From left to right: Robert Covington, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Kevin Huerter
Getty Images, AP
Whether it all falls down like Kim and Kanye's marriage or you found your only one, scouring through the waiver wire is bound to leave you paranoid.
But if you want to be stronger and have more power in your fantasy leagues, take four, five seconds (or more) to read this column so you can find free-agent gems like a gold digger or drop a player that you don't like.
Here are some amazing and not so amazing players from the last week to help your team become champions.
Um…Jesus Walks.
<h3><u>Booms</u></h3><p><strong>Robert Covington Forward/Center Portland Trail Blazers</strong></p><p>Some players were made for small-ball basketball while others flounder with the challenge. Robert Covington has been the former for the past week.</p><p>The former full-time small forward has flourished playing power forward and center in small-ball lineups the past few years and he's flexing that versatility in Portland. Last week, he averaged an unremarkable 9.7 points, but he added 9.3 rebounds, two made threes, 1.3 steals and a ridiculous 4.7 blocks a game.</p>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcfef53fc211e6b23cff911ca402bab3" id="61088"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363714186631467014"><div style="margin:1em 0">I see you Robert Covington!
3P%
Dec - 18.8%
Jan - 30.3%
Feb - 41.1%
https://t.co/n3QDMIp9m1
#RipCity https://t.co/275j3Jt2cG</div> — Team Mom (@Team Mom)<a href="https://twitter.com/tcbbiggs/statuses/1363714186631467014">1613969773.0</a></blockquote></div><p>I don't care what your height is. If you're blocking 4.7 blocks a game, you're definitely worth an add.<br/></p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --></p><p><strong>Davis Bertans Forward/Center Washington Wizards</strong></p><p>The beginning of the season was not kind to the usually accurate Bertans, who was only shooting 33.9 percent from the field heading into last week. For one week at least, it looks like the Latvian Laser has his rhythm back.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7587e793c7b8d1679c751d4bcb7c5039" id="bb286"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341911476034883587"><div style="margin:1em 0">My goodness, Davis Bertans is a SNIPER. 🔥
https://t.co/zmnHnorE2r</div> — Hoop Central (@Hoop Central)<a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/statuses/1341911476034883587">1608771602.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Bertans hit 60.7 percent of his shots, including 64 percent from three-point range, resulting in an average of 5.3 threes made per game the last three games. He also contributed 19.7 points and one steal per game to round out what might be a turning point for the fifth-year player.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Terrence Ross Guard/Forward Orlando Magic</strong></p><p>The Magic may be struggling to reach even the play-in tournament, but Terrence Ross is doing his part to keep the team in the hunt. The thirty-year-old vet is having his best year and last week he was on fire.</p>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33c0942dc031bd40a13ef2530f75e2fd" id="9ff91"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363151551259410437"><div style="margin:1em 0">Terrance Ross is one of the few players that probably moves the needle at least by some margin. He's number 1 on my… https://t.co/4Lzjdncuca</div> — James Garcia (@James Garcia)<a href="https://twitter.com/JHappyChillmore/statuses/1363151551259410437">1613835630.0</a></blockquote></div><p>He averaged 23.7 points in three games while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, hitting four three-pointers and stealing 1.7 balls per game in that same span. If you have a chance to grab the Human Torch on the waiver wire, don't hesitate.<br/></p><p><strong>Robert Williams Center Boston Celtics</strong></p><p>On a team with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker, other players tend to fall by the wayside in fans' minds, but one name fantasy managers should remember is Robert Williams.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="818b5d1e74b5cc6ba2550fa66b9fcb42" id="97629"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363596740251779073"><div style="margin:1em 0">Robert Williams III on both ends!
