This list is a little different than the others. First, RP in FanGraphs Points leagues, where saves and holds have value but are not a category, function fairly differently than in more traditional formats. You don’t need a closer, but having a middle reliever who never gets late-inning work isn’t ideal either. Role matters but it isn’t as simple as “go get the closers to pile up saves.” Second, I value RP differently than the market or any auction calculator. So we are going need a slightly longer intro before I just drop a table on you. Read the rest of this entry »
Now that football season is over, it is time to really prep for baseball drafts! Read the rest of this entry »
When doing my rankings by position, I have to make decisions on who makes the cut to be ranked and who doesn’t. Based on projections, current roster percentages and other data, some players get ranked and others get left out. Before the cut deadline tonight, I wanted to provide an update on a set of players who missed that cut but maybe should not have. Six of these players are utility-only, and therefore didn’t go on positional rankings. Others just weren’t on my radar, so to speak.
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The SP list is always the hardest to make. I am less confident in the projections for pitchers than for hitters, which means there is a lot more judgment required to make decisions. I also tend to be pretty adverse to paying market price for pitching. I tend to believe there will be pitching available via free-agent pickups. Plus, if you fall behind the innings-pitched pace because you aren’t comfortable with what you have, it is relatively easy to make up ground later in the year. So if I am not likely to pay market price for an ace, what should I recommend you do? In the end, I always decide to set tiers based on what I think is a fair price, even if I know that I will be value-shopping at the position. Read the rest of this entry »
Now that football season is over, it is time to really prep for baseball drafts!
This year to improve my prep, I am doing full projections on every position which are reflected in my ranks. My ranks will be available here on FanGraphs and daily updates and full projections will be available on the Sleeper and the Bust Patreon once I have completed them. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hot Corner is tough this year. There is a pack of stars atop the heap, but then a substantial drop-off where things completely open up. You could find yourself behind the 8-ball if you wait too long. Meanwhile, you could aim to make things worse for your leaguemates by taking some multi-eligible players and slotting them throughout your lineup.
NOTES:
The lack of premium talent at the Hot Corner makes José Ramírez a legit 1.1 consideration for me. Make no mistake, his skills alone do that, too, but there are a handful of candidates for that top spot and when trying to parse through them, his eligibility at 3B is a big selling point for me.
Manny Machado is just as rock solid as it gets and almost feels like a bit of a bargain as a wheel pick, going regularly in the 14-18 range in 15-team leagues. He has even gone as late as 20 during January which is a steal with his ironclad production and dearth of premium 3B.
OF is shallow and deep at the same time. There are very few elite OF I truly trust and get excited about – by the bottom of the OF2 level (back half of the top 20), I am looking at guys I like as an OF, but not more. But as you move down outside the top 60, there are still a bunch of guys I like as OF4/OF5 types. Strategically, that means I am going to often try to grab two of the top 20 and then just see who falls to me later. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve now covered my ranks at catcher, first base, second base, third base, and shortstop, before making a stop in Splitsville last week. Let’s close our hitters out – time to hit that grass.
It’s not that the outfielders are shallow by talent but depending on your league and roster size, eventually, you’ll reach a cliff past which full-time players are few and far between. Full and part platoons start wreaking havoc on projecting final production, and while some part-timers will still end up with enough playing time to be fantasy-viable, trying to properly judge their value from week to week may be a fantasy headache some managers just may not want. Read the rest of this entry »
1/24/22
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OF RANKINGS 1-30
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