Tag: Danny Espinosa

Buying Low- Jayson Werth

Jayson Werth is being dropped from some fantasy rosters across the country but there is reason to hope.

Analysis: Over the past month or so Jayson Werth has seen his batting average dip thirty points and he has not homered. However, in Werth’s last two games he is 4-8 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored. Regardless of being overpaid by Washington in the offseason Werth is still a solid fantasy option in the outfield and you do not have to look further than his last three years with the Phils averaging nearly thirty homers and seventeen stolen bases to see why. This year Werth is only hitting .212 with ten homers but if his last two games are an indication of things to come then Jayson Werth is back. All of his stats are in line with what he was doing in Philly except for his slight power outage hitting in Washington and his unusually low BABIP. Now is the perfect time to buy the slugger low and what is not to love about that talented lineup he is hitting in? Espinosa, Morse and Zimmerman are all studs and when Werth turns it around many will regret straight up dropping him from their fantasy squad.

Danny Espinosa Has Arrived

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.

Nishioka To DL, Espinosa An Option

Slap hitting middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka will be going to the disabled list with a broken left fibula.

Analysis: Nishioka’s best assest was his legs and most experts thought he was good for twenty or so stolen bases this year. He is also capable of posting about a .280 batting average and there aren’t many second basemen on the wire who are a lock to hit .280. In deep leagues you certainly have to take a look at Washington second baseman Danny Espinosa. Over the last two years in the minors Espinosa has hit 40 bombs with 54 stolen bases. Espinosa probably won’t be hitting in the .280 range but I don’t expect to see his batting average dip below the .250-.260 mark. He really is a power/speed threat and only being owned in less than ten percent of fantasy leagues is certainly an added bonus. Espinosa already has six hits in six games with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. If you’re worried about a loss in long term batting average before Nishioka returns you may want to consider Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera is a lifetime .274 hitter with double digit steal potential even in his late thirties. And if you absolutely need to have a secure batting average going forward then it’s time to pick up Freddy Sanchez who is going fast in most standard leagues. Sanchez is a career .299 hitter but he doesn’t have the speed.