Cubs: Three potential sleeper picks for your fantasy baseball league

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.