Fantasy Profile: A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Welcome back to the 2015 Last Word on Fantasy Baseball Guide. Over the next several months we will be releasing player profiles, projections, position rankings, and a number of other articles that will help you dominate your fantasy league this season. Whether you play rotisserie or head-to-head; whether you have a standard draft, a snake or an auction league, and whether it’s keeper league or a one-year deal; we have all the fantasy information you need.

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Fantasy Profile: A.J. Pollock, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

LWOS Ranking 44, Captains’ Value: $8.98

A.J. Pollock was on his way to a breakout season last year before a June hit-by-pitch on the hand required surgery that cost him half the season. If you could have simply doubled his half season statistics from last season (.302-41-7-24-14), you would be looking at a Top 50 value hitter. Although there is not a long track record to support a mid-teen HR output, Pollock is entering his Age 27 season and plays in a favorable hitters park.

Pollock will enter the season as the full-time leadoff hitter; although the Diamondbacks are one of the weaker teams in the league, they do have some run producers behind him in Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo, so there is optimism that Pollock can continue to get on base, steal his way into scoring position, and then score a fair amount of runs. As a perennial .300 hitter throughout the minors, the increase in batting average last year was not out of the blue, although it would be prudent to expect a little bit of regression.

At a current ADP of 170.4, Pollock represents one of the absolute best values in Fantasy Baseball this season; I am looking to grab him once we hit double digit rounds in my 15-team formats and fully expect him to produce a line around .290-72-11-42-22; buy in if you can, you will not be disappointed.

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