Fantasy Baseball: Which Injured Players Should You Draft and Stash?

Zach Britton, RP, Baltimore Orioles

There was a time not so long ago that Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton would have been one of the first handful of relievers taken in fantasy drafts. But not this year.

Back in December, Britton had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, an injury that was expected to keep him out for six months. However, it appears as if he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, although an exact timeframe for his return is still wide open. Basically, he could be back at some point in the first half of the season, but it's unknown precisely when.

When healthy, Britton is one of the better closers in the game. Prior to last season, Britton's ERA in the three previous seasons was 1.65, 1.92 and 0.54. However, in 38 games prior to his injury in 2017, his ERA was 2.89 and his strikeout rate dropped from the 30% range in 2015 and 2016 to 18%.

Our projections have Britton pitching only 34 innings this season and putting up an ERA of 3.06. He's currently being drafted in the 24th round of 12-team drafts, so if you believe he's going to be effective in the second half of the season, he's worth a late-round stash on your bench.