X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Top 10 for Steals: 2014 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

 

Top Ten In Steals For 2014

Stolen Bases are a tricky statistic in fantasy baseball. In most cases, the player you draft to boost your SB total will not be contributing highly in other categories. That is why when there are players on the board who not only are speedsters, but can add some pop to their bats, they tend to come at a premium. Hell, the main argument for taking Mike Trout over Miguel Cabrera #1 overall is because Trout can add to your stolen base total. With that in mind, here is my fantasy analysis for the players projected for the Top 10 in Stolen Bases. (Disclaimer: Projections taken from Yahoo Sports.)

 

1. Billy Hamilton, OF, CIN (2014 Projection: 75 SB)

By Ken Jancef from East Providence, RI, USA (Billy Hamilton) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The outright biggest stolen base threat this year, and for years to come, is Billy Hamilton. Last year in just 13 games after being called up in September, Hamilton had 13 swipes. Now in his first full season, there is no doubt about his ability to get from first to second from the leadoff position. His only question mark will be whether he has developed enough as a hitter to get on base and get the opportunities to steal those bases. After being called up, he did bat .368 in what is a small sample size. In the minors last season, he hit .256 with 102 strikeouts and a .308 OBP, not exactly world-beating numbers. Hamilton is the definition of paying a premium for steals, and whatever you get out of him in other categories is just gravy.

2. Rajai Davis, OF, DET (2014 Projection: 47 SB)

Another player who will not be a major contributor outside of the SB category, Davis is currently ranked at #318 overall, the lowest on this list. That said, he could be a great waiver plug-and-play option late in a week if you are down in steals. He will be batting towards the bottom of the Tigers lineup this year, which likely won’t help his R or RBI totals, but that isn’t why you add him in the first place anyway.

3. Jonathan Villar, SS, HOU (2014 Projection: 45 SB)

Another unimpressive player with an even less impressive team, Villar is simply a guy you draft for your bench in standard leagues, and play him when your regular starters are hurt or off. He is currently the 15th-ranked SS, and batting ninth will not help his cause. With prospect Carlos Correa lying in wait at SS, Villar could wind up being dealt to another team for infield depth or just benched all together. Avoid at all costs, or draft very late with the knowledge that will be a bench player at best.

4. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, NYY (2014 Projection: 45 SB)

Finally, a player that can do more than just steal bases. Ellsbury can not only steal 40+ bags, but also hit 15 HR and drive in 70 runs. Playing the majority of his games at Yankee Stadium will add to a bump in his power.  A likely top 20 player for 2014, Ellsbury has had injuries that could scare off some owners, but all signs point to him having a successful first year in the Bronx at the plate and on the basepaths.

5. Everth Cabrera, SS, SD (2014 Projection: 41 SB)

A much better hitting shortstop than Villar, Cabrera is a better pick without the extra five projected steals. Hitting at the top of San Diego’s order should not only give him ample opportunity to steal bases, he will also benefit from being driven in by the Padres middle-of-the-order power hitters once he gets on. Being the eighth-ranked SS-- over the likes of Starlin Castro or Asdrubal Cabrera-- might be a bit of a stretch, but you know what you are getting with Everth, while the other two could very well be hit or miss.

6. Mike Trout, OF, LAA (2014 Projection: 40 SB)

I don’t know about this guy. I mean what kind a major leaguer is named after a fish...? Joking aside, I’ve said it a million times: he’s the best player in fantasy baseball today. That’s it.

7. Carlos Gomez OF, MIL (2014 Projection: 39 SB)

Slots 7-10 all have SB projections at 39 or 38, so there isn’t much of a disparity. Yet in every other category, Gomez is by far the best player left. After riding benches as a pinch runner and batting in the bottom of orders, Gomez finally broke out in 2013 with 40 SB, 24 HR, 73 RBI and an .843 OPS, and was one of the great value picks in all of 2013. Now that he is ranked as the 20th-overall pick in 2014, he might be a bit overvalued, because it’ll be hard to duplicate his 2013 numbers. Still, he will continue to get on base and steal bags. Just 28 years old and to this point quite healthy, Gomez has plenty of time as an elite base stealer before he starts to decline.

8. Eric Young, Jr., OF, NYM (2014 Projection: 39 SB)

Aaaand we’re back to irrelevance. Young isn’t worth much of anything. He’ll likely be splitting time in the killer Mets outfield with Juan Lagares, another fantasy stud. What that means is that Young will end up being called upon as a late-inning pinch runner on the days he isn’t playing. So yes, he will rack up the SB, but don't expect much else from him at this point.

