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Austin Riley 2024 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Projectable Fantasy Season On Tap For Reliable Third Baseman
12 months agoThe past three seasons look a lot alike for the Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley. The durable power hitter has played 160-159-159 games the last three seasons, and he's produced 179-168-179 hits during that stretch. His BB totals were 52-57-59, while his K totals were 168-168-172. The 2x All-Star hit between 33 and 38 HR and drove in 93 to 107 runs. Other stats, like xBA, WOBA, Contact%, and SwStr%, also had little variance. The one category that spiked was runs scored, from 90 in '22 to 117 in '23; the one category he won't produce for you is SB, with a career-high three swipes last season. So, it is no surprise that his FGDC projection for 2024 looks similar: .275-36-112-99-3 with a WOBA of .366 and wRC+ of 129. The only third baseman drafted ahead of him is Jose Ramirez, who collected 28 SB in '23. Other options going around him at his NFBC ADP of 21 (RotoBaller rank of 20), such as Yordan Alvarez and Corey Seager, offer potentially more explosive power output numbers but have availability concerns (131 GP on average for Alvarez's last three seasons, 122 GP for Seager). If consistent, reliable fantasy production is what you're looking for, Riley is your man.
