The “thin” positions in fantasy are undoubtedly in the center of the diamond, where defense is as valuable in the real world as hitting.
With so few top-tier choices at either position, many of us end up crossing-fingers and drafting on upside in the late-middle and late rounds.
In many cases these reach picks don’t immediately pan out and there are some short-term gems to be found.
Here are three that I drafted, and I am paying the price for…
J J Hardy
Drafted under the premise of “get me 20 HR and 80 RBI”, Hardy is mired in a terrible slump. Hitting a paltry .156, manager Ken Macha is giving him time off to “regroup”. Ouch.
Mike Aviles
Hitting .213 and has been pushed to the bottom of the order, batting 9th. Still a great deal of potential here, and he has hit the last few games, but so far a real disappointment from someone I viewed as a break-out candidate.
Kelly Johnson
He started hot and fast, but quickly (make that immediately) went straight down. Now in a platoon situation, hitting .213, he offers little fantasy value at this point.
There are however some real surprises, all of whom I missed on of course…
Marco Scutaro
Operating in relative fantasy anonymity, Scutaro is currently ranked 36 in Y! rankings and is hitting a respectable .280 with 5 round-trippers, 15 RBI and 24 runs. Throw in multi-position eligibility at 2B, SS and 3B and I’m buying.
Jason Barlett
.349, 5 steals, 15 Runs and 3 HR…..compare that to over-hyped Alexei Ramirez. Enough said.
The point is, there are a great deal of value picks still on the waiver-wire to help you fill your middle infield holes. When you boil it down to solid, effective numbers to shore up a team, and get past the name recognition, there are some steals waiting on you.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Good points. I would add Aaron Hill to the list of “gems,” though a guy that has been so hot this year (.361 avg, 6 HR, 22 rbis, 19 runs, and 2 sbs) that he is likely no longer available in most leagues and Jose Lopez, a guy I drafted an expected a lot from, as one of the early season disapointments.
Yup, both Hill and Lopez fit the bill on both ends of the spectrum.
If Cabrera keeps hitting for the Indians, he is deserving as well. Also overlooked and providing big dividends is Orlando Hudson.
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