4 Veteran Middle Infielders Worth Targeting in Fantasy Baseball

Sean Rodriguez, 2B, Atlanta Braves

Last year, Sean Rodriguez was asked by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play every position on the field aside from pitcher and catcher. That means he's eligible for fantasy gamers to deploy him at first base, second base, shortstop, third base and outfield in most leagues. That's a nice perk, but it would mean very little if the rebuilding Atlanta Braves aren't going to use him on a regular basis.

Thankfully, there are plenty of chances for Rodriguez to utilize all of the gloves stashed in his locker. At second base, Jace Peterson is an uninspiring lefty who should be platooned against southpaw pitching. Of course, prospect Ozzie Albies could very well be manning the keystone at some point this season after already reaching Triple-A at age 19.

On the hot corner, Adonis Garcia isn't anything special at third base and has a very limited track record. Like Rodriguez, Garcia also turns 32 years old in April. However, Garcia is a fellow righty, and third base has been the infield position that Rodriguez has played the fewest number of times in his career.

Right field is a more realistic possibility, though. Nick Markakis is a soft-hitting lefty who has eked out out just three home runs off same-handed pitching since 2013, even while seeing regular at bats against them.

Even though the Braves paid $11.5 million over two years for Rodriguez after he posted several career highs -- .270 average, .510 slugging, 18 homers, 56 RBI's -- in 2016, fantasy managers are getting him for free. FantasyPros rankers have Rodriguez outside of the top 30 at every position while NFBC drafters are taking him after pick 300. The unmatched versatility and useful power contributions make Rodriguez a nice late-round target in leagues that allow for daily lineup changes.