Fantasy Baseball 2013: Injured Stars Could be Bargains

ESPN.com’s Eric Karabell points out that a number of players will start the season on the Injured List and, when it comes to Fantasy Baseball in 2013, this could spell some pretty sweet bargains.

Derek Jeter was the talk of Major League Baseball’s injured on Tuesday.  He’ll start the 2013 season on the DL due to an ankle injury.   

"It was sore,'' Jeter said of his surgically repaired ankle. "It's sore, but as hard as it is sometimes, you have to try to look at the big picture. My goal was to be ready Opening Day, but the goal also is to be ready for the season. I pushed it to try to get to Opening Day and it didn't work out, but I still have to be ready for the majority of the season."

Jeter hasn’t started the season on the DL since 2001.

The New York Yankees were listed with 16/1 odds of winning the 2013 World Series and at close to 4/1 odds of winning the American League East behind Tampa Bay and Toronto. 

On the Fantasy front, Karabell says of Jeter:

I jettisoned Jeter in a 16-team, 12-keeper league recently, tipping my hand on value there, and wouldn't be surprised if he sits most of April. Eduardo Nunez, incidentally, is a 30-steal threat with 400 at-bats this season, an outstanding $1 buy in deep auction formats. Jeter is going in the 16th round on average in ESPN live drafts, still optimistic unless you expect a .300 batting average and double digits in home runs and stolen bases, which I don't.

Two injured players Karabell believe have some value include David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox and, especially, Hanley Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox: Frankly, it'd be easier if we knew how much time he'd miss. For now, he's expected to land on the DL through April as he deals with recovery from an Achilles injury. Is this another Ryan Howard situation? Absolutely not! He's not close to a top-100 option for drafts, but should be a top-100 performer upon his return, so the 15th round is nice value.

Hanley Ramirez, SS/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers: Don't blame the WBC. Players get hurt in spring games and even in their kitchens as well. Ramirez tore a thumb ligament. He's outside the top 100 in ESPN ADP, but I wouldn't let him drop further than Round 11. For one, he's a base stealer, and two, he's a shortstop. Six weeks of Yunel Escobar or Cliff Pennington really won't kill you. There's nice value to be had with Hanley.

ODDS TO WIN 2013 WORLD SERIES (scroll down)

*percentage represents the amount of betting action thus far

*line of +500 would mean that a $100 future bet pays $500.  +2000 means that a $100 future bet pays $2000

*All odds courtesy of Bookmaker here, where you can receive up to $2500 in FREE CASH

- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com