X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Sophomores Who Have Fallen Between the Cracks?

Baseball prospects and rookies get covered extensively around baseball, whether we’re referring to just fantasy baseball or the sport in general. What we don’t do overly well, is cover the players that fall between the cracks. What I mean by that is the players that play long enough to lose their rookie eligibility but not quite extensively enough to garner hype and really show what they’re capable of doing.

The Dodgers’ Max Muncy, a breakout star in 2018, is a perfect example of this gap. He had a decent pedigree as a prospect with some decent numbers in the minors and a fairly quick ascent through the minors into the Majors. But then he hit a roadblock in limited action at the MLB level while playing all over the field for Oakland. He lost his rookie eligibility over a two-season stretch from 2015-16 and was then purged off the A’s 40-man roster and found himself at Triple-A with the Dodgers organization for all of 2017. During that time, while no one was really paying attention, he got good again. And then he got called up again in 2018 and didn’t waste the new opportunity.

Today’s exercise is a look at five players who have fallen between the cracks — too many at-bats to be considered prospects or rookies but they have yet to establish themselves as big leaguers. And, more importantly, they might just be able to help your fantasy team in 2019… if everything breaks just right. Just like it did for Max Muncy last year.   

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:

 

Willie Calhoun - OF/DH, Rangers

Calhoun hasn’t yet slipped out of the public’s consciousness and still has some of his residual hype attached but he’ll open the year in Triple-A after a modest spring training performance. And while he’s not exactly the same type of hitter that Muncy is, Calhoun has a chance to be an impact hitter for average and hit for power.

And the beauty of fantasy baseball is that we really don’t have to worry too much about the fact he can’t play defense, really anywhere, as long as we have an open “Utility” slot waiting. With Ronald Guzman unproven at first base, and Shin-Soo Choo now 36, there are cracks in the roster that could crumble enough to allow Calhoun another shot at The Show.

 

Greg Allen - OF, Indians

Allen is one of my favorite sleepers in 2019. He also plays for a Cleveland team that’s expected to do well in the standings and the club has pretty weak depth in the outfield. With that said, the recent signing of Carlos Gonzalez muddies things a bit (and let’s not forget the injured Bradley Zimmer, who almost qualifies for this list, too).

Allen does some things that are important and give him an extra edge for sticking with Cleveland while others like Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin might get the heave-ho. The fleet-of-foot outfielder can play all three outfield positions and is a natural center-fielder. He also has the potential to wreak havoc on the base paths and 40-50 stolen bases wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility with 140-150 games played; after all, he stole 21 bases last year but had only 68 hits in limited action.

 

Mitch Garver - C, Twins

The season that Garver had in 2018 is being seriously under-appreciated for a few reasons. Firstly, he doesn’t project to have the lion’s share of at-bats in 2019 because veteran Jason Castro is back from injury. Secondly, Willians Astudillo pretty much stole all the attention in 2018 with his MLB debut. Thirdly, well, Minnesota is just not a media hotspot like New York. Or Chicago. Or L.A… Or… well, you get the idea.

Despite all these obstacles, I’m here to remind you that Garver hit well as a rookie. Among all big league catchers with at least 300 at-bats, the 28-year-old catcher was 10th in weight runs created plus (wRC+) putting him offensively ahead of the likes of Salvador Perez, Willson Contreras, Gary Sanchez, and others that were likely drafted well ahead of him. If he gets a chance to play a reasonable amount, he could be a very good, very cheap option in the catcher’s slot… and a must-have in leagues with two catcher slots.   

 

Franklin Barreto - IF/OF, Athletics

The key piece in the ill-fated Josh Donaldson deal with Toronto, Barreto has already made two abbreviated attempts to stick in Oakland. Unfortunately, his approach has de-evolved at the highest level of play and he’s become more of a hacker. Always a free-swinger, his BB-K rate has turned into a frightening sight at Triple-A and in the Majors but if he can get back to what made him successful between 2013 and 2016 then he has a chance to be a nice little player.

