The fantasy draft season is upon us and all of the chatter out there usually surrounds which player to take in the first round of the 2016 draft season. And yet, as most fantasy owners know, the picks made late in the draft are usually the ones that make the difference between raising flags of victory and checking out in July. In this article we will review 2016 fantasy baseball corner infield value picks. So for those fantasy owners that are looking for the late round value in 2016, here are two players who may just fit the bill.
Mitch Moreland
In 2015, Mitch Moreland proved to be a key power bat in the Texas Rangers lineup by belting twenty-three home runs and producing eighty-five RBI. Moreland has hit twenty-three home runs in two of the past past seasons, in an average of only 466 at-bats. Last season he also provided fantasy owners with career-best marks in OBP (.330) and OPS (.812). Many fantasy owners may be concerned with his above average .321 BABIP or his poor 76% contact rate in 2015. And yet Moreland also supplied a powerful .482 slugging percentage and flashed a .204 ISO last season, which speaks to his ability to drive in runs.
He missed some time in the second half of 2015 due to a foot fracture, which limited his at-bats. Now, however, the foot appears to be healed, which should mean more at bats are likely on the horizon for the thirty year-old first baseman in 2016. That bodes well for solid production of counting stats from the corner position. With an average draft position well outside of the top 200 picks, Moreland could be an excellent source of power and counting stats at a rare value in 2016.
Yunel Escobar
Yunel Escobar enters the 2016 season in a new home in Anaheim as the starting third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels. Escobar really stepped forward in 2015, taking on the responsibilities of the lead-off hitter for the Washington Nationals. In 2015, Escobar proved that he has the eye that can wear down opposing pitchers and and ability to on base with a .375 OBP and seventy-five runs scored. He is currently slated to bat lead-off for the Angels in 2016, which aligns with the skill-set he presented in a year ago.
Although he has not provided fantasy owners with much power or speed (nine home runs and two stolen bases in 2015), he did hit for a .314 average and produced a .415 slugging percentage. Escobar may not provide a great deal of flash, yet at an ADP beyond 375 thus far this draft season, he has the potential to be a tremendous bargain for batting average and runs in 2016 in very deep leagues.
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