@celtics 30
@PelicansNBA 28
2Q underway 📺 ABC https://t.co/SHIilV1drX</div> — NBA (@NBA)<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/statuses/1363596740251779073">1613941771.0</a></blockquote></div><p>He might have the sexiest stat lines, but he does enough dirty work that will help your team in key areas. This past week, he hit 78.3 percent of his shots, turned the ball over 0.5 times, grabbed 7.8 rebounds, stole 1.8 balls and blocked 2.5 shots per game. That is efficient production in five categories available in 27% of Yahoo leagues. Why haven't you picked him up yet?!<br/></p>
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<h3><u>Busts</u></h3><p><strong>Lou Williams Guard Los Angeles Clippers</strong></p><p>Last week, Lou Williams was back to being Lemon Pepper Lou. This week, he's right back to being Louis Williams, the struggling shooter.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fc08ecec0a61706eaf61f5f9fb5a3e39" id="1de20"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1358845854971400194"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Clippers have made it “widely known” that Lou Williams is available for trade, via Bleacher Report.</div> — Legion Hoops (@Legion Hoops)<a href="https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/statuses/1358845854971400194">1612809072.0</a></blockquote></div><p>While he has been averaging 14.5 points a game, he's only shot 38.1 percent from the field and only hitting one three per game in that same span. He has been a decent enough playmaker to offset some of his inaccuracy (five assists per game), so it may be worth it to hold onto him for at least another week.<br/></p><p><script async="" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<p><strong>De'Aaron Fox Point Guard Sacramento Kings</strong></p><p>Yes, Fox still averaged 15.8 points, 9.3 assists and 18 steals last week, but he needs to provide so much more if he wants to live up to his high draft status in many fantasy leagues.</p><p>The Sacramento guard finished last week shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 60 percent from the charity stripe. He also turned the ball over 3.8 times and only made one three per game in that same span.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c7c966bd31ce51c36b8e887a962a4d69" id="f8d2b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1361519074237321216"><div style="margin:1em 0">De'Aaron Fox is on pace for a big night after a strong first quarter 🦊
8 PTS
2 REB
5 AST https://t.co/H4TZOCl41I</div> — Franklin Cartoscelli (@Franklin Cartoscelli)<a href="https://twitter.com/FCartoscelli3/statuses/1361519074237321216">1613446417.0</a></blockquote></div><p>It may be time for Fox to be an All-Star, but his lack of production in fantasy has some managers putting him in time out instead.<br/></p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Kevin Huerter Guard/Forward Atlanta Hawks</strong></p><p>With so many injuries and COVID absences, many managers have turned to Kevin Huerter to help boost their teams. Unfortunately, his help has been more Andy Bernard than Dwight Schrute in terms of support quality.</p><p>The Hawks guard only averaged 7.8 points on 35.3 percent shooting while only making one three-pointer and grabbing 2.3 rebounds per game. If he's putting up those kinds of numbers while averaging 33.1 minutes in that span, it may be time to move on to greener pastures.</p>
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<p><strong>Russell Westbrook Point Guard Washington Wizards</strong></p><p>Wait a second! How can a guy averaging a triple-double the last week be considered a bust? Well, those are the only categories he's positively contributing to.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7fdb0a2cf652f36d291c2305e1a2aa9" id="e3248"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363355896655527936"><div style="margin:1em 0">RUSSELL WESTBROOK IS NOW TIED FOR THE MOST TRIPLE DOUBLES IN THE WIZARDS FRANCHISE HISTORY IN ONLY 20 GAMES 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯 https://t.co/j5avZp2Tyf</div> — J͎a͎c͎k͎0️⃣🐳 (@J͎a͎c͎k͎0️⃣🐳)<a href="https://twitter.com/RockTheBabyRuss/statuses/1363355896655527936">1613884350.0</a></blockquote></div><h3></h3><p>He's shooting 44.4 percent from the field, turning the ball over 6.7 times, accounting for 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks all while hitting zero three-pointers the last three games. He may be a former MVP, but he is also a bottom-tier fantasy contributor in 8-cat and 9-cat formats, no matter how much he is contributing to three categories.<br/></p>
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Fernando Tatis Jr. has 340 million reasons to be thankful to be a Padre
K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune
Fernando Tatis Jr.'s extension means that we've now seen the four richest contracts in MLB history signed in the past three off seasons.
Tatis' extension is worth $340 million over the next 14 years, and is the third richest contract in league history. Mike Trout still owns the biggest MLB contract at $426.5 million signed in 2019. Mookie Betts owns the second richest contract in league history that will earn him $365 million that he inked with the Dodgers in 2020.
