Toolshed: Hidden fantasy prospect gems

There's nothing like having a nobody on your fantasy roster turn into somebody. Of course, you did very little of the work there. An organization groomed and developed the player and helped him make the jump from the Minors to the game's biggest stage. Sure, you could say you always believed in him, but really, all you did was press the "Add to roster" button.

But with the right research, you can press the right button at the right time more frequently.

Take Giants third baseman Matt Duffy, for example. At the end of the 2014 season, Duffy was the Giants' No. 17 prospect, according to MLB.com. He had produced a .332/.398/.444 line with three homers and 20 steals over 97 games at Double-A Richmond during that campaign, but hadn't exactly hit the ground running (.267/.302/.300, no homers, no steals) during a late-season 34-game cameo with the big club. Despite his solid hit tool, not much was expected of the then-24-year-old going into 2015.

But with the departure of Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco moved Duffy from shortstop to third base the following spring, and he took off at the plate as a full-time Major Leaguer. The right-handed hitter slashed .295/.334/.428 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 149 games with the Giants, thus becoming the seventh-best fantasy third baseman in the game according to Yahoo! In the non-fantasy world, Duffy produced a 4.9 WAR, according to FanGraphs, that ranked second-highest among all rookies behind only Kris Bryant (6.5).

Even with some regression expected, Duffy still ranks higher on Yahoo!'s preseason third baseman rankings than David Wright, Justin Turner -- and of course -- Sandoval.

Players like Duffy who rise through the prospect ranks to become legitimate fantasy options can provide huge boosts to fantasy rosters. They could be the difference between a playoff spot and sitting out the last couple weeks of September. With that in mind, here are a few more players who could fit the Duffy mold in 2016. (All prospect rankings come from MLB Pipeline.)

Trevor Story, shortstop, Rockies' No. 11 prospect: Despite the fact he hasn't played in the Majors before, the 23-year-old is expected to be Colorado's Opening Day shortstop following the indefinite suspension of Jose Reyes. He showed a nice amount of pop at Double-A and Triple-A last season with 70 extra-base hits (20 of them homers) and a good amount of speed with 22 steals. As a career .263 hitter, Story won't get fantasy owners much in that department, but he'll have the playing time and the skill set to help in the counting numbers sections. Plus, it never hurts to keep an eye on a player who will play half their games at Coors Field.

Tyler White, first baseman, Astros' No. 13 prospect: White's hitting credentials were written about at length for during our Spring Training coverage, and even in the two weeks since that story ran, the 25-year-old has only helped his stock. The Houston Chronicle wrote earlier this week that "White deserves Astros' first-base job", and he has backed that up by going 14-for-38 (.368) with a .983 OPS in 17 games this spring. Now no one should pretend that White, who hasn't hit more than 15 homers in a pro season yet, has the type of power to move the needle all that much fantasy-wise as a first baseman. But if you have that area covered at other positions, he has the potential to be a big help in both average and OBP leagues, if the Astros give him the playing time most believe he deserves.

Matt Duffy, third baseman/first baseman, Astros' No. 27 prospect: This isn't a trick, even if it is admittedly a bit cheeky. Baseball's other Matt Duffy has a decent chance to make an impact with Houston this season. He put up good numbers (.294/.366/.484, 20 homers) at Triple-A a season ago. Current Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena is in the last year of his contract and isn't anybody's idea of the organization's future at the position. If Valbuena falters or gets injured, Duffy is the obvious candidate to fill in. He's shown the ability to hit for average and power and could be somewhat of an interesting fantasy option if everything falls into place.

Trayce Thompson, outfielder, Dodgers' No. 15 prospect: Thompson's intriguing because his prospect ranking, Minor League results and Major League results all tell different stories. In his final season in the White Sox system, Thompson hit a somewhat pedestrian .260/.304/.441 with 13 homers and 11 steals in 104 games at Triple-A. In the Majors, his line jumped to .295/.363/.533 over 135 plate appearances. Part of that is explained by a big jump in BABIP (.295 to .341), but with the news that Andre Ethier will miss 10 to 14 weeks with a fractured right tibia, Thompson should get at least a bench spot and another chance to prove his Major League numbers were legit. If they are, then it's possibility he leapfrogs Carl Crawford and Scott Van Slyke as the team's left fielder. Without solid playing time, Thompson isn't a fantasy option yet, given his production at the highest level, he's worth watching for now.

Colin Rea, right-handed pitcher, Padres' No. 6 prospect: Rea is the pitching standout in a system that doesn't have many arms. He posted a 1.95 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 101 2/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A last season. He made six starts in the Majors from Aug. 11, going 2-2 with a 4.26 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 31 2/3 frames. Rea's Major League numbers don't scream legit fantasy option right now, but if he can find a way to even come close to replicating his 2015 breakout while taking advantage of Petco Park's pitcher-friendly environs, he has an outside shot of being of use in deeper leagues.

Clayton Blackburn, right-handed pitcher, Giants' No. 12 prospect: Blackburn is the first prospect on this list who definitely won't start the season in the Majors, and as such, he shouldn't be on average fantasy draft boards quite yet. Fantasy owners should wait for any sign that Blackburn will be called up before jumping on the 23-year-old right-hander. But although his stuff is considered average across the board, Blackburn has shown in the Minors that he's ready to test the Major League waters. He posted a 2.85 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and a 99/32 K/BB ratio over 123 frames at Triple-A Sacramento in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season. He was added to the 40-man roster last November, and considering Steamer600 projections believe him to be a solid Major Leaguer right now, he should be the first guy up if San Francisco needs another arm. Add in AT&T Park and the Giants' history of developing quality pitching, and Blackburn begins to look more intriguing than his prospect status alone would indicate.

Tony Zych, right-handed pitcher, Mariners' No. 17 prospect: Reliever prospects tend to be a dime a dozen, and fantasy relievers are typically at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of value, so take this for whatever you deem it to be worth. Zych impressed in his first Minor League campaign with the Mariners, producing a 2.98 ERA with 55 strikeouts and only nine walks in 48 1/3 innings, and was perhaps even better in the Majors, where he had a 2.45 ERA with 24 punchouts and three free passes in 18 1/3 frames. Steve Cishek is Seattle's designated closer after signing as a free agent this offseason, but is coming off the worst campaign of his career. If he falters again, Zych, with his plus fastball and slider and impressive control, could be the guy to slide in and start earning the all-important fantasy saves. Like the others here, a lot would have to go right for Zych for that to happen, but as Duffy showed, it's certainly possible.