The younger, promising player is most important when it comes to building a fantasy baseball team. They are the players who generally have the biggest upside of anyone, and often carry a lot of their weight in their name.
However, there are many veterans who are more valuable to their teams than they would be to anyone’s fantasy roster. Veterans fall to the later rounds of fantasy drafts, and are often overlooked, as they are viewed as being older and not capable of producing in the MLB.
These are the top veterans that will be overlooked by many fantasy owners, but could produce for your team in 2013.
1. Jayson Werth – Right Field, Washington Nationals
Most fantasy owners have been attempting to avoid the Nationals' outfielder after a wrist injury kept him out for a good chunk of the season last year, and poor production in 2011 made fantasy owners question the 33-year-old. He will be hitting in the middle of a great lineup in Washington, and even if his power doesn’t return this year, he’ll likely put up solid numbers in batting average, stolen bases, runs scored and runs batted in. Look for him to go in the late rounds of the draft, he is only going at 216 overall in ESPN drafts, but he will be a solid starting outfielder for a fantasy roster that is heavy in pitching in the early rounds.
2. A.J. Burnett – Starting Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates
After struggling in New York with the Yankees for two years, a change of scenery seems to have done the 36-year-old well. Burnett is currently going as the 23rd pitcher on average in ESPN drafts, which is pretty far down the list for someone who won 16 games and pitched over 200 innings last year. His earned run average was lower last year than it had been since 2005, and he struck out eight batters per nine innings. He’s a great fourth or fifth starter to have on a roster, and will put up big strikeout numbers while not hurting you in any other statistical category.
3. Michael Young – 1B/3B, Philadelphia Phillies
After spending the majority of his career with the Texas Rangers, Young is heading to Philadelphia where he will play third base on a regular basis. He is 36 and he had a down year in 2012, leaving him to go at 199th overall in ESPN drafts. His power is down, which happens to most players with age, but he can still get on base and he’ll post a solid average throughout the year. For how well he played with the Rangers, it’s hard to say that he is deserving of going as low as he is.
4. Michael Cuddyer – 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies
The 33-year-old just recently came to Colorado after spending 11 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, but playing at Coors Field only boosts his value, especially considering he is eligible at both first and outfield. He’s struggled in recent years with various injuries, but he carries high value for someone who is going 220th overall in ESPN drafts. He is good for anywhere between 10-20 homers this year, and has a career .341 on base percentage, making him worth a look in the later rounds.
5. John Jaso – Catcher, Oakland Athletics
A good catcher is very hard to come by lately in fantasy baseball, which makes Jaso all that more enticing. While he doesn’t have too many pro years under his belt, he is pushing 30. However, he could get a career-high number of plate appearances this year in Oakland after playing part-time for the Seattle Mariners last year. He hit 10 homers and drove in over 50 runs last year, and could easily improve on both of those numbers with more plate appearances in 2013.
6. Dan Haren – Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals
One of the more underrated pitchers heading into 2013, Haren is looking to return to the form he once had. Haren has bounced around between a number of teams throughout his 10-year career, but he is part of one of the best pitching rotations in the league in Washington. He’s likely to get double-digit wins this year, and posted a 3.17 ERA in 2011, which proves he can drive down his 4.33 ERA from last year. Haren is going as the 33rd starting pitcher in ESPN drafts, but he could easily finish in the mid 20’s of pitchers by the end of the year.
7. Kevin Youkilis – Third Base, New York Yankees
Because of the hip injury to starting third baseman Alex Rodriguez, the former Red Sox first baseman Youkilis could get a large number of starts at the beginning of this year. He got off to a very slow start in the first half of the year last year, but ended up with 15 home runs and 43 RBI. Third base is a particularly thin spot, especially in AL-only leagues, and if Youkilis can stay healthy he’ll show signs of his former self from the Boston years.
8. Lance Berkman – DH, Texas Rangers
Berkman is a considerable risk, considering his history of injury could drive many fantasy owners away. But when he stayed healthy in 2011 for the St. Louis Cardinals he hit .301 and belted 31 homers while driving in 94 runs. He only came to the plate 81 times last year, but he still has solid skills to bring to the Rangers’ lineup. He could easily fit into the third spot in the lineup, too, especially with Josh Hamilton gone. While he needs to stay healthy for any of these things to happen, it’s hard to stay away from a player like Berkman playing in Rangers Ballpark.
9. Omar Infante – Second Base, Detroit Tigers
Infante should be taken with caution, but with the knowledge that he’ll be starting every game for the Tigers at second barring injury. He has a career .275 batting average, and ended the year with 12 homers and 53 RBI. If he can stay healthy, he could see the plate just about the same amount of times as he did last season, which would give him great value, especially considering he is going 225th overall in ESPN drafts.
10. Alexei Ramirez – 2B/SS, Chicago White Sox
Given that he only hit nine homers last season, it’s understandable why the 31-year-old is going 197th overall in ESPN drafts. While his power may be declining, Ramirez stole a career-high 20 bases last year, and drove in 73 runs. His .364 slugging percentage is another sign that his power is certainly going down, but he is a great late-round pick to supplement your team if it already features power hitters.