Tatis's $340M extension is the 3rd-largest contract ever handed out in MLB history. 💰 Mike Trout - $426.5M 💰 Mooki… https://t.co/RmmtLHgzYq— ESPN (@ESPN)1613613652.0
<p>Tatis is only 22 years old however and isn't coming with a long track record of success in the league so there is some inherent risk in this move by the Padres organization. To compare, Trout and Betts were both 27 when they signed their mega-deals. However, Tatis has burst onto the MLB scene since his debut and has been a driving force behind the Padres becoming must-watch TV. <br/></p>
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<p>The young squad earned the moniker <em>Slam Diego</em> as the team increased their team home run ranking from <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/season/2019/seasontype/2/table/batting/sort/homeRuns/dir/desc" target="_blank">20th in 2019</a> (Tatis' rookie season) to <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/team/_/season/2020/seasontype/2/table/batting/sort/homeRuns/dir/desc" target="_blank">4th in 2020</a>. Tatis only played in 84 games during his rookie season due to a lower back injury that forced the team to shut him down for the year. He still managed to finish third in NL Rookie of the Year voting finishing with a .317 batting average, 22 home runs, and 53 runs batted in.</p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>To follow up on his stellar rookie performance Tatis continued to progress in his second MLB campaign in the truncated 2020 season. In the 60 game season Tatis slashed his way to a .277 batting average with 17 homers, 45 RBI, 50 runs scored and 11 steals and he <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2020.shtml" target="_blank">finished fourth in NL MVP voting</a> trailing only Mookie Betts, his teammate Manny Machado, and the eventual winner of the award Freddie Freeman.<br/></p>
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<p>Pretty good company to keep.</p><p>The Padres made it to the playoffs last year for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_San_Diego_Padres_seasons" target="_blank">first time in 14 seasons</a>. Much of that was due to the explosive offense led by Machado and Tatis (now both with $300 million contracts). Tatis made the most of his playoff experience as he hit .318, smashed two homers, drove in five runs, and scored five runs himself in San Diego's matchups against the Cardinals and Dodgers in the 2020 postseason. <br/></p><p>San Diego fell just short of a World Series appearance last year, and the organization must feel like they are within striking distance of bringing a championship to Pacific Beach as they've been very active this offseason bringing in two all star caliber arms in Blake Snell and Yu Darvish. The Padres had spent the better part of a decade and a half floating up and down the standings in the NL West which allowed them to acquire a lot of high level talent in their farm system through the draft. The team in turn used a lot of those assets in acquiring Snell and Darvish in trades, but the results in San Diego owning one of the best looking starting rotations in baseball in 2021, and an even better one in 2022.</p>
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<p>Darvish, who was once thought to be washed up, revitalized his career in Chicago with the Cubs and he finished second in NL Cy Young award voting last season. Darvish has returned to his dominant form we saw from him early on in his career with the Texas Rangers. Snell, a Cy Young winner himself in 2018, has to be excited to join a team with the kind of offense the Padres will be toting out there as his 3.24 career ERA should be good enough to get him close to that 21 win mark he had during his Cy Young year.</p>
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</script></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a4be46c388c53eaedc87a48acbf4147e" id="3328d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1361746336828170245"><div style="margin:1em 0">Padres have the best pitching staff in the league by 10% over 2nd place. https://t.co/jfhnnSxdgk</div> — peter thomas (@peter thomas)<a href="https://twitter.com/peterthomasgct/statuses/1361746336828170245">1613500601.0</a></blockquote></div><p>They will be joined by <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-clevinger-to-have-tommy-john-surgery" target="_blank">Mike Clevinger in 2022</a> when he returns from Tommy John surgery which must make the team's <em>old</em> ace, Dinelson Lamet, pretty happy considering the amount of pressure that is taken off his shoulders with all the help hitting the team's rotation. It doesn't appear that the Padres have many weaknesses heading into this season. One knock on them was they didn't have a clear closer at the end of their bullpen, but the <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/02/12/mark-melancon-signs-san-diego-padres" target="_blank">recent signing of veteran reliever, Mark Melancon</a>, should put those questions to bed.<br/></p><p>We're all excited to see the next installment of the <em>Slam Diego</em> series, but now that the left side of their infield is worth nearly three quarters of a billion dollars, there are going to be some hefty expectations for this young team to live up to. If you didn't have a reason to watch Tatis and the Padres this season, now you have 340 million of them.</p>
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<h3></h3><h3></h3><h3></h3>
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From left to right: Kyle Anderson and Andre Drummond
USA Today, Getty Images
If you tried to ask our someone without a mask on Valentine's Day or played fantasy basketball this past week, congratulations: You probably had your heart (and maybe your nose) broken.
