 .260 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: After horrific seasons in 2011 and 2012, and no season at all in 2013, Figgins made it back for 38 games with the Dodgers, hitting .217/.373/.267. He sold his Orange County condo after the season, so he probably doesn’t expect to be back. (Jeremy Blachman)


Ryan Flaherty

Debut: 2012 |  BirthDate: 7/27/1986 | Team: Orioles | Position: 2B/3B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 271 55 10 2 27 28 .224 .293 .390 .299 -3.2 7.6 1.4
’14 312 62 7 1 32 33 .221 .288 .356 .287 -5.8 0.7 0.6
’15 194 40 5 1 20 20 .227 .286 .369 .290 -3.9 0.5 0.3

Profile: Try pronouncing “Ryan Flaherty” without a brogue. It’s impossible. That has nothing to do with Ryan Flaherty the baseball player, of course, who has settled into a utility role with the Orioles. His average defense at second base, third base, and shortstop gained him a decent number of plate appearances, but he’s yet to have much success against major league pitching. He’s not out of his prime (though he might be easily mistaken for a grizzled veteran role player a la later vintage Adam Kennedy), and his minor league track record shows that he has always taken some time to adjust to a new level, so don’t count out decent production just yet. For what it’s worth, he also had an excellent final month in 2014, posting a weighted offensive line 29% above league average in September while also walking more and hitting more line drives. Still, we’re taking a low-ceiling, super utility player. It’s possible he could take over second base if Jonathan Schoop is sent to the minors to start the year, in which case you can start paying attention. (Robert J. Baumann)

Quick Opinion: Flaherty has more value to the Orioles than he does to your fantasy team (even if they are also unimaginatively named the “Orioles”). Winning a starting job will give him a chance to prove whether he made a legitimate breakthrough last September, but until then, there’s not much reason to target him for your team.


Wilmer Flores

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 8/6/1991 | Team: Mets | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 101 20 1 0 13 8 .211 .248 .295 .241 -5.8 1.4 -0.2
’14 274 65 6 1 29 28 .251 .286 .378 .291 -3.3 7.4 1.3
’15 513 118 15 2 57 49 .248 .288 .396 .301 -3.2 3.9 1.7

Profile: As of late December, Wilmer Flores appeared to be the favorite to start at shortstop on opening day for the Mets. That says more about the state of the club than it does about the former top prospect’s future projections. He just hasn’t developed with the bat as hoped and he possesses modest defensive value (at best). The good news is that he’s still just 23 years old, having been on the prospect radar since he was 16. Flores looks like a power hitter but he has yet to show much pop in two brief big league stints. He also doesn’t walk much, which puts added pressure on his ability to hit for a high average. On the plus side, he makes a lot of contact (11.3% strikeout rate) and has the frame to hit for power if he can make an adjustment or two. If he indeed opens 2015 with a full-time gig, Flores is an interesting NL-only wildcard. (Marc Hulet)

Quick Opinion: It’s too early to give up on Flores but his 78-game, big-league trial in 2014 was modest at best. Scouts are also lukewarm on his future potential, which suggests his fantasy value will be quite volatile.


Pedro Florimon

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 12/10/1986 | Team: Pirates | Position: SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 446 89 9 15 44 44 .221 .281 .330 .273 -12.8 9.9 1.3
’14 86 7 0 6 1 7 .092 .179 .132 .153 -9.2 5.9 -0.1
’15 188 37 2 6 15 16 .217 .275 .308 .262 -6.7 3.4 0.3

Profile: Florimon has always been billed as an all-glove, no-hit shortstop, but no quality of leather can hide the 7-for-76 (.092) stretch he was in before the Twins declared no mas. Florimon was sent to the minors, where he moved around the infield and played decently well before he was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals. Florimon was claimed a couple months later by the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he could compete for a utility job. However, at 28 it might be near the end of the line. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: At this point Florimon is nomadic minor league roster filler. His ceiling is as a defensive replacement and pinch runner in the National League. You know what to do.


