Unlike the rest of his teammates, Astros' second baseman Jose Altuve should carry some significant fantasy value going into AL-only drafts and auctions this spring. (Reuters)
While Alex Anthopoulos has done his darndest the past month to alter the fantasy landscape for 2013, it was a procedural move 13 months earlier that will have the most profound effect on AL-only and NL-only leagues.
That’s when the Houston Astros agreed to move to the American League West, instantly adding nine new positional players, five starters and a closer to the AL-only mix on draft/auction day next spring. Unfortunately, the young and rebuilding Astros don’t bring with them any ready-for-primetime stars that are projected to make a major fantasy impact next season, although second baseman Jose Altuve (.290, 7 HRs, 33 steals) is about as close as any of them get. But if you are in rebuilding mode, the combination of new Astros plus a glut of high-end players moving into the AL, should produce plenty of fantasy bargains towards the end rounds.
