Outfield ADP Market Report: 1/28/2025

 

As we hit the beginning of draft season, it is important to monitor where players are being drafted on a regular basis. Throughout draft season, I will be doing that work for you with regular updates on the Average Draft Position on NFBC up until Opening Day. You can read all the Market Reports here.

Top 100 Players Rising

Wyatt Langford (+10.46) – Langford is rising and will continue to rise as draft season goes on because NFBC players love chasing upside. I don’t mind it to be honest. In spite of an unlucky start to his career, the Rangers stuck with him and he ended up with 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases with a .253/.325./.415 triple slash. He makes good in-zone contact and he has a good eye at the plate. This could be a breakout season, but the price is going to continue to rise. 

Lawrence Butler (+16.54) – Butler is rising for the same reason that Langford is and once again, I am here for it. Butler was amazing in the second half, hitting 13 home runs and stealing 12 bases with a .300/.345/.553 triple slash. Most importantly, Butler improved his in-zone contact rate from 80% to 85% while not sacrificing his power. He is now moving to a better park which is really enticing.

Top 100 Players Falling

Ronald Acuña Jr. (-12.39) – Acuna is falling after the news that he will not be ready for Opening Day. Acuna is going to miss at least the first month of the season and there is no guarantee that will be it or if he will be limited when he returns. He is still going in the first two rounds of 15-team leagues and I just saw him go 16th in the NERF league draft. That is just too rich for me unless I have a ton of IL spots. 

Top 200 Players Rising

Cody Bellinger (+13.36) – Bellinger is rising after being traded to the Yankees this offseason. This is the perfect landing spot. He was up and down last year, but in Yankee Stadium his lefty swing should be great for getting him back to 20+ homers. He will be hitting behind a loaded lineup and could easily drive in 100 runs if he stays healthy. I love Bellinger even with the increased price. 

Dylan Crews (+12.33) – If you like the young guys on the rise, you will probably like Crews too. He showed speed and there is power in the bat. What was most impressive was the in-zone contact rate. He had an 87% Z-Contact and his O-Swing was just 26%. This led to a good strikeout rate and that is promising that he can be a really good hitter in 2025. He needs to raise the launch angle a bit to unlock the power, but if he does, he could be a stud. 

Tommy Edman (+25.49) – Edman is rising after resigning in LA with the Dodgers. Edman missed most of the season last year with injury but came back and hit .237/.294/.417 with six home runs and six stolen bases in 153 plate appearances. He was fantastic in the playoffs which is likely helping with his rise. He is expected to be the everyday centerfielder, but will likely hit at the back of the loaded Dodgers lineup. He is only eligible in the outfield outside of Yahoo leagues, but there should be a good amount of speed and the counting categories should be good in LA. 

Victor Robles (+20.86) – Robles is rising after massive improvements after being acquired by the Mariners. Robles hit .329/.394/.468 with four home runs and 31 stolen bases in 264 plate appearances once he landed in Seattle. He improved his in zone contact rate during that time to 87%. I am not completely sold on Robles though. We have seen stretches like this from him before and he offers very little power which means he is a hard guy to construct a roster around. If the price continues to rise, I will definitely be out. 

Top 200 Players Falling

Lane Thomas (-14.83) – Thomas had a weird season. He struggled at points in the year, but then would catch fire. The main problem for him is the Guardians just don’t run like the Nationals do, though no team does. He only stole four bases after the trade and hit just .209. That won’t do in fantasy. We need to see what he looks like in spring, but I am not a big fan moving forward. 

Top 300 Players Rising

Jung Hoo Lee 이정후 (+27.13) – Lee is rising after missing most of the season with injury. Lee was hitting his groove before his injury. He was making a ton of contact and showing a good eye at the plate. There was even more power in the bat than I expected, though at best in San Francisco it is mid-teens homer power. I wish the Giants ran more, but I could see him get a 15/15 season with a good average and that is a decent glue guy in deeper formats. 

Michael Conforto (+69.08) – Conforto is rising after signing a deal with the Dodger. Conforto can struggle with health but the underlying skills were decent and he hit 20 homers in a bad park. He is moving to a better team and a much better park. Health is key, but this may be his best season since his injury in New York. 

Top 300 Players Falling

Alec Burleson (-19.37) – I am surprised to see Burleson falling to be honest. Yes, he is a platoon hitter, but he hits high up in the lineup and the underlying skills are really good. His z-contact was 87.6% and he can hit the ball hard. If he continues to fall, then he could be a really nice value especially in leagues where you can platoon him properly. 

Others of Note

Mike Tauchman (+176.84) – Tauchman is rising after signing a deal in Chicago with the White Sox. There aren’t many places where Tauchman would be a full time player, but this is one of them. He isn’t a stud by any stretch of the imagination, but he could be a 15/15 player with 600 plate appearances. I wouldn’t project him for that, but he is a nice depth piece in deep leagues.