RADIO
Elvis Andrus 2019 Outlook: Might Have Become Old Quickly
6 years agoElvis Andrus was one of 2017's more surprising 20 HR hitters, so fantasy owners probably weren't too surprised to see his total regress to six last year. His HR/FB slipped from his career-best of 11.6% in 2017 to 5.8% last season, a rate that just won't produce much power when paired with a 31.1 percent fly-ball rate. Andrus also set career-worsts in IFFB% (12.6%) and LD% (19%) last season that dragged his overall batting line to .256/.308/.367, a far cry from the .297/.337/.471 he posted in 2017. His loss of steals (25 SB in 2017, five last season) is even more concerning as it calls into question his continued fantasy viability. A rebound is possible, but 30-year-old middle infielders aren't exactly known for bounce-back seasons. Andrus currently projects for a favorable lineup spot, but he could turn into an empty roster spot if he ends up hitting toward the bottom of the Rangers lineup. We currently have Andrus ranked as the 127th player off of the board, but this writer feels that owners would be better-served chasing upside or a safer floor with that pick. It might be difficult for Andrus to recover from his 2018 performance.
