The RotoWire Steak League Dinner is tonight, and for the first time in a couple of seasons, I am an "eater" rather than a "buyer" so I'll keep this brief.
Tuesday's episode of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today brought me back to a conclusion that feels familiar:
In drafts and auctions, boring is a synonym for value.
A full column is likely forthcoming on this topic, but there are several players I find available well outside the Top-50 overall in early drafts with stable skills and long track records of production. Among them...
Matt Holliday, OF, STL -- .270/20/90/90 with health is a bargain near the middle of Round 7 in NFBC drafts.
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS -- That $7 season he turned in a year ago finally soured the masses enough to make Pedroia a bargain after the top-tier options at the keystone are gone. He'll hit high up in the order, pile up a ton of runs scored, hit for a good average, and should push double-digit home runs and stolen bases. Daniel Murphy in a better lineup? (Murphy appears to be undervalued too.)
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS -- Not a third baseman anymore, but played just enough there last year to keep the eligibility for 2015. His hamstring was reportedly healthy in mid-December, so Zimmerman should be 100 percent when spring training begins in a few weeks. Moving to first base should help reduce some of the wear and tear on his body. Currently, he's going near the end of the eighth-round in a 15-team mixer. .280/20/80/80, with better RBI and runs totals are well within reach, and the power ceiling is still in the 25-30 HR range.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B, BOS -- Remember when Adrian Beltre got out of Safeco? That is not to suggest that Sandoval is as talented as Beltre, but the move out of a cavernous home park into a much more hitter-friendly environment -- in a better lineup, and in the AL East, no less -- make a Panda a more intriguing buy now than he has been in years.
This list is hardly exhaustive, but I'm curious to know who you feel might fall into the same bucket.
Let me know on Twitter @DerekVanRiper.