Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon confirmed on Thursday that he is indeed leaning toward having catcher/outfielder Kyle Schawarber begin the 2017 season operating out of the leadoff spot for the team; a move that will further enhance what is becoming quite a lofty fantasy baseball standing. It was a year ago at this time that Schwarber was the "must have" hitter in fantasy baseball but he lasted all of two games before tearing up his knee and not returning until the postseason. While Schwarber does strike out at a very high rate (which leads to a shaky batting average), he does draw walks and posts very good OBP numbers. That makes Schwarber a decent leadoff man despite the fact he doesn't have speed and won't steal more than a handful of bags, if any at all. With catcher eligibility remaining as a carryover from 2015, Schwarber is still being heavily sought after in fantasy baseball drafts and this news will only fuel that even more. Just keep in mind though that Evan Gattis is pretty much the same player who comes 8 rounds cheaper.
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