2021 Mariners Justin Dunn fantasy baseball advice

After a disappointing 2020, the Mariners made it clear to Justin Dunn that he had to be better if he wants to be a part of the future. So, the young pitcher made big changes this offseason to elevate his game to another level. Will his adjustments be enough? Will it be worth your fantasy baseball pick? Here is some Justin Dunn fantasy baseball advice.

Justin Dunn fantasy baseball advice

Where is the Mariners right-hander ranked?

In Fantasy Pros’ 2021 baseball rankings, the Boston College product is the 601st player which practically means no one will draft him. He is closely ranked to his teammates Taylor Trammell (600th) and some Andres Munoz (608th), and some unimpressive names like Jakob Junis (594th), Roman Quinn (595th), and Matt Strahm (603rd). Among pitchers, Justin Dunn is the 272nd player.

It is a little unsettling that he is ranked so low, but that can be good for Mariners fans. The common fantasy player would look at the rankings and immediately ignore Justin Dunn the entire draft. But, Mariners fans pay close attention to games, videos, and articles so they are updated on Justin Dunn’s changes.

M’s fans have “the inside scoop” on Justin Dunn, which then leads me to my point that Justin Dunn should be ranked higher than where he is. But, most people wouldn’t think that.

Should you draft Justin Dunn?

As you probably can guess from the last paragraph, yes you should draft Justin Dunn but don’t draft him too early. The right-hander had a bad 2020 and I am hoping for a breakout season (huge emphasis on “hoping”).

He made dietary changes this offseason which has paid huge dividends from what we can see. Dunn’s fastball is in the mid-90s now and he just looks more athletic on the mound.

The 6’2″ pitcher has thrown five innings of scoreless baseball while averaging a strikeout per inning. He has allowed just four hits this Spring, but he has walked three batters.

When should you draft him?

Like I said, Justin won’t be a draft target for many fantasy owners and will probably be a free agent by the end of your draft. But, I think he would be a great boom or bust type of pick to close your fantasy draft.

I think you shouldn’t draft the former first-round pick before the last two rounds of your fantasy draft. First, you need to make sure he’s named the sixth starting pitcher in the rotation. Although he is my choice for the sixth spot, you never know who Scott Servais and Jerry Dipoto will choose.

One last thing to keep in mind, Logan Gilbert is looming in the shadows. So, even if Dunn makes the starting rotation, there is a possibility that he has to make room for the Seattle prospect during the season. And another thing to put on your radar is Jerry Dipoto’s comments from yesterday. He is keeping an open mind on adding a veteran pitcher to the staff this season, which would further endanger Justin Dunn’s floor.

But there is nothing wrong with spending your last pick on Justin Dunn because it’s rare to find a fantasy player that remains on your team the entire season as the final pick of the draft.