He has the ability to sting the ball despite his modest size and he’s become more of a fly-ball hitter with a propensity for pulling the ball. Barreto may have given up hitting for average but he has 20-20 potential.  A solid spring has earned the young hitter a spot on the A’s team so now it’s up to him to earn enough playing time to be relevant. The first step to doing that will be to carry over his approach from the spring into the regular season, with the injury to first baseman Matt Olson cracking open the door to opportunity.

 

J.T. Chargois - RHP, Dodgers

Injuries have been Chargois’ mortal enemy since he signed out of a prestigious college program in 2012. He threw 16 innings of pro ball that year and then didn’t see the mound again until 2015. Along the path to today, he also missed almost all of 2017. Chargois won’t open the year in the Majors but his fastball-slider combo has a chance to be overpowering once he discovers the command/control that has eluded him thanks to the lost development time.

Along with the raw ability to generate whiff rates in the 10-12 strikeouts per nine innings range, Chargois also induces ground-balls at an elite level, which helps keep the ball in the yard. Mix all of these ingredients up and you have the makings of a high-leverage reliever capable of racking up saves and/or holds.

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Las Vegas Raiders23 mins ago

Raiders Not Naming A Starting Quarterback On Monday
Rashee Rice29 mins ago

Receives Good News, Return Still Uncertain
Tua Tagovailoa53 mins ago

To Meet With Specialist This Week
Tyler Herro54 mins ago

Dealing With A Groin Strain
Travis Etienne Jr.1 hour ago

Still Dealing With Shoulder Injury
Jaime Jaquez Jr.1 hour ago

Battling A Groin Injury
Matthew Stafford1 hour ago

Has A Sore Back
Andrew Wiggins1 hour ago

Practices On Monday
Cooper Kupp1 hour ago

Not "Guaranteed" To Return In Week 7
Joel Embiid1 hour ago

Out For Monday's Exhibition
Romeo Doubs1 hour ago

Plans To Be Back At Wednesday's Practice
Paul George1 hour ago

Won't Face New Zealand
Evan Engram2 hours ago

Likely To Return In Week 6
Khalil Shakir3 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day This Week
Joe Mixon3 hours ago

Still Being Evaluated, Uncertain For Week 6
Nico Collins3 hours ago

Texans Calling Nico Collins "Week-To-Week" Now
Terance Mann3 hours ago

Set To Start On Tuesday
Christian McCaffrey3 hours ago

Won't Return In Week 6
Trendon Watford3 hours ago

Out For At Least Two Weeks
Day'Ron Sharpe3 hours ago

Out For At Least Six Weeks
Wendell Carter Jr.4 hours ago

Suffers Sprained Ankle On Monday
Kawhi Leonard4 hours ago

Clippers Taking Knee Recovery "Day By Day"
Ryan Lindgren4 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
DeVonta Smith4 hours ago

Devonta Smith, AJ Brown Expected To Return Week 6
Yegor Sharangovich4 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Boone Jenner4 hours ago

To Open Season On Injured Reserve, Could Miss Significant Time
Xavier Legette4 hours ago

Due For Diagnostic Imaging, Deemed Day-To-Day
Anthony Richardson5 hours ago

To Start When Healthy
Alex Nedeljkovic5 hours ago

Hits Injured Reserve
Bryan Rust5 hours ago

Opens Season On Injured Reserve
Wyatt Johnston5 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday
De'Von Achane5 hours ago

In League's Concussion Protocol
David Njoku6 hours ago

To Get MRI On Monday
Davante Adams6 hours ago

Raiders Prefer To Trade Davante Adams "Sooner Rather Than Later"
Will Levis6 hours ago

"Improving," Should Practice Later This Week
Zack Moss6 hours ago

Believed To Be OK
Aaron Jones6 hours ago

Going For MRI On Monday
Walker Kessler6 hours ago

Jazz Asking For Two First-Round Picks For Walker Kessler
Gary Trent Jr.6 hours ago

Leaves Sunday With Elbow Injury
RJ Barrett7 hours ago

Suffers A Shoulder Injury On Sunday
P.J. Tucker7 hours ago

Away From The Clippers, Future In Doubt
Brandon Ingram7 hours ago

Won't Suit Up For First Preseason Game
Alex Pereira7 hours ago

Remains Undefeated At Light Heavyweight
Khalil Rountree Jr.7 hours ago

Gets TKO'd In UFC 307 Main Event
Ketlen Vieira8 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC 307
Roman Dolidze8 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kevin Holland8 hours ago

Suffers Rib Injury In TKO Loss
Tyler Reddick8 hours ago

Struggles At Talladega But Leaves Above The Playoff Cut Line
Brad Keselowski8 hours ago

Falls Short Of Victory By Inches At Talladega
Denny Hamlin8 hours ago

Despite Setbacks, Denny Hamlin Leaves Talladega With A Solid Top-10 Finish
Alex Bowman9 hours ago

Survives Talladega With A Solid Points Cushion Against The Cutoff Line
Christopher Bell9 hours ago

Pushes Through For A Talladega Top-10 Finish
Mikey Eyssimont11 hours ago

Lightning Hope To Have Mikey Eyssimont Available For Season Opener
Luke Glendening11 hours ago

Returns To Full Practice
Ilya Sorokin12 hours ago

Expected To Be Ready For Start Of Season
Kailer Yamamoto12 hours ago

Inks Two-Way Deal With Utah
12 hours ago

Pierre Engvall Waived By Islanders One Year Into Seven-Year Contract
12 hours ago

Canucks Acquire Erik Brannstrom From Colorado
Nils Hoglander12 hours ago

Signs Three-Year Extension
NASCAR16 hours ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Wins At Talladega To Salvage Lackluster Season
Joey Logano16 hours ago

Triggers Big One At Talladega, Falls Below Cut Line
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Maintains Playoff Position Despite Talladega Crash
Austin Cindric16 hours ago

Fights For The Win At Talladega Before Late-Race Crash
Chase Briscoe16 hours ago

Runs Decently But Crash Likely Eliminates Him From Round Of 8
Fernando Tatis Jr.18 hours ago

Stays Red Hot, Collects Three Extra-Base Hits
Nick Castellanos18 hours ago

Walks Off Mets In Game 2
Mark Vientos18 hours ago

Hits Pair Of Homers In Game 2
Freddie Freeman18 hours ago

Leaves Game Early After Feeling Renewed Pain In Ankle
Xander Bogaerts18 hours ago

Leaves Game Early After Homering
Karl-Anthony Towns1 day ago

Plans To Play On Sunday
Malcolm Brogdon1 day ago

Suffers Hand Injury
Shohei Ohtani1 day ago

Hits Three-Run Shot In Game 1 Of NLDS
Alec Bohm1 day ago

Riding Pine In Game 2
José Aldo1 day ago

Jose Aldo Loses Split Decision At UFC 307
Mario Bautista1 day ago

Edges Out Decision Win At UFC 307
Kayla Harrison1 day ago

Picks Up Decision Win At UFC 307
Raquel Pennington1 day ago

Loses Title At UFC 307
Julianna Peña1 day ago

Julianna Pena Becomes New Champ At UFC 307
Zack Wheeler1 day ago

Dominant In Game 1
Jeremy Swayman1 day ago

Signs Eight-Year Deal With Bruins
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

.'s Final Full-Time Talladega Race May End With A Favorable Result
Ricky Stenhouse Jr1 day ago

. Can Excel As A Top DFS Value Play With Upside For Talladega
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Looks To Sweep Talladega For The 2024 Cup Season
John Hunter Nemechek2 days ago

Is One Of The More Favorable DFS Value Options For Talladega
NASCAR2 days ago

B.J. McLeod Will Ride Around The Back, But Be A Solid Punt Play For Talladega
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Do Not Expect A Strong Result From Kyle Larson At Talladega
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Talladega Lineups
Carson Hocevar2 days ago

Expect Carson Hocevar To Be A Pleasant DFS Surprise At Talladega
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering For Talladega Lineups?
NASCAR2 days ago

J.J. Yeley Too Slow to Be a Solid Underdog Play
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Unlikely to Repeat Atlanta Triumph at Talladega
Immanuel Quickley2 days ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Shaedon Sharpe2 days ago

