Fantasy Outlook for 2020 Chicago Cubs

While predictions for the Chicago Cubs as a team are a little harder to pinpoint, fantasy baseball enthusiasts should enjoy another good year picking Cubs players for their teams.

One of the best parts about playing any form of fantasy sports and the Chicago Cubs is getting to play GM in an imaginary world. As a fantasy GM, you get to make trades, pick up players on hunches, drop players because of rumors, and manage your team as you see fit. It’s a dream come true for every armchair quarterback in America.

While fantasy football parallels with NFL football as the most significant thing going in the sports world in 2020, fantasy baseball isn’t far behind. Nearly 60 million Americans took part in fantasy sports this past year, with many looking at the business side of the arrangement with even less emotion than ruthless front offices. However, in baseball, fans are tied to teams and players for a much longer season–with 10 times as many games to worry about.

Baseball also presents an opportunity to strategize based on pitching matchups, ballparks, and handedness in a way that is much different than other sports. It’s something that many who follow and love the game have embraced and are now passionate about because of the inherent subtleties and nuances of the competition.

All that being said, fantasy sports is still a matter of looking at past performance and attempting to predict future performance- no different than what a manager or front office has to do on a daily basis.

And, since so many fans love to second-guess and excoriate their team’s decisions, it allows them to manage their own squad. Cubs fans are no different than fans of any other team (if you get on twitter pretty much any day), so without further ado, here are the Cubs you should and should not draft and where they might be most valuable.

Chicago Cubs: Schwarber is really the only guy worth a fantasy pick

Other than Kyle Schwarber, who would you even take in the Cubs outfield in a fantasy draft? With defense being of little (or no) importance in most fantasy leagues, Jason Heyward is pretty much out of the question.

As a guy who is an elite defender when in right field, he’s a solid choice for a ball club in real life, but as just a hitter, he’s in the bottom third of all MLB outfielders since joining the Cubs. Ditto for Albert Almora, whose anemic hitting was at an all-time low last season (to go along with his lackluster defense in 2019 as well).

Ian Happ is a possible later-round pick up if you’re willing to bet on his potential and ability to be in the lineup consistently. If not, it’s tough to take Happ because his track record hasn’t given you anything consistent to bank on. If he starts and plays 140 games, he would undoubtedly be a good pick up. However, can anyone guarantee that’s going to happen?

Steven Souza Jr. seems to be a bench guy or, at best, a short-side platoon guy who will only be facing left-handed pitchers consistently. That’s hardly a fantasy pick in any league.

Who not to take on the Cubs brings us back to the one guy who you should take with a relatively high pick. Without getting into a philosophical debate about defense and whether or not you like Schwarber playing it, there is no doubt about Schwarber as the hitter.

He’s going to hit at least 30 home runs, with the likelihood being well over 40 if he’s the everyday left fielder. He should drive in a ton of runs in a lineup that looks to have Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo solidified at the top of it.

If Bryant and Rizzo are leading things off, it seems almost a given that Javier Baez would hit third and Schwarber fourth. Throw in Willson Contreras for protection behind him, and Schwarber should get a lot of opportunities to drive in runs and do damage. If he continues the run he started in the second half last season, Schwarber should be a top 20 outfielder in fantasy, with a push into the top 10 possible.

Chicago Cubs: Infield stock full of high fantasy pick-ups

The 2020 version of the Cubs infield is one of the best in baseball and, in turn, fantasy baseball as well. Four of the five infielders are top 10 players at their positions, and a non-biased observer could even place all of them in the top five at their positions. Heck, a Cubs fan might also put three or four of them as the best possible pick at their respective spots.

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Given fantasy’s devaluation or indifference towards defense, Willson Contreras is the best catcher you could select. Yasmani Grandal and J.T. Realmuto are certainly right there with Contreras, but much of their value is in their defense and pitch-framing in addition to their offensive production. If healthy, Contreras is in a league of his own offensively, capable of putting up MVP-type numbers with the bat.

Anthony Rizzo is one of the most consistent performers in all of baseball, and his worth as a fantasy option at first base is undeniable. You know that he’s going to put up 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and draw plenty of walks. Other than Cody Bellinger, which first baseman merits a pick ahead of the sure thing Rizzo offers? Sure, Pete Alonso might be a sexy pick this year, but he has no track record to assuage fears of a sophomore slump.

Chicago Cubs: Baez and Bryant are elite on the left side

Javier Baez is one of the best all-around shortstops in the league, and while much of his value also comes on the defensive side, his offense certainly provides ample oomph on its own. Baez is as slick and exciting as they come on defense, which is a winning attribute for his team and Theo Epstein, but it won’t be rewarded in most fantasy leagues. No fear though, as Baez will likely get you 30 home runs and 100 RBI sitting in the middle of a Cubs order that is sure to put up runs.

If you’re of the mind that the Kris Bryant leadoff experiment will propel the Cubs offense to new heights, Baez could reap a ton of rewards and RBI opportunities sitting in between Bryant/Rizzo on one side and Schwarber/Contreras on the other.

Baez certainly figures to be in the middle of things both literally and figuratively for the Cubs this year, so a quick pick up at a premium position in fantasy is a good bet.

Speaking of the Cubs leadoff experiment featuring Bryant, Bryant will get extra at-bats, score more runs, and be in the middle of a ton of scoring opportunities in real life and fantasy. What Bryant may not pick up in RBI opportunities this year should be made up by run-scoring opportunities, but may scare some fantasy owners away because he likely won’t put up 100 RBI. He will still walk a ton, score lots of runs, and probably get 700 PA on the season, though. Bet on Bryant quickly if you can, as the Cubs offense could well blow up with him at the top.

While second base is the weak link on the infield for the Cubs at the moment, a dynasty pick-up of Nico Hoerner might be just what you’re looking for. As a guy who may have to wait his turn in 2020 behind veterans like Jason Kipnis, Daniel Descalso, and utility man David Bote, Hoerner is likely to be the everyday second baseman in 2021 and beyond.

While Hoerner could work his way into an everyday role at some point during 2020, it’s not a sure thing, so fantasy owners not in a dynasty league might be reluctant to spend a pick on any of the Cub second basemen this season.

Whether you’re a fantasy veteran or newbie, the Cubs present an intriguing glimpse into the world of fantasy baseball and why some things are sure things and others are the luck of the draw. Let’s hope all Cub fantasy owners are super happy- because it inevitably means the real players and team are doing just as well as your fantasy one.