Tyler Flowers

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 1/24/1986 | Team: White Sox | Position: C
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 275 50 10 0 24 24 .195 .247 .355 .265 -14.6 4.8 -0.1
’14 442 98 15 0 50 42 .241 .297 .396 .308 -4.9 7.2 1.8
’15 296 56 10 2 32 30 .208 .272 .364 .283 -8.4 5.6 0.8

Profile: If you subscribe to the old adage “don’t believe anything you see in April or September”, then Tyler Flowers is not the player for you. The White Sox catcher was terrific in April, terrific in September, and almost unplayable for the rest of the season. A low walk/high strikeout catcher with power is a well-known profile, but for much of Flowers’ season he only offered the strikeouts. His .354/.398/.415 April came fueled by a sky high in-play average (.560 BABIP!) while his .268/.302/.683 September featured five home runs in just 43 plate appearances — and a gaudy 71% home run per fly ball rate. He was still the same guy, striking out 18 times against just one walk that month, but the ball flew over the fence and his line looks nice as a result. There isn’t anybody ahead of Flowers on the White Sox depth chart, so he’ll get his chance to prove it was his new eye wear, not batted ball luck, that powered his game. There are better options out there than one of only four players to ever break the 36% strikeout threshold (min 400 PA) — the only problem is finding them in the thin catching pool. (Drew Fairservice)

Quick Opinion: An up-and-down 2014 reveals the real Tyler Flowers, huge strikeout totals with enough power sprinkled in to keep your interest.


Logan Forsythe

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 1/14/1987 | Team: Rays | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 243 47 6 6 19 22 .214 .281 .332 .272 -6.6 -0.2 0.0
’14 336 67 6 2 26 32 .223 .287 .329 .278 -7.9 -5.2 -0.2
’15 271 56 5 3 25 27 .233 .304 .347 .292 -2.9 -1.2 0.5

Profile: With Ben Zobrist rumored to be traded from the Rays, Logan Forsythe is the closest thing to an heir apparent in Tampa Bay. Forsythe has played all over the infield and in both corner outfield spots in his career. Unfortunately, Forsythe’s .235/.303/.343 career triple slash is better suited to be a utility option than a super-utility one. Back-to-back 29% line drive rates in 2012 and 2013 brought some promise of an improved batting average, but Forsythe declined to 19 percent in his first season in Tampa and hit just .223. He has limited upside in terms of power and speed and his playing time is likely capped at around 400 plate appearances. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Logan Forsythe may be the closest thing the Rays have to a replacement for Ben Zobrist, but Forsythe has too little of a bat to offer more than positional flexibility in very deep formats in fantasy.


Dexter Fowler

Debut: 2008 |  BirthDate: 3/22/1986 | Team: Cubs | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 492 109 12 19 42 71 .263 .369 .407 .347 5.1 -0.3 2.1
’14 505 120 8 11 35 61 .276 .375 .399 .347 17.3 -20.6 1.4
’15 582 125 10 13 49 69 .252 .353 .379 .329 6.6 -10.8 1.4

Profile: Fowler remains an enigma. Tall and lean and athletic, he possesses the physical tools most often associated with a top center fielder and leadoff-type batter — and yet, the one actual above-average skill he’s demonstrated as a major leaguer is his walk rate, which sits at about the 95th percentile among qualified batters over the last three seasons. Meanwhile, both his stolen-base record (94-for-140, or 67.1%) and outfield defense have actually <i>cost</i> the Rockies and (now) Astros runs. Now six years into his career and entering his age-29 season, Fowler is unlikely to suddenly break type. So what does that mean for 2015? Well, his body of work has been remarkably uniform — walk rates between 11% and 14%, strikeout rates between 20% and 25%, below-average power, above-average batting averages on balls in play — and it’s difficult to concoct a scenario in which he strays meaningfully in one direction or the other. Traded in January to the Cubs, he’s likely to serve as that club’s opening-day center fielder. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Fowler isn’t the player one might suspect based solely on his physical profile. It still adds up to major-league average production, though — production he’ll produce for the Cubs now, following a January trade from the Astros.


Juan Francisco

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 6/24/1987 | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 385 79 18 0 48 36 .227 .296 .422 .313 -3.9 -16.5 -1.0
’14 320 63 16 0 43 40 .220 .291 .456 .327 1.9 -5.7 0.7
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .222 .284 .415 .307 -0.0 -0.0 0.0

Profile: As of this writing, Juan Francisco is jobless. The Red Sox picked him up off of waivers from the Blue Jays, then non-tendered him. Francisco is something less than impressive defensively at either infield corner. His walk rate is average at best, and his contact rate is nearly Mark Reynolds-esque. Francisco has shown almost no ability to hit southpaws. What Juan Francisco can do is hit massive home runs off of righties at an impressive clip. In half a season of playing time, he can easily hit 15 home runs. Of course, the entertainment factor of moonshots will not help you outside of some sort of weird (and AWESOME) fantasy leagues, and Francisco won’t really help you in any other category — even a .240 batting average would be a bit of a miracle given his massive strikeout rate and fly ball tendencies. Most importantly, he does not have a job yet. However, keep an eye out if he latches on with a team. It probably will not be a full-time role. But he should qualify at both first and third, and a platoon role will help his rate stats from killing your team’s average while he also puts up about 15 home runs. If he gets a job, Francisco could be a nice cheap or low-end option in the deepest of leagues. (Matt Klaassen)

Quick Opinion: Juan Francisco’s skills: hitting home runs off of righties. End of list. Not a player to bank on even after he latches on to a team, but anyone who can hit 15 home runs in 300 plate appearances can help if he slips under the radar in the late rounds.


