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Fantasy owners got excited about Jurickson Profar’s arrival just as quickly as they were upset about the return of Ian Kinsler.
But should they be?
Yes, Kinsler is the immediate starting second baseman, and returned to his position during his first game back from a disabled list stint on Saturday. And sure, this does mean Profar will hardly play second base from here on out. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be utilized in other ways. The Rangers have repeatedly stated that they want to find a way to keep Profar in the majors, and so far, they have backed that talk about. On Sunday, Profar made his debut start at the third base position, while daily starter Adrian Beltre hit out of the DH spot. Now, with first baseman Mitch Moreland still on the disabled list, perhaps they could move Beltre to first and slide Profar over to third. Whether or not that will become his new spot remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. The Rangers want him on their ball club.
So much, in fact, that it appears they are looking to transition him to the outfield. On Monday, Fox Sports reported that the team will try and test him out at left field. Profar is a very versatile player who excels on the defensive end and I believe he can transition smoothly. Obviously, this will keep him very fantasy relevant and will actually boost his value, seeing as he will be eligible at second base and outfield. Texas wants to get their top prospect a handful of starts each week and as long as he is out on the diamond, he should be in your fantasy lineup as well.
Kinsler may not be around for much longer and Profar is without a doubt their player of the future. The moment this kid becomes the starting second baseman, he will easily be inside the top seven at the position from a fantasy perspective. He can do a little bit of everything and will be a stud player in this league.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
