The coronavirus pandemic has given owners ample time to create the perfect 2020 Fantasy baseball strategy to execute on draft day. But in order to separate yourself from the pack, you'll need to identify the 2020 Fantasy baseball breakouts who are poised for a big season. For instance, those who took a chance and drafted Mets rookie Pete Alonso in 2019 were pleasantly surprised when he finished the season with 155 hits, 120 RBIs, 103 runs and 53 home runs.
Which 2020 Fantasy baseball sleepers, busts, breakouts should be on your radar now that the season will most likely be shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic? A reliable set of 2020 Fantasy baseball rankings can help owners identify which players will outproduce their draft position. Before studying the latest 2020 Fantasy baseball ADP and searching for overlooked gems set to return plenty of value, be sure to see the Fantasy baseball rankings 2020 and cheat sheets from the team at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine's Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball breakouts, including Cleveland Indians All-Star starting pitcher Shane Bieber. The 24-year-old broke through with a 15-8 record, 3.28 ERA and 259 strikeouts over 214.1 innings to finish as the No. 5 starting pitcher in all of Fantasy baseball even though he was being drafted in the 15th round in standard 12-team leagues.
The team at SportsLine was all over Bieber as a Fantasy breakout from the start. Their model had him listed much higher than expert consensus rankings, and anyone who listened to their advice was well positioned for a league title.
Their model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2020 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball busts, breakouts and sleepers long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day. Any time an injury occurs or there's a change on a depth chart, the team at SportsLine updates its Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.
In fact, when it came to ranking players in Fantasy football, SportsLine's Projection Model beat human experts last season when there were big differences in ranking. And the model was the closest to the hole overall, meaning it best pinpointed where every player would finish each week. That could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Top 2020 Fantasy baseball breakouts
One of the 2020 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is all over: Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman. He is expected to be Pittsburgh's primary leadoff hitter in 2020, a role he flourished in a season ago. In 75 games as the leadoff man in 2019, Newman slashed .328/.374/.502. He also proved to be a lethal runner on the base paths, swiping 16 stolen bases in 24 tries in 2019.
SportsLine's model is calling for Newman to take the next step in 2020, saying he'll produce similar numbers to players like Bo Bichette, Didi Gregorius and Paul DeJong, all of whom are being drafted long before Newman. With Newman's 2020 Fantasy baseball ADP at No. 241 overall, there's plenty of value, making him one of the 2020 Fantasy baseball breakouts you can steal this season.
Another breakout that SportsLine's Fantasy baseball rankings 2020 are extremely high on: Cardinals third baseman Tommy Edman. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut last summer and exceeded all expectations by hitting 11 home runs, stealing 15 bases, and slashing .304/.350/.500 over 92 games. Edman hit a total of 18 home runs between Triple-A and the majors, showcasing previously unseen power after hitting no more than seven homers in his three previous minor-league seasons.
With a .346 BABIP that looked in line with his minor league numbers, there's no glaring reason to expect any significant regression in his second season. Edman has the ability to flirt with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases while hitting for average, making him a sneaky value at third base with a 2020 Fantasy baseball ADP of 145.38 overall. The model ranks Edman ahead of fellow third basemen like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado, who are being drafted at least four rounds earlier on average.
How to find proven 2020 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine is also high on a shortstop who is going undrafted in many leagues to finish as a top-15 option at the position. This pick could be the difference in winning your league or going home with nothing.
So which 2020 Fantasy baseball breakouts should you snatch in your draft? And which shortstop is a must-draft? Visit SportsLine now to get 2020 Fantasy Baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Shane Bieber's breakthrough last season, and find out.