Maikel Franco

Debut: 2014 |  BirthDate: 8/26/1992 | Team: Phillies | Position: 1B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 58 10 0 0 5 5 .179 .190 .214 .179 -5.4 1.7 -0.2
’15 578 132 19 3 63 58 .244 .280 .407 .302 -5.9 0.0 1.2

Profile: Franco signed out of the Dominican in January 2010, got more physical and turned into a real prospect. His breakout was in 2013, between High-A and Double-A, when he hit better than .300 with 30 homers between the two levels. Franco is limited physically by his slow feet and will never be more than fringy at third base, but has the plus arm and good hands to figure out a way to make it work. The ultimate fit is likely first base, but that’s years away. Franco’s raw power is plus and should play up in Philadelphia, but Franco’s ultimate projection comes down to what kind of hitter he wants to be. Franco has the plus bat control, solid bat speed and hasn’t struck out in more than 15% of his plate appearances at any full-season level. That said, his plate discipline is suspect and his swing can get out of control. There’s always a question as to whether this type of hitter will keep succeeding in the majors or be forced to make adjustments. The tools are here for a 50+ bat with 60 game power, which would fit everyday at third base or first base. (Kiley McDaniel)

Quick Opinion: Triple-A pitchers gave Franco much more trouble this year than High-A and Double-A pitchers did in 2013. The Phillies think Franco will learn to stop getting himself out in the next year or two and that adjustment will dictate what kind of career he will have. He could break camp with the team if Cody Asche struggles and/or Ryan Howard is still on the roster.


Jeff Francoeur

Debut: 2005 |  BirthDate: 1/8/1984 | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 256 50 3 3 17 20 .204 .238 .298 .235 -16.5 -4.1 -1.3
’14 28 2 0 0 1 2 .083 .179 .083 .138 -3.3 -0.2 -0.3
’15 1 0 0 0 0 0 .221 .265 .341 .267 -0.0 -0.0 -0.0

Profile: Jeff Francoeur used to have a habit of getting off to a fast start with a new team before reverting back to the free-swinging ways that got him released or traded to begin with. Lately, he hasn’t even been able to manage the fast starts, batting .083 for the Padres in a 28 at-bat callup last season. Signed to a minor league deal by the Phillies for 2015, Francoeur has toyed with the idea of trying to revive his career as a pitcher. I’m not sure what categories your fantasy league would need to have for you to be interested in drafting him this year, though he does seem like a genuinely nice person according to all media reports. (Jeremy Blachman)

Quick Opinion: Francoeur has had sustained periods of success in his career, but unfortunately not since 2011. Charlie Manuel thinks he can work with Francoeur’s swing to revive his career, but there are much safer choices for your final outfield slot.


Kevin Frandsen

Debut: 2006 |  BirthDate: 5/24/1982 | Team: Nationals | Position: 3B/OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 278 59 5 1 26 27 .234 .296 .341 .286 -8.2 -0.2 -0.0
’14 236 57 1 0 17 17 .259 .299 .309 .275 -7.7 -2.5 -0.4
’15 173 43 2 1 16 16 .270 .309 .357 .297 -3.0 -2.2 -0.0

Profile: Frandsen is a utility infielder better known for his ability to play multiple positions rather than his ability at the plate. The Nationals don’t have the best situation at second to open the year, but Frandsen isn’t considered an option to start. That should give you an accurate idea of his fantasy value. (Chris Cwik)


Nick Franklin

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 3/2/1991 | Team: Rays | Position: 2B/SS
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 412 83 12 6 45 38 .225 .303 .382 .304 -3.9 -4.7 0.5
’14 90 13 1 2 6 7 .160 .222 .247 .214 -6.4 1.9 -0.2
’15 519 108 12 9 50 56 .235 .310 .367 .303 -1.4 -0.5 1.6

