Dodgers: The Three Most Underrated Dodgers for Fantasy Baseball

Justin Turner 3B

It feels a bit awkward calling Justin Turner underrated because he is such a big part of the Dodgers’ success, but when it comes to fantasy baseball, Turner is definitely underrated.  Turner is currently ranked as the ninth-best option for third base in standard fantasy leagues.  For a guy that posted a .322/.415/.945 slash line last season that is pretty mind-blowing but it speaks to the kinds of values you can find in fantasy baseball.

The only real knock on Turner is that his knees are going to guarantee that he gets at least one or two off days a week on top of any scheduled days off the Dodgers have.  Even so, you can bank on at least five to seven other third baseman coming off the draft board first so you can keep Turner in your back pocket for the middle rounds of the draft and focus on other positions where there aren’t as many strong players.

Turner had a BABIP of .326 last season so while he most likely will not hit over .320 again, he should still hit close to a 300 average with his career average being .289.  I think Turner is a safe bet for 20-22 home runs this season and hitting in the middle of a loaded Dodgers lineup, he should knock in close to 100 runs with ease if he stays healthy.  If you are looking for value in the draft, Justin Turner is a solid pick in the later rounds and one underrated Dodger in fantasy baseball.

Rich Hill SP

Besides Clayton Kershaw, there are not many starting pitchers who are as fun to watch as Rich Hill.  Not only is Hill fun to watch, but he is also an underrated starting pitcher in fantasy baseball.  Currently, Hill is ranked as the 29th best starting pitcher for fantasy baseball.  That means if you are in an eight to ten team league, Hill could be your fourth or fifth starting pitcher picked which is a very good bargain.

Hill posted a 3.32 ERA last season which is very good but what makes him even better for fantasy baseball is that he put up 11.01 strikeouts per nine innings, and only allowed six hits per nine innings.  Most standard leagues have strikeouts total for the week and strikeouts per nine innings rate, which makes Hill a very solid addition to your fantasy team.  Pitching on a Dodger team that is going to win more than 90 games, Hill is a lock for at least twelve to fourteen wins if he stays healthy.

The only true downside to Rich Hill for fantasy purposes is that he is usually a five-inning pitcher, with six innings being his usual limit.  Often times he will get a no-decision since he comes out of the games earlier than most starters, so that could cost you a few wins for the wins category in fantasy baseball.  Even though he’s not an innings eater, Rich Hill is the most underrated starting pitcher of all the Dodgers starting pitchers.

Chris Taylor LF/CF/2B/SS

Chris Taylor is arguably the most useful player on the Dodgers roster in terms of fantasy baseball.  Not only will he post all-star potential numbers, but he qualifies for four positions in most standard fantasy baseball leagues.  Taylor will definitely qualify for centerfield and second base in all standard baseball leagues.

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Taylor ranks as the 12th ranked second baseman in fantasy baseball and the 31st overall outfielder.  In terms of fantasy baseball, Taylor has more value at second base since there are plenty of slugging outfielders who will put up crooked offensive numbers.  For second base, there is not many second basemen who can put up a 15-15 season like Taylor surpassed last season.  CT3 even has a shot to have a 20-20 season if he doesn’t regress in 2018.  His sample size was big enough last season where there shouldn’t be a major regression.

I think 15-20 home runs should be a lock for Chris Taylor in 2018 and he could add in another 10-15 stolen bases.  The amount of runs he knocks in is up in the air until Dave Roberts sorts out his batting order.  Taylor could hit leadoff which would limit his RBI chances, but if he hits lower in the order he could have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.

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Another way that Chris Taylor can help your team is that he qualifies to play several positions so if you have a starter who has an off day, you can plug Taylor in at a variety of positions.  Given that you can easily pick him in the last few rounds of your fantasy draft, Chris Taylor is the most underrated Dodger for fantasy baseball in 2018.