David Wright is the Mets top fantasy target this spring, but will Ike Davis close the gap between the two?
It’s that time of year again. Football is over and every Major League team is loading their trucks and heading to Arizona or Florida for Spring Training, which means it’s time to start preparing for fantasy baseball! Whether you will be taking part in a standard league, auction league, dynasty league, or even one of our own MMO Fantasy Baseball leagues, it is vital to have as much information you can on every player, from the perennial All-Stars to the up and coming prospects.
Though it is not advised to draft with your heart in fantasy sports, I think we can all agree it’s extra satisfying when we have a player or two from our favorite team that makes a big impact on our fantasy team. With that in mind, I thought I’d take a look at the Mets and some of their own players who may have an impact on the 2013 fantasy season. Here are my top five rankings:
1. David Wright, 3B – No surprise here. If it weren’t for Miguel Cabrera, Wright would have been the top third baseman in fantasy last year. Though 2012 was a career year for Wright, and I do expect some regression, he is still a top five player at a position that’s not very deep. He’s a solid late first round-early/mid second round pick.
Adam’s Projected Stats: .302 Avg., 23 HR, 89 RBI, 90 R, 15 SB, .880 OPS
2. Ike Davis, 1B – There’s no way Davis can be worse than he was the first half of last year. But even after hitting just .201 before the All-Star break, Davis still managed to hit 12 home runs. I wouldn’t be so bullish as to target him as an early round pick in standard leagues, but if you’re looking for a cheap first base option, or home runs from your utility spot, Davis could be a steal.
Adam’s Projected Stats: .255 Avg., 28 HR, 94 RBI, 70 R, 0 SB, .830 OPS
3. Travis d’Arnaud, C – Yes, I’m going there. d’Arnaud will probably start the year in AAA, but I fully expect him to be with the Mets by June at the latest, and hitting in the 5th spot by the end of July. The catching position is very thin in fantasy, and snagging a player with d’Arnaud’s potential at a premium position in the later rounds is what wins you championships. You’ll need to use a roster spot on a stop-gap until d’Arnaud comes up (think someone like Ryan Hanigan), but the reward will be well worth the risk, especially if you are in a dynasty league.
Adam’s Projected Stats: .262 Avg., 12 HR, 53 RBI, 40 R, 0 SB, .810 OPS
4. Daniel Murphy, 2B – Positional scarcity is an important theme in fantasy baseball. In real life, the argument can go on forever about whether or not Murphy is a true second baseman. But in fantasy, the only time defense matters is in terms of positional eligibility. And when you compare Murphy’s offensive numbers to the rest of the second basemen in the league, you find a player with a lot of value at the position. Among second basemen in 2012, Murphy ranked 4th in batting average (.291), 10th in on-base percentage (.332), 9th in slugging (.403), and 9th in OPS (.735). He also snuck in 10 stolen bases, which are always a nice bonus from a player you aren’t necessarily drafting for steals. I think Murphy could be a nice back-up option, or cheap utility option in both standard and dynasty leagues.
Adam’s Projected Stats: .286 Avg., 9 HR, 68 RBI, 70 R, 8 SB, .746 OPS
5. Matt Harvey, SP – This was a toss-up between Harvey or Jonathon Niese for me, but Harvey’s upside is too good not to put him on this list. I do expect some regression, especially in his K/9 rate, now that the league has “the book” on him. I also expect him to make adjustments along the way and have a solid first full season. I’ve never been a big fan of drafting pitching early in fantasy, since the position is so deep, so unless you are in a dynasty league, I wouldn’t draft him before the last six or seven rounds. But keep in mind, you have a decent chance at getting solid #2/3 SP-type numbers from a guy who will most likely be your 5th or 6th pitcher.
Adam’s Projected Stats: 180 IP, 12 W, 3.42 ERA, 185 K, 1.28 WHIP
Other Mets players who could have solid fantasy implications:
Jonathon Niese (Adam’s Projected Stats: 196 IP, 15 W, 3.50 ERA, 176 K, 1.20 WHIP)
Zack Wheeler (Adam’s Projected Stats: 70 IP, 4 W, 3.83 ERA, 65 K, 1.35 WHIP)
Bobby Parnell (Adam’s Projected Stats: 73 IP, 80 K, 10 SV, 23 HLD, 2.36 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)
