Hitting on players in the middle of drafts tends to determine whether a fantasy team will have championship aspirations or not. Everyone knows how to draft superstars at the top of drafts, as the ADPs are typically stagnant to the point of being obvious and easy. A similar sentiment takes place at the end of draft boards, where team managers have the freedom to take shots on guys with potential upside but at a much lesser risk.
The middle of drafts is arguably the most important, where there is typically a flux of available players that could go in either direction. Last year, fantasy owners thrived when they pressed the button on CJ Cron, Christian Walker, Justin Verlander, and Carlos Rodon. On the flip side, many people likely found themselves dead in the water in their leagues early if they had taken the risky mid-round shots on Eloy Jimenez, Wander Franco, or Chris Sale.
2023 presents a new opportunity to make amends for those that made the incorrect calls last season. Here are a few reasonable mid-round targets to acclimate yourselves with during the MLB fantasy drafting season.
- ADP Target & Avoid: Catchers | First Base | Second Base | Shortstop | Third Basemen
- Fitz’s Positional Primers
- Justin Mason’s Draft Day Cheat Sheet
- Players the Experts Draft
- Latest Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
Fantasy Baseball Draft: Mid-Round Targets
Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR) ADP: 57.9
Currently sitting with the 10th-best Vegas odds to win the AL Cy Young Award in 2023, 32-year-old Kevin Gausman can still be had in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts as the 20th pitcher off the board right now. He has a great shot at delivering better numbers than his teammate Alek Manoah, who pitches in front of him and is drafted before him on numerous sites.
Gausman was marvelous in 2022 in his first season as a Blue Jay, posting a 3.35 ERA with a stunning 205:28 K:BB ratio. He was also in the elite echelon of getting hitters to chase, which assisted in leading him to the 97th percentile in BB%. Gausman’s past two MLB seasons have truly been dominant, and his sophomore campaign in Toronto is looking like it could be his best go-around yet. There is a lot of value to be had with a potential Cy Young candidate going in the late fifth and sixth rounds of drafts at the moment.
Alex Bregman (3B – HOU) ADP: 65.7
Bregman looks like an incredible value where he is currently going on draft boards. The 29-year-old quietly had a nice bounce-back year in 2022 when he appeared in 155 games and slashed .259/.366/.454 with 23 long balls and 93 RBIs. With such a deep pool of available third basemen this season, Bregman has become a stellar mid-round upside value pick.
Bregman will once again be batting in the heart of the order on a Houston team that’s lineup actually improved this offseason. The Astros will be at the top of the league in scoring, and Bregman will play a huge role in that. A true disciplinarian at the plate, the eighth-year veteran was in the top-5 percent of the MLB in 2022 in K%, BB%, Whiff%, and Chase Rate. This year he will be protected by both Yordan Alvarez and Jose Abreu batting behind him. Health permitting, we should see Bregman’s best season since 2019 in the upcoming campaign.
Taylor Ward (OF – LAA) ADP: 123.9
The 29-year-old Taylor Ward broke out for the Angels in 2022 and will now settle in as the Opening Day leadoff hitter for Los Angeles in 2023. Ward played in 135 games last season and swatted .281 with 23 home runs, 73 runs scored, and 65 RBIs. He can currently be had for chips in the 12th round of fantasy drafts as a true difference-maker.
You cannot really go wrong batting in front of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in a game of 2023 baseball. Ward had a very good OBP in 2022 at .360, and he should score a ton of runs again this season as the leadoff man. However, Ward is not a typical leadoff hitter in the sense that he also possesses plus-power. He individually ranked 76th in average exit velocity last season and 30th in the MLB in barreling up baseballs. Ward could be primed to take a step forward for the Angels as a full-blown X-factor come March 30th.
Honorable Mentions
- Zac Gallen (SP – ARI) ADP: 69.7
- Will Smith (C – LAD) ADP: 80.9
- Max Muncy (2B/3B – LAD) ADP: 132.1
- Ryan Mountcastle (1B – BAL) ADP: 133.9
- Lucas Giolito (SP – CWS) ADP: 141.3
- Matt Chapman (3B – TOR) ADP: 145.0
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 – which optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
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