We've gotten far enough into the season where owners can begin to really appreciate some of the players who have helped them so far by outferporming their preseason draft positions. Some players could just be off to hot starts, but others may in fact be better than drafters thought they were coming into the season. Here are a few NL players who have thus far outperformed their ADP and look poised to be ranked significantly higher entering 2016 than they were at the beginning of 2015.
Kris Bryant, 3B, CHI
There may end up being no player who increases his stock this year more than Bryant, who looking back was surprisingly barely drafted within the top 100 players in fantasy this year. Despite missing the first 8 games of the season and then not hitting a homerun for his first 20 games, he is among the top 20 in baseball in RBI, and is already ranking as a top-50 player overall. When all is said and done, Bryant could very likely have 30+ HR's, 100+ RBI, and double-digit steals by the end of the season, which should put in the mix for the top 3rd baseman in fantasy. I have a feeling that many owners will look back and wish they had picked Bryant in the tenth round.
Gerrit Cole, SP, PIT
Cole is quickly rising to the upper-echelon of starting pitchers, as his ERA currently sits at 2.11, and his FIP and xFIP don't suggest much regression. He has improved his K%, BB%, SwStr%, and GB%, and he is not even 25 yet. Cole entered the season as a borderline top-20 SP, but could very easily enter 2016 as a top-10 pitcher.
Todd Frazier, 3B, CIN
Frazier's breakout came in 2014 when he hit 29 homers and collected 20 steals, making him one of the most valuable players in fantasy. Despite the breakout campaign, his ADP on ESPN was around 75, and right now that looks to be a bargain. Frazier has actually improved both his strikeout and walk rate this year, and his FB% has elevated as well, which has helped place him among the leaders in HR's with 14. A 40-homer season is not out of the question, and with 6 SB's to his name already, he may come a lot closer to matching last year's steal total than many expected. At this point, I would expect Frazier to be drafted within the first 3 rounds in 2016 and that he will be considered a top-3 3rd baseman.
Dee Gordon, 2B, MIA
After leading the majors with 64 stolen bases in 2014, fantasy owners expected Gordon to regress this year as his ADP for 2015 (on ESPN) was 83.0, 8th among 2B, and several rounds after fellow speedster Billy Hamilton, despite finishing as a top-10 hitter last season. But Gordon has proved that last year was no fluke as his MLB-leading 19 SB's thus far put him roughly on pace to match last year's total, and his .376 AVG leads the big leagues as well. His .435 BABIP is bound to regress, but his Hard% and GB/FB have both increased, and he already has a whopping 17 IFH's, putting him on pace to shatter his mark of 31 IFH's which led the league last year. Gordon seems poised to finish the year with 50+ steals and a BA over .300 which should be enough to make a top-5 second baseman and a top-50 player overall.
A.J. Pollock, OF, ARI
Injuries limited Pollock to 75 games last year, and somehow made people not realize how good he was. By now though, you would have to think people are starting to realize. Pollock is a .300 hitter who should easily be able to surpass 10 HR's and 20 SB's (he already has 4 and 11) and is a good bet to score 100 runs. He may be the player that most closely resembles Michael Brantley of last year; a player who was good, but sort of went unnoticed, and then became one of the best players in fantasy by contributing in all areas. This year, you may have gotten Pollock in the 17th round. Next year, you'll be lucky if you can get him in the 7th, especially if his HR total approaches 20.
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