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

Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland Indians

The outstanding yet oft-injured Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley is playing in simulated games this spring as he recovers from ankle surgery last October. Brantley has also missed major chunks of time the last couple seasons due to shoulder injuries, but that ailment appears to be a thing of the past.

Still, there is no timetable for when Brantley will get into Major League spring games, as he's still being restricted from baserunning. His return to the big leagues is expected to be sometime in April, and given his lack of playing time the last two seasons (101 combined games in 2016-17), it's impossible to know what to expect from him. When healthy, we know he's capable of big things as he hit .327/.385/.506 with 20 homers and 23 steals in 2014, possessing a rare combination of speed and power.

Right now he's currently the 60th outfielder being selected, generally in the 20th round of 12-team drafts, and we project him to accumulate 417 plate appearances and hit .274 with 9 dingers and 11 steals. It's hard to have any confidence in his ability to stay healthy, but if you're a high-risk, high-reward owner, then Brantley is the player for you.