Washington Nationals: Victor Robles best suited for dynasty leagues

Washington Nationals top prospect Victor Robles has struggled in spring training. But does he deserve a spot on a fantasy baseball roster?

Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is one of the best prospects in baseball. As a rare five-tool player, there is not much he cannot do on a baseball field.

During the first week of spring training, he played up to those expectations. He recorded six hits in his first seven games with 11 total bases. But since March 3, he has struggled mightily.

Since March 3, Robles has only recorded three hits in 31 at-bats. The Nationals organization knows the potential is there, but it has yet to sustain itself this spring.

Robles did experience the major leagues last year. In September (plus one game in October), he slashed .250/.308/.458 with only five strikeouts. Not great, but certainly not bad for a player getting his first licks in against big league pitching.

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Because of his struggles this spring, it is all but guaranteed Robles will start 2018 in the minors. But the Nationals roster is not one that’s been known to avoid injuries, especially in the outfield.

Will Robles see some major league action in 2018? Most likely. But is he worth a late round draft stash in fantasy leagues?

To start this discussion, let’s look at what the “experts” around the fantasy world have to say.

Tristan H. Cockcroft of ESPN Fantasy rates Robles as the 79th best outfielder for 2018. He is not ranked in his overall Top 300 rankings. Note that this is Cockroft’s rankings for “Head-To-Head Categories”.

It’s also worth noting that Cockcroft did not assign a dollar value for Robles for auction leagues.

A.J. Mass of ESPN does not have Robles ranked at all in his Top 300 rankings for total points.

The absence/low ranking of Robles in these lists should not be much of a surprise. Robles will need injuries and a stellar start in the minors to make the major league roster, let alone accumulate fantasy points.

At best, players should keep an eye on Robles on the waiver wire. Or if one’s fantasy league is a deep league (18+ teams) he is worth a flier in one of the last few rounds as an extremely low-risk pick with possible upside, especially in a league playing for categories.

Rather than target Robles in 2018 fantasy baseball leagues, players should look to dynasty leagues.

In dynasty leagues, where the focus is more so on the future than the current season, Cockcroft skyrockets Robles up his rankings. He ranks Robles as the 32nd best outfielder and the 112th player overall.

This ranking should not come as a surprise. With the possibility of star outfielder Bryce Harper leaving next offseason, Robles’ value might go up even more.

The hopes for Robles receiving significant playing time in 2018 grow smaller by the day. But the aspirations for the future remain as large as ever.

Next: Can Tim Collins make the Opening Day roster?

Fantasy owners for 2018 should stick with that mantra when preparing for drafts this season.

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