Out 4-6 Weeks
Jusuf Nurkic2 days ago

Suffers Finger Injury, Won't Play Sunday
Anthony Davis2 days ago

Likely To Play Against Phoenix
Jack Hughes2 days ago

Grabs Two Assists In Saturday's Win
Seamus Casey2 days ago

Fires In First Career Goal
Tage Thompson2 days ago

Scores Lone Sabres Goal On Saturday
Kevin Labanc2 days ago

Inks One-Year Contract With Blue Jackets
Tanner Pearson2 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Golden Knights
Jack Campbell2 days ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Nicolas Aube-Kubel2 days ago

Out With A Lower-Body Injury
Clayton Kershaw2 days ago

Will Not Pitch Again In 2024
Freddie Freeman2 days ago

Remains Uncertain For Game 1 Of NLDS
Clayton Kershaw2 days ago

Not On NLDS Roster
Brent Rooker3 days ago

Undergoes Right-Forearm Surgery
Anthony Rizzo3 days ago

Won't Be On ALDS Roster
Tarik Skubal3 days ago

Set To Start Game 2 Of ALDS
Tyler Glasnow3 days ago

Still Unsure About Recovery Plan, Not Throwing Yet
Freddie Freeman3 days ago

Says He Will Play In Game 1 Of NLDS
Kodai Senga3 days ago

To Start Game 1 Of NLDS Against Phillies
Joe Musgrove3 days ago

To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Alex Pereira3 days ago

Set For Third Light-Heavyweight Title Defense
Khalil Rountree Jr.3 days ago

Looks To Become UFC Middleweight Champion
Ketlen Vieira3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC 307
Kevin Holland3 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Marcell Ozuna3 days ago

Braves Planning To Pick Up Marcell Ozuna's Option
Chris Sale3 days ago

Feels Great After Throwing Side Session
Spencer Strider3 days ago

Not A Lock For Opening Day 2025
Kayla Harrison4 days ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC 307
Mario Bautista4 days ago

Faces A Legend At UFC 307
José Aldo4 days ago

Jose Aldo An Underdog At UFC 307
Julianna Peña4 days ago

Julianna Pena Tries To Reclaim Bantamweight Title At UFC 307
Raquel Pennington4 days ago

Looks To Defend Title For First Time At UFC 307
Eric Cole5 days ago

Hopes To Rediscover Form At Sanderson Farms Championship
Mackenzie Hughes5 days ago

Looks To Rebound From Tough Presidents Cup
Henrik Norlander5 days ago

A Course Horse At Country Club Of Jackson
Ryan Fox5 days ago

Debuts At Sanderson Farms Championship
Charley Hoffman5 days ago

Consistently Playing Well
PGA5 days ago

Matthew McCarty Debuts At Sanderson Farms Championship
Ben Griffin5 days ago

Returns To Action At Sanderson Farms Championship
Beau Hossler5 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Jackson Country Club
Keith Mitchell5 days ago

Continues Playing Well
Chandler Phillips6 days ago

A Wild Card At Sanderson Farms Championship
Rickie Fowler6 days ago

A Player To Avoid In Mississippi
Matt Kuchar6 days ago

Looking To Stay Hot In Mississippi
Patrick Rodgers6 days ago

Tough To Trust At Sandserson Farms Championship
J.J. Spaun6 days ago

In Excellent Form Ahead Of Sanderson Farms Championship
Rico Hoey6 days ago

Worth The Gamble At Sanderson Farms Championship

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Tank Bigsby, Josh Downs, Jalen Tolbert, Ty Chandler, Jaylen Wright, Caleb Williams

NFL offenses finally woke up this past weekend! Most specifically, the passing offenses! It was about time because the passing yards and touchdowns had been unbelievably low through four weeks. Fantasy managers everywhere needed some of the performances we got this past weekend. Week 5 was the first week fantasy managers had to deal with […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Fantasy Football Injuries From Week 5: Aaron Jones, Nico Collins, De'Von Achane, Rashee Rice, Aaron Rodgers, Zack Moss, Rhamondre Stevenson