9. Starling Marte PIT- OF (2014 Projection: 38 SB)

When you bat leadoff for a team, it’s a great thing to pad your stats. It’s even better when you’re on a team like the Pirates, where you’re in front of guys like Andrew McCutchen. Marte beats Leonys Martin by one spot on this list, but look at these differences: Marte has projected 18 more R, 8 more HR, and .091 better OPS. While this speaks more as a compliment to Marte, the fact that he bats leadoff and Martin is ninth for the Rangers is also a significant factor.

10. Leonys Martin Tex – OF (2014 Projection: 38 SB)

I might have just looked down on Martin to prove a point about Marte, but the reason he is ninth in the Rangers lineup is how deep the team is. After signing Shin-Soo Choo, Texas relegated Martin to the bottom of the order. The good news for Martin is that Choo can still drive in runs better than the average leadoff hitter. I have Martin on my own fantasy team because I needed speed in my outfield. After evaluating the options, I am satisfied that I have signed up for a nice pick that will contribute beyond the basepaths.

Other Notables:

38 SB: Ben Revere Phi – OF, Jarrod Dyson KC – OF

37 SB:  Jean Segura Mil – SS, José Altuve Hou - 2B

36 SB: Michael Bourn Cle – OF, Brett Gardner NYY - OF

35 SB: Jose Reyes Tor - SS

34 SB: Elvis Andrus Tex - SS

You'll notice that I've basically listed the 18 highest projected base stealers, including some of the games’ best players, including Mike Trout, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Gomez.  Yet if you are reading this after your team is drafted and you didn’t land any of those elite names, never fear. There are waiver options here, t00, in Jarrod Dyson and Rajai Davis. You can always find speed for your fantasy team, it just depends how you use it.

That’s it for now, and this was also my last Top 10 list of the year before Opening Day. Next up for me I have “How To Play The Waiver Wire” and “How Not To Play The Waiver Wire.” Wait for those, and make sure to study them, as many leagues are won and lost by grabbing the right guys off waivers at the right times.

Make sure to follow me @JustBerglund and @Rotoballer on Twitter for all of your fantasy baseball updates.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Donovan Clingan3 hours ago

Returning On Friday
Marquise Brown3 hours ago

Expected Back Before Postseason
Bradley Beal3 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Jamal Murray3 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Christian Braun3 hours ago

To Play On Friday
Aaron Gordon3 hours ago

Available On Friday
Joel Embiid3 hours ago

Won't Return On Friday
Bradley Beal4 hours ago

Now Questionable Versus Utah
LeBron James4 hours ago

JJ Reddick Doesn't Know When LeBron James Will Return
Anthony Davis4 hours ago

Available Against Minnesota
Austin Reaves5 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Friday
Christian Walker5 hours ago

Seattle Would "Love" To Sign Christian Walker
Nikola Vucevic5 hours ago

Out Against The Hornets
Carson Kelly5 hours ago

Agrees To Two-Year Contract With Cubs
Houston Astros5 hours ago

Cam Smith Traded To Houston
Josh Giddey5 hours ago

Will Play On Friday Evening
Zach LaVine5 hours ago

Cleared To Face The Hornets
Hayden Wesneski5 hours ago

Shipped To Houston
Patrick Williams5 hours ago

Says He'll Suit Up Versus Charlotte
Evan Mobley5 hours ago

Won't Play On Friday Night
Alec Martinez5 hours ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Anthony Stolarz5 hours ago

Day-To-Day With A Lower-Body Injury
K'Andre Miller6 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Thomas Bryant6 hours ago

Traded To Indiana
Dan Vladar6 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Ladd McConkey6 hours ago

Officially Questionable For Week 15
Cam Talbot6 hours ago

Re-Aggravates Lower-Body Injury
Austin Reaves6 hours ago

Now Probable For Friday Night
Matt Dumba6 hours ago

To Remain Out On Saturday
Linus Ullmark6 hours ago

Seeks Fourth Straight Win Friday
Bub Means7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 15
Derek Carr7 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful, Not Starting
Josh Downs8 hours ago

Questionable For Week 15
Kenneth Walker III8 hours ago

Listed As Doubtful For Week 15
Tyler Higbee8 hours ago

Expected To Make Season Debut In Week 16
D'Andre Swift8 hours ago

Roschon Johnson Miss Another Practice
Trey McBride8 hours ago

Good To Go, Remains A Must-Start In Fantasy
Tidjane Salaun8 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable Against Bulls
Tony Pollard8 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 15
George Pickens8 hours ago

