2015 Fantasy Baseball: Prince Fielder Will Be A Top-5 1B
By Adam McGill
@adammcgill83twitter.com
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After a move to the Texas Rangers, many fantasy baseball owners imagined 1B Prince Fielder would be a safe bet in 2014, because after all, Fielder has been a rock throughout his career. He played in over 157 games in eight straight seasons, including missing only one game between all of 2009-13.
Unfortunately, Fielder’s 2014 season was cut short due to a season-ending neck injury. In 42 games last season, Fielder hit only three home runs. He was hitting a home run every 50 at-bats, which was almost double his previous career-high of 29.5 home runs per at-bat in his rookie campaign.
The Prince of Pop also drove in a meager 16 RBIs in 2014, which put him on pace to finish with an embarrassing 61.7 RBIs on the season. He drove in over 100 runs in five of the previous six seasons, so his decline in RBIs was a serious problem last year.
Luckily, Fielder will be ready for the start of the 2015 season. He will show up to spring training on time and the slugger should easily have a bounce back fantasy performance. I don’t expect him to post another 40-plus homers, but a 30-HR season is completely within reason for the five-time All-Star.
Fielder is currently ranked as the 10th ranked first basemen in ESPN this offseason. Considering his gaudy track record, this is insulting. He has slugged 288 career home runs, including 25 or more homers in eight straight seasons before last year’s debacle. Needless to say, he is a true power hitter.
Fielder may fall outside of the first three rounds in the majority of leagues this spring, but he will reclaim his spot among the top-five fantasy first basemen this season and end up being quite the value pick in 2015.
Related Articles:
2015 Fantasy Baseball: Hanley Ramirez Will Be A Top-5 SS With Boston Red Sox
2015 Fantasy Baseball: Top 20 Early Sleepers
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
The Perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup For Feb. 11
It's the last Super Wednesday before the NBA All-Star break, and this is how you can build the perfect lineup tonight to emerge victorious. Read More
Fantasy Basketball: 10 Young Potential All-Stars
The fantasy basketball future is bright with these 10 youngsters who are already showing All-Star potential. Read More
Fantasy Golf Rankings For 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Here are the complete fantasy golf rankings for the 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Read More
Hunter Mahan Is A Sleeper For Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Hunter Mahan will be a great fantasy golf sleeper for the 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Read More
Fantasy Super Sleepers For Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Here are five fantasy golf super sleepers for the 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Read More
Fantasy Predictions For 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Here are some fantasy golf predictions for the 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Read More
Fantasy Golf Sleepers For 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Here are five fantasy golf sleepers for the 2015 Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Read More
Brian Vickers Must Prove His Fantasy NASCAR Worth
Brian Vickers will miss two races after recovering from heart surgery, but how will he perform once he returns for fantasy NASCAR owners? Read More
2015 Fantasy Baseball: Outfield Rankings (1-25)
It's exciting to know that this year's Charlie Blackmon proxy will be a top 25 outfielder by season's end. Here's how the top 25 outfielders look in the early rankings. Read More
Ideal NBA FanDuel Lineup For Feb. 10
Join me in building a perfect NBA FanDuel Lineup for Feb. 10. Read More
LeBron James A Fantasy MVP Candidate
LeBron James is a fantasy basketball MVP candidate, and trading for him would be a huge victory. Read More
Starting Pitcher Rankings For 2015 Fantasy Season
Here are the early starting pitcher rankings for the 2015 fantasy baseball season. Read More