Fantasy Baseball Players To Stash: The Game Day asked some of its fantasy baseball writers to answer some of the biggest fantasy baseball questions ahead of the 2021 season.
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Which fantasy baseball player to stash may not make a first-half impact but is worth keeping for the long haul?
JUAN CARLOS BLANCO: I actually have two in mind offhand: the Athletics’ A.J. Puk and the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard. Puk appears set to start the season in the bullpen, as Oakland will be exceedingly cautious with him after injuries significantly impacted his progress the last two seasons. However, he’s an eventual rotation piece who’s thought to have an elite ceiling.
Meanwhile, Syndergaard won’t debut until about June by current estimates following late March 2020 Tommy John surgery, but needless to say, he has the track record to support the notion he could make a nice impact on your roster during the last three-plus months of the season.
KEV MAHSEREJIAN: Personally, not a fan of stashes, but I’d be interested in Adam Frazier, starting 2B for the Pirates. There have been rumors floated around about a trade that would immensely boost his value given that ANY lineup will be better than Pittsburgh’s.
Frazier is currently slotted atop the lineup which could result in some decent runs and hopefully steals but a change of scenery would be massive. He has some power but playing at such a pitcher-friendly stadium like PNC Park is limiting. Take the empty average at the end of your bench and hope he gets moved somewhere cushy.
JOSH SHEPARDSON: The New York Mets moved Noah Syndergaard to the 60-day IL, meaning June is the earliest possible return. Perhaps he’ll make a few starts before the end of the first half, but he still fits the spirit of this question since his impact would be most substantial in the second half.
He recently mixed in a few breaking balls to his bullpen session, and a return even at the beginning of June would amount to more than 14 months after undergoing Tommy John’s surgery late last March. My favorite part of stashing Syndergaard rather than a prospect is the ability to keep a bench spot free by utilizing an IL spot in most league formats.
TAYLOR TARTER: Andrew Vaughn might make the White Sox’s major-league roster out of Spring Training, he might spend two weeks in the minors or he might spend two months in the minors. However it turns out, Vaughan is worth stashing for the long haul this season. He has a mature approach at the plate and has the power to make a significant impact for Chicago as a first baseman/designated hitter at some point in 2021.
Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn is a player worth stashing, even if he does not make the MLB squad to start the season. (Credit: USA TODAY Sports)
FRANK AMMIRANTE: Andrew Vaughn of the White Sox is a name to remember. He’s a power-hitting first baseman who is one of the top prospects in baseball. Vaughn has a great opportunity to take over as the starting DH for one of the best offenses in MLB. He might not make a huge impact in the first half because there’s a chance that the White Sox keep him off the roster for at least the first two weeks of the season to manipulate his service time.
This factor has kept his draft cost to the point where he’s available past pick 250 in NFBC leagues. Draft Vaughn and stash him because he has the ability to make a significant impact in the power department.
A lot of these 2021 Fantasy Baseball Draft Tips apply to in-season play, too. Use this insight to create the best daily fantasy baseball lineups and picks for the 2021 MLB season.
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