As fantasy baseball draft season hits full speed ahead, it is time to assess some draft strategies. Sure we all know some of the best players that go early in drafts, but drafts are not won in the early rounds. Most successful fantasy players will discuss focusing on the mid-rounds to find those players that can take their teams over the top. It can be risky players with huge ceilings or boring players who bring your team a solid floor.
Some successful players map out their drafts using a flow chart, while others build their draft strategies from the back of the draft to the front. While others have a list of players in each round they are looking to target, the players targeted for a particular part of their drafts could be position-specific or category-specific. Still, in the end, it helps round out their team.
For this article, I will use the FantasyPros consensus ADP to target players in rounds 11-20 of 12-team leagues, focusing on NFBC Online Championships. I will also add some notable mentions for each player I discuss for each round. If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@bdentrek), and I will gladly help you out.
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Round 11 (ADP 121-132)
Rhys Hoskins (1B – PHI) ADP 124
Hoskins was in the midst of an outstanding season in 2021 before an injury ended the rest of his season. In 107 games, he hit 27 home runs with 71 RBI and a .247 batting average. Some will point to Hoskins being injury-prone, but that is not true as he played 153 and 160 games back in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He was mashing before the injury in 2021, and his contact quality showcased that with career bests in barrel rate at 17% and the hard-hit rate at 46.3%. He is reportedly healthy and ready to roll heading into 2022. Hitting in the Phillies lineup and playing his home games in Citizen Bank park should lead to even more success. I am willing to jump Hoskins a couple of rounds in drafts, and if he falls to you in round 11, you should jump on Hoskins as your starting first baseman.
Honorable Mention: C.J. Cron
Round 12 (ADP 133-144)
Nathan Eovaldi (SP – BOS) ADP 135
After an up and down 2019 and 2020, Eovaldi returned with authority in 2021. He threw 182.1 innings for the Red Sox and racked up a 3.75 ERA with a 3.37 xERA and 3.48 xFIP. The ratios were next to elite for Eovaldi, and they also came with incredible strikeouts. He struck out 25.6% of the batters he faced, which was his fourth straight season with a strikeout rate over 20%. The walks were even down to 4.6%, giving him an elite K-BB of 20.9%, his second season with a K-BB over 20%. He enters the 2022 season as the Red Sox ace and makes for a great SP3 on your fantasy team with his outstanding ratios and elite K-BB skills.
Honorable Mention: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Round 13 (ADP 145-156)
Nelson Cruz (UTIL – WAS) ADP 146
Cruz enters his age 41 season with one of the lowest ADPs of his career. Sure, It will likely rise since he signed with the Nats, but let’s enjoy the value while we can. He will hit in a ballpark that plays lively in the summer and hit in the middle of a lineup with Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Offensive production will be there in bunches for Cruz. He has hit 30+ home runs, scored 70+ runs, driven in 86+ runs, and hit over .256 in each full season since 2014. It is nice to pencil in a stat line that Cruz can provide after Round 10, so do not overthink things and draft the ageless wonder.
Honorable Mention: Eduardo Rodriguez
Round 14 (ADP 157-168)
Marcus Stroman (SP – CHC) ADP 166
Stroman is coming off one of his best seasons in the bigs as he heads into his first season with the Cubs. He pitched 179 innings, giving him at least 179 innings in four full seasons. He also racked up a career-best 3.02 ERA with a 3.57 xFIP with a career-high 21.6% strikeout rate. There are a few concerns as he was hit harder than he’s ever been hit in his career, and his groundball rate dropped to a career-low 50.8%. However, Stroman has altered his pitch mix and is also supposedly adding another pitch to his repertoire. I am buying into a Stroman with a 3.50 ERA and improved strikeouts. That will play very well as an SP4 on many fantasy teams.
Honorable Mention: Logan Gilbert
Round 15 (ADP 169-180)
Ryan McMahon (2B/3B – COL) ADP 172
I admit I am a McMahon stan, but why wouldn’t people like to roster McMahon. First, he brings 2B and 3B eligibility which is tremendous as that also makes him available at CI and MI. More importantly, he brings a reliable stat line to your fantasy team with more upside. McMahon has hit 23 and 24 home runs in his last two full seasons with at least 70 runs scored, 83 runs batted in, and a batting average over .250. Heck, McMahon will even throw in five or so stolen bases. His contact quality also checks out well, and we could see the 27-year-old take another step in his fantasy production. I am trying to draft McMahon everywhere I can, especially if I miss out on an early third baseman.
Honorable Mention: Avisail Garcia
Round 16 (ADP 181-192)
Josh Donaldson (3B – NYY) ADP 185
Speaking of third base, let’s target Donaldson. The newest member of the Yankees should only benefit more from the change. Donaldson is as consistent as they come, even if he misses some time on the IL each season. He has hit at least 24 home runs in seven of his last eight full seasons, with plenty of production in runs and RBI and a solid batting average. He should play nearly every day while healthy for the Yankees, and at his current consensus ADP is a great draft day value. However, please do not pass on Donaldson because you are concerned about his IL history, as replacement value will be available throughout the season.
Honorable Mention: Robbie Grossman
Round 17 (ADP 193-204)
Andrew Benintendi (OF – KC) ADP 199
Many have given up on the once top-prospect Benintendi, and they should not, as he had quite a lovely season last year. He hit .276 with 17 home runs and eight stolen bases in 134 games for the Royals. He has shown the ability to hit 15+ home runs and steal 10+ bases with an excellent batting average. He should also score his fair share of runs hitting in a Royals lineup that could be sneaky productive. So if waiting on outfield or looking for your fourth or fifth outfielder, Benintendi brings a relatively safe yet profitable profile to your fantasy team.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Sandoval
Round 18 (ADP 205-216)
Jean Segura (2B – PHI) ADP 206
Ageism is a thing in fantasy baseball, which seems to be the case for Segura in drafts. The 32-year-old is coming off a season where he hit .290 with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases over 131 games. Segura should be in line for another double-digit home run and stolen base season with the Phillies while he also leads off in the prolific offense that will lead to many runs scored. If you waited on the position, Segura makes for a great MI option later in drafts or as your starting second baseman.
Honorable Mention: Luis Urias
Round 19 (ADP 217-228)
Jonathan Schoop (1B/2B – DET) ADP 223
I am fascinated with Schoop this draft season. He brings five straight seasons with at least 21 home runs while hitting .267 or better in five of seven seasons. He will also produce in runs and RBI. Schoop brings 1B and 2B eligibility to your roster on a sneaky Tigers team which should score its fair share of runs. Schoop’s positional flexibility, power, and average batting assets make him a solid value later in drafts.
Honorable Mention: Alex Wood, Kolten Wong, AJ Pollock
Round 20 (ADP 229-240)
Brandon Belt (1B – SF) ADP 234
Belt is coming off a career season with 29 home runs and a .274 batting average over only 97 games. He has always brought excellent OBP skills to his game, but the power production and overall offensive boom last season was tremendous. Sure, Belt has his fair share of injury concerns year after year, but that can be overlooked at a consensus ADP of 234. So if you are waiting on first base or looking for a late CI option, Belt makes for one of the better options later in the draft.
Honorable Mention: Travis d’Arnaud
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