Fantasy Baseball: Oakland Athletics Outfielders
Your draft day likely is around the corner. As spring training comes to an end and fantasy baseball begins I have some last minute advice for you regarding Oakland Athletics outfielders.
There is not a whole lot here for you shallow leaguers. But for those of you who play in a deep league, or AL-only, there is value to be had when drafting Oakland outfielders. Much like the infielders (which I previewed last week) waiting for the late rounds to grab an A’s outfielder could yield dividends.
Stolen bases, runs, and a solid batting average can be had from one of the projected regulars: Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick, and Craig Gentry.
None of these guys was really fantasy relevant last year, aside from a few weeks of Reddick’s second half. However, if you play in a daily league that allows you the play the matchups there are at least three names to pay close attention to, with a couple others chipping in.
More from Oakland A's News
- Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
- Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
- San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
- Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen
- Oakland A’s bring Deolis Guerra back on minor league deal
Ben Zobrist will qualify as an outfielder for almost every league imaginable, but adds are you aren’t drafting him to use as an outfielder.
Coco Crisp is expected to begin the year in left field. In 2013 Crisp swatted a career-high 22 home runs, drove in 66 runs, and stole 21 bases making him a triple threat in fantasy. However injuries prevented him from doing much of anything you would need. The A’s are going to play Crisp in left with the hopes that he’ll stay healthier. A full season from an even aging Crisp will bring fantasy goodness. You can expect 70 or more runs, between 40 and 50 RBI, and maybe even 30 or more stolen bases with a floor of at least 20. Add in his career .270 batting average and you have yourself a decent mixed league third outfielder, or bench player. ESPN has him ranked as the 51st best outfielders 200th overall, ahead of household names such as Austin Jackson and Curtis Granderson. Crisp is owned in more than 90 percent of ESPN standard leagues and is being drafted as the 215th player, making him someone to target in your last five rounds.
The next best Oakland outfielder for fantasy in 2015 will likely be Josh Reddick. His breakout 2012 in which he hit 32 home runs is likely something he won’t repeat. However, in the second half of last season Reddick — after finally appearing healthy — was one of baseball’s best hitters. In 55 second half games he batted .299 with 8 home runs and 30 RBI, plus he cut his strikeouts in half. If he can manage to repeat the second half success over an entire season we’re looking at someone with 18-25 home runs potential, plus plenty of runs, RBI, and a solid batting average — somewhere between .260-.270 range can be expected. Reddick is ranked as a top-70 outfielder by ESPN, but falls outside the top-250, making him irrelevant in standard leagues. He is currently owned in just 5 percent of leagues and is going undrafted. If you want to take Reddick do so with one of your very last picks and do not be afraid to drop him is he struggles early.
Craig Gentry is the final interesting outfielders on the Oakland roster given his elite speed, outstanding stolen base success rate, and great on-base skills. He is ranked outside the top-110 outfielders, but those of you in daily leagues, on-base percentage leagues, or leagues that overvalue steals, Gentry could be a huge steal as a late round flier. Having never played a full season Gentry has stolen 18, 13, 24, and 20 bases the last four seasons. His career batting average is .272, but in 122 games with the Texas Rangers in 2012 he batted .304. His career OBP is .346. While he is expected to see the short side of the centerfield platoon with Sam Fuld, Gentry can easily be a 20-steal threat and perhaps more if given the playing time. His career success rate is 86 percent. When he plays he will bat at the top of the order or late in the order, making it tough to judge how many runs he’ll score. One thing for sure is he will not hit many home runs or drive many runs in. He is currently going undrafted in ESPN standard leagues and is owned in just 0.1 percent of leagues.
Sleepers: Billy Burns and Mark Canha
Burns is an elite speed threat. With 74 and 54 steals each other past two seasons, respectively, plus an OBP of .387 Burns doesn’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues. If given a chance to play significant innings in the big leagues he can become a double-digit stolen base threat in no time.
Canha, if he makes the team out of spring training, will likely play some corner outfield and has plenty of power. See my write-up of him in the infielders preview.
Whether you rely on pitching or hitting to carry your fantasy baseball team Oakland has something to offer. Hopefully I’ve been able to help shed light on the crowded Oakland roster built to maximize many moving parts.
Enjoy the season!