Next up in our 2024 fantasy baseball Team Sleepers and Busts series, we will focus on the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have players like Rafael Devers, whom fantasy managers know to select early. However, they also have some solid fantasy baseball sleepers worth considering. Let’s discuss two sleepers and the biggest bust candidate from the Red Sox now.
Boston Red Sox Sleepers & Busts for 2024 Fantasy Baseball
Draft Day Steals
Vaughn Grissom, 2B/SS
The Red Sox made a major move when they traded longtime ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves. In return, they brought in young infielder Vaughn Grissom. Grissom has a lot of potential, and he will now get the chance to play more regularly with the Red Sox. The expectation is that he will fight for the starting second baseman role. Due to this and his good upside, he is a sleeper to seriously consider this year in fantasy baseball.
While the sample size has been short, Grissom has shown good potential in the majors. In 64 career games over the last two seasons, he has five home runs, 27 RBIs, and a .287 batting average. He has shown that he has the tools to be an effective hitter at the major league level. Now that he will have a bigger role in Boston, don’t be surprised if he takes that next step in his development and becomes a very impactful player. Thus, he is a sleeper to take a chance on, especially once the league’s top dogs are gone.
Brayan Bello, SP
Another Red Sox sleeper whom fantasy managers should pay attention to is Brayan Bello. Similar to Grissom, he has good potential, and the expectation is that he will take a step forward in 2024. During this past season, he struggled a bit with consistency but showed promise. However, he performed best in May and June, as he had a 2.67 ERA and a 2.14 ERA, respectively. Now, it’s just a matter of maintaining that kind of stuff over an entire season.
Bello will have the opportunity to shine with the Red Sox this season. He is currently viewed as their No. 2 starter, and it makes sense, given his solid pitching last season and room for growth. As a result, he is the kind of sleeper that fantasy managers should consider.
Draft Day Busts
Kenley Jansen, RP
Kenley Jansen has had an excellent career as a high-impact closer. He is a four-time All-Star, and his latest nod was from just this past season. While he performed well enough to be an All-Star, he also showed signs of regression during the season. Most notably, the 36-year-old had the second-highest ERA of his career at 3.63. As a result, there are some red flags about adding him to your fantasy baseball team.
Jansen is also a candidate to regress even further this season. He is nearing his late 30s, and that naturally can lead hard-throwing pitchers to tail off. As a result, whether the trade candidate starts the season in Boston or elsewhere, it would be wise to prioritize other closers first.
Alas, the Red Sox have some pretty interesting players to pay attention to. Grissom and Bello will be looking to breakout this season, while Jansen will try to beat Father Time. Let’s see how this trio performs from here.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.