The 2023 fantasy baseball season will be here before we know it. That means it’s time for you to prepare for your fantasy baseball drafts. Beyond our draft prep articles and mock draft simulator, we will have you covered with 2023 fantasy baseball rankings. You can find our updated 2023 fantasy baseball expert consensus rankings here. Check out players the experts feel are currently undervalued compared to their average draft position (ADP).
Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Hitters to Draft
Mike Trout (LAA – OF): Overall ECR 14 | ADP 23
Mike Trout may have had the quietest 40-homer season in 2022. Whether he was lost in the Aaron Judge hoopla or continues to squander an incredible career on a terrible team (hint: it’s the latter), Trout went about his business as he always has. He only played in 119 games due to a rare and persistent back injury that will require more rest days going forward, even when healthy. On the other hand, those 40 HR and .347 ISO probably won some leagues last year for patient managers who could ride out the injuries. Steamer projections have him hitting another 40 and maybe crossing the century mark on runs and RBI if anyone aside from Shohei Ohtani shows up to play in L.A. He is a top OBP guy and his ratios have one of the highest floors in baseball. The stolen bases are most likely gone forever, but he could pair nicely with a speed guy from Round 1. At the end of the day, he is still Mike Trout, for better or worse. You know what you’re getting.
Jose Altuve (HOU – 2B): Overall ECR 28 | ADP 37
Jose Altuve‘s fantasy baseball demise has been prematurely predicted for a couple of years now. He will turn 33 in May, and we have been waiting for him to show signs of decline; instead, he just keeps on keeping on. After three years of single-digit steals, Altuve stole 18 bags while only being caught once in 2022. His BB% actually went up, and his K% stayed in the 90th percentile at 14.4. As long as he continues to bat at the top of that Houston lineup, he will score 100 runs and should smack 25+ homers. His RBI total of 57 should see a boost with improvement from the 7-8-9 hitters. Altuve somehow continues to have some upside while the most solid floor of the second basemen in fantasy drafts.
Luis Robert (CWS – OF): Overall ECR 37 | ADP 49
Whether or not you draft Luis Robert depends entirely on how risk-averse you are to injuries. The 25-year-old set a new career high in 2022 in games played and still didn’t crack 100, finishing at 98 with a variety of ailments and injuries derailing any sort of rhythm he could get. In three seasons, he only has 924 plate appearances, and fantasy managers have been left to wonder what it would look like if he got 600 appearances in one season. The tools are all there: Robert has good speed, reduced his strikeout rate in 2022, and his expected slash numbers will be helpful to fantasy squads. If you can stomach the idea of spending a high-round draft pick on an injury risk with a high ceiling, Robert could be a steal. Or he could clog your IL for two-thirds of the season. Up to you.
Below you’ll find rankings from our analysts to help you prepare for the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
