Fantasy Baseball 2016 Preview: Sleepers, Predictions and Position Rankings – Bleacher Report

At Least One Top-40 Pitcher Will Be Lost to Tommy John Surgery

One of the benefits of drafting as close to Opening Day as possible is that one of your draft picks is less likely to fall victim to a devastating injury in spring training. Granted, there’s no way to predict when an injury will occur, but it’s far less painful when you lose a high draft pick to a regular-season injury than one during exhibition games.

It’s likely that Yu Darvish came off the board in the first few rounds of everyone’s draft last season, only to be lost for the year roughly two weeks before Opening Day. Heck, Lance Lynn didn’t even wait for spring training this year, having the procedure performed in early November.

A total of 13 pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, including six slated to be part of a major league pitching staff. Two years ago, seven pitchers set to open the season in the big leagues underwent the procedure before Opening Day.

There’s no reason to believe that trend is suddenly going to stop.

Byron Buxton Will Outperform His ADP

With an average draft position of 203 and a forgettable .209/.250/.326 slash line over 46 major league games, it’s easy to overlook Byron Buxton as you piece together your fantasy outfield.

But the tools that have made him one of baseball’s most highly touted prospects remain, and he heads into the regular season as Minnesota’s undisputed starter in center field. No longer does he have to look over his shoulder to see whether Aaron Hicks is about to take his job.

That security will find Buxton, heading into his age-22 season, far more relaxed—and that will let his natural ability and athleticism begin to shine. We’re not talking about a Mike Trout-like explosion, but finishing the season with a .270 batting average, 15 home runs and 25 stolen bases is realistic.

Jurickson Profar Will Become Fantasy-Relevant

He’s nowhere to be found on our positional rankings, but Jurickson Profar, after missing the past two seasons due to shoulder issues, is healthy and itching to show what he can do on the diamond.

“I just want to play,” Profar told the Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant. “I know by playing, it’s going to take care of itself. I know I can play baseball. Now that I’m healthy and everything is good, everybody is going to see me.”

Profar, who made his major league debut as a teenager, is only entering his age-23 season. While injuries have stunted his development, he still has significant upside, assuming he can stay healthy.

While Texas is sure to be overly cautious with him, it’s not hard to envision him becoming a super-utility player for the Rangers this season—the American League’s version of Chicago’s Javier Baez.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

Hit me up on Twitter with your fantasy questions and to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.