Chad Young’s 2023 Ottoneu C Rankings

I didn’t start this series until January last year (which was already this year!) but I wanted to get out a bit earlier in 2023 (which is still 2022) as trade season is well underway. This comes with some risk – a number of players are still unsigned, trades are still to come, not all projections are available, etc. – but I think the risk is worth the reward, don’t you?

As in past years, before I share the list, I want to share some notes on my process.

All of my Ottoneu Position Rankings: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP

1. Tiers > Ranks. The specific order of the rankings is less helpful and less meaningful than the tiers. MJ Melendez might be #10 and Tyler Stephenson might be #11, but Stephenson is closer to Danny Jansen (#15) for me than he is to Melendez (I suspect this is the first of many rankings people will yell at me about). I am always open to discuss my rankings – and I will change them based on convincing feedback – but moving guys around within the tiers just doesn’t matter much. If you want to argue, tell me who is in the wrong tier entirely.
2. Format Matters. These are for Ottoneu FanGraphs points format, but can be used fairly effectively for SABR Points (bats are slightly more valuable; for pitchers things vary more) and 4×4 (which values the same skills if not the same way).  Also note that, compared to roto leagues (4×4 or 5×5), points leagues have a steeper value curve, so the most expensive players are not quite so expensive in roto. The biggest difference, of course, is that 5×5 values SB highly and this format does not. For 5×5, there are a ton of other rankings out there, including right here on FanGraphs. Make sure to note that redraft rankings are not the same as keeper rankings, and Ottoneu will be more similar to keeper or dynasty. Finally, while it won’t be a full ranking, I’ll be sharing my top tens at each position for 5×5 keeper leagues as part of the Keep or Kut podcast.
3. Projected P/G are the Basis but not the Ranking. On each table, you will see a projected P/G for each player. For this list, those are based on the Depth Charts projections as of 11/30. You’ll note, however, that I didn’t simply put the top projection first and then work down the list. A few things can cause me to break from the projections. Playing time and role, age and track record, future value and possible breakout potential are all factors that could cause me to move someone around. For example, Melendez is well below J.T. Realmuto for me, despite a better projected P/G, while Shea Langeliers is ahead of Yasmani Grandal. The former is because I think the projection is low on Realmuto, given his track record and his 2022 performance, while the latter is because I think the risk presented by Langeliers comes with more long-term potential reward than the risk with Grandal.
4. One Position at a Time. Players are ranked for just one position at a time, and will only be ranked at positions where I think they might be/should be used in fantasy. Last year, I didn’t rank catchers at any other spots, but I found myself using Daulton Varsho as an OF; this year I plan to include Varsho, Cooper Hummel and others in my OF rankings, but do not plan to rank Christian Bethancourt 베탄코트 at 1B.
5. N/A Means Not Enough Data. If the P/G column reads N/A that either means the projection doesn’t exist or the playing time was too small and I decided to ignore it.
6. Tiers are Pre-Inflation. In practice, this means these tiers are most applicable to first-year leagues, but you can also adjust for inflation for your league. If you expect 20% inflation in your league, the top tier at C becomes $24-$30.