NFL Tickets
The Houston Astros are universally referred to as one of the worst teams in all of baseball. Thus far in the 2013 campaign, they hold a rather poor record of 4-9. Not helping their case very much, is it? However, every poor team has a handful of guys who deserve more attention for their all around solid play and there is no exception here. Houston has a few guys who are hitting the ball very well through 13 games and warrant your attention in your fantasy baseball leagues.
Jose Altuve, 2B: Heading into 2013 fantasy drafts, if you were planning on drafting a member of the Astros, it would easily be Altuve. Playing a rather shallow position, Altuve was the only Astro on many fantasy radars. Still, he is making those who drafted him pretty happy thus far, batting .327 with one homer and seven RBI. His on base percentage is an impressive .373, making for a very ideal lead off man. After swiping 33 bags a season ago, Altuve has set to steal a base this season, but they will most certainly come. The 22-year old has plenty of upside and currently ranks as the number 13 fantasy second baseman in Yahoo! leagues.
Chris Carter, 1B, OF: A legitimate source of power, Carter is off to a pretty strong start. He has hit four home runs (4th in AL) and has driven in seven runs. Carter has already struck out 21 times this season, which indicates his batting average could be a bit of an issue down the road (currently .260), but if you are looking for some serious pop for your roster, Carter could certainly be a candidate for 25-30 dingers in 2013. The Astros believe their 26-year old dual eligible slugger can emerge as a power hitter this season and quite frankly, so do I. Heading into his prime season, could this be the year Carter breaks out?
Marwin Gonzalez, SS: You remember Gonzalez, right? Wait, you don’t? Think of the guy who ruined Yu Darvish’s perfect game in the bottom of the ninth inning earlier in the season. Still, he has done much more than that so far. Gonzalez is leading the Astros in batting average (.333) and has two home runs and five RBI. The shortstop is also getting on base, sporting on OBP of .429. Hard to imagine the batting average and OBP will remain that high, however, but right now, he’s putting up the numbers to make him slightly relevant in fantasy land.
Justin Maxwell, OF: If there’s one word I could use to describe Maxwell it would be “potential.” Heading into this season, he was an under the radar sleeper for many, possessing the combination of speed and power. Maxwell is off to a pretty strong start, batting a solid .288 with one homer and four RBI. He hasn’t stolen any bags yet, but certainly has the speed to eclipse the double digit mark in that department. Batting in the two-hole behind Altuve (who gets on base a lot), Maxwell should continue to see opportunity to drive in runs this season.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
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