2021 High-skilled Part/No-timers

by Pat Cloghessy

No matter how your fantasy roster is constructed, it’s always advisable to save a pick (or a dollar) in reserve for a late draft dart throw. There is essentially zero downside in taking a flyer on a stash with no immediate path to playing time. If at-bats or innings-pitched don’t materialize according your timeline, these lottery tickets are easily jettisoned when a FAAB favorite comes about. 

Cue the music bed for our annual stroll through BABS’ High Skilled Part/No-Timers…

Positive regression candidate Scott Kingery (p,s) profiles as a power/speed threat without a starting spot. However, he does enter the season eligible at both 2B and OF in most formats. With the CF position an open competition in Philly, Kingery (pictured) could impress enough this spring to earn semi-regular at-bats. Pair that with his ability to play other positions, and Kingery has multiple paths to playing time. At ADP 327, sharpen those darts.

Manny Machado, Eloy Jimenez, George Springer, Anthony Rizzo and Wilmer Flores. Quick, spot the outlier.  It’s Wilmer Flores (p,AV), of course. But maybe not for the reasons you think. Flores’ assets are the same as the quartet listed alongside him. In fact, Wilmer is one of sixteen batters in the (p,AV) asset group. Thirteen of them are being selected inside the top 115. Flores costs next to nothing (ADP 372) and is already eligible at 1B/2B. As of this writing, Flores has appeared in the starting lineup nine times this spring. He has hit cleanup every time. 

Extreme power sources are in short supply. Finding extreme power without a batting effectiveness liability after pick 200 is near impossible. Unearthing this profile inside a top-shelf offense at pick 385…Hilarious, right? Maybe not. Edwin Rios (P+) is precisely all of those things. There is playing time up for grabs in LA. Rios, while currently only eligible at 3B, can also play at the other corner. Being on the strong side of a platoon doesn’t hurt either.

What if Edwin Rios had a clearer path to playing time on a less potent offense. Would that be of interest? Enter Bobby Bradley (P+),  BABSian twin of Rios. Possible obstacles to playing time include Jake Bauers and Josh Naylor (who has appeared exactly zero times at 1B this spring). What’s that? ADP 743? You down with Bobby Brad-lee? Yeah, you know me!

Meanwhile, back in San Francisco… Since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this spring, Austin Slater (s,a) has alternated leadoff duties with Tommy La Stella. It might not mean much, other than catching him up. Still, Slater appears in line for the fourth outfielder spot. That’s one injury away from the possibility of significant at-bats. He may not be draftable (ADP 470), but keeping Slater on the watchlist could prove fruitful as a stopgap getter of bags. His assets are in a group with the likes of Albies, Edman and Pham.

Yonathan Daza (AV) is the cheapest avenue to Coors Field plate appearances. Daza is in line for the 5th outfield spot (zero options remaining). Normally, 5th outfielders deserve many fewer words than Daza has already received here. A player with assets akin to Altuve, Verdugo and Yuli Gurriel is worth monitoring, and Daza is a way to gain offensive shares in Colorado. Another undrafted player (ADP 750), he is probably a watchlist type or deep league play.