Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep Busts: Reconsider Zack Greinke, Miguel Andujar, and Walker Buehler

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Zack Greinke has been a durable and often brilliant big-league pitcher since 2004, but what is he now, after 2,663 innings at age 35? 

Is the Arizona ace still a top-20 starting pitcher? We had healthy debate on the subject on Wednesday’s episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast as we talked bust candidates and much more.

“I don’t see Greinke as a top-15 pitcher this year,” said Adam Aizer. “I’m just avoiding him. “

Aizer offered lots of factors going into this decision, but a big one is just his advanced age for a pitcher.

“In the long run, you’ll never go wrong betting against older players being busts. Eventually, he will be a bust,” Chris Towers said. “There’s a reason older players make good bust candidates.”

Heath Cummings pushed back on that just a bit, when comparing him to a pitcher Adam likes, James Paxton.

“But you’d agree Paxton is a much bigger bust risk than Greinke,” Cummings said.

“In terms of innings yes. In terms of performance, I guess his track record would say so, but I just think he’s a better pitcher. I think Greinke could become a Felix Hernandez or Roy Halladay where just all of a sudden, it was terrible for them,” Aizer said.

Who else do we they count among the guys they’re avoiding at current ADP? One is Walker Buehler, one of the trendiest names at starting pitcher after a sensational run to close out last season.

“He has to be sub-3.00 ERA, sub 1.1 WHIP, 10 strikeouts per 9 good because you’re putting a cap on the number of innings from the start,” Towers said.

“There’s more risk than his I think his price is baking in. … He could also just take a step back.”

Heath Cummings — after trolling Yankees fans — also said he’s cool to trendy Yankees third-base option Miguel Andujar, at least partly because of defensive vulnerability, compounded by a crowded roster.

“He’s more like Miguel ‘Andontjar.’ He looks to me more like an accumulator, like a Jonathan Schoop with a better average. He’s fine as a late-round corner infielder, but …” Cummings said. 

“I’m not going to draft him, certainly at his ADP of 79th overall, just eight picks after Matt Carpenter.”

We’re going to keep dealing sleeper, breakout and bust picks for the 2019 season because we know how much Fantasy players like them. Scott White’s latest round came out last week, and Cummings will have his final round in the coming days.

Wednesday we also found time to break down news and notes, including injury talk on Pedro Strop and Aaron Hicks, and even work in some Tim Tebow, plus players we find ourselving drafting over and over.  

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