Thankfully, you have us for waiver advance whether you're a stud or dud. Here are some of the hottest and coldest NBA players in Week 8 of the season.
<h3><u>Booms</u></h3><p><strong>Kyle Anderson Guard/Forward Memphis Grizzlies</strong></p><p>They call him Slow Mo, but speed has nothing to do with Kyle Anderson's game. The former UCLA star has methodically had a career year and is contributing to all categories, averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, four rebounds, two steals, one block and 2.5 threes in the last four games while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.</p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="86f8b4837eb687aabee8ec711448430c" id="5d366"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1362261017871458306"><div style="margin:1em 0">Kyle Anderson (20 PTS, 5 STL) and the @memgrizz win at home!
Jonas Valanciunas: 22 PTS, 12 REB
Grayson Allen: 22 P… https://t.co/kAdMIfDj3D</div> — NBA (@NBA)<a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/statuses/1362261017871458306">1613623310.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Only 65 percent of fantasy teams on Yahoo have the seven-year stud, so If you need a solid overall contributor, he is probably available in your league.<br/></p><p><strong>Lou Williams Guard Los Angeles Clippers</strong></p>
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<p>Lemon Pepper Lou is back! The sixth man extraordinaire has had a rough year for sure, but he started warming up this past week, averaging 24.7 points, 6.3 assists and one steal on 56 percent shooting from the field in the last three contests.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0ee8588e43fd9252745bf065a4c22710" id="561d9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1361184802997743617"><div style="margin:1em 0">Lou Williams tonight:
30 points
10 assists
10/22 FG
8/8 FT
Always solid ✊ https://t.co/aa7HiryP1f</div> — NBA Central (@NBA Central)<a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/statuses/1361184802997743617">1613366721.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Williams is relatively available on waiver wires with only 67 percent of Yahoo teams rostering him and his streaky shooting. If you can stomach the lows (and potential Magic City trips), he is worth the pickup.<br/></p><p><strong>Jakob Poeltl Center San Antonio Spurs</strong></p><p>An international big man quietly flourishing in San Antonio? What a shocker. Poeltl was a throw-in addition to the trade that netted the Spurs DeMar DeRozen, but he has proven to be a solid presence in the middle for Gregg Popovich, averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds, one steal and 3.3(!) blocks while 70.4 percent in the last four games.</p><p>If you need a boost in your center slot, look no further than the Big Austrian.</p>
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<p><strong>Saddiq Bey Small Forward Detroit Pistons</strong></p><p>Everyone has their eyes on LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, but Saddiq Bey is starting to make an impact in his rookie year. He was named NBA Player of the Week, only the second rookie Piston ever to earn the honor, averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and four made three-pointers while shooting a ridiculous 69.6 percent from three and 71.4 percent from the field last week.</p><p>With Pistons deciding to sit Griffin while deciding his future with the team, Bey is in line to be fed a huge helping of minutes. And with only 28 percent of Yahoo teams rostering him, you may have a pretty good shot at getting the former Villanova forward.</p>
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</script></p><h3><u>Busts</u></h3><p><strong>Ja Morant Point Guard Memphis Grizzlies</strong></p><p>Morant exploded onto the scene last season, but teams are now better prepared for his skill set and it's showing in his numbers. He was particularly cold this past week, shooting 37.3 percent from the field and only hitting one three-pointer per game.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dcc64cadcb669be0e843c8ec265f377f" id="e8973"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1361202170020904963"><div style="margin:1em 0">"I'm not a stat chaser, I'm just trying to win games." - @JaMorant https://t.co/gb9rWvlrGm</div> — FOX Sports Grizzlies (@FOX Sports Grizzlies)<a href="https://twitter.com/GrizzliesOnFSSE/statuses/1361202170020904963">1613370861.0</a></blockquote></div><p>He still averaged 10 assists this past week and scored nearly 17.8 points, but his efficiency and lack of production in the other categories (0.5 steals and 2.3 rebounds the last four games) is making it hard to trust him right now.<br/></p><p><strong>Eric Bledsoe Guard New Orleans Pelicans</strong></p><p>After a hot end of January, Bledsoe may be on the chopping block with the Pelicans and fantasy managers. With Kira Lewis Jr. starting to cut into his minutes, the former Kentucky guard has seen a drop in his production, averaging 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 35.5 percent shooting.</p>
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<p>As far as fading assets go, Bledsoe might be disappearing faster than Marty McFly's brother and sister in "Back to the Future."</p><p><strong>Andre Drummond Center Cleveland Cavaliers</strong></p><p>When NBC Sports Edge uses "uninterested" to describe what your play over the last week, things aren't going well for you. Then again, things haven't been going well for Drummond most of the season, but last week he averaged nine points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from the field.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1391a9c75396bcb9d1a144bec7d37587" id="d3961"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1361399197900046336"><div style="margin:1em 0">“He can get you 30-20 and have no impact on the game.”
