Below, you will find players whose numbers tend to resemble a drought. Usually unreliable, each one of these options offered at least a month of lightning in a bottle. Whether a mirage or an oasis, they’re worth the risk at their ADP. While you’re drafting, consider one or two of these names to sprinkle in amid your lineup of balanced productivity.

C- Chance Sisco

Don’t make a “Thong Song” reference. Don’t do it. All night long, Sisco hits those dongs. Okay, I feel better. Though Roster Resource lists him as the backup to Pedro Severino, Sisco has every opportunity to be the primary catcher. For one, he’s left-handed. Secondly, Severino is poor against righties. Sisco has been a disappointment since his debut three years ago. Still only 25, he was impressive when called up last June. Through his first 71 plate appearances last year, Sisco slashed .283/.394/.667 with six home runs.

1B- Luke Voit

When healthy, Voit is a producer. Unfortunately for him, he suffered through his younger years in the purgatorial Cardinal farm system. Since joining the Yankees, though, he has carried over his minor league production. He’s built like a tank, and his barrel percentage is conducive to firing missiles all over his hitter-friendly stadium. If it weren’t for his hernia last year, he would be going much higher in drafts. Take advantage while you can, because next year he won’t be so under the radar.

2B- Rougned Odor

Brace yourselves. Strap in. Buckle up. You’ve smothered your roster in balance and production. You’ve ignored the abyss that is second base until somewhere between rounds 35 and 40 in a twelve-team league. Fear not! In a shortened season, be like Rougie and swing for the fences. Be like Rougie, and punch the lights out of your opponent. Be like Rougie, and catch lightning in a bottle. Don’t worry about his 30% K rate. Instead, visualize two months of his 13.6% barrel rate. Forget about his five months with an OPS under .800. Especially forget about his two months with an OPS under .600. Instead, visualize and get excited about his production in July and September. In those two months, he had an OPS over .900 and combined to hit seventeen home runs! That’s the kind of ceiling that is hard to find at second base and damn near impossible to find so late in a draft.

3B- Renato Núñez

Núñez had four months in which he batted under .240. He had two months in which he hit more than five home runs and in one of those he batted .217. Not exactly appealing, I know. This explains why he’s going so late in drafts, especially with third base being so deep. Despite this, I believe Núñez can be a productive player to slot in your Corner Infield place. Let’s just look at what he did last July. In over a hundred plate appearances, he hit over .300 with seven home runs and an OPS of .955. He has a knack for finding the barrel, hits the ball hard, and he’s only 26. With younger players especially, I tend to have more faith in them approaching closer to their ceiling than their floor.

SS- Didi Gregorius

Yes inDidi, Gregorius is the forgotten man. Maybe take a pass on him if you’re in an OBP league, but in a traditional 5×5, Sir Didi will produce. In the last season before his elbow injury, he hit 27 homers and scored 89 runs in 134 games. Yes, he’s no longer in the Yankees lineup, but the Phillies with a DH will be a productive lineup. This knight in red pinstripes batted .330 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in April of 2018 and finished the year almost as strong with a powerful August and September. Now fully healthy, on a one year contract, and with something to prove, don’t bet against Gregorius making Phillies fans uproarious (apologies to John Sterling). 

OF- Jay Bruce

Jay Bruce will always have a place in my beer league softball squad. With him and Matt Stairs and Adam Dunn, my softball fantasy dynasty league has a lot of years of winning to look forward to. Thinking of picking up Jamie Moyer as my ace. But until then, catch lightning in a bottle with Bruce off the waiver wire to cover an outfield slot in this crazy season. Despite his .784 OPS last year, Bruce sported a slash line of .291/.308/.541 before the All-Star break. That slugging percentage is what dreams are made of for left-handed batters. With a full season in Philadelphia, he’s comfortable in the City of Brotherly Love, and in a 60 game stretch and hitting being his only focus, I could see Bruce being a consistent threat.

SP- Joey Lucchesi

Okay, Joey Lucchesi is no ace. But if you’re looking to round out your rotation, look no further than the man who had a WHIP of 0.76 last July. Lucchesi has never been one to go deep in a start, but in a season where fewer pitchers will go past five innings, Joey Southpaw becomes all the more appealing. Despite his overall poor numbers outside of July, Lucchesi’s advanced metrics indicate that there is more to offer. Batters have a hard time squaring him up, indicating potential for a low ERA. And with the Padres’ stacked bullpen, he should still pick up a few wins.

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