4 years agoIt has been a rocky couple of years for Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas, showing signs of brilliance at times but also dealing with a suspension in 2019 and injuries in 2020. His final line for last season was bad, with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. However, it is fair to chalk a lot of that up to a lack of health. Montas was pitching very well before he sustained his back injury, and he still showcased an elite splitter as well as a fastball with great velocity. Those two pitches are a great foundation, and he also has a sinker and slider to mix in with those two offerings. Despite all the issues, Montas has still posted a very strong 3.5 K/BB since 2019. Fantasy managers are showing hesitance to draft him, as he is currently going outside of the top-150 picks (160.09 ADP on NFC). He's only pitched six innings so far in Cactus League play but has looked sharp. He's got a 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 6:1 K/BB ratio and has induced a ton of swinging strikes with his splitter. He recently told reporters that he's been able to throw all of his offerings for strikes as he's fully recovered from the back issue that plagued him last season. If Montas has a healthy 2021 season, he will likely obliterate his ADP, making him one of the best pitchers to roll the dice on.--Jon Anderson