Profile: Part of a crowded infield situation in Seattle — in particular, following the signing by that club of Robinson Cano during the 2013-14 offseason — Franklin was traded in July to the Rays, a club that featured, in Yunel Escobar and Ben Zobrist, two well-established starters, as well. Unsurprisingly, he received his first plate appearance with Tampa Bay only after rosters expanded in September and the club was eliminated from postseason contention. Following a January trade that sent both Escobar and Zobrist to Oakland, however, there’s considerably more space in the Rays’ infield entering 2015 — and, indeed, Franklin appears to be the favorite to start at second base (alongside Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop) on opening day. As for his likely production in that capacity, there’s more reason for optimism than his brief major-league track record — especially the 2014 part of it — would suggest. Franklin has exhibited above-average plate-discipline skills in the high minors even while playing almost exclusively against competition roughly three-to-five years his senior. Moreover, he possess roughly league-average power. The raw numbers will ultimately be deflated by Tropicana Field, but adjusted for context, Franklin profiles as an average major leaguer. (Carson Cistulli)

Quick Opinion: Though his 2014 numbers do a poor job of suggesting it, Franklin profiles as an average major-league player. With the departure both of Yunel Escobar and Ben Zobrist, he’ll have ample time to demonstrate that fact as the Rays’ second baseman.


Todd Frazier

Debut: 2011 |  BirthDate: 2/12/1986 | Team: Reds | Position: 1B/3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 600 124 19 6 73 63 .234 .314 .407 .319 1.1 11.7 3.3
’14 660 163 29 20 80 88 .273 .336 .459 .350 19.5 3.4 4.7
’15 573 128 22 11 68 65 .249 .317 .432 .330 6.4 1.0 2.7

Profile: Frazier had established himself as a decent third baseman in deeper mixed leagues heading into 2014, but it’s probably safe to say that his breakout campaign, in which he finished second at the position according to Zach Sanders’ rankings, was largely unforeseen. After all, entering his age-28 season, he was just a lifetime .249 hitter who had yet to reach 20 home runs in a major league season. But he blew away all expectations in 2014. He even stole 20 bases — a number that exceeded his lifetime major league attempts heading into the season. Much of the credit belongs to a healthy average batted ball distance of 293.6 feet, and two-thirds of his home runs were smashed at the hitter-helping Great American Ball Park. Unfortunately, Frazier’s success was largely produced in the first half; after the all-star break, the line drives dried up, his ground-ball-to-fly-ball ratio soared by 30%, and his weighted on-base average plunged by nearly 60 points. True, he hit .293 in August, but that was largely due to some batted-ball luck, and the power remained largely absent. Some of his second half issues, perhaps, can be attributed to a Cincinnati offense that all but disappeared around him; indeed, the percentage of pitches he saw in the strike zone dropped by three percentage points over the last three months of the year compared to the first three. For a guy who’s demonstrated an ability to provide pop at a typically shallow position in fantasy, Frazier deserves to have significant value in 2015, but he strikes out too much, it’s unclear whether the steals are legit, and he’s approaching an age when power begins to fade. (Karl de Vries)

Quick Opinion: Frazier has set a nice bar for his best-case scenario, but fantasy owners would do well to brace for a bit of a drop-off, making him more of a mid-round option than a guy drafted among the best at the hot corner.


Freddie Freeman

Debut: 2010 |  BirthDate: 9/12/1989 | Team: Braves | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 629 176 23 1 109 89 .319 .396 .501 .387 33.7 -8.7 4.7
’14 708 175 18 3 78 93 .288 .386 .461 .374 28.5 -11.4 4.2
’15 649 159 24 3 83 80 .284 .375 .480 .375 28.3 -9.8 4.1

Profile: Coming off of a 20+ home run, 100+ RBI, .300+ average season at age 24, Freeman had a lot of buzz around him last year entering fantasy drafts. Unfortunately, a combination of a lack of power and a lineup that was significantly worse than the season prior meant that Freeman did not quite live up to fantasy expectations. It is not that he was significantly worse offensively last year, it’s that his fantasy-relevant statistics all seemed to drop. Aside from a few more runs and two more stolen bases, he dropped in the other three aforementioned numbers. The good news is that he was still productive and played every single game. He will be the main cog in the Braves lineup this year, as seemingly the only productive offensive player not to get traded, but that means a low amount of RBI again this year. For a first baseman, Freeman may be more valuable in the real life game in the fantasy game. Hopefully, as he continues to age, he hits for more and more power, as his doubles did jump a good deal last year and the hope is that he converts more and more of those into home runs as he ages. He may not have the most upside, but you could do worse than Freeman as your first baseman. (Ben Duronio)

Quick Opinion: Freeman did not replicate his very impressive2013 fantasy season, but he was still a solid player and played every single game. He does not offer a ton of upside, but he has consistency and should bump his home run total back over the 20 threshold despite falling short last year.


