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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values: Adam Wainwright

In sports, both real world and fantasy, injuries can really muddle a player’s overall value. Just like a Major League ball club may be bullish on signing a big name player who is returning from a significant injury to a big contract, a fantasy owner may hesitate to commit to drafting a big name player that is recovering from a major injury suffered in the previous season. Heading into 2016, one of the biggest names that presents fantasy owners with unprecedented volatility is Adam Wainwright.

Wainwright’s ADP is currently 73.1. Gone are the days of drafting Waino in the second and third rounds alongside guys like Felix Hernandez, Chris Sale, and Madison Bumgarner. For standard 10-team leagues, this puts Wainwright in roughly the mid-to-late 8th round. For 12 team leagues, this ADP bumps him up to early-to-mid 7th round.

Editor's note: Be sure to check out our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard, which is already loaded up with lots of great articles. Aside from staff rankings and ADP analysis across all positions, we also dig into MLB prospect rankings, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well.

 

Background

Even after Tommy John surgery in 2011, Wainwright was one of the most heralded fantasy selections in leagues across the country. This remained true even into 2015, despite his age and career workload knocking on the door. However those who decided to draft Wainwright in 2015 were met with severe disappointment when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in an April at-bat against the Milwaukee Brewers and would not return. In true veteran fashion, Wainwright declared he would be back before the end of the season shortly after he went down. St Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak had to taper Wainwright’s optimism, telling Wainwright to “pump the brakes” on his very public guarantee. Sure enough, Wainwright was not exaggerating; he returned to the mount of September 30th, 2015 to pitch in a relief appearance against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Aside from the two major injuries, Wainwright really has stayed healthy. The only other injury is a finger strain that caused him to miss a few starts in 2008. His durability is often in question but looking past the two major injuries, we see that Wainwright has been solid.

But enough about his health and onto his baseball credentials. While he has never started a game in the World Series, he has two World Series rings. Wainwright has also finished in the top three for National League Cy Young Voting on four separate occasions and led the National League in wins in 2009 and 2013. He owns a career 2.98 ERA with a gleaming 121-67 record.

 

2016 Outlook

It is really difficult to discredit Wainwright’s fantasy relevance. You could make the case that Wainwright is getting old and that the workload plus the injuries are going to catch up to him sooner than later. After all, he has averaged 209.1 IP from 2007-2014. In those same years, his ERA was only higher than 3.00 three times, and he achieved a career-low ERA of 2.38 and a career-low WHIP of 1.03 in 2014. In that same year, Wainwright’s average fastball velocity was just 0.01mph lower than it was in 2009. His more famous pitch, his curveball, maintained stable velocity that was in line with all previous years of his career. If we are looking for warning signs to tell us that the 2016 Adam Wainwright is not the same Adam Wainwright we are used to, workload, velocity, and ERA are not them.

Nor can we look to the opposing batters’ average against Wainwright, which tied a career low of .219 in 2014, or the opposing BABIP, also a career low of .267. Thus far, it is hard to claim that Wainwright will not be his usual self in 2016.

The lone decrease in Wainwright’s numbers in recent years has been regarding his strikeouts, and it isnot that substantial. In 2014, his last full season he threw 179 SO, which was the second-lowest total since 2008. His 2014 K/9 (6.43) was also second lowest since 2008, and his K% was the lowest it has been since 2008 (18.0%). So he isn’t striking out as many batters as he usually does. So what? Often times, aging pitchers need to find ways to reinvent themselves. John Smoltz did it, why can’t Wainwright? It’s not like Wainwright was a strikeout machine to begin with. Instead, he is an intelligent pitcher with a diverse repertoire that can carve up the strike zone in a variety of ways.

 

Conclusion

The only negative thing we can say about Adam Wainwright’s fantasy outlook in 2016 is that we simply do not know what will happen following a season lost to injury. If the seventh, eighth, and ninth rounds come around and Wainwright is still on the board, my vote is to snag him. A pitcher like Wainwright does not come along very often and regardless of his age and injury history, he has still been able to accomplish great things on the mound. Buyers need to acknowledge that there is always the possibility that Waino is not himself, but I am willing to bet that will not happen for a few more seasons. He has a great supporting cast, he is the freshest he has been in a while, and 2016 may be the year that Wainwright wins Comeback Player of the Year.

 

MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-12" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Devin Williams16 mins ago

To Return From Paternity List On Friday
Jake Fraley20 mins ago

Gavin Lux, Jake Fraley Sitting Against A Lefty
Trey McBride41 mins ago

Cardinals Making Trey McBride The Highest-Paid Tight End In NFL History
Geno Smith1 hour ago

Raiders, Geno Smith Agree To Two-Year Extension
Jeferson Quero2 hours ago

Set Back With Hamstring Injury
Eguy Rosario2 hours ago

Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A
Xavier Isaac2 hours ago

Rays Hopeful Xavier Isaac Will Return In A Couple Of Weeks
Angel Genao2 hours ago

Won't Return Until June
Austin Wells2 hours ago

Being Rested On Thursday
Paul Goldschmidt2 hours ago

Sitting In Finale Against Arizona
Masataka Yoshida2 hours ago

Not Ready For Rehab Assignment
Edward Cabrera2 hours ago

Goes Three Innings In Rehab Start
2 hours ago

Tyler Shough Could Be Day 2 Pick In NFL Draft
Jake McCarthy3 hours ago

Gabriel Moreno, Jake McCarthy Sitting On Thursday
Dallas Cowboys3 hours ago

Shemar Stewart Meeting With Cowboys Staff
Ketel Marte3 hours ago

Sitting On Thursday After Signing Extension
New York Giants3 hours ago

Travis Hunter The Likely Pick For Giants?
Jake Meyers3 hours ago

Taking Seat For Third Straight Contest
Dallas Cowboys3 hours ago

DeMarvion Overshown Aiming For Comeback Player Of The Year Award
Luis Garcia3 hours ago