-NBA Scout on Andre Drummond
(via @SmithRaps) https://t.co/aJClQam9Im</div> — Hoop Central (@Hoop Central)<a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/statuses/1361399197900046336">1613417837.0</a></blockquote></div><p>He was also kept out of Sunday's game for "rest" AKA keeping him healthy so he can be traded. His days with Cavs appear to be over, but he's worth holding to see what situation he gets shipped to.<br/></p><p><strong>Harrison Barnes Forward Sacramento Kings</strong></p><p>We were singing his praises a couple of weeks ago, but Barnes is on our busts list this week. In three games last week, Barnes only managed to score 9.7 points and 0.7 made threes while shooting 37.5 percent from the field. His 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game also left a lot to be desired especially while he was averaging 33.2 minutes in that same stretch.</p>
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<h2></h2><p>Barnes tends to run hot and cold, but he is having a career year. Managers might be looking at this stretch as a short lull before he heats up.</p>
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Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, both new members of the New York Mets
Danny Abriano/Yahoo Money
Now that the Super Bowl has concluded, it's time to start looking towards Spring, which means baseball is right around the corner.
The hot corner to be exact.
The return of the MLB also means that it's time to start doing your research for your fantasy baseball league. We will get what should feel more like a normal baseball season in 2021 after the truncated 2020 campaign, which saw the L.A. Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. We saw some star players deal with some significant struggles in 2020, including recently traded third baseman, Nolan Arenado, who will hope to rebound in his new home of Saint Louis this year.
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a01b43e733af97595a354dd09e75531f" id="3ca53"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1359298846946377729"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yadi says he's been friends with Nolan Arenado for a while now ("I've been talking to him since the two years") and… https://t.co/Zs9GhbvJP3</div> — FOX Sports Midwest (@FOX Sports Midwest)<a href="https://twitter.com/FSMidwest/statuses/1359298846946377729">1612917074.0</a></blockquote></div><p>It is difficult, however. to hold any poor performances against any player considering the length of the season and the conditions they were playing under. As we know, baseball is a game of hot steaks and cold streaks and considering the MLB only played 60 regular season games last year, nearly two-thirds of the season wasn't played. Players can go through a cold streak of that length and then turn it around in the second half of the season. <br/></p>
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<p>We have seen perennial MVP candidate, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=ramirjo01&year=2019&t=b" target="_blank">Jose Ramirez</a> do just that in 2019. In the first half of the 2019 season Ramirez hit for just .218, seven home runs, and 35 runs batted in over 85 games. After the all-star break Ramirez slashed .327, 16 home runs, and 48 runs batted in over 44 games. </p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4cc91e2de3662e027c99bdb7acf8289f" id="c266f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1287489475283750918"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Cleveland Indians a 9-2 winner over KC today. Jose Ramirez 2 HR. The feel good story is Cookie 🍪 Carrasco’s ret… https://t.co/bfQfYfGKdJ</div> — Tom Brunswick (@Tom Brunswick)<a href="https://twitter.com/tom_brunswick/statuses/1287489475283750918">1595796385.0</a></blockquote></div><p>As fantasy managers we know that talent always shines through, so there will certainly be some players to target in your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts that may slip farther than they should based on last year's stats. Don't be the one that loses out on a league winner because of one down year. <br/></p>
