Friday morning manager Bobby Cox made it official: elite prospect Jason Heyward is not going to be sent down to the minors before the regular season starts. In fact, he'll start in right field for the Atlanta Braves on Opening Day. For a more complete breakdown on Heyward, check out this article.
What does this mean for your fantasy team?
Well first off, this raises Heyward's stock by leaps and bounds. In a snake draft, you are going to have to draft him in the 10th round if you want him. In an auction draft, I'd pay up to $11 for him. He has the potential to be a fantasy first-rounder in future years, the only question about him is when he realizes his full potential.
Personally, I feel like he will need this season to get used to the majors and he won't find his full potential yet. I'm expecting a line around .280/15/60/60/10 from him, with much more in store next season.
Remember Baltimore catcher Matt Weiters? People touted him as the second coming, but he left fantasy owners a little empty after his modest line of .288/9/43/35. Don't be surprised if Heyward doesn't set the league on fire...he is only 20 years old and has a lot to learn.