David Freese

Debut: 2009 |  BirthDate: 4/28/1983 | Team: Angels | Position: 3B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 521 121 9 1 60 53 .262 .340 .381 .322 0.9 -14.9 0.2
’14 511 120 10 1 55 53 .260 .321 .383 .314 1.2 1.2 2.1
’15 535 124 12 3 57 57 .260 .328 .390 .320 4.4 -4.9 1.8

Profile: David Freese’s 20-homer 2012 season looks like a pretty big fluke. He has just 19 home runs in two full seasons since then, and a 51.5% career ground-ball rate and a pitcher-friendly home ballpark are unlikely to help him going forward. His .280 career batting average is nice enough, but it is built on a .344 batting average on balls in play mark that he has fallen short of each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, Freese offers too little in the way of counting stats to be much use in fantasy. He’s Chris Johnson with a little less batting average and a little more power. That makes him an AL-only play. (Scott Spratt)

Quick Opinion: Freese’s 20-homer 2012 season is a clear anomaly. He offers moderate power and average with little upside and no speed, which makes him an AL-only play at best.


Nate Freiman

Debut: 2013 |  BirthDate: 12/31/1986 | Team: Athletics | Position: 1B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 208 52 4 0 24 10 .274 .327 .389 .317 -2.6 -3.2 0.1
’14 93 19 5 0 15 12 .218 .269 .448 .311 0.5 -1.4 0.2
’15 67 15 2 0 8 7 .241 .303 .395 .309 -0.1 -1.5 0.1

Profile: Known more for his 6′ 8″ height than his skills with a bat, Nate Freiman managed to sneak into 36 games last year, though he posted only 93 plate appearances. As a right-handed hitter, Freiman did hit opposing southpaws 16% better than league average, however even that mild success came in a small 71 plate appearance sample size. With the team’s acquisition of Ike Davis, expect Freiman to get into the occasional game, but his fantasy value is almost null. (David Wiers)


Sam Fuld

Debut: 2007 |  BirthDate: 11/20/1981 | Team: Athletics | Position: OF
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’13 200 35 2 8 17 25 .199 .270 .267 .246 -8.0 -1.7 -0.3
’14 402 84 4 21 36 40 .239 .321 .342 .298 -1.0 13.7 2.8
’15 475 98 5 17 39 49 .232 .308 .330 .288 -7.3 -0.4 0.8

Profile: The Sam Fuld tour made two separate stops in Oakland in 2014, with a trip to Minnesota serving as the cream filling to his A’s Oreo cookie. Fuld played poorly with the A’s in both stints, but managed to be good enough for the Twins to net them left-hander Tommy Milone in return. Ultimately, Milone was just a spare part for Oakland — which wasn’t out of character. Fuld is a fine enough fourth outfielder. He’s good in the corners, passable in center, and makes enough contact to team up with his walk rate to make him a fine part-time option. Anybody who sees him as more than that — at this point in his career, that isn’t anyone most likely — will not be satisfied. One last thing of note is that Fuld battled concussion woes for the first time in his career in 2014. That’s always something to monitor, and it cost the outfielder 32 games this past season. (Brandon Warne)

Quick Opinion: In terms of real-life value, Fuld is a fine fourth outfielder. Fantasy-wise, you should look elsewhere.


Rafael Furcal

Debut: 2000 |  BirthDate: 10/24/1977 | Position: 2B
Yr PA H HR SB RBI R AVG OBP SLG wOBA Off Def WAR
’14 37 6 0 0 2 4 .171 .216 .229 .202 -3.0 0.3 -0.2
’15 254 58 3 6 20 27 .253 .309 .353 .296 -3.8 1.5 0.6

Profile: Rafael Furcal used to be fun to watch. Those days are long gone. Now his career is sad, because he simply cannot stay on the field. That’s unfortunate. More unfortunate, though, is his performance when he has actually been able to play. It hasn’t been good. The game has passed Furcal bye, you should, too.

Quick Opinion: Furcal, if he finds a job, isn’t a fantasy option any longer. Health has simply caught up with him, and there isn’t much to hang onto anyways. (Landon Jones)






Comments are closed.