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MLB Delayed Season is Good News for Justin Verlander’s Fantasy Baseball Value

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When fantasy baseball drafts first started, Astros pitcher Justin Verlander was a certifiable first round pick. Then an injury in Spring Training sent his draft stock sinking to the 27th overall selection. Thanks to the MLB delayed season due to the coronavirus, Verlander is now healthy and his Average Draft Position is starting to rise. In 2019, Verlandet led the American League in wins, starts, and innings pitched and as Sports Illustrated’s fantasy baseball analyst Shawn Childs points out, Verlander finished with over 300 strikeouts for the first time in his career. So where should fantasy baseball players draft the Astros’ ace in 2020? Childs has that answer int he above video.

Read the full transcript for more analysis:

Corey Parson: Fantasy baseball owners are excited at the possibility of a Major League Baseball season, whether it's shortened or not. I'm Corey Parson, the fantasy executive here from SI.com. Getting ready to talk a little Houston Astros with my guy, Shawn Childs, SI's fantasy and gambling analyst. Shawn, Justin Verlander there's a lot of innings on that arm. What do you think about him this upcoming season?

Shawn Childs: He's an interesting guy because he had that lat groin injury and he was going to miss a good month or so of the season. In all the fantasy owners that drafted early were probably going to get burnt. But the extra time off, he should be healthy. He had surgery in the middle of March. He looks like he's good to go back to back season with explosive strikeouts. He does pitch a lot higher up in the strike zone now. So his homerun fly ball rates kind of rising. But he keeps his ERA down in the swing and misses. Up top of the strikes on a really, really impressive over the last three seasons with Houston. 42-15 and 2.45 ERA, 633 K's and 471 innings. Houston is going to score a lot of runs. He fits a team, you know, excellent fit for the team. And in his lot like here, even at his higher age. And he's a guy that's probably gonna be a value a little bit because people be little shade off of what happened, you know, at the end of spring training.

Corey Parson: All right, thanks. Let's get on with all the latest news from the majors. Keep it locked right here on si.com.