Nationals ace pitcher is coming off draft boards at the tail end of the first round of 2020 fantasy baseball drafts. 

After a slow start to the season, Max Scherzer came alive in May and June only to suffer a back injury near the All-Star break that sent his season tumbling. Yet Scherzer’s reputation proceeds him heading into the 2020 season. The Nationals pitcher is currently the third pitcher coming off draft boards and has an Average Draft Position of 14th overall, making him a low end first, high end second round pick. Is that price too high or just right? We asked Sports Illustrated’s fantasy baseball analysts Shawn Childs and Ben Heisler to weigh in.

Read the transcript from their conversation about Max Scherzer’s ADP.

Bill Enright: Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is coming off draft boards at the tail end of the first round in 2020 fantasy baseball drafts. Is that the right spot for the Nationals Ace. Let's find out what our Sports Illustrated's fantasy baseball analysts have to say about his ADP. I bring on Shawn Childs and Ben Heisler. Fellows, I know Scherzer is one of these studs when it comes to pitchers. But is he worth a late first, early second round pick? Shawn Childs, let's go to you first. 

Shawn Childs: Absolutely. I mean, he last year, he really had lost some time because of a back issue and he really had a poor April, but he went he had a hot streak. In the beginning of the year we were 7-0, 0.84 ERA, 94 strikeouts over 64 innings. And even for the full season, including the playoffs, he finished with 14 wins, 280 strikeouts in 202 innings. So his overall stats, you know, even with a bad start, ended up being very productive. His four-seam fastball still grades well, he has an upside change up, the slider is impressive and he's just, this is a guy that does it every year. And, you know, the only thing that's you know, a drawback is he's getting up in age and people are going to shy away from him because he kind of missed some time last year. But a shortened season, he should be good to go this year. 

Bill Enright: Ben, let me ask you, are you comfortable with him being the third pitcher coming off draft boards?

Ben Heisler: Yeah, absolutely, I look at somebody like Max Scherzer, who, as Shawn pointed out, this is somebody that did miss a little bit of time last year, and now fantasy owners are a little bit more afraid. But his ERA was right around 2.92 A season ago. That was his highest in three years. Most pitchers would kill for an ERA right in that vicinity, only a 172 compared to two 200+ the last four years. The stuff still is going to play. We saw him rebound in the postseason. I just look at Max Scherzer as one of those guys similar in that Jacob deGrom range that you can rely on week in, week out, that that's going to be a quality start, usually around seven plus innings or so with dominant strikeout, swing and miss stuff, especially in a shortened season if there is a season. I think Max Scherzer is going right where he deserves to go. 

Bill Enright: Ben, you mentioned Jacob deGrom. We also have fantasy analysis for him. You can check that out by going to SI.com/fantasy. 

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