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

2016 Breakouts Who Will Continue To Shine

There are breakouts every year in fantasy baseball. Some can be seen coming, while others seemingly pop up out of nowhere. The key to a breakout player, however, is figuring out which ones are here to stay and which are simply putting forward a career year without any followups.

Listed here are five fantasy baseball breakout players from 2016, who are poised for continued success as he head into the new 2017 season.

These are your 2016 breakouts who will continue to shine.

Be sure to check all of our preseason fantasy baseball rankings for Roto, Points, H2H, dynasty, best ball, prospects and more:

 

Buy the Breakouts

Mookie Betts

After two promising seasons to begin his career, Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts put it all together in a sensational third professional season. The 24-year-old played in a career-high 158 games, hitting a career best .318 with 214 hits, 31 HR and 113 RBI, all personal records. Betts would finish second in the MVP voting and cemented his status as one of the best players in the sport. Looking forward, the Red Sox will be minus the powerful bat of David Ortiz, but Betts will take over as the centerpiece bat in this lineup.

Clearly possessing the ability to hit for 30 home runs, the All-Star can now turn to stolen bases. Falling four steals short of a 30/30 season in 2016, this feat is clearly within his grasp this season. Betts should be one of the top five picks taken in drafts this season, perhaps even a top three choice. With power, speed and the ability to hit for average, Betts is arguably the most complete fantasy player in the game.

 

Rougned Odor

Rougned Odor was widely viewed as a sleeper heading into last season and those who reached for him were handsomely rewarded. The 23-year-old’s third season in the majors saw him play in a career-high 150 games, posting career bests in hits, runs, AVG, and stolen bases. His 33 home runs and 88 RBI were also career highs, as he eventually found his lineup position as the fifth hitter. Looking forward, Odor’s second half drop in strikeouts could further make him a deadly hitter heading into 2017. While his 33 home runs seem awfully difficult to replicate, his power should remain among the very best at his position. Odor should once again threaten to crack 30 home runs for the season, while his RBI total should once again be in the 80-90 range.

The ability to hit for power, drive in runs and steal double digit bases per season already makes him one of the very best options at second base. The one aspect of his game which, if improved, will potentially raise him to a top five option at his position is BB. Should Odor’s patience increase at the plate, his walks and OBP will reach career highs. Expect another superb season from Odor as he leads another contending Texas Rangers squad.

 

Jonathan Villar

After three seasons with the Houston Astros, Dominican infielder Jonathan Villar enjoyed a breakout season in 2016 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. With the ability to play shortstop, second base and third base, his playing time skyrocketed to a career-high 156 games. As a result, he posted career highs in runs (92), hits (168), HR (19), RBI (63) and in all three categories of his slash line (.285/.369/.457). While his pop and overall hitting were solid, it was the 25-year-old’s base-running that catapulted him to one of the breakouts of the year. While he led the league in caught stealing, his 62 stolen bases led all of baseball.

Primarily a shortstop last year, Villar will be moving over to second base on a full-time basis in 2017, making him a three-position fantasy player. Unlike Rougned Odor, Villar is already coming off a successful season in the walks department, meaning he simply has to duplicate his performance last year to remain a polished hitter. As a leadoff hitter, base stealing should remain an integral aspect of his game. If his numbers do drop slightly, his ability to fulfill three infield spots should keep him a strong draft choice who should go rather early.

 

Seung-Hwan Oh

Arriving in the United States after a lengthy career in South Korea and Japan, veteran reliever Seung-Hwan quickly became one of the revelations of the year with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 34-year-old was initially just another reliever in the staff, but by July he was already piling up saves, cementing his status as team closer. His 32.9 percent strikeout rate was solid, and he led NL relievers in strikeouts early on in the season. Oh wrapped up the season with a 1.92 ERA, six victories and 19 saves. Although his age may worry some prospective owners, Oh should begin the season as the undisputed team closer. This should set him up for a terrific season, and he should be one of the first 10 closers selected in drafts this spring. In Oh, you’ll have a closer who strikes out plenty of batters, keeps his walks down and possesses plenty of experience.

 

Danny Duffy

After years of spot starts and indecision over a clear role, Danny Duffy established himself as a full-fledged starter last season with the Kansas City Royals. Inserted into the starting rotation out of necessity due to injuries, the 28-year-old made 26 starts, going an outstanding 12-3 with a 3.56 ERA. In August, he went 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA, striking out 16 batters in one game. Now, with the departure of Edinson Volquez and the tragic death of Yordano Ventura, Duffy suddenly finds himself as the ace of the Kansas City rotation. While his decline in September of last season may worry some, the ceasing of his undefined role will surely help Duffy’s mindset. Now a starter moving forward, Duffy is a prime candidate for second starter on fantasy teams and should be drafted as such. Decreasing the number of home runs surrendered and keeping his strikeouts up will be the keys to his continued success.

 

More 2017 Draft Targets




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

Duncan Robinson43 mins ago

Heat Rule Out Duncan Robinson Friday
Bryan Reynolds46 mins ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jimmy Butler53 mins ago

Probable Against Portland
Onyeka Okongwu1 hour ago

Remains Out Thursday
Dejounte Murray2 hours ago

Questionable With Back Soreness
Jordan Romano2 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Gerrit Cole2 hours ago

Yankees Put Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
Elly De La Cruz3 hours ago

Batting In Six-Hole On Opening Day
Anthony Rendon3 hours ago

Hitting Leadoff On Opening Day
Wander Franco3 hours ago

Placed On Administrative Leave
Aaron Ekblad3 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov4 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto4 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin4 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard4 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins4 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist4 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear4 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Keita Bates-Diop4 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season
Dyson Daniels5 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday But Nearing Return
LaMelo Ball5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of 2023-24
Jose Alvarado5 hours ago

Questionable To Face Milwaukee
Jaden Springer5 hours ago

Considered Questionable
Xavier Tillman5 hours ago

Sr. Questionable Thursday
Gabe Vincent5 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action On Sunday
Al Horford16 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White16 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl17 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon18 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter18 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic18 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio18 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday18 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton18 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid18 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray19 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert19 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
Eduardo Rodriguez19 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Garrett Mitchell19 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Chad Green19 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Erik Swanson20 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman20 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Gleyber Torres21 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard21 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson21 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer21 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia21 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen22 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers22 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers22 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers22 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar23 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark23 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers24 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB1 day ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels1 day ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB1 day ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby1 day ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith1 day ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds1 day ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti1 day ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga1 day ago

Throws Wednesday
Doug Ghim1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA1 day ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry1 day ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox1 day ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan1 day ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg1 day ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn1 day ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin1 day ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord1 day ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala1 day ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler1 day ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder1 day ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen1 day ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown2 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff2 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins2 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT2 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Pittsburgh Steelers3 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson3 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF