2018 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Trout missed significant time in 2017 with a torn UCL in his thumb, which marred an otherwise truly elite season. He hit 33 home runs and stole 22 bases in just 114 games, setting career-bests in both walk-rate and strikeout-rate. Simply put, the 26-year-old is as good as he's ever been, and with an improved lineup around him, the sky is the limit in 2018.

Betts had a "disappointing" season in 2017, but the world would be a better place if everyone could disappoint that way. The majority of his counting stats (other than steals) dropped a bit, but the big falloff was in batting average, where he dropped from .318 in 2016 to just .264 in 2017. That precipitous drop seems largely luck-based, as his batted ball profile and speed simply do not support the .268 BABIP that he had last year. Either way, when a disappointing season is a .264-101-24-102-26 line, you know you've arrived as a fantasy stud. Betts should be drafted in the first round again with confidence.

Blackmon won the National League batting title last season, and also hit a whopping 37 home runs while totaling an impressive 137 runs scored. It's difficult to expect a repeat of those numbers, which far surpassed anything Blackmon had done in the past. On the downside, his stolen base output (and efficiency) continued to dip, as Blackmon stole just 14 bases in 24 attempts. Blackmon is a first-rounder, for sure, but betting on the soon-to-be 32-year-old to put up a repeat performance is a bit aggressive. Look for closer to his excellent 2016 numbers (.324 average, 29 home runs and 111 runs scored) and you'll probably be satisfied with his output in 2018.

Harper was well on his way to a career season before a grotesque knee injury knocked him out for a significant portion of the year. It wasn't all great news for Harper - his walk-rate dropped, his strikeout-rate rose, and he barely contributed in the stolen base department. But his 29 home runs and .319 batting average through 111 games showed just how high the ceiling is. Entering a contract year, expect a motivated Harper to give it everything he has this year and, health-willing, put up an elite fantasy season.

Stanton finally had the year that fantasy owners had been waiting for, and boy, was it worth the wait. His counting stats (59 home runs, 123 runs scored, and 132 RBI) were off the charts, but he also made significant gains as a hitter. Stanton dropped his strikeout rate to just 23.6%, by far the lowest of his career, and raised his walk-rate. Now batting in one of the most homer-friendly stadiums in the game in the middle of a stacked lineup, the sky is the limit for Stanton. Although it seems implausible for him to improve on last year's numbers, it's not out of the range of possibilities, particularly because his hard-contact rate was the lowest it had been in five seasons. Simply put, Stanton should be a fantasy stud this season.

After a lengthy dance, Martinez finally signed with the Red Sox in mid-February, placing him in an ideal situation. Martinez had an other-worldly year last season, hitting 45 home runs in just 119 games and leading the league in hard-contact rate. He'll now bat in the middle of a strong Boston lineup, one that should allow him to surpass both 100 runs scored and 100 RBI. It's unclear whether Martinez has truly morphed into a potential 60-home-run-hitter, but his move to Boston essentially guarantees that he will be an elite fantasy outfielder this season.

After an embarrassingly awful cup of coffee in 2016, Judge went crazy in 2017, hitting an incredible 52 home runs and easily winning rookie of the year. Although he was plagued by a shoulder injury and slumped after the All-Star break, he rebounded nicely in September, showing that he could adjust when things got tough. Judge's strikeout-rate (30.7%) likely means that his .284 batting average is going to drop this season, though he hits the ball so incredibly hard (45.3% hard-hit rate) that he's bound to have a high BABIP. Either way, you can easily give away some batting average for the massive power Judge is guaranteed to bring. And don't ignore his nine steals last season, either. If he comes anywhere close to a repeat performance in 2018, he'll likely find himself a perennial first-rounder for the foreseeable future.

Springer's stolen base totals are trending in the wrong direction, but that's essentially the only negative thing you can say about him. His home runs have risen in three straight seasons, he dropped his strikeout percentage by more than six points last year, and he set a career-high in batting average and RBI. In short, Springer has developed into a reliable four-category producer, and he'll at least chip in a bit in the fifth category (steals). Add all that up and Springer should be considered a borderline second-rounder, one with significant upside even at that price.

Absent Aaron Judge's season, the baseball community would have been talking about Cody Bellinger's rookie year as perhaps the greatest of all time. Despite beginning the year in the minors and missing time on the disabled list, Bellinger swatted 39 home runs, and added 10 steals to boot. He did struggle some in the playoffs, especially in the World Series, where he struck out 17 times in 28 at-bats. That could mean that there's a book out on Bellinger, which could result in more strikeouts and a bit of a sophomore slump. Still, there's plenty of room for regression with the youngster, and he should still be an excellent fantasy option this year, even if his numbers dip a bit.

Yelich is coming off another fine season, which saw him hit 18 home runs, steal 16 bases, and finish as the 20th-ranked outfielder in fantasy. But with his trade to the Brewers, he should be drafted significantly higher this season. Marlins Park has greatly depressed Yelich's numbers over the past two seasons. He hit 24 of his 39 home runs in that span on the road, and had an OPS 126 points lower at home 2017 and 170 points lower at home in 2016. Not only does he move out of Miami, but he goes to a hitters' haven in Miller Park, to a team that had the second-most stolen bases last season. Simply put, Yelich could easily go 25-25 this year and is knocking on the door of the top-10 outfielders.

It's rare that a 20-20 rookie season feels disappointing, but that's exactly how it was for Benintendi. Always a high-average hitter in the minors, Benintendi hit just .271, the lowest he has hit in any level. But all the signs are there that Benintendi will improve on his already impressive numbers this year. He dropped his strikeout-rate and upped his walk-rate significantly from his 2016 cup of coffee, and his numbers against lefties (.622 OPS) are bound to come up. That means that Benintendi's average is bound to rise, and so too will his already excellent counting stats. A breakout is likely coming, so buy in accordingly.

Marte obviously had a disappointing year considering he missed half the season after a PED suspension, and his .275 batting average and .379 slugging percentage were career-lows. But had he simply reached his average plate appearances from 2013-2016, he would have wound up with a .275-80-12-52-35 line, which essentially puts his floor at Lorenzo Cain-like production. With speed and batting average difficult to fill, Marte should be considered a borderline top-10 outfielder, even with the lack of a supporting cast.

It took long enough, but the phenom finally broke out 10 years later. Last season, Upton went for 35 homers, 100+ runs, 100+ RBI and 14 steals. In fact, he got better as the season went on so don't be surprised to see him repeat his stellar campaign.

Ozuna may have been the breakout player of the year, driving in an extra 50 runs from the previous season, batting 45 points higher and hitting for substantially more power. Another bump could come this year now that he is out of the Marlins' pitcher-friendly park.

Hoskins had an incredible season between Triple-A and the majors, swatting 47 home runs and totaling 115 RBI between the two levels. His 48 RBI in his first 50 Major League games is the best mark ever by a rookie, and his incredibly high walk rate and manageable strikeout rate suggests that his performance was not a fluke. With an improving Phillies lineup and another year under his belt, the sky is the limit for Hoskins heading into this season, and he should have dual-eligibility at both first base and outfield.

Bryant had a bizarre year, in that he disappointed with just 29 homers and a shockingly low 73 RBI. But he showed plenty of signs of growth as a hitter, cutting his strikeout-rate and raising his walk-rate significantly. In the end, Bryant still bats near the top of an elite lineup, and he is just now entering his prime. Expect the home run and RBI totals to rise (even if he continues to bat second as he did most of last year), and for him to provide first-round production in 2018 and beyond.

Somehow Davis has now batted exactly .247 each of the previous three seasons. That won't kill you if he repeats in 2018. This is among the most reliable sources for power and RBI, so put 40 HR and 100 RBI in ink if you add him.

Pollock is not the same top 20 fantasy player that we saw three seasons ago, but a 20-30 season seems probable even with the humidor in Chase. Even with a mediocre batting average, that power/speed combo makes him a top 50 asset.

Pham's 20-20 breakout season came out of nowhere, as the 29-year-old had barely produced at the major league level before last season. Buoyed by a correction of a vision problem (that had apparently affected his depth perception) and an everyday role, Pham thrived, cutting his strikeout-rate significantly and developing into one of the few true power-speed threats in fantasy. If you believe the narrative, then there's little reason to have Pham outside of your top-20 outfielders. But we've also seen plenty of random excellent years from players late in their career that ultimately tend to be outliers. Your best bet is to proceed with caution, and draft Pham expecting about 80% of what you got last year, which still makes him plenty valuable in fantasy.

Many were proclaiming Buxton to be the breakout player of the year. It just so happens that he needed a few months to figure the league out like another former top overall prospect, Mike Trout. Now clearly Buxton is not nor will ever be on Trout's level, but he was superb in the second half, batting .300 with 11 homers, 13 steals, 40 runs and 35 RBIs in just 207 at bats. We have not even seen the youngster in his prime. Perhaps this year he stretches it out to 25 HR and 40 stolen bases.

Fantasy owners should be salivating over Cain's move to the Brewers. Miller Park is one of the best hitter's parks in baseball, and the Brewers have led MLB in stolen base attempts since Craig Counsell took over as manager. There are some warning signs under the surface for Cain's power, so dreams of a 25-homer season may be a little optimistic. But batting near the top of an outstanding lineup and in a great park, he should be in line for one of the best seasons of his career.

Cruz is now 37 years old so you might be inclined to think his career is well on the downturn, but he was actually superb again last year. He now has 40+ HR, 100+ RBI, 90 R and a .287 or higher average in 3 of the last 4 seasons.

McCutchen was unbelievably good in the second half, but before you jump up and proclaim he is a top 40 fantasy player again, keep in mind that he now plays his home games in San Francisco and may see a dip in power.

A bulked-up Cespedes could not stay healthy last year, missing significant time with hamstring issues. Even when he played, he was essentially battling through on one leg all season, which makes his production all the more remarkable. Despite playing hurt and in a depleted lineup, if you gave Cespedes his average plate appearances throughout his career, he would have wound up with a line of .292-85-31-78, which is more than respectable. Now healthy and with a better supporting cast, Cespedes should once again be a solid four-category producer and a valuable fantasy asset.

It seemed as though it would never happen, but Braun seems to have finally hit a wall. He finished last year with just 17 homers, 52 RBI and a .268 batting average because of multiple lingering injuries. If he can stay healthy, he may bounce back, but your expectations ought to be closer to what we saw last season.

If we knew Billy Hamilton would have a job all year, it might make sense to add his 60 steals and just deal with the crummy batting average and power numbers, but he has been so bad that 400+ at bats is nowhere close to a guarantee.

Puig had the best fantasy campaign of his career in 2017 and it wasn't even close with 28 HR and 1 SB. In fact, batted ball numbers indicate his BA may further climb in 2018.

Castellanos has consistently been a batted ball outlier in the fact that his data screams for positive regression. For whatever reason, it hasn't quite happened yet, but a 30 HR, .290 season with 100+ RBI may be right around the corner.

If you draft Santana, just know that the Brewers may trade him to a team like the Rays, who's ballpark would be a big blow to Santana's production. If he stays in Milwaukee, we are looking at a potential repeat of 30 HR and 15 SB with plenty of R and RBI.

You may have missed this one, but Whit actually led the American League with 34 steals last season. He also added some power to his game to accompany a .286 career average. If you are waiting on second base, Whit will be a great option.

While Ender won't exactly provide power or RBIs, you can expect a .290 BA with 20+ SB and seeing that he was one of only nine players who did that last year, it's fair to say he is a solid 10th or 11th round pick.

Adam Jones does not steal bases anymore, but he is one of the games most durable players and a safe source of power and a useful batting average.

Weighed down by a league-leading 62.7% ground-ball rate, Desmond failed to take advantage of playing in Coors Field, hitting just seven home runs in 95 games last season. He missed significant time with a fractured hand early and a strained calf in the middle of the season, and just never seemed to get in a groove. Despite his troubles, he still managed to steal 15 bases in limited time, and his .274 batting average certainly didn't hurt you in today's landscape. With dual-eligibility at both first base and outfield, Desmond should be able to bounce back to being a reliable fantasy option if he can get get the ball in the air a bit more next season.

The first 250 at-bats of Taylor's career were uninspiring, but he had always been a solid hitter in the minors. A repeat of his 21/17 season seems unlikely, however, so don't draft him as the top 50 hitter he was in 2017.

Yes, the batting average is disgusting and will almost certainly remain that way, but you can't easily replace the 40 to 50 homers we should expect this year. Plus, we have to consider that he got substantially better each year in the minors so growth in the BA department can't be ruled out.

Rosario has been generating some hype around the industry and for good reason. He knocked 27 homers and stole 9 bases with a .290 batting average last season and likely hasn't reached his ceiling. He is a quality mid-round pickup this season.

Polanco has always left fantasy owners with the feeling like he should be much better than he is. With excellent speed and burgeoning power, he has all the makings of a perennial 20-20 player, but injuries have held him back. He drastically cut his strikeout rate last year, however, and has embarked on an extreme training regimen this offseason. If he can manage to stay healthy for most of the season, he could finally have that breakout year. But he warned - the total lack of supporting cast in Pittsburgh could keep in check his runs scored and RBI numbers, even if he does have that breakout season fantasy owners are waiting for.

We only got to see 23 games from Eaton last year, but he looked as good as ever before. With a full season in 2018, we can expect 10 to 15 homers, 15 SB and a quality average to go with plenty of runs scored.

While there is no doubt about it that Acuna has MVP type upside, he is still extremely young and his swing has too many holes in it. The hype has gone too far and we shouldn't expect a Cody Bellinger type season from Acuna. Plus, he is starting the season in the minor leagues.

Mazara hasn't found his potential yet, but he is still just 22 years old and drove in 101 runs last season. Don't be shocked if he swats 35 out of the yard this year with a .270 batting average.

If we can guarantee Happ a full season worth of at-bats, we'd be looking at a middle infielder with 35 homers and double-digit steals. The problem is that the Cubs are so loaded that he will probably only see 400 at-bats unless an injury opens up full playing time.

Bruce had another fine year at the plate last season, hitting 36 home runs and totaling 101 RBI between his time with the Mets and the Indians. He'll return to the Mets on a three-year deal, playing a mix of outfield and first base and batting in the middle of the order. Bruce's underlying metrics have remained steady, as his walk rate and strikeout rate remained generally consistent with his career norms. All in all, there's little reason to expect a decline from Bruce heading into 2018, and another season of 30-plus home runs, around 100 RBI, and a .250-ish batting average can be penciled in with confidence.

Olson played in only 59 games with the A's last year, but hit an incredible 24 home runs in that span. Although there's little reason to doubt his status as a power hitter, his HR/FB rate was an unsustainable 41.4% last season, meaning dreams of him hitting 50-plus home runs are likely unrealistic. Still, Olson should provide plenty of pop, along with a mediocre batting average and tons of strikeouts. Although his skillset isn't particularly unique, he should provide decent fantasy value in 2018, particularly in rotisserie formats.

Gardner was one of many examples of the fly ball revolution that took place last year. He jumped from 7 to 21 homers while retaining his streak of 5 straight seasons with 20+ steals. While the batting average is merely mediocre, that power-speed combo will help out in the mid rounds of drafts.

There is significant bust potential with Schwarber, who struck out 150 times in just 129 games while batting .211. With that said, he may be the only catcher besides Gary Sanchez with a shot at hitting 40 bombs. If you want to buy a lottery ticket, Schwarber is your man.

There is much to love about Kiermaier's game as a whole, but it doesn't quite carry over to fantasy baseball. Sure, he could steal 25 bases, but without much in the way of power, plus he carries just a .262 career batting average. On top of that, he plays reckless enough that injuries seem to follow him around.

Margot played more than expected last season, but didn't put up nearly the counting stats fantasy owners hoped for. His upside is that of a 20/35 power/speed combo, but virtually all projections have him performing near the mediocre stats he put up in 2017.

Santana had a decent season overall and played in at least 152 games for the fifth-consecutive season. But his home run total dropped from 34 to 23, suggesting that 2016's surge was an outlier. He should have the opportunity to move his home run number back in the opposite direction, however, as his move to the Phillies and hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Ballpark should lead to a bit of a power spike. Regardless, you know what you'll generally get from Santana - a mediocre average, decent counting stats, and a bunch of walks. Although he's more valuable in points formats and OBP leagues, his safety is valuable in rotisserie leagues, too.

This may be the biggest lottery pick of the fantasy season. If his shoulder injury lingers, it will be a waste of a pick, but we are looking at a player with .280/40/100 potential if he gets a full season.

At this point, it is quite clear that Herrera will give us a .280 batting average with a hint of power and speed. It is nice to have a reliable asset like that later on in drafts, but his upside is limited.

Mancini quietly had an extremely productive season for the Orioles, batting .293 with 24 home runs. Although his HR/FB rate was a bit high for his profile (19.8%, 29th-best among qualified hitters), little in his underlying metrics suggested that his season was unsustainable. Batting in an excellent hitter's park in Camden Yards atop an above-average lineup, Mancini should once again deliver solid counting stats and decent all-around numbers in 2018.

For two straight seasons now, Duvall has hit 30+ HR and driven in 99+ runs. The batting average isn't pretty, but won't single-handedly kill your team in that category.

The Rangers appear to be set on DeShields opening the season as a starter. If he can stick around in the lineup, 40+ steals is a virtual certainty. He won't provide a lick of power, but the batting average will be above league average.

You might not have noticed, but Garcia batted .330 last season with 18 homers. While those numbers will certainly be difficult to attain again in 2018, it is worth noting that he improved as the season went on so it may not have been a fluke.

Marwin broke out in the first-half last season with a top 10 OPS in all of baseball. He took a step backward after the all-star break but was still more than a quality fantasy asset. The concern will be playing time, as Derek Fisher and others are breathing down his neck.

Zimmer ended the season batting ust .241 with a .692 OPS, but he showed flashes of the type of fantasy player he can be. While he may be risky, don't be shocked if he posts a .270 BA with 20 HR and 35 steals as this year's breakout player of the season.

Nunez was an all-star two years ago, but was actually better last season, driving his batting average up to .313 and swatting 12 homers with 24 steals in just 114 games. He may reach 20 and 35 this season if he can stay healthy.

Long gone are the days where Choo will bat .300 or even help you at all in average, but he is still swatting 20 homers a year with double-digit steals and near 100 runs every season. That is well worth a mid-round price.

Souza certainly won't help you in the batting average department, but he is a quality source of homers and steals. Bonus points if you play in an OBP league.

Fowler puts up quality numbers whenever he is on the field, but he has only played more than 125 games once in the past five seasons. If he can stay healthy, we can bet on 20 HR, 10 SB and 90 runs, but that is a big if.

Last season, Haniger got off to a great start, but he missed 60 games and many appear to have lost of impressive he is. The struggled in Spring Training have only multiplied that, but he should be a reliable source of power and average late in drafts.

Brantley finally looked healthy last season and while another injury might be right around the corner, he offers .310 BA upside with 15 homers and 15 stolen bases which is a near-impossible combo to find late in drafts.

Ok, so maybe Car-Go isn't quite a stud anymore, but he is significantly better than his overall 2017 numbers indicated. Apparently, he was playing through an injury to start the season, but once he got right, we were looking at the same ole' numbers. He batted .314/.390/.531 over the second half, thanks primarily to a September in which he was the best hitter on the planet. We may get a top 50 fantasy player 150 picks later if he can stay on the field for the Rockies.

We all rememeber how phenomenal Thames was to start last season, but don't forget that he only hit 8 homers and drove in 20 runs in the second half last year. That isn't to say he will be a complete flop, but be advised that his 2018 numbers are unlikely to mirror his 2017 breakout.

Dickerson's batting average bounced back up last season to his career line of .280 and the power stayed despite playing his home games in Tampa. He should have no trouble repeating his 25 HR, .280 BA output in Pittsburgh if he can stay healthy.

It is remarkable how far Kipnis has fallen after batting .275 with 23 HR, 15 SB, 90+ runs and 80+ RBI in 2016. Just know that while last year was a disaster, he isn't far enough removed from those numbers to discount a significant bounceback. Plus, he has been killing it in Spring Training, which may not mean much, but has to be a little encouraging.

Villar may have been the biggest non-injury bust in fantasy baseball last year. You may be sensing a trend here, as Villar is like many of the other names on this list having put up a terrible first-half. He still finished the season with double-digit homers and 20+ steals, which is a far cry from the 20/60 line he put together in 2016. With that said, it isn't crazy to think he can cut the difference in half going 15/40 with the .280 batting average he put together after the all-star break and throughout both 2015 and 2016. That, folks, is a top 30 fantasy hitter, and worth far more than just a few bucks.

Peralta is as good of a bet as you will find in the middle of drafts to bat .290, but he might not even provide a dozen homers with the humidor now in action.

Reddick has been consistently improving his batting average each season, all the way up to the .314 he gave us in 2017. The issue with him is whether the Astros will hold of Derek Fisher for his behalf. If they do, Reddick may be a draft day steal.

Everyone remembers the hitting streak and that many were calling for him to be a future star, but he's got a career batting average of .239 and his best tool is his mediocre power so be careful with the lingering hype surrounding him.

While it is reasonable to expect Scooter to take a major step back after last year's major breakout, even regression would leave him as a .270 hitter with 20 homers which is a plenty useful fantasy middle infielder.

After two productive seasons to begin his career, Piscotty's numbers dropped off last season as he dealt with personal issues. Now that he is in the Bay Area with his sick mother, don't be surprised if he returns to 20+ homers, a .270 BA and 80+ runs and RBI.

Calhoun isn't a sexy pick by any means, but he always provides 75+ runs, 75+ RBI and 17+ HR with a batting average that won't kill you. You could do much worse late into drafts.

It may be tempting to assume Trumbo's career is on the backend and that his 23 HR, .234 BA are now the new expectation, but don't be so quick to forget that he led baseball with 47 homers in 2016 and a bounceback, while not likely, is by no means out of the question.

Grichuk's ribs are banged up, but even if he misses opening day, he should be back and ready to go in no time. He possesses 30+ home run type of pop if he can stay in the Blue Jays' lineup all season.

Hicks hasn't been able to play more than 400 plate appearances once in his 5-year career, but last season showed plenty of fantasy upside. He hit 15 homers and stole 10 bases in just 301 at bats. If he can stay healthy, we are looking at a 25/20 player.

 

Belt's batting average dipped last season as he struggled to stay healthy, but if he can get on the field this year, we know Belt should return to delivering a .275 BA with 15 to 20 HR, 65+ RBI and 70+ runs. That isn't a great fantasy player, but it is a useful bench asset for sure.

Kemp can still mash, but his durability and defensive liabilities may keep him out of the lineup for a third of the season. The .275 BA with 20 HR and 65 RBI he gave us last year is about what we should expect in 2018.

After he missed half of the 2016 season with a PED suspension, Gordon got right back to work in 2017, hitting above .300 and stealing 60 bases. Gordon put the ball in play more then ever, putting up just a 13.4% strikeout rate, best of his career. His reward was a trade to the Mariners, where he'll move from second base to center field. The trade shouldn't impact Gordon's value much, as he'll continue to bat leadoff in front of a strong lineup. And with soon-to-be dual eligibility, Gordon's fantasy stock only rises.

Calhoun has the pop to win AL Rookie of the Year if the Rangers are wise enough to call him up some time soon. It is a risk to draft him and let him sit on your bench while you wait, but a risk worth taking at the end of your fantasy drafts.

We knew Taylor possessed fantasy potential for a while, but he finally put it together last season. In less than 400 at-bats, he posted 19 homers and 17 SB with a solid .271 BA. Pro-rated to a full-season, we could be looking at a 25/25 type of player.

Lew was beyond abysmal in his cup of coffee last year, batting .106 with just 1 steal, but in the long-run, that is not who he is. More likely, we are looking at a .250 hitter with both power and speed in the same mold as Carlos Gomez or Michael Taylor.

Harrison's power has been up and down over the last few seasons, but you can be sure he will get you a .270 batting average with double digit steals and around 60 runs scored. The homers may or not be there, but that is a quality late-round utility player.

Kepler has crazy potential but hasn't quite put it together yet. You may get the .243 BA with limited power and speed we saw last year, or he may end up as the top breakout of the season. He is a risky pick, but there isn't much to lose by drafting him late.

We've seen Altherr go white-hot for an extended period of time so thee is definitely upside to be found here, but the second-half did not paint a pretty picture so proceed with risk in mind.

 

Dahl has five-tool upside and could very well turn into another Carlos Gonzalez for the Rockies. The issue here, is that the Rockies are expected to start him in the minor leagues and he'll have to knock off an established major leaguer or two to get his crack at big league at-bats.

You may not like the .233 batting average that he offered fantasy owners last season, but he did knock 30 homers and there is no subsitute for that kind of late round power.

Maybin nearly led the AL in stolen bases last season with 33 of them. He offers more power than speed-only guys like Deshields and Mallex Smith too. If he can get that average back up to .260 this year, we'll be looking at a total steal late into drafts.

The former top prospect is flying under the radar despite offering 25 homer potential with a near 300 batting average. He will even steal some bags for you.

 

 

Winker is the player who will slip under the radar despite being a former top 40 prospect then proceeding to rake in the majors after his debut. In 47 games, he batted .298/.375/.529, which if extended to a full season, compares favorably to George Springer and Andrew McCutchen. Now, he won't steal more than a handful of bases, but even without it, he is likely to be vastly overlooked.

Renfroe did not provide a useful batting average last year, but he does have 30 to 35 homer pop if he gets enough at-bats. With that, obviously, comes plenty of runs and RBIs.

Soler is a former top 10 prospect who has struggled in and out of injuries to start his career. He is still young, though, and swatted 6 homers in Spring Training so don't rule out a post-hype breakout. He is an excellent flyer late in drafts.

 

 

Pederson made the Dodgers' roster and they are teaching him to play some first base. He might not get 300 at-bats once again this season, but he if can find a way on the field, his upside is tantalizing.

 

 

Broxton is a quality fantasy asset, having it 20 homers and swiped 20 bases last year, but his batting average is low plus the Brewers don't have room for him to play. At this point, he is merely a stash or a waiver wire watch.

 

 

If you are looking for a cheap source of steals late in drafts, look no further than Mallex who will be starting and batting leadoff with Dickerson out of the equation. He's got 40 steal upside and shouldn't kill your team batting average.

 

 

Pence was once a player who never missed a ballgame, but over the past three seasons he has been struggling through injuries. He still has 20 homer upside with a solid batting average but the steals are gone.

 

 

 

It may seem as though Heyward will never hit sufficiently again, but it is easy to forget that he is still young. There is untapped upside here so feel free to take a flier, especially in a an OBP league where even his floor isn't worthless.

You may be surprised to see this, but Colby Rasmus nearly had a .900 OPS last season. Granted, he didn't play all that much then retired, but the bat is still there and if he can stay on the field for the Orioles, he may prove to be a quality late-round investment.

There is a reason Robles is among the top prospects in baseball. Not only does he carry all five tools, but his stats have been downright amazing in the minors against much older competition. It is only a matter of time before he forces his way into a big league lineup and when he does, you will want to own him quickly.

Tomas has tremendous upside and has flashed it for half a season before his 2017 injury. The issue is that the D-Backs have a loaded outfield so he will fight for playing time. If he gets plugged into the starting lineup, you should pick him up immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt about it that Zobrist is on the last leg of his career, but after hitting .270 or higher for five consecutive years, his .232 line screams positive regression. Zobrist will still hit double-digit homers and tack on both runs and RBI for you.