Freddie Freeman

[DOUGHBOYS]

Freddie Freeman to baseball is as Wayne Edwards to the NFBC, it is virtually impossible not to like him.
Freeman is noted as being one of the best teammates in baseball. Always there with a hug for his teammates. Never dwelling on the negative.
I feel bad in saying something negative about the man.
But I must. At least a little.
We play fantasy baseball and are not here for group hugs.
Something, I believe that Freeman invented.

Freeman is on an island this year. Nobody in the Braves lineup can match what Freeman can do on a baseball field.
The Braves started a rebuilding process. And when a team rebuilds, it is good for their future, but leaves present players in a less than desirable place. Which leaves fantasy drafters feeling those players are less than desirable.

Freeman is steady. In fantasy, that can be taken as a compliment or a slight.
A compliment in knowing what we are going to get. In Freeman's case, a .285/81/21/85/3.
Those are his averages over his first five seasons.
The slight comes in that we cannot expect any more than those averages this year.
And probably, less.
Freeman is a player with a variable floor due to his teammates. Meaning that because of the lack of talent around him, Freeman may have problems reaching his averages.
His ceiling is set.
If Freeman shoots out of the gate with a big April and May, it'll lead to pitchers pitching around Freeman to face the next hitter in the lineup.

So, we have a 1B with a steady .285/81/21/85/3.
Hosmer and Adrian Gonzalez have passed him in ADP.
Not that they are better hitters. Their situations are feeding their stats, while Freeman goes hungry.
The gambler in us tells us that we may get the same, maybe even better, from Adam Lind some 12 rounds later. Or that maybe we don't want Freeman as our primary 1B, but corner infielder.
However, having an ADP of 80 makes that difficult.

It's a tough nut.
Freeman is the ultimate professional and will grind out numbers. Book it.
But, for fantasy drafters, is that enough?
A lot will depend on our roster construction. After five picks, we may want the stability of Freddie Freeman.
While others will be thinking of his lack of ceiling and bypass him.
Freeman is one of those players that'll be both a tough player to pick and pass.
On almost all of my teams, I have passed.