San Diego Padres Fantasy Baseball Sleepers and Busts
Each baseball season, many pitching injuries derail fantasy teams. The Padres have two starting pitchers who fall into the fade category for different reasons.
Deep Sleeper: Luis Campusano, San Diego Padres
In the early draft season, the fantasy market has gravitated toward Elias Diaz as the Padres' top-catching option. His power emerged in Colorado, but at age 34, San Diego's bridge catcher is Campusano. He has sneaky upside in power with success last year with runners on base. I view him as a player to watch until his playing time supports a C2 role in deep formats.
Comeback Player: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
In the real world, doing your job poorly is never rewarded with an elite paycheck. Bogaerts will make $25 million this year while having San Diego on the hook for the same amount until 2033. Most fantasy drafters will avoid adding him to their team, and his recent outcomes support these beliefs. Sometimes, betting on the come pays off. A veteran bat who hasn’t paid off since 2019. At best, he is a neutral player in four categories, with power being the wild card in his equation.
Bust: Nick Pivetta, San Diego Padres
Taking a ride with Pivetta tends to be up and down despite multiple signs of growth(more challenging to hit and better command). In mid-November, he turned down over $20 million from the Red Sox for one season, but the Padres ponied up $55 million for four years in mid-February.
Drafters will chase his strikeouts late in drafts, hoping he cuts down on his mistakes in the strike zone. A carnival ride with moments of glory paired with heart-stopping seconds when an errant pitch crushes his day and fantasy dreams. On the positive side, Pivetta's new home ballpark invites an ERA under 4.00 for the first time in his career.
I'm fading Pivetta due to his elbow injury last summer, whcih could turn in a season ending issue in 2025. This spring, he allowed five runs and 10 baserunners over 8.1 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Bust: Michael King, San Diego Padres
King’s rise has more length to his resume, and his arsenal paints a winning picture for 2025. He is another pitcher this season with a significant jump in innings (81.0) that may lead to lingering wear this year. With a new contract (free agent) on the horizon, the Padres will try to squeeze another year out of his right arm. I suspect his previous elbow issue may enter into the equation this season, so buyer beware.
Foundation Stud: Fernando Tatis, San Diego Padres
Based on the results on the field, Tatis doesn’t belong in the first round of drafts in 2025. His contact batting average (.364) remains high but below his first three years in the majors (.432). He projects to have a floor of 30 home runs with speed to push higher in stolen bases. The question is: to bet on his potential or avoid his propensity to get hurt? Tatis is miles away from free agency (2035). Possible top five-hitter if on the field for 150+ games.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.