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Washington Nationals Fantasy Impact 2017: Anthony Rendon

By Frank Ellis

Aug 31, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Washington Nationals won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) in the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Washington Nationals won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Anthony Rendon found his comfort spot at third base in 2016 and put in a very solid year en route to NL Comeback Player of the Year. Can he be consistent in 2017 for the Washington Nationals and your fantasy team?

Third base is a stacked position for fantasy leagues, but unfortunately there isn’t enough “elite” talent to go around. Not everyone is going to walk away with a Manny Machado, Kris Bryant or Nolan Arenado. Well, what if I told you that you could grab someone on the Washington Nationals who has the potential to be just as good a few rounds later.

You can do just that,Anthony Rendon had a second half that is on the same level as those “elite” third basemen. Take a look at these two players and their second half numbers:

Player A:

BA .291, HR 11, Doubles 20, Stolen Bases 3, wOBA .365

Player B:

BA .266, HR 18, Doubles 11, Stolen Bases 0, wOBA .335

wOBA is weighted on-base average and measures a player’s overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA is from Fangraphs.

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The two players above are Manny Machado and Anthony Rendon. Rendon is Player A. If that second half can happen all year, we will be talking about Rendon as “elite” by 2018.

The one place he lacks is power. Rendon is still going to get you 20 home runs a year, but he won’t give you the huge home run totals that the top third basemen will give. For someone you can likely get in round seven or later, those missing home run numbers are okay. Not to mention, he’s only 26, and could see a spike in home runs this year.

Do yourself a favor and think about drafting Rendon late this year. You could use that early round pick on a ace or a great outfielder and still end up with him in the later rounds.

As you can see, Rendon easily has the potential to player way above his draft level. Add him to the list of Washington Nationals that won’t be quiet fantasy stars for long. People are going to start to notice his production more and more as he continues to produce, so take advantage of that draft value.

I would be doing you a disservice if I did not add a warning to my suggestion. Do not wait too long to get that third basemen. Theres a chance someone will take Rendon the pick before you wanted him. If that happens there won’t be too many good options left.

Next: Non-Roster Player Profile: Matt Albers

Make sure you grab someone like Alex Bregman, Maikel Franco or Jose Ramirez if you miss out on Rendon. You do not want to end up with a weakness at third because you waited too long.

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