RADIO
Washington Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton is a 2020 fantasy baseball draft value. His ADP is undervalued, making him a potential draft bargain and late-round sleeper to target.
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~180s
CURRENT ADP: ~204 overall
ANALYSIS: In 2019, a healthy Adam Eaton hit .279/.365/.428 with 15 home runs, 15 steals, 103 runs scored and 49 driven in—nothing spectacular, but useful in four categories. He played in 151 games after combining for just 118 in his first two years in Washington. That was preceded by 153 and 157 games in his last two years in Chicago, however, so injury concerns are somewhat overblown.
It's also worth noting that Eaton joined the launch angle club in 2019, averaging 13.2 degrees after staying between 3.4 and 7.2 from 2015-18. And the change did help: He gained 17 points of slugging compared to 2018 and 36 points of xSLG despite his typically below average 86.6 mph exit velocity. His plate discipline and batting average (.277 xBA) remained strong as well. So, while it's too much to ask Eaton to start hitting the ball harder after five straight years between 85.8 and 86.9 mph exit velocities, he should be able to duplicate his across-the-board solidity in 2020.
What draft price should you expect to pay for a .280 average, 15-15 season, and 100 runs? Eaton can be had cheaply with his 204 ADP, and he's a safer bet from a performance standpoint than several of the outfielders being taken just ahead of or near him. If you're in a five-OF league and need a solid floor, or a decent batting average and some steals, you can be more aggressive than his ADP.
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