How to Utilize Evan Gattis

He has obviously had a phenomenal rookie season so far, exceeding pretty much every expectation the team or fans could have reasonably had for him. Everyone had hoped Gattis could prevail and become a legitimate major league player, but it is hard to imagine anyone expected him to hit 14 home runs in the first half (in under 200 plate appearances no less).

Now with the second half coming up and Gattis just returning from the disabled list, the question is whether Gattis is worthwhile to own in fantasy leagues.

The biggest issue with Gattis is the current starters at the positions he plays are arguably the team’s best hitters. Brian McCann deservedly made the All-Star team after having one of the best first halves of his career, as did Freddie Freeman, and Justin Upton and Jason Heyward are as talented a duo gets in the corner outfield spots despite struggling at points this season. That does not leave much room for Gattis to fit into the lineup, but right on queue as Gattis was ready to return from the disabled list three of those four get hurt.

The severity of those injuries is slight, but I still like owning Gattis at least as a reserve in pretty much any league. If one of those injuries ends up being more serious than expected than he will play every day for basically a two week stretch. He is just one injury at four different positions away from being an everyday player with more power than any other player available. If you have bench spots, grab Gattis and wait and see on these injuries as it could certainly allow him to be a really valuable member of your roster.

In daily leagues I specifically like Gattis if you can fit him into your roster. You can start him when necessary and he already has made four starts at first base so he is potentially eligible at four different positions, that’s a pretty valuable quality for a player with Gattis’s power. Often times you run into more slap type hitters or simply high average or on base guys rather than raw power that can be inserted into your lineup a few times a week at a number of different positions. Daily leagues are all about matchups and if you can throw Gattis in there while subbing in for a catcher, first baseman, corner infielder, or outfielder who has a bat matchup then you have set yourself up pretty nicely.