Securing helpful players late in fantasy baseball drafts can help push a squad over the top to claim a championship. A player must have an average draft position (ADP) after 300 to qualify as a deep-league target in this piece. The following four players fit the bill and offer a fun mix of pitching, both starting, relieving and hitting.
- 6 RP-Eligible Starting Pitchers to Draft
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
- 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
- Fantasy Baseball Projections
Deep League Targets
Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI) | 301.8 ADP
Cristopher Sanchez had a breakout campaign last season but isn’t getting his flowers from fantasy drafters. According to FanGraphs, in 19 appearances (18 starts) spanning 99.1 innings for the Phillies, the lefty had a 3.44 ERA, 3.77 xERA, 3.09 xFIP, 3.33 SIERA, 1.05 WHIP, 4.0 BB%, 24.2 K%, 30.9 CSW% and 57.0 GB%.
Sanchez also threw 49.2 innings in the minors and 2.1 in the playoffs for the Phillies, running his 2023 total to 151.1. Thus, the southpaw could progress to 170-plus innings this season.
He used a three-pitch mix last season, with his changeup serving as his best bat-missing weapon. Sanchez had a 21.6 SwStr% and 40.6 K% on his changeup. However, his slider also had a 13.0 SwStr% and 24.3 K%, giving him more than one putaway pitch. All three of his offerings also had at least a 51.4 GB%.
Interestingly, he’s demonstrated a new pitch and added some ticks to his sinker in spring training.
I’m pretty interested in what Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez was up to yesterday. New cutter, and sinker up more than 2 MPH from last season.https://t.co/WwSYVzqf31 pic.twitter.com/DuZfbrZbdc
– Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) February 28, 2024
Sanchez bulked up in the offseason, and the club hopes he can maintain his improved control while throwing harder. Thankfully, he’s proven he can succeed if he must take a little something back off his sinker. Sanchez was already a value before unveiling his cutter and revved-up sinker, and he’s even more intriguing now.
Brendan Donovan (1B/2B/OF) | 318.4 ADP
Brendan Donovan is an ideal bench hitter after the 300th pick, owning eligibility at three positions. He’s a jack of many trades, master of none. After hitting only five homers and stealing just two bases in 468 plate appearances in his rookie season in 2022, Donovan muscled up for 11 homers and swiped five bases in just 371 plate appearances in 2023 before his season was cut short by an elbow injury.
Donovan lifted his launch angle from 6.0 degrees to 10.6 while hitting the ball harder. As a result, his uptick in homers was legit, and his .284 batting average aligned with his .283 xBA. The utility player also had a .433 xSLG versus a .422 slugging, suggesting he might have a pinch more untapped power with better luck on his batted balls this season.
Furthermore, Donovan increased his pull rate from 35.5% in 2022 to 41.3% in 2023, and more pulled flyballs are ideal for power production. Batting average is Donovan’s most significant contribution to fantasy teams. Yet, he can chip in elsewhere while providing squads with position versatility.
Matt Wallner (OF – MIN) | 353.0 ADP
Matt Wallner is a classic three-true-outcomes slugger. In 254 plate appearances for the Twins last season, he clubbed 14 homers with an 11.0 BB% and 31.5 K%. The high strikeout rate depressed his batting average to just .249. However, Wallner’s juicy walk rate helped him produce a .370 OBP. Obviously, Wallner’s value is enhanced in leagues that use OBP.
Still, he’s a cheap source of power. Wallner’s pop wasn’t a fluke, either. According to Baseball Savant, Wallner was tied for 18th in barrels per plate appearance rate (9.8 Brls/PA%), tied for 26th in maximum homer distance (463 feet), 53rd in hard-hit rate (48.1%) and tied for 16th in flyball/line drive exit velocity (97.1 mph) among 403 players with at least 100 batted-ball events in 2023.
The left-handed-hitting outfielder hit 12 homers with a .281 batting average, .409 OBP, .281 ISO, 12.0 BB% and 31.3 K% in 208 plate appearances against righties in 2023. At the worst, he’s an asset against right-handed pitchers. Wallner has struggled against lefties in his young big-league career.
Yet, he had success against lefties in the upper minors in 2022 and 2023. So, Wallner shouldn’t be entirely written off against southpaws, even if he’ll likely frequently sit against them.
James McArthur (RP – KC) | 365.6 ADP
James McArthur had a nightmare introduction to The Show last season. He allowed seven runs in only one inning against the Guardians on June 28. McArthur was optioned to the minors after his wretched relief appearance to continue transitioning to the bullpen in Kansas City’s organization. The Phillies had been using him as a starter before the Royals traded for him in May.
Fortunately, McArthur’s shift to the bullpen was successful despite his dreadful big-league debut. He next appeared in the majors on August 6. In 17 appearances spanning 22.1 innings from August 6 through the end of the season, McArthur had a 2.01 ERA, 2.50 xFIP, 2.28 SIERA, 0.67 WHIP, 1.3 BB%, 28.7 K%, 34.6 CSW%, 59.3 GB%, 115 Stuff+, 105 Location+ and 109 Pitching+.
McArthur was nothing short of a stud down the stretch. He’s Kansas City’s closer this season, and the Zeile consensus projections peg him for 13 saves, albeit with an underwhelming 4.14 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 65.2 innings. The upside is substantially greater for McArthur after his blistering conclusion to 2023, making him a screaming value.
Expert Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice
- The Welsh’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Joe Pisapia’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Justin Mason’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- KC Bubba’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Blake Meyer’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Mason’s High-Stakes Leagues Draft Strategy (Premium)
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
