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Cubs: Three potential sleeper picks for your fantasy baseball league
This is for all the Chicago Cubs fans pushing the boundaries with their fantasy baseball drafts.
Opening Day is Thursday which means, if you haven’t drafted yet, you’re likely making picks on Wednesday. It might be wise to keep an eye on a few Cubs players, in particular.
Sure, the likes of Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are likely to be off the board toward the earlier side of the draft, and Willson Contreras is one of the best catching options at a pretty shallow position.
But fantasy managers might be able to get good sleeper value from the these three players. Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the players most likely to make good on sleeper potential.
Cubs: Joc Pederson hoping to sustain spring success
One Cub stood above the rest during spring training: newcomer Joc Pederson.
The 28-year-old slashed a whopping .378/.431/.1000 with eight homers, 19 RBI and 45 total bases in 18 games this spring. He is simply mashing everything in sight, a trend that has continued from last October.
Pederson had a good deal of distractions during the 2020 season. He was on the verge of being traded to the Los Angeles Angels before ultimately staying with the Dodgers. Pederson and his wife, Kelsey, were also preparing to welcome the birth of their second child.
The California kid hit just .190 during the regular season, but dominated during the postseason with two homers and eight RBI. Pederson was a major factor especially in the World Series, hitting .400 with a 1.200 OPS.
This is a guy with an .806 career OPS and four seasons with 25 or more homers. Pederson will also have the chance to play every day after being a platoon option in L.A. He sure seems to project upside especially after a big camp.
Pederson’s consensus average draft position (ADP) is 249 and 46th among outfielders, per Fantasy Pros. He has ample upside that late, with multiple scouts predicting he will be a breakout star in his first season with the Cubs.
Cubs: Jason Heyward could be ideal depth piece
In case you haven’t noticed, Jason Heyward has made strides in each of his first four seasons in Chicago.
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Heyward saw subtle rises in wRC+ before exploding with a 131 wRC+ in 2020, the second-highest mark of his career in that category. He slashed .265/.392/.456 with six homers and a 133 OPS+.
But those numbers only tell part of the story. Heyward saw a substantial rise in line drive rate and also leaned into his pull power.
The discipline and command of the plate might have been the most encouraging developments, as Heyward ranked in the 96th percentile or higher in walk rate and expected OBP. Also of note: Heyward’s .287 expected batting average and .451 expected slugging were both the best marks of his career since the start of the Statcast era in 2015.
The 31-year-old has made the necessary adjustments to improve each and every season with the Cubs. Heyward might not be a starter on most fantasy squads, but he should absolutely be a bench piece with starter upside if he gets off to a good start.
Cubs: Andrew Chafin worth a flier for those needing late-round arm
The Cubs are giving Andrew Chafin the chance to run it back after he barely grabbed a cup of coffee in Chicago last season. Why? Because they know he could prove to be their go-to left-handed arm out of the bullpen this year.
The 30-year-old had a rough 2020 campaign riddled with injuries and physical setbacks. But Chafin had a 3.23 FIP in seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and can rack up the strikeouts.
Chafin struck out 11.6 per nine innings in 2018 and 12.1 per nine innings in 2019. He ranked in the 90th percentile or higher in whiff rate both years. Chafin misses barrels and generally induces weak contact.
dark. Next. Is a fire sale on the horizon?
There’s a good chance Chafin goes undrafted in most leagues. But the relief market can be pretty fickle throughout the season, and managers could take a chance on him in the final round(s) or grab him off the waiver wire.