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Lane Thomas 2024 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: A Glitch In The Matrix or The One?
12 months agoWashington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas was a bright spot for the Nationals in a rebuilding season, posting 101 runs, 28 HR, 20 steals, and a respectable .783 OPS. Has he peaked, or is the 28-year-old a core guy the Nationals can build around? It would be risky to reach for him in your draft or to count on another 25/20 season. Despite hitting the same amount of home runs before and after the All-Star break, one potential red flag is that his average dropped by 79 points in the second half. Also, he won't score 100 runs again unless he improves upon the lowest walk rate of his career, which was 5.3%. Speed is the main subject of scrutiny when projecting how Thomas will do next year. He was successful in stealing 20 bases in 25 attempts last season, but it's hard to rely on a repeat performance when you consider in the previous four years combined, he's tried to steal a base only 23 times. He thrived as a pull hitter, posting a 47.7% fly ball rate to left field, leading to 55 of his 67 extra-base hits going that way. The emergence of CJ Abrams will provide more RBI opportunities. FGDC projects Thomas to slash .268/.315/.468 with 23 homers and 15 stolen bases over 147 games. The 28-year-old has an NFBC ADP of 108 and could provide solid fantasy value if he comes close to his 2023 totals. Thomas can certainly be for real and exceed his ADP as a top-100 player, but he's got a lot to prove.
