Keep these Red Sox players in mind when you are drafting your fantasy teams
As we approach closer and closer to Opening Day, it is getting to be that time that all of the fantasy sports lovers are preparing to draft their fantasy baseball squads for the 2021 season. As the Red Sox have numerous studs you would love to land on draft-day such as Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and J.D. Martinez.
It’s the sleepers for Boston this year you want to keep an eye on. Star power is great but being able to find steals in the later rounds can become possible league winners and it is so valuable to hit on late-round players. Let’s take a look at three Red Sox sleepers that you should consider targeting in a 10 team, head-to-head points leagues.
Eduardo Rodriguez has to be someone you would want to consider targeting. Beginning the year as the club’s ace until Chris Sale returns. E-Rod has an opportunity to build off his breakout season in 2019 and bounce-back in a big way after missing the entirety of 2020. According to Fantasy Pros, he is the 205th ranked player right now, and that is a bargain for someone who will give stability in the back end of your fantasy rotation.
The reason why it would even be wise to reach for him a little in the early teen rounds is that you know what you are going to get from him. In 2019 he was a fantasy steal, going undrafted in a lot of leagues and logging in a record of 19-6 with a 3.81ERA, which was almost identical to his ERA in 2018 as well (3.82).
The Sox will also provide run support, which bodes well in points-based leagues. Points also do not ride too much on ERA but more so strikeouts and wins which E-Rod will provide. You should consider drafting Eduardo Rodriguez and enjoy the ride.
Enrique Hernandez could be a fun addition to your team giving that he has insane versatility being eligible to play second base, shortstop, and outfield. What makes him interesting is because he is ranked just 326th according to Fantasy Pros, and is barely even being drafted in most leagues.
It makes him an intriguing candidate with one of your final picks in your draft. Now that he will be an everyday guy his power numbers should go up or at least compare to his 21 he had in 2018. A cheap source of power with a low strikeout rate is a nice addition to any fantasy roster.
His value will even increase if he does bat leadoff for a Red Sox lineup that certainly has the ability to score a lot of runs. This season he could easily pass his career-high with 67 runs scored which he posted back in 2018. If you are looking for a consistent point scorer who will not go negative very often, and somebody to have on your bench and plugin anywhere then Kike is your guy.
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Lastly, we got a young stud in the making, Bobby Dalbec. If we want to talk about league winners we may be looking at one with Red Sox 25-year-old first basemen. Power hitters are so valuable especially if you could almost fill your other holes in the early rounds and find that 30 plus home run guy in the later rounds. Dalbec has the potential to be that player for your team. Fantasy Pros has Dalbec ranked 278th.
In 23 games played last year, Dalbec batted .263, with an eye-popping eight home runs, and 16 RBI. 39 strikeouts is a little concerning in 80 at-bats but those strikeouts come with any power hitter. With Mitch Moreland out of the picture, Dalbec is destined to be an everyday player and he continues to prove his worth.
As he is currently batting .300, with five dingers, and 12 RBI so far during spring training. If you are someone who likes to take risks then this is your guy because the reward will be extremely high and Dalbec will automatically give your fantasy lineup a huge boost.
Consider these three Red Sox sleepers when drafting your fantasy squad. As we all know with the wild world of fantasy sports anything and everything can change at the drop of a dime. While none of us can see the future, with the information we do have it’s hard to pass on the guys mentioned here. Plan accordingly and good luck!