2019 Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Previews: Whatever you need, you can find

Whatever hitting stat you need, it’s available in the outfield. This position is an all-you-can eat buffet of fantasy goodness.

Three of the top five overall picks in standard fantasy drafts — and no fewer than eight players in the opening two rounds — are outfielders. Both of last year’s league MVPs were outfielders. Eight of the top-12 base-stealers from last season carry outfield eligibility in fantasy.

Four outfielders produced 100-30-100 seasons: Christian Yelich, J.D. Martinez, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton. Of the 27 players who slugged 30 or more home runs, 11 were outfielders. Three guys reached the 40-homer plateau in 2018, all of them outfielders: Martinez, Khris Davis, and Joey Gallo.

[Positional Rankings: Top 300 Overall | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | P ]

The top-tier players at this spot are unequivocally the most valuable five-category hitters in our game. If you land the first or second pick in your fantasy draft and somehow don’t come away with either Mike Trout or Mookie Betts … well, wow. You messed up, buddy.

We should note, however, that outfield is also a position in which a decent percentage of ownable fantasy talent will go undrafted. You won’t necessarily find a Juan Soto in the free agent pool every year, but you’ll certainly be able to add a useful piece or two in-season.

This of course is no reason to avoid the elite outfielders at the top of your draft, but it should make you feel better about aggressively targeting high-risk/high-reward options.

Which outfielder is a strong buy for the 2019 fantasy season?

Scott: Eddie Rosario was the No. 4 outfielder in the first half of 2018 (5×5 value) before collapsing in the second half. This sets him up to be undervalued this time around, if you’re willing to blame the collapse on a nagging quadriceps injury. Rosario has other elements that commonly lead to an underrated player — he’s a plus contributor in several areas without dominating, and he plays for a small-market team that isn’t likely to contend. And now Rosario comes to his age-27 season, a great time to buy. This is a potential OF1 at a nice OF3 price.

Andy: Billy Hamilton landed in an absolutely perfect spot this offseason, signing with the Royals back in December. It can be argued that no free agent in baseball found a better home, at least for fantasy purposes. Kansas City has consistently ranked at or near the top of MLB in stolen bases under manager Ned Yost, and it’s abundantly clear this team is going to run with impunity in 2019. Hamilton is a great bet to return to the 50-steal plateau in a healthy season — and don’t be surprised if he tops 60.

Dalton: Yasiel Puig hasn’t lived up to expectations, but he still managed to combine for 38 homers/steals in just 405 at bats last year, hitting almost exclusively at the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup. Still just 28 years old, Puig now moves on from L.A., an unhappy situation, and a pitcher’s park to Cincinnati, where he could quickly find himself in the middle of the Reds’ lineup and benefit from a park that boosts homers for right-handed batters like few others in baseball.

Puig is admittedly a trendy pick and is certainly no sleeper, but I have him as a top-20 outfielder. Don’t underestimate the impact a simple change in hitting environment can have (an example of this would be Christian Yelich winning the MVP last year, as his home OPS jumped from .757 to 1.061 while being essentially the same hitter thanks to going from one extreme park to another, on the opposite spectrum. What I’m saying is Puig is going to win the National League MVP this year).

Conversely, who do you think will be a fantasy bust at the position?

Dalton: Wil Myers went to the disabled list three more times last year, as his old durability problems returned (he’s been limited to fewer than 90 games in three of five seasons since his abbreviated rookie year). He’s never hit .260 (or scored 100 runs or recorded 100 RBI) in his career and still has to deal with Petco Park and a low-scoring lineup around him (although the addition of Manny Machado certainly helps). Myers’ ADP is just too high for someone with his injury risk.

Scott: For a player entering his age-25 season, David Dahl already has a gigantic injury history. Rib, back, hamstring, spleen, even a stomach virus. His home park is obviously delicious and he’s been productive when hale, but he’s also begging for a platoon partner, given his woes against left-handed pitching (.268/.299/.411). I think the Yahoo crowd is playing this right (ADP over 100), while the NFBC players have pushed Dahl into the early 70s. Give me Rosario, Nick Castellanos, or Michael Conforto instead.

Andy: There’s little question that A.J. Pollock has a 20/20 skill set, although he only actually delivered one such season in his seven years with the Diamondbacks. Pollock, now 31, has dealt with a medley of injuries throughout his career; he’s appeared in fewer than 120 games in all but two seasons. Over the past three years, he’s slashed a modest .261/.323/.473 in 972 plate appearances. When you combine the near-certainty of injury with the likelihood that Pollock will be a liability in batting average … well, I’m out. I will not fight you for Pollock’s services.

[Batter up: Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Let’s look ahead. Which OF prospect do you think will impact 2019?

Dalton: Last year was supposed to be Victor Robles’ breakout, but an April elbow injury in Triple-A delayed those plans for one season. The 21-year-old possesses big time speed and athleticism and is a true five-tool prospect. Don’t worry about talk of him batting low in Washington’s order, as those things tend to change quite a bit. Not to mention, there could be a gaping hole (and outfield role) in the middle of the Nationals’ lineup with Bryce Harper likely exiting. Robles can hit, and a 20/30 type season could happen as soon as this season. He’s primed to make a run at the Rookie of the Year award.

Andy: Eloy Jimenez is simply a soon-to-be star; a future early-round fantasy asset. He raked last year at Double-A and Triple-A, slashing a ridiculous .337/.384/.577 across two levels with 22 homers and only 69 Ks in 108 games. He managed to improve when he reached the International League (.355/.399/.597), a strong sign that he’s as ready as anyone to help a big league roster. Here’s a look at his swing, for those who haven’t seen him hit …

Jimenez may open the season back at Triple-A, for service time reasons, but we’ll see him in Chicago very soon. You’ll want him on your fake rosters.

Scott: You might look at Kyle Tucker’s dreamy Triple-A stats (.332/.400/.590) and shrug, since he played in the pinball world of the Pacific Coast League. But Tucker’s home Fresno park is not a bandbox, and he was, at 21, the second-youngest starter in the league. And don’t miss the 20 steals (on 24 attempts) that came tagging along. Tucker won’t open the year with the Astros and Houston’s outfield appears gridlocked at the moment, but Tucker is too good not to force the issue at some point in 2019. And when teams call the Astros for possible trades, Tucker will be one of the first names mentioned. Down the road, Tucker could be a five-category star.

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