Outfielders in fantasy baseball are hot commodities, as there are literally dozens of them out there in the league. With a deep roster of available players, outfielders frequently break out and minimal investments yield great dividends. With week one over halfway through, here are some early season free agent outfielders who may be available in your league. The threshold for inclusion in this article is sub-50% ownership in Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues for two of these guys, and a 90% availability for the third.
[Jeff]
Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay (37% owned)
Kiermaier went for 12 dingers while swiping 21 bags last year in 105 games. He should be much better this year in both departments, considering he did it in two-thirds of a season last year. He had a deflated BABIP last year (.278 compared to .306 in his first 259 games in the majors), which means a higher average than .246 is in Kiermaier’s future. He’s essentially free in 60% of Yahoo! Leagues, and that doesn’t make sense after the major grousing about the lack of quality stolen bases around the league. He turns 27 in a couple of weeks, which means he is entering his prime. He deserves nearly twice the ownership.
Jarrod Dyson, Seattle (35% owned)
Dyson is what most people hope Billy Hamilton will be. While Hamilton is faster than Dyson, his OBP is dismal. Dyson swiped 30 bags last year in just 107 games. His .340 OBP means lots of opportunities to swipe bags. He should get everyday play in Seattle and should be owned in far more than just over one-third of leagues. He’s a major speed option with above-average (but not stellar) average.
Jayson Werth, Washington (10% owned)
After going 0/4 on Opening Day, Werth has gone 5/12 with two home runs, two runs, and four RBI. The Washington outfielder won’t go for 20-20 any longer as 40 approaches, but if he stays healthy he has great power output. With two dingers under his belt already, only an injury will keep Werth from eclipsing 20 this season. If you left your draft bereft of power, Werth is worth a look in deep leagues. However, 10-team and 12-team leagues can leave him on the waiver wire.