In the high-stakes world of fantasy baseball, every draft pick counts, and choosing between players with similar average draft positions (ADP) can make or break your season. Welcome to our expert series, where we delve deep into the stats, performance trends, and potential of closely ranked players to guide you through these tough decisions. Leveraging insights and the Who Should I Draft tool from FantasyPros, we compare two or three players at a time, dissecting their strengths, weaknesses, and overall fantasy value to determine who deserves a spot on your roster.
Whether you’re torn between promising rookies, seasoned veterans, or players coming off a breakout year, our detailed analysis will empower you with the knowledge to draft with confidence. Stay ahead of the slurve and dominate your league by making informed choices when it matters most.
- Dylan Cease vs. Eury Perez
- Framber Valdez vs. Tyler Glasnow vs. Logan Webb
- Aaron Nola vs. George Kirby
- Bryan Reynolds vs. Josh Lowe
- Randy Arozarena vs. Adolis Garcia
- Salvador Perez vs. Sean Murphy
- Bo Bichette vs. Gunnar Henderson
- Corey Seager vs. Francisco Lindor
- Elly De La Cruz vs. Royce Lewis
- Alex Bregman vs. Nolan Arenado
Who Should I Draft? Zach Eflin vs. Joe Ryan
Zach Eflin (SP – TB): ECR 82.0
Before 2023, Zach Eflin received an abundance of “sleeper” predictions because of the Tampa Bump. Pitchers going TO the Rays are targets. Pitchers going away from them are typically labeled busts. It was difficult to believe a guy with a career ERA over 4.00 would suddenly be worth chasing. Alas, Eflin bought into his hype, apparently. He had a career-high K/9 of 9.42, striking out 186 batters in 177 2/3 innings. He ended with an ERA of 3.50, and his xFIP of 3.12 suggests he was even better than that. His WHIP was 1.02 thanks to a BB% of 3.4 and a Chase% of 34. Eflin’s 2024 outlook suggests some regression but nothing to scare fantasy managers away from his SP3 draft price.
Joe Ryan (SP – MIN): ECR 91.2
Joe Ryan started 29 games for the Twins last year, ending up with an ERA (4.51) that was almost a full run higher than in 2022 (3.55). His xERA last year, though, was 3.53, and chances are good that he was just snakebit by a .305 BABIP. He also gave up a lot of hard contact (1.78 HR/9), but he struck out 197 batters and walked fewer than two per game. He should bounce back nicely in 2024, and you can draft him in the ninth round to be your SP2 or SP3.
And the winner is…
According to the FantasyPros Who Should I Draft? tool, 63% of experts would draft Zach Eflin.
Check out all of our 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit articles, tools, and more
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