It can be difficult to find table-setting regulars in the late rounds of fantasy baseball drafts. It is not impossible though. There are usually a handful of speedy players with solid on-base skills who slip through the cracks for one reason or another. It is an obvious bonus when they feature notable pop of their own.
If those players will line up in front of some strong bats or have the potential to do so, don’t sleep on them. The boost they can provide, particularly to the runs column, can really make a difference.
The names below check at least some, if not all, of the boxes above. Each of them is routinely being selected very late or passed on altogether based on current ADP trends around the industry. Seize the opportunity.
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Josh Rojas (ARI – 2B/3B/SS/OF)
First and foremost, Rojas brings a ton of versatility to the table for fantasy owners. Depending on league settings, that can be incredibly valuable from a player who can also produce at the plate.
Rojas showed the ability to handle big-league pitching during his first full season of MLB action in 2021. Across 550 plate appearances, he delivered a .264 AVG, .341 OBP, 11 homers, nine steals, and 69 runs. He spent 71 of his 139 games in the leadoff spot and is likely to fill that role in 2022.
The Diamondbacks may field the weakest offense in all of baseball with the way things stand at present. The organization is in the midst of a complete rebuild. Nevertheless, every team scores at least some runs, and Rojas is the early favorite to lead the club in that category for the second straight year.
After being shipped from St. Louis to D.C. in a deadline deal last summer, Thomas got his first real chance to show what he could do at the highest level. He did not get into the Nationals’ lineup until Aug. 15, but from that point on, he quickly took over the leadoff spot and ran with it.
Over 45 games for the Nats down the stretch, Thomas posted a .270/.364/.489 slash line with seven home runs, 27 RBI, and 33 runs. He stole just four bases in six attempts in that span, but in the minors, Thomas turned in double-digit swipes four straight years from 2016 to 19.
Like Rojas, Thomas is expected to be at the top of a less-than-stellar offense, though the latter’s support is notably better due to guys like Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Thomas should be in line for plenty of runs as long as he can hold down his position in the batting order.
The glove is there, but will Crawford ever be able to hit enough? The bat finally showed up last year, as he hit a steady .273 alongside a .338 OBP, nine homers, 37 doubles, and 89 runs.
Crawford was given a shot a leadoff duties last season beginning June 1. He responded by getting on base at a nice .350 clip and crossing home plate 68 times over 106 games. There is no reason to think he has not claimed the top spot in the Mariners lineup heading into the 2022 season.
Speaking of the Mariners, they are a team expected to contend this year just as they surprisingly did in 2021. Longtime Seattle slugger Kyle Seager did call it a career earlier this offseason, but the team still has some serious talent in its lineup. Crawford should have little problem scoring runs.
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