Major League Baseball is all about stolen bases by adjusting its rulesbut that doesn’t mean fantasy managers should go with the same old speedsters from last season. Miami Marlins 2B/3B Jon Berti and Baltimore Orioles SS Jorge Mateo led their respective leagues in the category last season. Probably won’t do it again. In fact, there’s almost no guarantee these guys will ever play again, and as a result, they’re making money for poor fantasy investments.
My annual “Do Not Draft” list for fantasy baseball always includes the important — but often overlooked — caveat that we’re talking about a player’s value versus my actual thoughts on his potential which statistical output — and we use average draft position to adjust the value. If you think Player X has 10th-round value but goes into Round 5, then — voila! — don’t draft him there. Try to wait. In the case of Berti and Mateo, however, I’m not sure they’re worth drafting.