Kansas City Royals Players to Target in Fantasy Baseball

Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

If you are anything like me, you are probably in a fantasy baseball league or five. Hopefully, you will be going into your league as the defending champions, ready to take down the opposition yet again and win the coveted trophy or prize that your league has.

Likewise, you have probably done a good amount of scouting, looking for players to target in your drafts. Perhaps you have a few sleepers in mind, or have begun to search for them. Or, maybe you are looking for a few members of the Kansas City Royals to stash away on your fantasy squad this year.

Well, what follows is my list of players on the Kansas City Royals that I am either targeting, eyeing as a sleeper or already own due to being in a dynasty league. Yes, a couple of these players may be obvious, but that does not change their value overall. In fact, some of these players may be undervalued, just based on position.

Tomorrow, I will go over players on the Kansas City Royals that you should avoid in your drafts. Hopefully, if you have your fantasy baseball draft in the coming days or in the next couple of weeks, this advice will be of use.

Let us know if there are players that you feel should be considered as possible targets in the draft in the comments below!

Next: The best closer in baseball?

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Holland

It has been hammered into our heads that we should not overvalue closers in a fantasy league. However, a large part of my success personally has been to lock down the elite closers before other members of the league realized what was happening. To that end, I currently have Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman and Greg Holland in my points based head to head dynasty league.

Why target closers earlier? In the typical 5×5 league, locking down the elite closers will result in a nice bump in strikeouts, ERA and WHiP while potentially dominating the saves category. As wins are a bit of a gamble anyway, being able to have a decided advantage over the opposition in the other four categories is a major help.

Holland has certainly established himself among the elite, posting 93 saves along with a 1.32 ERA and a 0.889 WHiP over the past two seasons. He has also struck out 13.4 batters per nine innings, establishing himself as a true asset in every category that does not involve win totals. It is certainly understandable as to why he has been considered the top closer in baseball.

If you cannot get one of the elite starters, an elite closer may be a bit more valuable than the second tier of starters, especially depending on your league’s setup. Closers, like Greg Holland, could be an underrated asset.

Next: Fear the beard

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Rios

If Alex Rios is drafted in your league, it is likely to be very late in the draft. It is certainly understandable why that would be the case, given his underwhelming .280/.311/.398 batting line last season and his suddenly disappearing power. While the 17 stolen bases he had last year were nice, his four home runs just will not cut it in fantasy circles.

However, there are signs that Rios may be primed for a bounceback season. Rios battled ankle and thumb injuries, his power had waned, but he was still hitting doubles and triples. A healthy Rios may be able to get back to that fifteen home run plateau. If he can steal twenty or more bases as well, Rios would suddenly be a valuable player.

Even though it is Spring Training, there are signs that the power outage of last season may be an aberration. Rios has already hit three home runs during Spring Training, and five of his seven hits have been for extra bases. Rios has also tacked on a stolen base, giving hope that he can be that 15/20 player.

He may not be one of the more impressive picks at the time of the draft, but Alex Rios could be a valuable pick during the season. Right now, he appears to be trending int he right direction.

Next: Maybe this year?

Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Hosmer

It feels like we have been waiting on Eric Hosmer to break out for years now. He has certainly shown flashes of doing so, such as his performance during the last four months of the 2013 season or his postseason performance last year. The hope is that, at some point, Hosmer will put everything together and have that breakthrough season.

2015 may be the year that finally happens. Something seemed to click with Hosmer in the postseason, as he had six extra base hits in 57 at bats. He showed a lot more patience, drawing nine walks, while looking to drive the ball. This was a confident Eric Hosmer, one who looked like he belonged in the major leagues for more than his glove.

Even if the projections for Eric Hosmer are not overly bullish for the 2015 season, it may be time that he finally reaches his potential. While he is likely not to be the power hitter we had hoped for, there is not reason to expect that Hosmer cannot hit anywhere between 15 to 20 home runs. Add in his ability to steal a few bases, and the possibility that this ability to be patient and jump on pitches he can drive is going to stick, and Hosmer could be a solid fantasy asset.

Hosmer may not be among the top first basemen in fantasy baseball, but he would appear to be poised to put together a solid season. He is certainly worth a speculative pick later in the draft.

Next: Kansas City Royals Top Five Starting Pitchers