Steelers Officially Rule Out George Pickens
Zach Edey8 hours ago

Considered Doubtful On Friday
Alvin Kamara8 hours ago

Will Play In Week 15 Against The Commanders
David Njoku9 hours ago

Hopes To Play In Week 15
Keon Coleman9 hours ago

Returning From Four-Game Absence In Week 15
Breece Hall9 hours ago

Now Expected To Play In Week 15
Kyle Kuzma9 hours ago

Out Again Friday Against Cavaliers
Romeo Doubs9 hours ago

Clears Concussion Protocol
Isaac Paredes9 hours ago

Shipped To Houston
Evan Mobley9 hours ago

Considered Questionable Against Wizards
Kyle Tucker9 hours ago

Cubs Acquire Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Kyle Tucker9 hours ago

Cubs Close To Acquiring Kyle Tucker From The Astros
Aidan O'Connell9 hours ago

Won't Practice On Friday
Breece Hall10 hours ago

Questionable For Week 15 But Expected To Play
Nestor Cortes10 hours ago

Traded To The Brewers
David Njoku10 hours ago

Questionable For Week 15
Cedric Tillman10 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 15
Tony Pollard10 hours ago

Should Play This Weekend
Adrian Yanez11 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Tampa
Daniel Marcos11 hours ago

Looks To Remain Undefeated At UFC Tampa
Vitor Petrino11 hours ago

Looks To Return To Win Column At UFC Tampa
Dustin Jacoby11 hours ago

A Big Underdog At UFC Tampa
Cub Swanson11 hours ago

Searching For 30th Career Win At UFC Tampa
Billy Quarantillo11 hours ago

Faces A Legend At UFC Tampa
Devin Williams11 hours ago

Traded To The Yankees
Joaquin Buckley14 hours ago

Looks For His Sixth Win In A Row
Colby Covington14 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Bruno Silva14 hours ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Manel Kape14 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Tampa
Tuco Tokkos14 hours ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
Navajo Stirling14 hours ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Kevin Lankinen14 hours ago

Frustrates Panthers With Shutout Performance
Nikita Kucherov15 hours ago

Racks Up Six Points Against Flames
Leon Draisaitl15 hours ago

Continues Multi-Point Streak Versus Wild
Bryan Rust15 hours ago

Tallies Four Points In Big Win
Scott Laughton15 hours ago

Ties Flyers Record With Four-Goal Performance
Ryan O'Reilly15 hours ago

Returns With Three-Point Effort
Victor Hedman15 hours ago

Day-To-Day With A Lower-Body Injury
Kyle Bradish1 day ago

Begins Throwing Program
Nolan Arenado1 day ago

Would Approve Of Trade To The Bronx
Jake McCabe1 day ago

Available On Thursday
Scott Mayfield1 day ago

Rejoins Islanders Lineup
Yanni Gourde1 day ago

Absent Against Bruins
Jack Drury1 day ago

Set For Hand Surgery
Trevor Zegras1 day ago

To Miss Six Weeks Following Knee Surgery
Roman Josi1 day ago

Out On Thursday
J.T. Miller1 day ago

Returns To Action Thursday
Francisco Lindor1 day ago

Back Injury In The Rearview Mirror
Rafael Devers1 day ago

Red Sox Prepared To Keep Rafael Devers At Third Base
Cody Bellinger1 day ago

Yankees Targeting Cody Bellinger
Pete Alonso2 days ago

Mets Still Trying To Bring Back Pete Alonso
Corbin Burnes2 days ago

Giants The Favorites To Land Corbin Burnes
Brenton Doyle2 days ago

Rockies Plan To Hit Brenton Doyle At Leadoff
Mitch Keller2 days ago

Jared Jones, Mitch Keller Available For Trade
Shane Bieber2 days ago

Throwing From 90 Feet
Chicago White Sox2 days ago

Braden Montgomery Traded To White Sox
Kyle Teel2 days ago

White Sox Land Catching Prospect Kyle Teel
Alexandre Pantoja4 days ago

Gets Second-Round Win At UFC 310
Kai Asakura4 days ago

Submitted At UFC 310
Alexander Volkov4 days ago

Takes Split-Decision Loss
Ciryl Gane4 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC 310
MMA4 days ago

Doo Ho Choi Scores TKO Win At UFC 310
Nate Landwehr5 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC 310
Kron Gracie5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 310
Bryce Mitchell5 days ago

Scores Knockout Win At UFC 310
Ian Machado Garry5 days ago

Suffers First Defeat At UFC 310

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Friday Week 15 Updates for Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Tony Pollard, D'Andre Swift, and More

The 2024 NFL season is nearing its end, which means the fantasy playoffs have begun. Teams have reached the playoffs, completing step one of the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Now is not the time to get complacent and miss out on injury news for key players on your team. In what is the […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 15 DraftKings NFL DFS Picks - Main Slate (2024): Tua Tagovailoa, Rico Dowdle, Davante Adams, and more

Hello, Ballers, and thanks for joining me for Week 15! With many season-long leagues now headed into the fantasy playoffs, we should get see some new folks turning to the DFS streets this week. If you are one of those who will be trying DFS for the first time this season, welcome... you've come to […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings for Week 15 (QB, RB, WR, TE, DST) - Bucky Irving, Josh Downs, Nick Chubb, Tank Dell, Sincere McCormick, Braelon Allen

Fellow RotoBallers! You've made it, welcome to the fantasy football playoffs - now it's time to win your leagues. Below you'll find our latest fantasy football rankings for Week 15 of the 2024 fantasy football season. After a slow start to the week on the TNF game with low scoring all around, it's even more […]


Bo Nix - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target, Avoid (Week 15) - Juicy Playoff Matchups

The fantasy playoffs are finally here. Making the fantasy playoffs is a huge achievement that requires good drafting, diligent waiver wire moves, and strong matchup analysis. If your team is in the playoffs, the hard part is just getting started. Winning a fantasy championship requires shooting for upside each week and exploiting every available matchup […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Defenses (DEF) to Start in Week 15 (2024): Best Fantasy Playoffs Streaming Options

The fantasy playoffs are nearing. The margin of error for fantasy managers is razor-thin. A poor performance by a D/ST can break title dreams. Playing the wrong defense can result in managers being left with a zero (or worse) in their lineup. Utilizing the waiver wire and finding the matchup that benefits defenses is crucial. […]


Indianapolis Colts Defense - DST Rankings, Julian Blackmon, IDP Fantasy Football

Defenses (DEF) to Start in Week 16 (2024): Best Fantasy Playoffs Streaming Options

Congratulations! If you're reading this, you've likely secured a first-round bye for the fantasy playoffs or advanced past round one. Whether a DST helped get you here or not, playing the correct one becomes more vital as the playoffs progress. Playing the wrong defense can result in managers being left with a zero (or worse) […]


Sincere McCormick - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 15 - Sincere McCormick, Adam Thielen, Aaron Rodgers, and Hunter Henry

If you are reading this, congratulations! That likely means you made the fantasy playoffs unless you just enjoy reading about sneaky starts after you’re eliminated. Making the fantasy playoffs is a huge accomplishment and doing so consistently is the biggest sign of skill in this game.  But in the infamous words of the late, great […]


Video: Week 15 Must-Start Wide Receivers - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

The fantasy football playoffs are underway for the vast majority of leagues, meaning each decision is crucial in the quest for a title for fantasy managers. Let us help with those "championship choices" by checking out our favorite 2024 fantasy football must-start wide receivers for Week 15! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" […]


Braelon Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Playoff Schedules for Waiver Wire Streamers, Stashes (Weeks 15-17)

Planning too far in advance to align your fantasy football players for an optimal playoff performance comes with many pitfalls. Even from the initial publication of this article, one week ago, so much has already changed in terms of NFL defense versus position stats. Regardless, positioning yourself for good fortune in Weeks 15 through 17 […]


D/ST Strength of Schedule: Best Fantasy Football Defense Streamers and Matchups (Weeks 15-17)

It's officially fantasy football crunch time as we wrap up the fantasy regular season over the next two weeks. Those fortunate enough to make the playoffs must continue to grind out decisions, especially when it comes to team defenses. In the article below, I will present the strength of schedule (SOS) for the fantasy Defense/Special […]


Justin Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 15 Lineups Include Rico Dowdle, Khalil Shakir, Russell Wilson

Finally! The fantasy playoffs are here! If you’re reading this article, congratulations on making the dance. Now that you’re in, anything can happen and the previous 14 weeks don’t matter at all. Everything comes down to these final three weeks. Throughout the season, I’ve tried to be as transparent as I can be with my […]


Dillon Gabriel - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Top College Fantasy Football Players Week 15 (2024)

The biggest stars usually shine brightest on the biggest stages. That would be conference championship week. The time before everything goes nuts with the transfer portal and opt-outs. There were only nine games last weekend. Which players showed out for the pro scouts? We will introduce you to these college players earlier than many of […]


Rico Dowdle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Bold Predictions for Fantasy Football Week 15: Jameis Winston, Rico Dowdle, DJ Moore, Amari Cooper, Stone Smartt

Week 15 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Jameis Winston, Rico Dowdle, DJ Moore, Amari Cooper, and Stone Smartt. Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, […]