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 (49.6%) - Ok, so Blake barely makes this list, but frankly, Blake is a useful fantasy contributor that many seem to overlook. Blake has put up 18+ HR's and a .270+ BA the past few seasons, and he's on pace to do so yet again, currently hitting .281 with 14 HR's, 68 RBI's, and 66 runs. With those numbers, he's on pace to hit .280 with 20 HR's and 90+ runs and RBI's. Not to mention, Blake is eligible at 1B and 3B. Because of the depth at 1B, he's not going to be a starter there. But Blake could definitely be a starter at 3B and is an extremely useful bench player. You can plug him in at a bunch of places and he can produce pretty solid numbers.
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. The young outfielder in Minnesota seems to improve with each season. In 2009, he's drawn comparisons to guys like Carl Crawford. While his power and SBs are both less than Crawford's, Span is the same mold of player and his stats can be acquired via most free agent pools, rather than a first round pick as in Crawford's case.
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 (32.6%) - Like the store, "Ross", this OF will get you the numbers of a big-time OF, but for a whole lot less. Granted, he is a bit streaky, but his overall numbers are still much better than you'd expect. Despite his small stature, Ross has belted 20 HR's to go along with 66 RBI's, 63 runs, and a .271 BA. That means that for a full season, Ross would hit about .270 with 27 HR's and around 90 runs and RBI's. Again, you could pay a lot more for the big name, but why would you when you can just go to Ross to get similar numbers for a lot less.
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.
Casey Blake (49.6%) - Ok, so Blake barely makes this list, but frankly, Blake is a useful fantasy contributor that many seem to overlook. Blake has put up 18+ HR's and a .270+ BA the past few seasons, and he's on pace to do so yet again, currently hitting .281 with 14 HR's, 68 RBI's, and 66 runs. With those numbers, he's on pace to hit .280 with 20 HR's and 90+ runs and RBI's. Not to mention, Blake is eligible at 1B and 3B. Because of the depth at 1B, he's not going to be a starter there. But Blake could definitely be a starter at 3B and is an extremely useful bench player. You can plug him in at a bunch of places and he can produce pretty solid numbers.
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. The young outfielder in Minnesota seems to improve with each season. In 2009, he's drawn comparisons to guys like Carl Crawford. While his power and SBs are both less than Crawford's, Span is the same mold of player and his stats can be acquired via most free agent pools, rather than a first round pick as in Crawford's case.
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 (32.6%) - Like the store, "Ross", this OF will get you the numbers of a big-time OF, but for a whole lot less. Granted, he is a bit streaky, but his overall numbers are still much better than you'd expect. Despite his small stature, Ross has belted 20 HR's to go along with 66 RBI's, 63 runs, and a .271 BA. That means that for a full season, Ross would hit about .270 with 27 HR's and around 90 runs and RBI's. Again, you could pay a lot more for the big name, but why would you when you can just go to Ross to get similar numbers for a lot less.
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.
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