After an impressive 2020 season that culminated with an NL MVP award, what value can Freddie Freeman provide to fantasy baseball teams?
Fantasy Baseball season is back, and as always, we want to know what to expect from our favorite Atlanta Braves players. What will Freddie Freeman provide for fantasy baseball teams in 2021?
2020 stats: .341/.462/.640 13 HRs, 51 Rs, 53 RBIs, 2 SBs, & 187 wrc+
162-game pace: 35.1 HRs, 137.7 Rs, 143.1 RBIs, 5.4 SBs
2021 ZiPs projection: .296/.395/.535 28 HRs, 98 Rs, 111 RBIs, 6 SBs, & 136 wrc+
Freddie Freeman talking through his routine....
— Xen Penny (@XenPenny) March 3, 2021
1. Staying inside the baseball
2. Line drives pic.twitter.com/zD3N9AoVwk
A late 1st or early 2nd draft pick is the cost for Freddie Freeman in most leagues. Freeman is worth that price, no matter the league.
One can almost pencil Freeman in for a .290 season, with an OPS north of .900, and around 30 home runs.
It also helps that Freddie plays 1B which has a drop off in production at the position in larger leagues. Grabbing Freeman in the 2nd round allows fantasy owners to have a plug-and-play option at the position.
The Atlanta Braves having a strong lineup also benefits Freeman’s fantasy value. A lineup that will feature Freeman in the heart of it.
Freddie Freeman expects to hit third this season. He’ll also make his spring debut Friday.
— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) March 2, 2021
Freeman did a lot of damage hitting 2nd last season, but a move back to 3rd on the lineup card should not affect Freeman’s fantasy value.
He could potentially hit behind Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies, who will provide Freeman with countless RBI opportunities throughout the season.
When Freeman finds himself on base, he will have Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud, and Dansby Swanson looking to bring him around to score.
This strong lineup means Freeman has the opportunity to put up massive runs and RBI. This will only increase his value for fantasy baseball owners.
As Braves fans, we know that Freddie is more than capable of doing damage and this is only supported by the metrics. Take a look at his baseball savant page.
Freddie Freeman career (league average in parenthesis):
- Barrel %: 12% (6.4%)
- Exit Velocity: 90.2 (88.3)
- Sweet Spot %: 43.2% (32.8%)
- xBA: .292 (.243)
- xSLG: .564 (.402)
- wOBA: .394 (.318)
- xwOBA: .400 (.312)
- xwOBAcon: .465 (.362)
- Hard Hit %: 43.9% (35.1%)
- K%: 19.7% (19.7%) (21.8%)
- BB%: 12.5% (8.3%)
Almost any advanced metric one can find will support the fact that Freddie Freeman is one of the best in the entire game.
Coming off an MVP season in 2020, one could ask what does Freeman have left to prove? Where can he go from here?
Take a look at what Freeman’s motivation going forward is. I do not think he is having any trouble finding any motivation for the upcoming season.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 2, 2021
Freeman is a man on a mission. That mission? Lead the Braves to a World Series title.
If the Braves are to make a run at a World Series crown, they will need Freeman to be his usual elite self. This not only means good things for Braves fans, but fantasy baseball players who will look to use an early-round draft selection on Freeman.
It would surprise no one to see Freeman put up a .300/.400/.500 season with 30+ HRs and 220+ runs and RBI. That would put him in the hunt for another MVP award, and probably put fantasy owners that drafted him in a good position to go deep in their fantasy playoffs.
Freeman is one of baseball’s quietest superstars. When he is in the lineup, everyone knows what to expect. Fantasy baseball owners can also expect another stellar year from Freddie Freeman.