Jayson Werth: The Fantasy Impact

   As you're probably already heard by now, Jayson Werth is now a Washington National. Much has been made of the Nationals breaking the bank for Werth, and there are lots of questions about whether the deal was a smart move or not. That is a topic that been covered in plenty of other places, and there is no need to restate the same arguments here. Instead, let's take a look at the fantasy impact of this deal.

  Werth is one of the more valuable outfielders in fantasy because while he is not dominant in any single category, he helps in all of them. His huge contract is paying him like a franchise player, but the numbers don't quite back that up. Keep in mind that while Werth's average was .296 last season, he was a .282 hitter in his four years in Philadelphia, and is only a .272 hitter in his entire career. 

   Another concern to keep in mind is that Werth's power numbers dropped last season, and only 9 of his 27 homers came away from his hitter-friendly former home in Philadelphia. The Nationals home stadium is much less inviting for hitters, and you have to imagine the power numbers will drop. Werth also went from stealing 20 bases in 2008 and 2009 to only 13 in 2010, and as he gets older, it's hard to picture him running more.

  Don't get me wrong, Jayson Werth is still a good player, and he will help whatever fantasy teams draft hit him in 2011. However, to get him, you will  probably have to draft him early, and he really isn't a guy you can build a fantasy team around. If he's there in the 6th round and guys like Andrew McCutchen and Chris Young are already off the board, make your move. But don't let the giant contract trick you into thinking he's an elite talent, because you will probably be disappointed.