Fantasy Baseball: Under-the-radar players

Apr 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele (23) holds baseballs before a game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals third base coach Mike Jirschele (23) holds baseballs before a game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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Brock Holt, outfielder, Boston Red Sox

Mar 8, 2016; Sarasota, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt (12) throws the ball to first base during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

What I like about Brock Holt in terms of fantasy baseball is the fact he’s already eligible for three positions before the season even begins, and that can be a huge asset for fantasy owners. Holt won’t bring top-tier numbers, but he does have some quality stats with his bat, coming off a season batting .267 with 96 hits (16 doubles, three triples, two home runs), 41 runs and 124 total bases.

He is owned by just 11.6 percent of teams on ESPN.com. He may be described as an average player, but with Holt, even being average isn’t such a bad thing because some weeks the difference between winning and losing is having an average player perform better than those who are below average.

I’m not saying Holt needs to be in the starting lineup on a daily basis, but he can be a player to have stashed on the bench who can fill in a spot on a roster when the usual starter has an off day.

Don’t forget, Holt was an All-Star last season, and he will be the starting left fielder to start the season, but any way we look at Holt, he will bring a positive aspect to a fantasy team, at least early in the season. Being that he’s an All-Star and not on many fantasy teams shows he’s not valued as high as his level of play shows.

Next: Under-the-radar: Melky Cabrera