Each week we identify seven hitters who are rostered in fewer than 15% of fantasy baseball leagues who should be on your radar. For the most part, the players included in this article are best suited for inclusion in deeper leagues (12 teams or more). However, with the multitude of injuries creating holes in fantasy baseball rosters, you may need to eventually rely on some of the players referenced in this article in order to field a complete and competitive fantasy lineup. We reference Fantasy Pros’ roster percentages (as of Sunday afternoon) in this article.
Willy Adames, SS, MIL, (12%)
Willy Adames is batting .333 (10 for 30) in his first nine games for the Brewers. After posting a career .217 BA at Tropicana Field in his time with the Rays, Adames must be happy to have the opportunity to play his home games in a hitter’s park like Miller Field. It also must be a relief to know that he’ll be in the lineup every day and not have to worry that about eventually losing his job to baseball’s top prospect (Wander Franco). Adames struggles against left-handed pitching but has 20-HR potential. Although he’s not a very efficient base stealer he does have some speed and could occasionally contribute to that fantasy baseball category.
Amed Rosario, SS/OF, CLE, (10%)
Amed Rosario was once considered one of the Mets’ top prospects, and while he had his moments he never fully reached his potential with New York. You can’t blame the Mets for shipping him off to Cleveland in the deal that brought Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets. Who would have thought that after almost a third of the season Rosario’s batting average would be .052 points higher than Lindor’s, and that he’d have more RBI than the perennial All-Star? In no way are we suggesting that Rosario is a better hitter than Lindor (though he actually is thus far in the 2021 season), but with a .328 BA in his last 16 games he does have some value in deep fantasy baseball leagues. Based on his recent history, given everyday at-bats, Rosario is capable of providing 15 HR/15 SB production. With close to a third of the season completed if you average out the results from baseball’s major projection models you’re probably looking at approximately seven home runs and eight stolen bases for the rest of the season. DFS players and fantasy managers who play in season-long leagues that allow daily lineup changes should note that he has been a much better hitter against left-handed pitching (.302 BA), compared to when he faces right-handed pitching (.190) this season.
Edmundo Sosa, SS, STL, (6%)
Edmundo Sosa has done a nice job filling in for Paul DeJong, who hit the IL due to a non-displaced left rib fracture. He’s batting .366 with seven R and two SB in his last 12 games for the Red Birds. Sosa has a good hit tool, posting a .283/.334/.413 slash line across seven minor league seasons. While DeJong will likely reclaim his role as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop upon his return from the IL, with Matt Carpenter (.152 BA) struggling, the Cards may look to keep Sosa’s bat in their lineup and have him play some second base down the line.
Tomas Nido, C, NYM, (2%)
With the Mets struggling to field a big-league lineup lately due to a rash of injuries, Tomas Nido has been a pleasant surprise behind and at the plate. With James McCann struggling with a .221 BA and even playing some first base while Pete Alonso and a bunch of other Mets licked their wounds on the IL, Nido provided the Mets with a modest offensive spark. Nido posted a .323 BA with two HR, two doubles, and eight RBI in his last nine games. Although Nido is not likely to become the team’s everyday catcher, in a local radio interview manager Luis Rojas confirmed that he informed McCann that Nido would see more playing time moving forward.
Steven Duggar, OF, SF, (1%)
With the Giants biding their time while their top outfield prospect Heliot Ramos, gets some more seasoning down in Double-A, Steven Duggar has become the next outfielder who looks like he has a chance to be a regular contributor to their big league roster. At 27-years-old Duggar has been around the game for a while, posting a .290/.382/.433 slash line in five minor league seasons. He’s been seeing regular playing time of late and making the most of it, with a .391 BA with two HR and seven RBI in his last nine games. Duggar has been especially productive with runners in scoring position, batting .500 (4 for 8) with a home run and nine RBI in those at-bats.
Edward Olivares, OF, KC, (1%)
Edward Olivares spent a largely uneventful 31 games in the big leagues with the Padres and Royals last season, batting .240 with three HR. Olivares didn’t make the Royals team straight out of spring training but with five HR, 16 RBI, and a .395 BA in his first 20 games for their Triple-A affiliate he certainly earned a return trip to the big leagues. In his first big league game of the 2021 season, Olivares scored a run and smacked two hits in four at-bats on Sunday. Based on his minor league career numbers and his skill set, Olivares has 20 HR/20 SB potential.
Josh Reddick, OF, AZ, (1%)
With Christian Walker and other Diamondbacks players slowly slated to make their return to the lineup off of the IL, Josh Reddick is going to have to fight for his at-bats. That’s exactly what he did on Sunday by smacking three hits (including a double) in five at-bats. He raised his batting average to .324. Reddick has started eight of his first nine games since joining the Diamondbacks and it remains to be seen how much playing time he will receive moving forward. Keep him on your watchlist in deep leagues for now.
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter and @justinparadisdesigns on Instagram)