The injuries keep on coming during this fantasy football season. Luckily, we haven’t had many season-ending injuries, but there have been plenty of smaller ones that are forcing players out of action. More players were bitten by the injury bug in Week 5. Time to get ahead of things and start making plans for Week […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Tight Ends You Must Have in 2024

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Saints vs. Chiefs MNF Showdown (Week 5)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have a Monday Night Football game that could surprise some people, as Derek Carr and the Saints (2-2) head out to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs (4-0). The Saints had stormed out of the gates offensively in the first two weeks of the season, and the […]


Tyrone Tracy - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 6 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Rico Dowdle, Josh Downs, Wan'Dale Robinson, Tank Bigsby, Tyrone Tracy, Jalen Tolbert

Hey, RotoBallers! Can you believe we are already heading towards Week 6? With more bye weeks approaching, we are back with our Week 6 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024. New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. filled in admirably for the injured Devin Singletary in Week 5, rushing for 129 yards on […]


Dontayvion Wicks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Breece Hall, Jordan Mason, Marvin Harrison Jr., Deebo Samuel, Dalton Kincaid

The fifth Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved […]


Tank Bigsby - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Waiver Wire Express - Week 6 Lightning Round Including Tank Bigsby, Josh Downs, Darnell Mooney, Ladd McConkey, Caleb Williams, Alec Pierce

Week 5 brought plenty of highlights and heartbreak for fantasy teams as upsets and injuries continued to rattle the finest of organized plans. There are gems to be unearthed amidst the chaos, but you must identify your team's needs and know where to look. Stay one step ahead of the curve with our fantasy football […]


PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Monday Night Football Props for Week 5

Welcome back RotoBallers to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for the Week 5 Monday Night Football slate! The 2024 NFL season is well underway, and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some of the […]


Rico Dowdle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including Tank Bigsby, D'Andre Swift, Rico Dowdle And More

Week 5 was a fun one, and not just for the running backs. Seven of the 13 matchups thus far have matched or surpassed a total of 46 points, with three of those contests exceeding 66 (!) combined points. All of them divisional matchups between the Falcons and Buccaneers, Colts and Jaguars, and Ravens and […]


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, Tank Bigsby, Alec Pierce, more

The fifth NFL Sunday of the 2024 season was absolute cinema. Baltimore and Cincinnati faced off in an epic overtime duel, the Cowboys prevailed in the final minute versus the Steelers, and the Jaguars got their first win of the season in dramatic fashion over Indianapolis, to name just a few of the many captivating […]


Jaylen Wright - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 6: Top Free Agent Adds Include Tank Bigsby, Jaylen Wright, Bucky Irving, Braelon Allen

The numbers that have been assembled by running backs during their first five matchups have fueled a myriad of emotions for all fantasy managers. Unfortunately, some of you are contending with disappointing results due to injuries, inefficient performances, and production-inhibiting committees. The challenge of navigating these unwelcome roster issues will be intensified by another four-team […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top Week 6 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, Caleb Williams and more

We finally saw some fun offensive football in Week 5. 10 teams scored over 27 points. Seven quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards, led by an absurd 509 passing-yard day from Kirk Cousins. We also had a five-touchdown performance (Joe Burrow), two quarterbacks with four touchdowns (Cousins and Lamar Jackson), and two others with three […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 6 TE Pickups Including Tucker Kraft, Isaiah Likely, Cade Otton and More!

Another week, another four NFL teams are on bye. Fantasy footballers will not miss Miami’s Jonnu Smith, Los Angeles’ Colby Parkinson, or Minnesota’s Josh Oliver all that much, but they will miss Kansas City stalwart Travis Kelce, arguably the best tight end in the history of fantasy football. Even though Kelce has gotten off to […]


Darnell Mooney - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 6 Include Darnell Mooney, Alec Pierce and Jordan Whittington

Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season is almost behind us. It was an exciting week of football, with some really competitive football games. Thursday night's Falcons/Buccaneers game was especially entertaining. It almost redeemed the concept of Thursday Night Football. Anyway, here is our Week 6 wide receiver fantasy football waiver wire pickups list. Below, […]