RADIO
Welcome back to the second installment of We’re Baaaaaaaack! If you missed the first five bounce back candidates, be sure to check it out. This next group of hitters will also return the kind of value that fantasy experts look for in their drafts. Pull the trigger on these five guys at or around their ADPs, and you might just have found yourself a bargain.
Prince Fielder (1B, TEX)
Prince Fielder is an iron man. Well, he was until last year, when he had neck surgery to repair a herniated disk. Fielder missed one-- just ONE-- regular-season game from 2009-2013. If that isn't iron man, I don’t know what is. Until last season, Fielder had eight consecutive seasons of at least 25 HR and 80 RBI. The move to Texas was supposed to be good for Fielder, and I expect it will be, now that he is fully healthy and back to his rigorous MMA workouts. He may look just like a normal big guy, but normal he is not. Prince will return you great value at his current ADP of 72. Somehow, he's actually the 17th 1B off the board. If you miss out on a 1B in the first few rounds, you will do yourself a favor by believing in Fielder.
Jean Segura (SS, MIL)
This poor guy just had a down year in 2014. He was injured. He went through a terrible family tragedy, and he just never got going like he had in 2013. Jean Segura's numbers in 2013 were aided by a .326 BABIP, and that fell to .276 in 2014. The result was almost 50 fewer hits, and for somebody who rarely walks, he needs to hit his way on so he can steal bases. I expect his BABIP to find a middle ground between where it was the last two years, and consequently for his BA to regain some of the 50 points it lost in 2014. Note that he will likely not lead off, owing to fairly weak career OBP of .311, but he can still provide very nice value.
Joey Votto (1B, CIN)
When healthy, Joey Votto has been among the most productive first basemen in baseball. From 2010-2013, Votto had three seasons in which he played more than 150 games, and in those three seasons, he averaged 30 HR, 96 RBI and 102 R, with a .312/.425/.540 triple-slash. The 2010 NL MVP is reportedly fully healthy after suffering knee and quad injuries last year. He is now around the 15th 1B off the board, with an early-70s ADP on FantasyPros. If you wait on 1B early, look to grab Votto in the fifth round or later, and reap the benefits.
Shin-Soo Choo (OF,TEX)
Shin-Soo choo is coming off the worst slash line of his career, .242/.340/.374 in his first season with the Texas Rangers. Injury to Choo holds some of the blame, as does the crazy amount of injuries that his teammates suffered. After a great season in Cincinnati in 2013, Choo signed a seven-year $130 million contract, and he did not live up to the expectations. With a healthy lineup behind him, Choo should definitely outproduce his ADP, which is currently 144th overall and 44th among OF. If you are in a five-OF league, having Choo has your fourth or fifth OF should give you some very solid depth at the position.
Alex Rios (OF, KC)
Which MLB team had the most SB in 2014? Of course, it was the Kansas City Royals-- why else would I mention this in discussing Alex Rios? He might not reach his career high of 42 (2013), but Rios will very likely net 30+ SB for the Royals. Ned Yost loves to run, so Rios should see plenty of opportunities. When you consider his .275 BA and 15-20 HR, you are looking at a great OF option. He is going right around his former teammate Shin Soo Choo, so when the 12th round rolls around in your draft and you need some speed, grab Rios and don’t look back.
That is now ten bounce-back candidates that will outperform their ADPs in 2015. Winning your draft is all about value, and these guys will bring you the kind of value that will help you win your league. Grab one (or more) of these players and be confident that they'll return they value that you seek!
