Busts
These players are bound to disappoint and should be avoided in most leagues.
Pablo Sandoval (ESPN: Unranked, Yahoo: 237)
We just mentioned that Shaw has a shot to steal the third base job, which means there has to be some concern that Sandoval could lose it. If Sandoval isn’t starting for the Red Sox then there’s no reason to have him on your roster.
Even if Sandoval does hang on to the job, don’t expect much. He has seen his OPS drop in four straight seasons since 2011, which is the last time he hit 20+ homers. He could hit 10-15 home runs, but that’s not enough from a third baseman unless you are in a very deep league. He doesn’t make up for it with speed or a high batting average and isn’t likely to pile up runs or RBI hitting no higher than sixth in the Red Sox lineup.
Clay Buchholz (ESPN: 262, Yahoo: 218)
Buchholz is the ultimate wild card from this Red Sox pitching staff. He’s shown in the past that he’s capable of being one of the league’s most dominant pitchers, but he is also prone to meltdowns where it seems he can’t get his head in the game. He has the potential to return great value from where he’s being drafted, but he comes with an enormous amount of risk.
Even if Buchholz has another great season, you have to wonder how long it will last. He’s never come close to 200 innings in a season and is a safe bet to hit the disabled list at some point in the season. He could pay off with a late round pick, but isn’t worth the headaches.