BALLER MOVE: Target ~210
CURRENT ADP: 231
ANALYSIS: Max Kepler exploded onto fantasy owners’ radar with a three-homer game on Aug. 1, but hit just three homers over the remainder of the season. That late-season swoon is the likely culprit for his current ADP, but there’s a lot to like here. Kepler is still just 23 (he was in rookie ball at age 17 after signing out of Germany) and has always shown good plate discipline. Over the last couple of years, he’s begun to tap into his power without an increase in strikeouts, and his contact quality metrics are encouraging. You’d like to see fewer ground balls and more success against lefties, but Kepler managed to hit 17 homers and steal six bases in 2016 despite his late-season woes. A 20/10 season seems likely, with potential for more.
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