All too often in fantasy baseball, people go after the big names. While many big names can give great stats, there are smaller names who don’t stand out in any one category, but give a nice balance of stats across the board. These stats are often as valuable (if not more) as the stats put up by bigger names. Let’s look at some of these players.
Casey Blake: The third baseman for the Dodgers is eligible at a few positions, and always seems to put up numbers around the 20 HR, .280 average, and 90 or so RBIs. This season really looks like no exception to the rule for Blake, whose 14 HRs and 77 RBIs look pretty good with his .281 average.
Kurt Suzuki: The Oakland catcher seems to fly under the radar each season. Granted, he won’t give you the power that a Martinez or McCann gives you and he won’t give you the speed that a Martin gives you, but Suzuki has put up some respectable numbers this season (.276 / 10 / 56), along with 5 stolen bases, which isn’t bad for a catcher.
Denard Span (41.7%) – I will admit, OF is a very deep position, so many people may already have great OF’s. But for those of you who need one more quality OF, look no further than Denard Span. Span’s numbers up to this point are a .305 BA with 70 runs, 6 HR’s, 47 RBI’s, and 19 SB’s. Over a full year, Span would produce a .300+ BA with 107 runs, 9 HR’s, 72 RBI’s, and 30 SB’s. Sure he’s not a HR hitter, but he doesn’t hurt you anywhere and can be a valuable source of SB’s without having to overpay for a guy like Ichiro or Crawford.
Michael Cuddyer. Here’s a guy who seems to have a respectable season year in and year out, yet never gets mentioned. Maybe it’s because he plays for that kind of team – the Twins. With a .270 average, just under 20 HRs and just under 60 RBIs, Cuddyer’s numbers are pretty solid all around. Many big names are putting up the very same numbers.
Cody Ross. One of the streakiest hitters in baseball, catching Ross on the upswing can be extremely rewarding. Looking at his season’s numbers so far, his 20 HRs, 65 runs batted in, and his .270 batting average (much higher than usual) are all pretty good for a guy who’s owned in less than one out of three leagues.
Billy Butler (19.8%) – Last year, fantasy baseball analysts fell in love with Butler, but he didn’t produce as he was expected. Now, he’s actually producing, but people have forgotten about him. The one knock against Butler is his eligibility; he’s only eligible at the deepest position in baseball (1B), or the utility slot. Then again, you could do a lot worse for a utility man. This year, Butler has hit .300 with 15 HR’s, 65 RBI’s, and 54 runs. In a full season, Butler would hit .300 with 20 HR’s, 88 RBI’s, and 75 runs. Plus, he’s extra valuable in leagues that count XBH: he’s already stroked 41 doubles in only 119 games, putting him on pace for 56 on the year.
If you’re looking to dig deep in your league, I would suggest looking at any one of these players, depending upon your positional needs. All will give you the value that many big names offer, with a much lower cost for acquiring them. I hope this has been useful to you.