All you need to know about whether if Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves is a good fantasy player or not.
When it comes to first basemen, the first four players selected will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, Pete Alonso, and Paul Goldschmidt. The final member of the position’s elite group is Matt Olson, a terrific power hitter who is always stationed in the middle of the Braves’ potent batting order.
When it comes to picking Olson, the number 35.28 is by far the most essential consideration. According to Fantasy Alarm, this represents his typical position in the draught. Even if he is ranked among the top five first basemen, that does not guarantee that his ADP provides the greatest value to your team in that position.
Olson finished his first season in Atlanta as Freeman’s replacement rated sixth in RBIs (103), 11th in homers (34), and 24th in slugging percentage. He also led the National League in home runs (.477). His hard-hit rate rated in the top 4 percent of the league, while his average exit velocity was among the top 3 percent.
Even though his.276 BABIP suggests that there was space for development, it is important to keep in mind that his average dropped by more than 30 points after he hit.271 in 2021. His current average is.240. His percentage of walks taken dropped from 13.1 percent in 2021 to 10.7 percent in 2021. His strikeout percentage increased to 24.3 percent in 2021, up from 16.8 percent the previous year. After having four stolen bases in 2021, he did not steal any bases in 2022.
For the second year in a row, Olson’s stats experienced a decline in the second half of the season. In the first half of the 2022 season, he hit.255 with 17 home runs, 60 RBIs, and an OPS of.828. Following the break, his batting average dropped to.219 with 17 home runs, 43 RBIs, and an OPS of.765. This includes batting only.193 with an OPS of.695 over the last 31 games of the season, which is the time when fantasy owners needed him the most.
You could get well-rounded guys like Francisco Lindor (36.65), Randy Arozarena (39.97), or Cedric Mullins for around the same ADP that he is currently being selected with (47.58). They might not have the same amount of power or RBI as Olson, but they have higher averages, score more runs, and steal more bases, which is something Olson will never achieve. You also have the opportunity to acquire a starting pitcher ranked in the top 15 of their position, such as Spencer Strider (35.2), Max Scherzer (40.07), Brandon Woodruff (40.3), or Carlos Rodon (42.68).
If you don’t want Matt Olson on your squad, you may wait around four rounds and take José Abreu from the Houston Astros instead (79.92). You may get a teenager with a tonne of potential in Roto Rage fave Vinnie Pasquantino (94.52) over 60 choices after Olson is taken off the board. Pasquantino hit.346 with seven home runs, 21 RBIs, 16 runs, a 15-21 strikeout-walk rate, and a.960 OPS over the Royals’ last 43 games in 2022.
Solid mid-round alternatives include Texas’ Nathaniel Lowe (100.25), Colorado’s C.J. Cron (119.98), and Arizona’s Christian Walker (121.22) — the 2022 darling of the waiver wire who hit more home runs (36) and had a slightly better average (.242) and OPS (.804) than Olson.
Andrew Vaughn (141.03), who plays for the White Sox, and Josh Bell, who is assumed to be the Cleveland Indians’ cleanup hitter, may both be obtained at very reasonable prices (166.62). Roto Fury is also of the opinion that Milwaukee’s Rowdy Tellez (170.32), who hit 35 home runs and drove in 89 runs, should have a massive bullseye on his back. Tellez crushed 89 runs and drove in 35 home runs. Even though he had a batting average of.219 in 2022, he was an unfortunate hitter according to his BABIP (.215), xBA (.252), and xSLG (.479) statistics.
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