Anyone can grab a winner in the early rounds; it takes a smart owner to get it done in the final portions of the draft.
Oftentimes these are players that are coming off bad years or are young players that are looking to make a name for themselves. The list below has a few of both.
Some of this article will appear in the FantasyPros911.com draft guide, so below is just a taste of some of the names that you will see there.
Jair Jurrjens, Braves
To think that Jurrjens was healthy all season is to fool yourself. After missing all of May and making just one start in June, he was destined for basically a lost season.
Still, there were good signs in July and August. In those two months, he went a combined 5-1 with an ERA in the high 3.00s. Granted, Jurrjens fell apart in September, but he will now get a full offseason to get himself healthy and ready to go in the spring.
This is a pitcher that was 14-10 in 2009 with a 1.21 WHIP and 2.60 ERA. We know he has the ability to pitch and pitch well. Because of the time he missed and the numbers overall, owners may miss him on draft boards, and he could be a solid late-round grab.
Chone Figgins, Mariners
Figgins certainly still has buzz about him, but he was certainly an overall disappointment given the expectations heading into 2010. Through the first half, he hit just .235. After the All-Star break, though, things started to change. Figgins did only have one home run and 35 RBI this season, but he did steal 42 bases and hit .286 after the break. For the full year, he hit .276 with runners in scoring position.
In seasons where he has played more than 150 games, this was the first time he has scored fewer than 93 runs.
Brandon Allen, Diamondbacks
Unless a trade is in the works or a signing is afoot, Allen is the only first baseman on the Arizona roster heading in to 2011. Though Arizona acquired Juan Miranda, Allen will likely still get the inside track. If not, Arizona has already looked at him in left field as well, a position that has been somewhat of a revolving door for the team.
Allen had 25 home runs in 104 games at Triple-A last season. This followed a 2009 campaign where he had 20 home runs for three different teams over two levels before promotion to Arizona. Net of it is that he can hit. Arizona simply needs to give him the necessary plate appearances to prove that out. That should come in 2011.
Scott Sizemore, Tigers
His first shot with the Tigers last year did not exactly go as planned. Sizemore simply could not get it done at the plate. The .224 average is a far cry from what he had been hitting in each level of the minor leagues. Still, after being sent down, Sizemore rebounded to hit .298 with nine home runs in 299 at-bats. In 2009, he had 17 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A to go with a .308 mark.
Sizemore will be given every chance to win the job again out of spring, and the Tigers do not have many other options that would be better at filling the spot in the lineup.
Freddie Freeman, Braves
While Atlanta acquired Derrek Lee late last season to man first base, he was nothing more than a short-term fix. The job this year will likely belong to Freeman. Though he suffered a thumb injury during Fall League that cut his time in Arizona short, the prospect had 18 home runs and 87 RBI with a .319 average during 124 Triple-A games this year.
Freeman is the long-term answer Atlanta is looking for, and it is all set to begin this season. He has some pop and will produce in several key categories. He’s a late-round grab as a corner infielder or backup first baseman for certain.
Who are some of the other names? You’ll have to download the FP911.com draft guide to find out!
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