X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Champ or Chump: Logan Forsythe and Justin Turner

I read something the other day referring to the Yankees as possible "AL Dodgers" due to their ability to spend. I thought LA's limitless payroll made them the NL's Yankees, but apparently the team is the new "Evil Empire."

Regardless of their reputation, the team has kept its offseason under control. Balking at Minnesota's asking price for Brian Dozier, the team acquired Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay to fill their hole at second base. They also resigned Justin Turner, keeping the 2016 team together instead of looking for flash.

While fantasy owners need not care about the reasons, they do want to know if LA's latest additions can help them to a fantasy title. Let's find out.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

The Fantasy Jury Has Spoken

Logan Forsythe (2B, LAD) ADP: 267.5

Toiling in the relative obscurity of Tampa Bay, Forsythe compiled a .264/.332/.444 line with 20 bombs and six swipes last season. The speed will almost certainly not repeat, as his 50% success rate should earn him a red light from an analytical organization like the Dodgers.This leaves a slightly plus average and plus power for fantasy owners to consider.

On the batting average side, Forsythe ran a .314 BABIP thanks in part to cutting his FB% (40.6% in 2015 to 35.2% last year). Flies have the lowest BABIP of any batted ball type, so hitting less of them is a sustainable way to raise BABIP. His 22.8% LD% seems high, but it matches his career average perfectly. His path to that career average is full of peaks (28.7% in 2012) and valleys (19.3% in 2014), but there is a chance he can sustain an elevated figure. All of Forsythe's batted balls performed reasonably close to his career averages, so a plus BABIP can be reasonably expected moving forward.

Of course, a low FB% is detrimental to a player's power. Forsythe's HR/FB jumped to 14.7% last season after sitting at 9.7% the year prior, masking the effects of his ground ball approach. He pulled fewer of his flies (16.9% vs. 18.2% career), however, leaving me skeptical that he can repeat the elevated mark. I'd expect 15ish homers from him in 2017.

That may be just fine if the Dodgers keep Forsythe in his customary lead off role. While he won't offer speed, his eye (22.1% O-Swing%) and low SwStr% (8.2%) make him a viable option at the top of the order. He struck out too much last year (22.7% K%), but the aforementioned advanced metrics suggest a rebound is forthcoming. The Dodgers are also good enough that their lead off man should make a run at 100 runs scored, though batting after the pitcher could cost a few RBI. Even if Forsythe stinks, the Dodgers lead off role alone is probably worth his current ADP.

Verdict: Champ

 

Justin Turner (3B, LAD) ADP: 129.5

The one-time utility infielder turned into a fantasy star on the back of 27 big flies and a .275/.339/.493 triple slash line in 2016. Better yet, all of his advanced metrics are trending in the right direction.

His newfound power was not the result of an inflated HR/FB like his new teammate's, as his 14.8% mark last year was effectively the same as his breakout 13.9% figure from 2015. Instead, his FB% hit the magical 40% plateau from 36.2% the year before. Sluggers strive to hit 40% of their batted balls in the air, and Turner has accomplished the feat.

His batting average also seems to have room to grow. His .293 BABIP seems normal, and even problematic if you do not trust his 23.9% LD% to repeat. Turner is a proven liner machine with a 24.1% career LD% though, so it says here he will keep doing what he has always done. Turner's career BABIP on grounders is just .221, and I can't figure out why. His superlative defensive metrics suggest that he is at least an adequate athlete, and he torches the shift for a .490 career average. Should he start beating out more ground balls, a .300+ average is possible. His fly balls were also a tad off their usual BABIP (.115 vs. .156 career), so a few more base hits could come from them as well.

Turner has a strong eye (24.4% O-Swing% last year) that could lead to more walks as pitchers are forced to respect his power. He also boasts great contact skills, sporting a 17.2% K% and 7.1% SwStr% last season. He spent most of last year in the third spot, and the Dodgers have not done anything that figures to jeopardize Turner's counting stat opportunities there. Turner combines a solid floor with top 50 upside, making him well worth investing in at his current price.

Verdict: Champ


Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

WIN MORE IN 2024

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Alexis Diaz fantasy baseball closers rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

MLB Closers and Saves: Fantasy Baseball Depth Charts

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball, and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. In addition to closers and saves, relief... Read More


Do These Prospects Matter for Fantasy Baseball?

The 2023 fantasy baseball season has been highlighted by the promotion of nearly two-dozen top prospects to the major leagues to impact fantasy rosters. This week's edition features one player who was called up as the piece was being written. Will these strong performers join the ranks of those who have moved to the majors... Read More


clayton kershaw fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

articles report test

this is a test


Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome back! It's Week 24 of our fantasy baseball Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups series! There are just two precious weeks left, and every start is becoming more and more important as most of the fantasy baseball world is in playoff matchups. If you've made it this far, there's a good chance you don't really... Read More


Aaron Nola - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Starts & Sits for MLB Week 23 - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back RotoBallers! Big week in fantasy leagues as we approach the end of the season and playoffs! As always, we are here with our starting pitcher starts and sits series to help you set those winning lineups for the week ahead! For those who are not familiar, RotoBaller puts out a weekly grid of... Read More


Gunnar Henderson - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Prospects, Draft Sleepers

Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome to Week 24 and our fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters. We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform,... Read More


Brayan Bello - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Yo, it's Jon Anderson, continuing to run the show here in terms of late-summer fantasy baseball writing. There are just two weeks left of streaming pitchers, so let's make it count! This weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column aims to identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy baseball week,... Read More


Fantasy Baseball Week 24 Injury News and Updates: Tyler Glasnow, Ozzie Albies, Starling Marte, Anthony Rizzo, Zack Wheeler

September is now more than half over. The baseball season is slowly coming to a close. At this point, fantasy players are pushing for their league titles or just playing for pride. Major League Baseball teams continue to do the same and injuries continue to happen, now with the dreaded term "done for the season"... Read More


Joe Musgrove - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/17/22)

Happy Saturday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/17/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Today's MLB slates are split up as is the norm for September baseball. Half the guys I think will play will not, so you have to be as flexible as Gumby to play MLB DFS in September, but that also means that there is a lot of money out there should you dare to dive... Read More


Max Fried - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/15/22)

Happy Friday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


Robbie Ray - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, Draft Sleepers

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/16/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Fridays are big MLB DFS days and offer a nice respite from the NFL, who command our attention on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays. This slate, like most Friday slates, is a big one as all MLB teams are in action today and 28 of those teams are on tonight's 14-game DFS slate. This was a... Read More


kyle farmer fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

There are only two weeks left of fantasy baseball! It's going to be very sad when the season comes to an end, but the impending end of the season means that these are the most important, and therefore most fun weeks of the year – for those of you still competing, at least. I have... Read More


TODAY’S MOST VIEWED PLAYERS

rotating JS ad test

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF