Daily Dr. Roto—March 7
Fantasy Preview in a Nutshell: Los Angeles Dodgers
C Yasmani Grandal — Grandal has solid power for a catcher but shows little else in the other categories. His best attribute is that he hits in the middle of a very talented lineup which gives him tons of opportunities
1B Cody Bellinger — I was very impressed with Bellinger last season. He tailed off in the post-season but that was to be expected of a 22-year old in his first pennant race. The sky is the limit for him and he makes for an exceptional second round pick.
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2B Logan Forsythe — Forsythe was injured for much of last season, so people might forget how talented a player he is. A lot of his playing time will depend on what the Dodgers choose to do with Chris Taylor. If the Dodgers want to place Taylor at 2B vs. RHP, Forsythe will only play against LHP. If the Dodgers let Taylor play the OF, Forsythe will be the everyday 2B. Watch this closely in Spring Training.
SS Corey Seager — I am a little torn on Seager. One the one hand, I think Seager can go 40-110 as soon as this season. However, I also think that SS is a deep position and if Seager goes 25-85 there are a lot of other guys that I like instead that I can wait on 10 rounds later. What I will most likely end up doing is taking Seager on a handful of teams and passing on him in other leagues to hedge my bet. If I were only playing in one league, though, I would take the chance that he breaks out this season.
3B Justin Turner — Turner is a rock-solid pick at 3B. He will hit around .300 and provide good power numbers. You can’t go wrong with him in the 5th or 6th round of your draft.
OF Yasiel Puig — Puig has Hall of Fame Talent as player, but he is also a knucklehead of epic proportions. The good news is that he is in a contract year so that should keep him focused on doing his best and not complaining all the time. I rarely draft guys like Puig, but if I ever was going to do it, this would be the year.
OF Matt Kemp — Kemp is starting to slow down, and the Dodgers are dying to trade him, but they will have to eat a ton of money if they do, so it’s likely that he remains with the team. If Kemp can get 400 at bats I think he can go 20-80 and for that reason I think he is a sneaky good late round selection in drafts.
OF Chris Taylor — I am not sure that any player surprised me as much as Taylor did last season. Prior to 2017 he did nothing to show Fantasy owners that he was capable of being a huge offensive spark. Now the Dodgers look like geniuses for using him. I don’t expect Taylor to do what he did last year, but even if his numbers drop 25% there is still immense value in his ability to help a Fantasy team with his multiple position eligibility.
OF Joc Pederson — I still have faith that Pederson will figure it all out and go on a rampage–I just am not sure it will be with the Dodgers. Pederson needs to find a team that will let him hack every day. Until that happens, take a flyer on Joc late in drafts and hope for an injury so he can get more playing time.
C/U Austin Barnes — Barnes is a backup catcher who also qualifies at 2B. He hits for a decent average and could possibly steal 10-15 bases if given the green light. I love him as a number two catcher this year.
SP Clayton Kershaw — Back injury and all, he is still the most dominant pitcher in Fantasy Baseball. Gone are the days of Kershaw pitching 220+ innings, but I still think he should throw around 190 innings and give his Fantasy owners stellar numbers in the process.
SP Rich Hill — I can’t tell you that Rich Hill isn’t a good starting pitcher—he is. What I can say is that he is 37 years old and the Dodgers will place him on the DL multiple times this season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. He could pitch 130 innings during the regular season.
SP Alex Wood — Wood entered the Dodgers starting rotation in late-April and rattled off about 15 terrific starts before slowing down towards the end of last season. The real Alex Wood is somewhere in between the two pitchers we saw in 2017. I would expect a bunch of wins and a solid ERA, but not quite the Cy Young type of season from last year.
SP Kenta Maeda — I remember targeting Maeda in all my drafts last season only to be supremely disappointed by his efforts. Maeda rarely threw deep into games and when he did he often let up big HRs to ruin good starts. I think there is value with Maeda, but I see him more as a member of a deep Fantasy rotation than a guy who can be a star.
SP Walker Buehler — Buehler? Buehler? Far from being a sausage King of Chicago, Walker Buehler is the Dodgers most prized pitching prospect. He is expected to begin the year in the minors, but if he pitches well expect him to get the callup to the big club in late May/early June. Buehler has dealt with numerous injuries in the past, so the Dodgers will be careful with his pitch count and innings limit, but it is foreseeable that if he stays healthy, he might throw about 150 innings this season.
RP Kenley Jansen — If you want to select Jansen, you might have to do it as early as Round 3. And while, I usually never take a closer that early, Jansen might be the exception. His numbers are stellar, and he strikes batters out in droves and his WHIP has been under 1.00 for the past three seasons! Jansen is clearly the top reliever in the game right now and should be treated as such in all formats.
RP Pedro Baez — Baez was a solid setup man in 2016 and the first half of 2017 until he imploded and got battered around in the second half of the season. He could be a good source of holds if he regains his confidence in Spring Training.
Stash and Cash: Alex Verdugo — Verdugo is only 21 years old, so the Dodgers are in no rush to start his time clock any sooner than they have to. However, Verdugo is a very mature hitter and if there is an injury in the OF at any point, he might be the first player called up from the minors. Moreover, if he gets the call, he might stick around for good.
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