Shut Down With Elbow Inflammation
Brett Harris3 hours ago

Activated, Optioned To Triple-A
Yainer Diaz3 hours ago

Sitting On Thursday
Washington Commanders4 hours ago

Commanders Sign T.J. Maguranyanga
Kansas City Chiefs4 hours ago

Mike Edwards Reunites With Chiefs
New Orleans Saints4 hours ago

Saints Could Take A Quarterback Early In The Draft
Carlos Rodón5 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Undergoes X-Rays After Taking Liner Off His Arm
Drew Waters5 hours ago

Hits For The Cycle On Wednesday
Harry Ford5 hours ago

Showing Strong Eye Through First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Vázquez5 hours ago

Christian Vazquez Getting The Day Off
Jose Miranda5 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Joe Milton III7 hours ago

Traded To Cowboys
Anfernee Simons8 hours ago

Could Be Absent Again Thursday
Scoot Henderson8 hours ago

Misses Third Consecutive Game Thursday
Scottie Barnes8 hours ago

Iffy For Thursday
Immanuel Quickley8 hours ago

Takes Thursday Off
Jakob Poeltl8 hours ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Damian Lillard8 hours ago

May Return To Action Sooner Than Expected
Giannis Antetokounmpo9 hours ago

Likely To Suit Up Thursday
LeBron James9 hours ago

Probable Thursday
Jared McCann10 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Wednesday
Jackson Blake10 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Artemi Panarin10 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Overtime Victory
Andrei Svechnikov11 hours ago

Exits Early On Wednesday
Jake McCabe11 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Wednesday
Jonathan Drouin11 hours ago

Exits Wednesday's Contest
Los Angeles Chargers19 hours ago

Chargers Sign Tight End Jordan Petaia
19 hours ago

Matthew Golden Making Pre-Draft Visit To Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals19 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Not Looking For Short-Term Deal
Tutu Atwell20 hours ago

Rams Plan To Give Tutu Atwell A Bigger Role In 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers20 hours ago

Bucs Restructure Antoine Winfield's Deal To Free Up Cap Space
Jrue Holiday22 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
New York Jets22 hours ago

Xavier Newman-Johnson Re-Signs With New York
Al Horford22 hours ago

Sidelined Versus Heat
Kristaps Porzingis22 hours ago

Ruled Out On Wednesday
Fred VanVleet22 hours ago

Out Versus Utah
Dean Wade23 hours ago

Sidelined On Wednesday
Trae Young23 hours ago

Expected To Suit Up On Wednesday
Joel Embiid23 hours ago

Will Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On His Left Knee
Evgeni Malkin23 hours ago

Joins Penguins For Road Trip
Filip Chytil24 hours ago

Could Miss Rest Of Season
Declan Chisholm24 hours ago

Back In Action Against Rangers
Keaton Wallace24 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Wednesday
Samuel Girard24 hours ago

Exits Avalanche Lineup Wednesday
Joel Kiviranta24 hours ago

Returning Against Blackhawks
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
Jaden Schwartz1 day ago

Unavailable Against Canucks
1 day ago

Kyle McCord Rising Up Draft Boards?
1 day ago

Ashton Jeanty To Raiders Continues To Gain Steam
1 day ago

Emeka Egbuka To Fall To Round 2?
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Rob Havenstein Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Cleveland Browns1 day ago

Mike Hall Likely To Miss Offseason Program After Having Knee Surgery
Bennedict Mathurin1 day ago

Iffy For Wednesday
Myles Turner1 day ago

May Miss Another Game Wednesday
Al Horford1 day ago

Considered Doubtful Wednesday
Jrue Holiday1 day ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Game
Kristaps Porzingis1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Wednesday
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Tallies Two Assists In Victory
Jake Guentzel1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Victory
Kirill Marchenko1 day ago

Scores Hat Trick On Tuesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Stays Hot On The Scoresheet
Lane Hutson1 day ago

Dishes Out Three Helpers In Overtime Victory
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Cameron Young2 days ago

A Player To Avoid At Valero Texas Open
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

In Search Of Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valero Texas Open
Tom Hoge2 days ago

Looking To Build Off Strong Performance At The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

Looking For Consistency At Valero Texas Open
Corey Conners2 days ago

Continues Strong Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valero Texas Open
Gary Woodland2 days ago

Showing Great Form Ahead Of Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Aiming For Repeat At Valero Texas Open
Alejandro Tosti2 days ago

A Volatile Choice At TPC San Antonio
Jimmy Snuggerud2 days ago

Ready For NHL Debut Tuesday
Jacob Trouba2 days ago

Set To Rejoin Ducks Lineup Tuesday
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Needs To Find Consistency At TPC San Antonio
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Making First Appearance At Valero Texas Open
Michael Kim2 days ago

Looking To Find The Magic Again In San Antonio
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Is Nearly A Must-Play At Valero Texas Open
Tony Finau2 days ago

Hoping For Better Approach Play In San Antonio
Eric Cole2 days ago

Trending In Right Direction Ahead Of Valero
Sam Stevens3 days ago

Enjoys Nice Result In Houston
PGA3 days ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Brian Harman3 days ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Ryan Preece3 days ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Todd Gilliland3 days ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno3 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg3 days ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober3 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall3 days ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
CJ Vergara3 days ago

Gets Submitted
Édgar Cháirez3 days ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Vince Morales3 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.3 days ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
Saimon Oliveira3 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez3 days ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Kevin Borjas3 days ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Ronaldo Rodríguez3 days ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron3 days ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano3 days ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe4 days ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones4 days ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Josh Berry4 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano4 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF