X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Chris Owings: 2015 Fantasy Baseball Shortstop Sleeper

 

Multiple-Position Eligibility For A Middle Infield Sleeper

With only two years of experience and 393 plate appearances (PA) in the major leagues, Chris Owings has taken the starting shortstop position from Cliff Pennington. Naturally, this will increase his fantasy value significantly in 2015 as will his dual eligibility in both SS and 2B.

In his limited 332 PA last year, about half of a full season, Owings showed decent speed with eight stolen bases. And during his minor league stint with the Arizona Diamondback’s triple-A affiliate the Reno Aces in 2013, Owings had 20 SB in 575 PA.

In 2014, only nine MLB shortstops had 20 or more SB in 2014-- and only six of those were also eligible at 2B. Owings' speed will be a fantasy asset, but will also be an important factor at the MLB level due to his 44.9% ground ball percentage. For most hitters a 44% GB percentage is a negative statistic, but if Owings can flash the same speed, that stat will sink into irrelevance.

 

What To Expect in 2015

Complementing his speed is an average power skill set, as Owings hit six HR last year and had a .145 ISO. These numbers do not blow anyone away, however what they do is provide a boost in fantasy relevance. For example only 10 shortstops last year hit 12 or more HR, and only 15 second basemen did the same (five of which are tied at 12 home runs). Conceivably, Owings could hit around that number if he gets twice as many ABs this year.

My favorite statistic, and perhaps the best to support Owings being a sleeper, is his 89.3% Z-Contact%. This statistic calculates the percentage of times a batter makes contact with the ball when swinging at pitches thrown inside the strike zone. In 2014, Owings was thrown a fastball 56.1% of the time. Considering the other 43.9% of pitches thrown at Owings were off speed pitches, Owings seems to have adapted rather well to pitching at the big league level.

One of Owing’s downsides will be his BB/K ratio. Even in the minor leagues, Owings has never sported over a 0.60 BB/K ratio with a single squad (excluding 10 PA with a Diamondbacks minor league team in 2014). To become a more productive and consistent fantasy player, Owings will have to raise his BB/K ratio.

 

In Summary

Everything considered, Owings has potential to be a top ten player at both the SS and 2B positions. His speed and power combination brings needed value at two shallow positions, especially with leagues that have a middle infield slot. He’ll also with the new-guy, fantasy-unknown discount. If he can maintain his SB and HR paces from last year, or even improve on them, he can develop into a solid middle infield option in most leagues. His multi-position eligibility will provide flexibility for your lineups, while he provides decent fantasy production compared to his peers at the classically thin SS and 2B positions.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen2 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel3 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart3 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson4 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis4 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell4 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu4 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens5 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones6 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija6 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez6 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby6 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma6 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain6 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen6 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson6 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle6 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant6 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen7 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis7 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown7 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum7 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen7 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs7 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR7 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom7 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle8 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev8 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf8 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints8 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison8 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu9 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills9 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy9 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander9 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager10 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel10 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys10 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu11 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge11 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran11 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle12 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa12 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux12 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu12 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert12 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani12 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena13 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo13 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill13 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin13 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison14 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott14 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov15 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli15 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond15 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala15 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat15 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski15 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich15 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren16 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson16 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley16 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs16 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek21 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher21 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell Wilson2 days ago

Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF