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. And below you’ll find rankings from our analysts to help you prepare for the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings & Advice
Player Notes
Manny Machado took a look at his 2021 numbers and thought they were a little low, so he decided to have one of the best years of his career in 2022, finishing second to Paul Goldschmidt for NL MVP. The two knocks on Machado are that his K% was a career-high of 20.7, and he’s not getting faster as he ages, but fantasy managers aren’t drafting him for his speed. He is a Top 3 third baseman, providing a bankable 30/100/100 while slashing in the .300/.360/.500 range for fantasy managers who decide to power their infield early in drafts. Additionally, the acquisition of Xander Bogaerts, a more relaxed Juan Soto, and a returning, ringworm-free Fernando Tatis Jr. surround him in the Padres lineup. Machado is a safe but exciting draft pick in the second round.
Rafael Devers is one of the best players in baseball who seems consistently overlooked in fantasy circles. Perhaps that will change in 2023, though he will be playing in one of the least fearsome Boston lineups of his career. Gone are Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, so Devers will rely on Trevor Story, international signing Masataka Yoshida, Kike Hernandez, and others to boost his runs and RBI, which fell below 100 for the first time in 2022. As a fantasy player, Devers has all of the skills managers would ask for in a third baseman. He mashes the ball, gets on base, and is a four-category player in a friendly ballpark. He also now has the security of an 11-year, $331 million contract to stay with the only team he’s been on, though whether or not that impacts his performance remains to be seen.
For most of 2022, Nolan Arenado was in the NL MVP conversation while batting directly behind the guy who eventually won it, Paul Goldschmidt. Two years into his St. Louis tenure, the 31-year-old has put to rest most fantasy manager fears about the lack of the Coors effect. The last time Arenado did not hit 30+ HR with 100+ RBI was in 2014 (ignoring the pandemic-shortened season). His BABIP was a little high (.290), which led to his .293 batting average, so fantasy managers should consider that regression and expect more in the .270 range. Aside from that, though, rostering Arenado is a calm, reliable move worth making if you took bigger risks in the early rounds or if you just want the safest option available at the hot corner.
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.
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