2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Pitcher Rankings: Expert Picks

It can be helpful to get an early sense of where the experts stand in terms of initial fantasy baseball draft rankings. We’ll have you covered as we approach the spring and new season, but for now let’s take a look at 2024 fantasy baseball rankings.

2024 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Rank	Player	Team	Positions	Overall	Best	Worst	Avg	Std Dev	ADP	vs. ADP
1	Spencer Strider	ATL	SP	12	1	4	1.5	0.7	10	-2
2	Gerrit Cole	NYY	SP	17	1	4	2.7	0.5	13	-4
3	Corbin Burnes	BAL	SP	23	2	9	4.2	1	19	-4
4	Zack Wheeler	PHI	SP	26	3	16	5	0.9	23	-3
5	Luis Castillo	SEA	SP	33	5	24	7.8	2.3	30	-3
6	Pablo Lopez	MIN	SP	36	6	13	8.5	1.6	38	2
7	Kevin Gausman	TOR	SP	34	5	21	8.7	4.7	29	-5
8	George Kirby	SEA	SP	38	6	28	9.1	2.3	41	3
9	Zac Gallen	ARI	SP	41	6	27	11.3	4.3	33	-8
10	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	LAD	SP	42	4	27	12.1	4.4	36	-6
11	Tyler Glasnow	LAD	SP	43	2	36	13.4	4.5	42	-1
12	Logan Webb	SF	SP	45	9	23	14.5	3.2	46	1
13	Tarik Skubal	DET	SP	47	7	49	15.6	3.9	49	2
14	Devin Williams	MIL	RP	48	8	31	15.9	5	48	–
15	Josh Hader	HOU	RP	53	11	29	17.4	4.6	52	-1
16	Freddy Peralta	MIL	SP	50	10	42	17.8	3.2	55	5
17	Aaron Nola	PHI	SP	55	6	35	18.6	5.7	45	-10
18	Framber Valdez	HOU	SP	59	11	37	20	5.1	51	-8
19	Max Fried	ATL	SP	60	8	38	21.1	5.7	50	-10
20	Edwin Diaz	NYM	RP	62	10	56	21.7	9.8	56	-6
21	Logan Gilbert	SEA	SP	63	8	33	23.5	4	65	2
22	Blake Snell		SP	65	12	42	23.9	6.4	63	-2
23	Emmanuel Clase	CLE	RP	67	13	33	24.6	4.6	57	-10
24	Grayson Rodriguez	BAL	SP	68	9	42	25	5	71	3
25	Jhoan Duran	MIN	RP	71	14	45	26.3	6.7	70	-1

What is Fantasy Baseball?

Fantasy baseball is an online game where participants act as managers of virtual baseball teams based on real-life Major League Baseball (MLB) players. The performance of these players in actual games determines the results in the fantasy league. It’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, akin to the real-world decisions team managers must make.

Basic Strategy for Fantasy Baseball Success

1. Understand Your League’s Format and Scoring

Before drafting your team, it’s essential to understand the scoring system and rules of your specific league, as this will influence your drafting and management strategy. Knowing whether you’re in a points-based, category-based, or head-to-head league will guide you in selecting players whose strengths align with the scoring system.

2. Drafting Your Team Wisely

A solid draft is the foundation of a successful season. Here are a few tips for the drafting phase:

Balanced Team: Ensure you have a balanced team with a mix of power hitters, average hitters, speedsters, starting pitchers, and relievers.
Position Scarcity: Be aware of the depth of talent at each position. Some positions, like shortstop, may have fewer high-quality players, making it beneficial to draft a top player at that position early.
High-Floor Players: Early in the draft, focus on players with a proven track record of consistency.
Upside Picks: In the later rounds, look for “upside” players. These are athletes who have the potential to outperform their draft position.

3. In-Season Management

Stay Active: Constantly look for ways to improve your team through waivers, trades, and free-agent pickups.
Mind the Matchups: Pay attention to player matchups, platoon splits, and ballparks. Starting a pitcher in a hitter-friendly park, for example, can be risky.
Injury Management: Stay on top of player injuries and have backups ready for your key players.