With four home runs in his last six games it appears that Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa has arrived as a force in the fantasy world.
Analysis: Over the last two years in the minors Espinosa has hit 40 bombs and stolen 54 bases, now that’s a power-speed combination. Thus far this year Espinosa has 10 homers with 4 steals and as expected is batting in the low 200s. He’s actually rated as the eleventh best second baseman in roto leagues this year yet he’s owned in less than thirty percent of fantasy leagues. Obviously, Espinosa will not be able to sustain his current streak but in the long term he offers power and speed from a disappointing fantasy position this year. The only red flag in roto leagues will be the batting average. He’s hitting just .217 this year and he’s striking out twenty-five percent of the time. His batting average shouldn’t dip below what it is now but if you need batting average help in your league then you want to look elsewhere(Ryan Theriot). Espinosa ranks second among major league second baseman in homers with 10, second in RBI with 33 and fifth in SLG% at .456, where on the wire are you going to find this much power widely available at any other position?
Projection: By season’s end expect 25 HR, 80 RBI, 80 R, 10 plus SB and a .220 BA. He’s not yet a fantasy star but he’s on his way.