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<p>Let's look at three players looking to have big bounce back seasons in 2021 that should help you win your league this season.</p><h4>J.D. Martinez Boston Red Sox DH<br/></h4><p>So this is the lowest hanging fruit here. Martinez had a flat out terrible 2020. J.D. hit just .217 with seven homers and 27 RBI over 54 games. The entire Red Sox organization felt off last year, and Martinez may have been the biggest example of that. Usually one of the most consistent power hitters in the game, and someone that was coming off draft boards in the first three rounds of drafts last year, was possibly the biggest fantasy disappointment in baseball in 2020.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="88f7543c1fa8aac66e28d62d01837b82" id="d796c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1359156410517446673"><div style="margin:1em 0">JD Martinez when he sees this news https://t.co/vbmDYg6bE3 https://t.co/yG7RlEgxSu</div> — Fitzy Mo Peña (@Fitzy Mo Peña)<a href="https://twitter.com/FitzyMoPena/statuses/1359156410517446673">1612883114.0</a></blockquote></div><p>In 2019 Martinez hit for .306, 34 HR, and 105 RBI. In 2018 he slashed a line of .330, 43 HR, and 130 RBI and finished fourth in the American League in MVP voting. Boston's roster isn't quite as good as it was during those years, but they do still have Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers to help provide some protection in the lineup for their DH. Considering Martinez is a power hitter that you can likely grab in rounds 6-8 this offseason, if you are lacking power after your first few picks J.D. Martinez will be worth adding in the mid rounds.<br/></p>
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</script></p><h4>Joey Gallo Texas Rangers OF/1B</h4><p>Gallo has always been a polarizing commodity when it comes to fantasy baseball. His power has always been undeniable, but his batting average has never topped .253 in a season. In 2020 Gallo still wasn't able to hit for average, but his power also betrayed him leaving him with a final line of .181, 10 HR, and 26 RBI in 57 games. This has caused Gallo to be all but forgotten about until the end of drafts heading into 2021. </p>
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<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ddea3d5afe56aa1ccb8758247bcaaea2" id="7f2b7"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1358162463695331328"><div style="margin:1em 0">Kris Davis & Joey Gallo in the same lineup👀 https://t.co/XFXFHH4XqL</div> — Uncle Jay$ell (@Uncle Jay$ell)<a href="https://twitter.com/JayBeGreat/statuses/1358162463695331328">1612646139.0</a></blockquote></div><p>But if you go back to the 2019 season, Gallo was having another fantastic power hitting season and was on pace to have his best statistical season before a wrist injury ended his season halfway through the season in July. Gallo had a .986 OPS, 22 HR and 49 RBI through 70 games before hitting the injured reserve list. Now you can't ever expect Gallo to become a .300 hitter, but at just 27 years old, you <em>should</em> expect Gallo to return to his home run hitting ways before this season is over. <br/></p><p>Gallo is projected beyond the tenth round in most formats currently, and if you target him around there you can stack up on pitching or focus on filling out other stat categories with other players before snagging your power hitter in Gallo late.</p>
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<h4>Carlos Carrasco New York Mets SP</h4><p>Carrasco will likely be drafted ahead of the other two players on this list, but depending on who's in your league and the depth of their baseball IQ, Carrasco could also fall a lot farther than he should be in this year's draft. If you remember, Carrasco dealt with battling leukemia in 2019 while he was with the Cleveland Indians. He returned in 2020 and started 12 games, going 3-4 with 82 Ks and a 2.91 ERA. </p><p>Now with the New York Mets, Carrasco will be behind Jacob deGrom and ahead of Marcus Stroman in the rotation. Last season we saw Carrasco pitch beyond the sixth inning in nine of his 12 starts, which is important as his stamina and effectiveness were in question once he returned. </p><p>He's always been a work horse pitcher that is expected to carry a big innings workload, so to see he was able to do that in short order after his return gave the Mets confidence to sign him, and it should give you confidence he will flourish in this new rotation.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4003aaf4c770b4c4c59a2c097b51b18e" id="a3505"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1357791478706130946"><div style="margin:1em 0">Look I get the frustration to a point, anyway, but any offseason where you add Francisco Lindor AND Carlos Carrasco… https://t.co/Jrwj5m7qgM</div> — Christopher Crawford (@Christopher Crawford)<a href="https://twitter.com/Crawford_MILB/statuses/1357791478706130946">1612557689.0</a></blockquote></div><h3></h3><p>Not only do the Mets have a formidable rotation, but they have a dangerous lineup and the addition of Carrasco's former teammate in Cleveland, Francisco Lindor, gives the Mets a middle of the lineup that includes Lindor, Michael Conforto, and Pete Alonso. The Padres, Dodgers, and Cardinals have all considerable improvements as well this offseason, and the NL will be hotly contested. But if you want to run away with your fantasy league, drafting Carrasco to be your first or second pitcher will help get you there.<br/></p>
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