Underappreciated Fantasy Baseball Players: Infielder Edition | Connor Wong, Michael Busch, Jonathan India, Josh Smith, Masyn Winn and More

Discussing MLB infielders who are underappreciated in fantasy baseball leagues this season.

At FantasySP this fantasy baseball season, we’ve made it a point to constantly be updating the Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart.

That responsibility has fallen to me, and it’s allowed me to really see the best fantasy players over the course of the season. I’ve also noticed some highly underappreciated players along the way, and today I wanted to point a few of those players out.

We’ll focus on hitters only in this story, and stick with just infielders. Check back soon for similar stories on outfielders and pitchers.

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Underappreciated Catchers

Boston Red Sox’s Connor Wong and Oakland Athletics’ Shea Langeliers make the cut for me.

Wong is a top-10 fantasy option in points leagues among catchers right now. He’s hitting .332 on the season, and has five home runs, 25 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He’s got a really strong .395 on-base percentage and has even stole two bases.

Wong is only owned in 56% of leagues, so you have a decent chance at adding him in standard leagues if you wish to. He’s at least a good backup option at catcher, although he could probably be starting for a bunch of teams right now.

Langeliers has just a .202 average, but also has 13 home runs, 36 RBIs, 23 runs scored and two stolen bases. He’s got a .261 OBP.

He’s just outside the top-10 fantasy catchers in points leagues, and is only owned in 36% of fantasy leagues. That means you could have a decent shot of adding him in all league types. 

He’s not the best starting catcher because of his low average, but his power numbers make him a quality backup option, and a player who could start in a utility spot (or as your top catcher) when he’s hot at the plate.

Underappreciated First Basemen

Los Angeles Angels’ Nolan Schanuel and Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch make the cut among first basemen.

Schanuel has a .229 average, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 24 runs scored and one stolen base. Despite the low average, Schanuel has a solid .309 OBP. He’s also been trending up over the past few weeks.

He’s only owned in 7% of leagues right now, making him a better option in deeper leagues. He could be rostered and played in standard leagues in a pinch. At the very least, keep a close eye on Schanuel.

Busch has a solid .266 average and good OBP of .360. He’s homered nine times, drove in 26 runs, scored 33 runs and stole one base.

Busch also has hits in eight straight games, so he’s trending in the right direction. Owned in 35% of leagues, he’s another deep league option, but is just one hot streak at the plate from being a decent standard league option too.

Underappreciated Second Basemen

San Francisco Giants’ Thairo Estrada, St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman and Cincinnati Reds’ Jonathan India are some underappreciated second basemen in my eyes.

Estrada has a .240 average, but nine homers, 39 RBIs, 38 runs scored and one stolen base. Along with his lower average, Estrada doesn’t walk a lot, so his .272 OBP is pretty underwhelming.

Estrada is still a good source of homers, RBIs and runs, which is why he’s owned in 66% of leagues. He’s also a better hitter over the course of his career, so he’s a player to keep a closer eye on. If he starts heating up, he’s a potential everyday starting option.

Gorman has a .200 average and .273 OBP this season. He’s popped 16 homers, drove in 36 runs and scored 31 times. 

He was a hot waiver option earlier in June, but has cooled off again a bit. Gorman is going to do most of his fantasy production by hitting homers. 

At 63% owned, he’s a pretty solid option to stash on your fantasy bench. When he’s in a home run groove, that’s when you could start him in any format. Gorman is an everyday option in deeper leagues.

India has a .240 average and .349 OBP this season. He’s got four home runs, 28 RBIs and runs scored and six stolen bases.

India was another popular waiver wire option earlier this month, but has stabilized a bit and is sitting at 43% owned now. There’s better fantasy options out there for sure, but he’s a solid deep league everyday option, and a bench possibility in standard leagues.

Underappreciated Third Basemen

Cubs’ Christopher Morel, Texas Rangers’ Josh Smith, Giants’ Matt Chapman and Milwaukee Brewers’ Joey Ortiz are all underappreciated third basemen in my eyes.

Morel has just a .197 average, but a .303 OBP and has popped 13 home runs. He’s drove in 41 runs, scored 35 times and stole seven bases.

The average is what’s holding him back as a fantasy player, but with a high OBP and home run and RBI production, I still think he should be owned in more leagues. He’s at 87% right now, and I think it should be closer to 95%. Take a chance on Morel if you need help at third base - he’s at least a good bench option.

Smith is hitting .298 and has a .388 OBP this season. He’s got five home runs, 29 RBIs, 35 runs scored and four stolen bases.

With those overall numbers, I’m really surprised to see Smith at 59% owned. He doesn’t offer a ton of pop, but that high average is a good source of fantasy points and production.

I’d at least roster Smith as a backup 3B option. He can start when your main starter is off, or start at an additional infield or utility spot a lot of days.

Chapman has a weak .227 average, but solid .306 OBP this season. He’s also homered eight times, drove in 30 runs and scored 45 times. Chapman has five stolen bases.

The low average keeps a lot fantasy owners away from Chapman, but he’s playing everyday and doing enough else to provide solid fantasy value. He’s owned in 68% of leagues and is yet another solid backup 3B fantasy option. You can start him more often than you probably think - just check his game log and you’ll see plenty of positive point totals on there.

Ortiz is thriving in his first season as a starter. His average has dipped over the past few weeks, but he’s still at .273 for the season. Ortiz also has a strong .381 OBP, six home runs, 27 RBIs, 29 runs scored and four stolen bases.

He’s playing every day and a top-15 fantasy option in fantasy points leagues. That means he should be owned in more than 61% of fantasy leagues, which is his current mark. At least roster him as a backup option - he’s in the lineup every day and probably could start most days of the week.

Underappreciated Shortstops

Houston Astros Jeremy Pena and Cardinals’ Masyn Winn are underappreciated fantasy shortstops to me. I’m a huge fan of players with high averages, and both these players have solid averages.

Pena has a .274 average and .311 OBP this season. He’s also homered five times, drove in 27 runs, scored 35 times and stole 10 bases.

I was high on Pena before the season, and he’s produced his highest average of his young three-year career this season, so I’m still a big fan. He’s owned in 78% of leagues, and that number is going down lately. He should at least be a backup option to some fantasy team in standard leagues, so pick him up if you need an additional shortstop, or just a solid hitter in general.

Winn has the best average (.293) among qualified rookies this season. He’s also got a .339 OBP, four home runs, 26 RBIs, 28 runs scored and eight stolen bases.

I’m a bit surprised he’s only at 42% owned. He’s similar to Pena in a lot of ways, and needs to be owned in more leagues. He’s another player that is a solid backup option in standard leagues, but probably is available in some deeper leagues as well. Give Winn a shot.

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