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RotoBaller knows as well as you do that big bats are the foundation of any premier fantasy team. Nearly all hitters taken in the first five rounds are plus-power guys who are good for 25+ HR. To build a contending squad, you’ll need to compete in power, so if you loaded up on pitching early on and missed the big bats, or if you splurged on a Mark Teixeira, you'll need to be on the lookout for some cheap sources of power production.
We've chosen four guys from our Ultimate Waiver Wire Watch List who could be very cheap sources for big power in 2013.
1) Jason Kubel (ADP: 206, round 16 in 12-mixed): He quietly hit 30 HR last year in his debut season in Arizona, and he should do more of the same in 2013. Arizona is a great place for power hitters, and Kubel is set to get 500-550 AB again in the dry air. With OF eligibility, he positions well as a #5 OF.
2) Chris Carter (ADP: 267, round 22 in a 12-mixed): Carter is arguably the biggest power sleeper in fantasy baseball this year. He had 16 HR in only 218 AB in 2012, which is just ridiculous. If he plays every day and keeps his BA above .240, he should be able to mash at least 30 HR, with upside for 35-40. There is a chance he gets off to a cold start and that will depress his perceived value, but if that's the case he'll probably appear in next week's Cheap Power article as well!
3) Garrett Jones (ADP: 245, round 20 in 12-mixed): A 27-HR, 86-RBI campaign in 2012 and still he is unowned in more than half of mixed leagues. He has OF and IB eligibility in most leagues and is slated to be the everyday #5 hitter in the Pirates lineup, hitting behind Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. In the last four seasons, Jones has topped 20 HR three times. He’s a cheap version of Adam LaRoche and should be a guy to target for insta-pop.
4) Lucas Duda (Not Drafted): Last year, Lucas Duda was a sleeper pick going in rounds 15-17 in most mixed-leagues. Major League pitching proved too much for him and he got sent down mid-season. Now in 2013, the Mets OF is super-thin, and they're going to stick with Duda for as long as possible. Even in his stinker 2012 season, he still went for 15 HR. If he begins to fulfill his potential, he easily has 25-HR upside. He’s a guy to put on your watch list and monitor how he performs in the first weeks of the season.
