Generally, owners try and avoid reaching for players during fantasy drafts. Taking a player prior to their Average Draft Position (ADP) or Expert Consensus Ranking (ECR) isn’t a way to profit in fake sports. However, each year there are players that nearly every owner is targeting. These are the favorite late sleepers or mid-round targets. If you want shares of these players, you will need to spend your draft capital. While there is a time and place for finding and harvesting value, sometimes owners need to reach for their guys.
But who should you reach for? Glad you asked. We checked in with our writers and they provided a list of players they’re willing to reach for in their upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.
Get award-winning advice with our fantasy baseball tools 
Which player are you most willing to reach for in fantasy drafts?
Justin Turner (3B – LAD): ECR 76 / ADP 104
“Somehow, someway Turner’s ADP is currently at 104. I’m absolutely buying him in every league at that cost. Post-All-Star break last year Turner got completely healthy and performed like an MVP offensively. He slashed .356/.447/.619 to go with a 1.066 OPS in his 55 games to end the season. Those stats post-All-Star break were all respectively top five in the majors among qualified hitters. He’s proven to be a very consistent fantasy player since 2014, making his biggest concern heading into the 2019 season his health. Aside from that, his offense should remain top heavy with the Dodgers.”
– Kamran Hoda (@Kamran_H7)
Josh James (SP – HOU): ECR 213 / ADP 202
“The 25-year-old rookie was the best pitcher in the minor leagues, striking out 37% of the batters he faced. That is Edwin Diaz range, folks. He was still phenomenal once the Astros called him up, and we should expect the same with a full season’s work this year. There is a reason they didn’t re-sign Charlie Morton or Dallas Keuchel, and it is because James pumps in 101 MPH fastballs.”
– Bobby Sylvester (@bobbyfantasypros)
Tyler Glasnow (SP – TB): ECR 197 / ADP 178
“It’s been only a couple of weeks but Tyler Glasnow is already a spring training “winner.” Back on February 16th, it was reported Glasnow has added a couple of miles per hour to his fastball. That day he was sitting in the bullpen at 98.7 mph compared to 96.5 mph a season ago. Throwing harder is always a plus, and Glasnow has also added a slight pause/hesitation to his delivery similar to the one Clayton Kershaw uses. While simply adding a hesitation to one’s delivery doesn’t guarantee success, it’s always encouraging to see a pitcher continuing to find ways to improve. In 45 games last year (11 starts, all with the Rays) Glasnow struck out 136 batters in only 111 2/3 innings. We know there’s strikeout upside. The 25-year-old’s control also improved after joining the Rays in a mid-season trade from the Pirates. He wouldn’t be the first pitcher to find success immediately after leaving Pittsburgh and so far in February Glasnow is the 58th pitcher off draft boards according to NFBC ADP. Glasnow’s potential upside checks all the boxes for what fantasy players should be looking to reach for in the later rounds.”
– Brendan Tuma (@toomuchtuma)
Eloy Jimenez (OF – CWS): ECR 122 / ADP 123
“I know that Vlad Junior is out of this world, but Jimenez rivals Ronald Acuna in talent and Acuna was being drafted 10-20 picks earlier than Jimenez is this spring. He is projected for 20+ homers, a near-.300 batting average, and figures to accumulate tons of runs and RBI hitting in the heart of the White Sox lineup. While there is the question of service time and when he will be in Chicago, Jimenez figures to be up before Acuna was last year and will contribute in four categories. Outfield is much shallower than third base, so it makes even more sense to try and nab Jimenez inside the top 100. Good thing Jimenez is barely being drafted inside the top 125.”
– Carmen Maiorano (@cmaiorano3)
J.T. Realmuto (C – PHI): ECR 71 / ADP 54
“As has been the case the last few seasons, the catcher rankings will burn your eyes again in 2019. That just makes J.T. Realmuto all the more valuable. His offense took another step forward in 2018, and there’s reason to believe his power could increase even more. This is a player entering his prime whose HR/FB rate has risen each season. Add to all of that the fact he’s switching from the lowly Marlins and Marlins Park to the rising Phillies and Citizens Bank Park. The team and ballpark switch alone should result in an uptick in basically all of his counting stats. Mix that all together and we’ve got a catcher on our hands who might easily be worth paying for up for in the fourth or fifth round, significantly above his 71 ECR. Grabbing a catcher like Realmuto early will pay dividends for your team all season long.”
Alex Altmix (@altmix_23)
Daniel Murphy (2B – COL): ECR 64 / ADP 85
“The experts properly value Murphy (64 ECR), but his consensus ADP (85) is absurdly low for someone who calls Coors Field home after batting .326/.375/.542 over the last three seasons. Following a slow return from offseason knee surgery, he batted .316/.346/.498 with 11 homers in 63 second-half games. Did I mention he now plays for the Rockies? A .300, 20-homer campaign is a reasonable floor if healthy, and a dominant campaign in line with 2016 and 2017 is well within reach. Ignore the ADP and snag Murphy a round or two earlier.”
– Andrew Gould (@andrewgould4)
Austin Meadows (OF – TB): ECR 170 / ADP 199
“An integral part of the late July blockbuster Chris Archer trade, rookie and former ninth-overall pick Austin Meadows was shipped down to Tampa last season to begin anew. So far this spring he has actually been overshadowed by the hype of starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, the other piece that came along with him in that summer deal. The 23-year-old will start his sophomore season eyeing a starting outfield job for the Rays, which he should pretty easily be able to achieve following a strong spring training (he already homered in his first game). Meadows slashed .287/.325/.461 with six homers, 17 RBI, and five steals over 178 at-bats last year and he could easily push for a 20/20 season in his first full year with the club. I like him at least two to three rounds higher than his extremely valued ADP in fantasy leagues right now.”
– Dan Tursky (@Tan_Dursky)
Subscribe: iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloud | Stitcher | TuneIn
