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Opening Day is almost upon us, which means fantasy baseball is about to begin, too. As bleak as the projections are on the Mets as a team, that doesn't mean the team won't feature a few players who would be useful for fantasy. Let's take a quick look at the best bets and some potential sleepers and busts.
Best Bets
David Wright: The newly-anointed team captain is a no brainer. Elite third basemen are hard to come by, and Wright is still up near the top. He may not be Miguel Cabrera, but Wright's performance in runs, home runs, RBI, and batting average is very likely to be top-notch.
Matt Harvey: There's no guarantee that Harvey will live up to his brilliant debut last year, but his strikeout rate alone is something worth watching in fantasy this year. If you're in a league with other Mets fans, he's probably going to go a few rounds earlier — or for a few dollars more in auction leagues — than he should, but he might very well be worth the risk. His 70 strikeouts in 59.1 innings last year were fantastic.
Jon Niese: He finally pitched to an ERA befitting his peripherals last year, and while he may not jump out as a top pitcher, his strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP should be valuable. He might lag in wins with the Mets' current roster, but you can win a championship without worrying too much about those anyways.
Sleepers
Ike Davis: Aside from two brutal months last year, Davis was quite good, hitting .253 with 27 home runs from June 1 through the end of the season. With a little improvement in batting average, Davis could be a top-ten fantasy first baseman this year, especially if you play in a league that uses OBP or OPS.
Bobby Parnell: Over the last few years, Parnell has been the Mets' best relief pitcher, though he's struggled a bit in the closer's role. Still, it's not hard to see Parnell holding on to the ninth inning gig if and when Frank Francisco comes back from his injury.
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