Eloy Jimenez injury shakes up fantasy baseball drafts

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The best part of any fantasy season is the draft, just ask Fantasy Madman Drew Loftis.

The season is fun, but nothing beats the draft.

Months of study and debate lead up to the ultimate moment of camaraderie, with everyone in your league sitting around a table (well, more likely a Zoom call) to hear the ticking of the draft clock. There are moments of frustration, like when you curse out a friend for taking a player you had in your queue, and moments of joy, like when your friend curses you out for taking a player they wanted. Ultimately, it’s a sports fans dream.

Most leagues (should) aim to draft as close to the start of the season as possible. Though it’s fun to draft early and often to help determine your strategy, drafting too early can cause more harm than good. Just because you can draft your team in January doesn’t mean you should, as you run the risk of ruining your season before it even starts.

That may have happened this week.

In last year’s abbreviated season, the White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez hit .296 with 14 homers, 41 RBIs and a .891 OPS. That was how he followed a rookie season in which he hit .267 with 31 homers, 79 RBIs, 69 runs, .828 OPS and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Jimenez, originally ranked as Roto Rage’s sixth-best outfielder, will be out for 5-6 months with a torn pectoral muscle. The White Sox originally described his injury as shoulder discomfort on Wednesday, but this is obviously much, much worse than that. There’s a chance the 24-year-old slugger will return in September, but that’s nothing fantasy owners should depend on.

So, what now?

If you’ve already drafted, you’re trying to replace a top-40 pick, a cornerstone to your offense (a player projected to easily best his rookie campaign numbers).

Waiver wire pickings are slim, but options worthy of being rostered (all available in 70 percent or more of ESPN leagues) include Victor Reyes, Bryan Reynolds, Nick Senzel, Cristian Pache, Myles Straw, Alex Dickerson, Kiké Hernández, Justin Upton, Manuel Margot or Sam Hilliard.

If you haven’t drafted, you can adjust your strategy. Jimenez should immediately be removed from your draft lists, outside of dynasty leagues.

Before his injury, Jimenez carried a 36.5 average draft position, according to Fantasy Alarm. So, what should you do with that ever-important pick? You could pivot to a top-15 starting pitcher, like the Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff (39.7), or fill other position needs with the White Sox’s Jose Abreu (36.6), the Dodgers’ Corey Seager (37.4), the Astros’ Alex Bregman (39.4) or the Red Sox’s Rafael Devers (41.9).

Still want an outfielder? The next five available, in terms of ADP, are Jimenez’s teammate, Luis Robert (37.3), the Astros’ Kyle Tucker (38.9), Royals utilityman Whit Merrifield (40.4), the Braves’ Marcell Ozuna (42.6) or the Blue Jays’ George Springer (47.6).

If those names don’t do it for you, there’s plenty of talent to target a few rounds later, like the Mets’ Michael Conforto (73.5) or Roto Rage favorite Nick Castellanos of the Reds (85.0). The Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (119.4) is even cheaper. He may not be a Hall of Famer like his grandfather, but he has 30-homer potential, the ability to get on base (top 20 OBP in 2020), and drive in and score runs while hitting for a solid average.

In later rounds, there are solid options like Cleveland’s Eddie Rosario (123.1), Houston’s ever-steady Michael Brantley (152.3), the Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (154.3) or the Twins’ Max Kepler (191.1) — who is only one season removed from reaching career-high marks in homers (36), RBIs (90), runs (98), batting average (.252) and OPS (.855).

You can stash the Mariners’ stud prospect (sorry, Mets fans), Jarred Kelenic (208.8), or take shots on Rangers speedster Leody Taveras (221.3) or steady Diamondbacks veteran David Peralta (264.8) even later.