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Playing in an Only league can be tricky in fantasy baseball. With half of the players in baseball eliminated from the draft pool, the depth at every position is severely compromised. Sometimes, it’s difficult just to find players who actually take the field on a regular basis.
Not only is the draft pool limited, but things get even worse when injuries start to pile up. Hitting on players in drafts can go a long way to winning a fantasy championship, given the lack of viable options that are usually available on waivers.
With that in mind, let’s highlight three players to target in the middle-to-late rounds of AL-Only fantasy baseball leagues.
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Tyler O'Neill, Boston Red Sox
O'Neill looked like he was going to be a fixture within the Cardinals lineup for years to come. In 2021, he batted .286 with 34 home runs and 15 stolen bases. He recorded a .384 wOBA and had a staggering 52.2 percent hard-hit rate.
Unfortunately for O'Neill and the Cardinals, injuries the last two seasons have derailed his career. He appeared in just 96 games in 2022, followed by 72 games last season. While he has continued to show his power and speed combo, his batting average has plummeted. Last season, he hit just .231 with a .307 wOBA.
The Red Sox traded for O'Neill during the offseason and he is lined up to be their primary option in left field. If there was a plus to his disappointing 2023 campaign, it’s that he still generated a 12.3 percent barrel rate. With secure playing time and his career 13.8 percent barrel rate, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him hit around .250 with 25 home runs and 15 stolen bases, if he can stay healthy.
Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays seem to find a way to churn out valuable starting pitchers. With their payroll issues, they usually tend to shy away from spending significant money on their rotation. Instead of signing Tyler Glasnow to a long-term extension, they decided to trade him to the Dodgers this winter.
Zach Eflin will now lead the Rays rotation, while a group of youngsters will be behind him. One of the more intriguing options for fantasy purposes is Bradley. He received his first taste of the majors last season, posting a 5.59 ERA over 104.2 innings.
While Bradley’s ERA was bad, he had a better 4.79 FIP to go along with his 28.0 percent strikeout rate. Although his four-seam fastball was hit hard, he generated a 29.5 percent whiff rate on his cutter and a 41.0 percent whiff rate on his changeup.
Bradley should open the year in the Rays’ starting rotation. He logged 142.1 innings at Triple-A and the majors combined last season, so he shouldn’t be on much of an innings limit. With his ability to generate strikeouts, it would not be a surprise to see him show significant improvement in his ERA.
Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have a few exciting young players. Adley Rutschman has already become one of the best catchers in the league. Jackson Holliday is also approaching the majors and could push his way onto the roster at some point during this season.
While he’s not old at 27, Mountcastle is actually one of the veterans on the team. This will be his fourth full season in the majors. Last year was marred by a bout with vertigo that limited him to just 115 games. He still managed to slug 18 home runs, though, while batting .270. He also lowered his strikeout rate to 22.8 percent.
Mountcastle slugged at least 22 home runs in both seasons in which he played at least 140 games. For a player with his power, his career 25.0 percent strikeout rate is appealing. With plenty of at-bats coming his way between designated hitter and first base, Mountcastle is a good source for power who likely won’t destroy a fantasy squad in batting average, either. He’s not a sexy option, but he could still provide significant value in AL-Only formats.
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