The outfield is one of the deepest fantasy baseball positions out there. Not only are there 90 starters out there, many players get multi-position eligibility. That also means that many players that you can slate in an outfield spot (say, Kris Bryant) would be better served at a different position (third base). Still, the fantasy baseball outfield is one of the positions where talent freely lives on the waiver wire. Below are three such players who are available in at least half of Yahoo! leagues. Today the fourth player has availability in 90% or more of Yahoo! leagues.
[Jeff]
Jason Heyward, Cubs (50% owned)
I’ve been waiting to recommend Heyward, and this is literally my last chance to do so. I wrote about how I believed in Jason Heyward this fantasy baseball draft season. His ownership has slowly grown upward as he’s done decidedly Jason Heyward things. If you strip out multi-position eligibility for guys like Taylor Motter (who should be your shortstop), Heyward is a top-30 player at the position this season. He’s literally performed like a starter and we don’t roster him in half of leagues. He’s a quality talent coming off a down year in one of baseball’s best lineups. And he’s free; what more could you want?
Michael Conforto, Mets (37% owned)
Before there were Cody Bellinger and Christian Arroyo to capture our hearts and minds, there was Michael Conforto. The Mets called up Conforto last season partway through the year, and fantasy baseball prospect hounds jumped all over him. He had some pop but his .634 OPS tells the story of his 2016. That isn’t the case in his 2017 campaign. Lucas Duda’s DL stint has put Conforto front-and-center for the Mets, and in response, he’s hit four home runs in 48 PAs, and a slugging percentage (.650) higher than his OPS last year. He’s ascending, so if he’s out there, he’s someone you should be considering.
Jarrod Dyson, Seattle (25% owned)
Most teams have power in spades, but speed eludes them. Dyson had 30 stolen bases in just over 330 plate appearances last year. He’s an everyday player for the Mariners, which means 500 PAs are within his grasp. All he has to do is be literally the same player he was last year and he’s a lock for 45+ SBs. Here’s the thing, though: Dyson has improved since last year. His strikeout rate has dwindled from a career 16.2% down to 5.8% (which matches his walk rate). His .240 average stems from his .250 BABIP (career .310 BABIP). There are more SB opportunities in Dyson’s future, make sure you are there to reap the benefits. Dyson already swiped four bags this week, don’t miss any more.
Kolten Wong, St. Louis (5% owned)
Wong burst onto the scene in 2014, hitting 12 home runs and stealing 20 bases in just 113 games. Since then, it’s been a slow descent into fantasy baseball irrelevance for Wong. The cardinals demoted Wong last year, but just for a handful of games. This year he’s platooning but has wrested control of playing time lately. He has hits in six of his last eight games (all of which he started). He’s hitting .353 in the same span, but what’s particularly useful is two stolen bases. Wong’s coming around and is worth getting for the promise the 26-year-old has already shown.