Marlins Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Luis Arraez, Jesus Luzardo, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Eury Perez, Jake Burger and More
Discussing the top fantasy players from the Miami Marlins as the 2024 season approaches.
The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles relating to 2024 fantasy baseball draft prep and will continue to do so through the start of the MLB season.
Recently, we’ve been looking at things on a team-by-team basis. We’ve covered several teams already, and those articles can be found at the links below:
American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros (hitters and pitchers), Minnesota Twins
National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers), Pittsburgh Pirates
Now, we’ll take a look at the Miami Marlins.
Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!
Top Fantasy Hitters
The top Miami player off fantasy draft boards, according to FantasySP Average Draft Position data, is Luis Arraez. He’s ranked 58th with an ADP mark of 66.26.
Arraez is a bit of a throwback player, specializing in contact instead of power. He hit .354 a season ago and has a career .326 average. In 2023, Arraez also had a .393 on-base percentage, 203 total hits, 43 extra-base hits (10 homers), 69 RBIs and 71 runs scored.
He’ll hit atop the Marlins’ lineup again in 2024. The lineup isn’t stacked, but there’s some decent options at the top of the lineup, so as long as Arraez can get on base a bunch, he can be a big fantasy asset with his hits, average and runs scored again. If you take a chance on Arraez, make sure you surround him with plenty of pop with your other draft picks.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the next hitter off draft boards, ranking 131st with a mark of 133.68.
Chisholm appeared in just 97 games in 2023, finishing with a .250 average and .304 on-base percentage. He had 33 extra-base hits (19 homers) among his 88 total hits. Chisholm drove in 51 runs, stole 22 bases and scored 50 runs.
Chisholm hasn’t played over 125 games in any of his four seasons in the big leagues. That’s a big problem, which is why he’s available in the middle portions of drafts. His 162-game averages are strong, but if he isn’t on the field, they don’t really matter. I’m OK with taking Chisholm as my last starting outfielder or top backup - there’s just too much risk counting on him for any more than that.
The next hitter off draft boards is Josh Bell. He ranks 191st with a mark of 166.59.
Bell split time between the Marlins and Cleveland Guardians in 2023, playing in 150 games total. He had a .247 average, .325 on-base percentage, 74 RBIs and 52 runs scored. He had 50 extra-base hits (22 homers) among his 135 total hits.
If he can replicate last season, you’re getting pretty decent value if you land him around his ADP. He’s a good backup option at first base or player you draft into a utility or final infielder spot. He plays a bunch, which is always a bonus.
Jake Burger is next up, ranking 216th with a mark of 181.
Burger spent time with the Marlins and Chicago White Sox a season ago, playing 141 games total. He clubbed 34 homers among his 63 extra-base hits and drove in 80 runs. Burger had 123 total hits and scored 71 times. For being a big home run threat, his .250 average and .309 on-base percentage are both actually pretty solid.
Burger is a fascinating fantasy option for the upcoming season. He’s got just the one year of MLB success, and while those numbers were solid, a lot of them came with Chicago. He’ll be in a run-producing spot in the lineup, so the opportunities will be there to be a solid fantasy asset.
If Burger replicates last year’s numbers, he’s probably a steal for his current ADP, but I also wouldn’t want to take him much earlier because of the lack of production overall. I like him as a backup option at third base, or my last starter at an infield spot.
Bryan De La Cruz is the next Marlin up, ranking 319th with a mark of 262.4.
He quietly had a solid season in 2023, finishing with a .257 average and .304 on-base percentage over 153 games played. He racked up 149 total hits and had 51 extra-base hits (19 homers). De La Cruz also drove in 78 runs and scored 60 times.
That’s pretty solid production for a guy at that ADP. He’s a player you’d take as a backup, but could be inserted into your lineup most days. If you take a gamble on another outfielder, De La Cruz could be a sneaky good late pick to help ease your mind a bit.
Tim Anderson, Jesus Sanchez, Avisail Garcia and Nick Fortes are the team’s other projected starters for the upcoming season. Sanchez and Chisholm are projected to be on the strong side of platoons. Jon Berti, Vidal Brujan and Nick Gordon are some options off the bench that can play all over the field, while Christian Bethancourt is projected to serve as the backup catcher.
Anderson should work his way up the ADP list after recently signing with Miami. He played in 123 games a season ago with the White Sox, finishing with a .245 average and .286 on-base percentage. He had 121 total hits, but only 21 went for extra bases (one homer). Anderson drove in just 25 runs, stole 13 bases and scored 52 runs.
It was really a season to forget for Anderson, but if he can get back on track, he’s going to be a draft steal. I’m not sure exactly where he should be going in drafts, but taking him as a backup shortstop option and top bench infielder seems right.
For the other guys, I’d avoid them in standard fantasy drafts, instead watching them throughout the season to see if anyone gets hot for a stretch.
Top Fantasy Pitchers
Jesus Luzardo is the top Miami pitcher off draft boards, ranking 60th with a mark of 67.79.
Luzardo went 10-10 a season ago, finishing with a solid 3.58 earned run average and 208 strikeouts over 178 2/3 innings.
His win-loss mark isn’t anything special, but those other stats are all pretty strong. Getting him near his current ADP feels like a steal, especially if he keeps improving, which many expect the 26-year-old to do. He’s a solid No. 2 starter - if you get him as your third SP, then that’s another big win.
Tanner Scott and Eury Perez are the next two off draft boards. Scott ranks 141st with a mark of 138.65, while Perez ranks 144th with a mark of 139.87.
Scott should be the team’s closer after going 9-5 with a 2.31 ERA last season. He earned 12 saves and struck out 104 batters over 78 innings.
He might not pitch as much while serving as the team’s closer, but his saves should also go up - also don’t expect him to go 9-5. Scott is currently the 15th relief pitcher being drafted, which feels right, as does his ADP.
Perez made 19 starts for the Marlins in 2023. He went 5-6 with a 3.15 ERA, striking out 108 over 91 1/3 innings. What’s more impressive with Perez is he’s just 20 years old.
The sky's the limit for this youngster, and many view him as the team’s ace in the long run. There will be bumps in the road, but at his current ADP, this looks like a pick with way more upsides than downsides. I think he’ll be one of the bigger draft steals among SP.
Braxton Garrett is the next Miami player on the ADP list, ranking 185th with a mark of 164.09.
He had his best MLB season in 2023, going 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA. Garrett struck out 156 over 159 2/3 innings.
Garrett should be the team’s No. 3 starter, and again this feels like great upside for his current ADP. His strikeout numbers aren’t crazy, but he covers a good amount of innings (and should pitch more this season) and has a solid ERA. Getting guys like Garrett and Perez on the back half of your fantasy starting rotations might not look like big moves, but they’ll pay off for you if they each get in full seasons.
Edward Cabrera is the last pitcher on the ADP list for Miami, ranking 297th with a mark of 242.33.
Cabrera went 7-7 with a 4.24 ERA in 2023 across 22 appearances (20 starts). He struck out 118 batters over 99 2/3 innings.
I must really like this Marlins’ rotation, because I think Cabrera is lined up for a big season. If he can get in a full season, he’ll be a pretty big steal for his current ADP.
Trevor Rogers is projected as the team’s No. 5 starter. Sixto Sanchez and Ryan Weathers are other names to keep an eye on. A.J. Puk also was stretched out over the offseason, so a combination of those four guys could cover the No. 5 spot, or fill in for any injured starters in slots 1-4. Keep an eye on them as possible streaming options.
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