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

Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleeper? Justin Morneau

Justin Morneau

(This article was recently updated based on current ADP trends)

00112696 Justin MorneauJustin Morneau could be good. Sigh, what’s there to say about a former MVP who is still only 31 and just two years removed from a half-season where he batted .345 with 18 HR and 56 RBI? Is he another Jason Bay-- i.e., someone whose talent seemingly vanishes at the age of 30? No doubt, he played with a nasty concussion that essentially ruined his 2011 season. Now he says he’s healthy, but who really knows? You’ve got to also consider that the Twins are definitely in a rebuilding phase, and outside of Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham, the rest of the lineup is league-average (at best).

Looking at Morneau’s 2012 performance, let’s focus on some positives (minor though they be): He played in 134 games, and had 570 plate appearances, which may not seem like an accomplishment in and of itself. But following two seasons during which he played in a grand total of 150 games, just avoiding the DL last year is a big win for Morneau. His line-drive rate of 21.8% was not too far below his 2006 MVP season mark of 23.5%. Morneau also CRUSHED right handed pitching, but stunk it up against lefties. If this trend continues it means he won't by much more than a very good platoon guy in your U / CI slot. Overall though, considering that 2012 was his first full season since 2009, RotoBaller sees some silver lining around this cloud. Morneau showed that he still has some skills left.

First base is a deep position with lots of sluggers, and you generally want to slot in a guy who is more of a power lock. Morneau is probably not that guy this year, but he's shown in the past that he can be that guy and certainly isn't too old to write off yet. The big wild card in 2013, though, is that he is entering his contract year-- and now, the completely subjective arises: Morneau is wrapping up a six-year, $80 million contract and I’m willing to bet he wants another big payday. He probably won't get anywhere close to that kind of money, but he could land himself a decent deal if he can stay healthy and regain 75-80% of his MVP form. It’s also very possible that he gets traded to a contender, gets inserted into a kick-ass lineup, and starts raking. He’d be a good replacement over a Brandon Belt on the SF Giants. Or maybe if Adam Lind continues his descent into oblivion, I can envision the Blue Jays upgrading to Morneau, as well. Sometimes a change of scenery and some lineup protection can help kick-start a player's production and bring him back closer to his glory days.

Net Net:

RotoBaller’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Score: 8.0
(scores are from 1 – 10, with 10 being the biggest sleeper potential based on current ADPs)

RotoBaller’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Projection: .271/27/88/72/0

RotoBaller’s Target Draft Rounds: 8-10

Justin Morneau is an enigma. You are looking at a 15th-round type player, who has had some monster seasons in the past, and may finally be fully healthy and recovered. Morneau will most likely put up 20 HRs and 80 RBIs in a full season, with upside approaching 25+ HRs and 90+ RBIs if he can recover his skills against left-handed pitching. Hopefully he'll have have a little extra motivation in his contract year. Since he's not a huge gamble on draft day, he has the potential to crush his ADP and reap some fantasy rewards. It wouldn't be the worst idea to take a late round flier, keep the fingers crossed, and hope that he can rediscover some of that lost magic and start resembling "the old" Morneau once again.

Update 3/6/13
With Mark Teixeira sidelined with a wrist injury for 8-10 weeks, the Yanks will be in the trade market for a 1B. Morneau is a FA at the end of the year and with a big contract and the Twins going nowhere, the Yanks could be a potential landing spot. If Morneau is traded to the Yankees, this will be a big upgrade for his fantasy value. In 48 AB's at the New Yankee Stadium, Morneau has a .458 avg with 7hr's, 10 RBI's and 13 runs.

Be sure to check out RotoBaller's fantasy baseball First Base rankings, and also all of RotoBaller's 2013 fantasy baseball rankings.




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

Nolan Schanuel47 mins ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart2 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson2 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio2 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell3 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu3 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens4 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones4 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija4 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez4 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby4 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma4 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic4 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain4 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen4 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert4 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson4 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle5 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant5 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen5 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso5 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis5 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown5 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum5 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen5 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs5 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR6 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom6 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle6 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev6 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf6 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints6 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison6 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu7 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills8 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy8 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander8 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager8 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge8 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet8 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel8 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu9 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge10 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran10 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle10 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa10 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux10 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu10 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert10 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani11 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena11 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo11 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill11 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Kenley Jansen11 hours ago

Scratched With Lower-Back Tightness
Denny Hamlin12 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison12 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott12 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov13 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli13 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond13 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala13 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat13 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski14 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich14 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren14 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson14 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott14 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley14 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs14 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek19 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher19 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman22 hours ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell22 hours 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
Russell1 day ago

Wilson 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 Gallup2 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
PGA5 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day5 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