I have joked about drafting veterans in my home league for a veteran presence in the clubhouse. That could be important for a young MLB team searching for an identity. In fantasy baseball, it’s more about not quite trusting some younger players you have on your team.
It doesn’t matter if the veterans are starters or backups for you, it’s about safety and reliability. Maybe the best years are behind them; maybe they are still searching to reclaim their breakout year. Or, perhaps, they are just reliable. No matter how they start the season they put up consistent numbers. Here are six safe veterans with an average draft position (ADP) above 80 to draft for the 2024 season.
Safe Veteran Players to Draft
Christian Walker (1B – ARI): ADP 80.8
Christian Walker turns 33 on Arizona’s Opening Day. In 2023, he improved in AVG, OBP and SLG percentages from the previous season. His strikeout percentage has been below 20% for the last two years. He will bat in the cleanup spot and is projected to hit around .255 with 30 home runs. Not bad production for the ninth-ranked 1B on a young and promising team.
Ketel Marte (2B – ARI): ADP 96.8
With Ketel Marte slated as the everyday 2B instead of splitting time between 2B and CF hopefully his injury, or to be more specific, his hamstring problems, will be in the past. You could get a potential top-five 2B in the late early rounds of drafts. Marte will be batting at the top of the lineup and could hit around .280 with 20+ home runs. If you decide to pass on 2B early, Marte could be a safe and possibly league-winning reward.
Salvador Perez (C – KC): ADP 133.6
Every owner would love to have the Salvador Perez from the 2021 season when he hit 48 HRs with a .273 batting average. Those days will not repeat themselves but Perez will play when healthy. He played over 20 games at 1B and you get his DH eligibility, providing a bonus of versatility with this veteran. You will likely get a hitter with over 20 HRs and a batting average between .250 and .260. Perez isn’t a bad choice for those who wait on catchers.
Jordan Romano (RP – TOR): ADP 82
I am always a little worried about drafting relievers because their production can drop any year. Jordan Romano, though, has been solid the last three seasons. He had 23 saves in 2021 and 36 saves in the past two seasons. He recorded a below a 3.00 ERA and above a 10.00 K/9 in all three seasons. If you don’t want to completely punt the save category, drafting Romano would be an excellent choice because you’re not paying the price for Emmanuel Clase, Josh Hader or Devin Williams. Romano is locked in as the closer on a good Blue Jays team. He should have plenty of save opportunities in a competitive AL East Division.
Joe Musgrove (SP – SD): ADP 98.6
Joe Musgrove isn’t the ace pick he was a few years ago but he would be a nice third or fourth pitcher for your team. He won’t kill your ratios and gives you good value for a pitcher going in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts. He had some injury problems last year but still managed a 10-3 win/loss record and an ERA of just over 3.00. His strikeouts have decreased over the past two seasons but he can go deep into games and still has a capable shutdown arsenal. He’s currently the 38th pitcher off the board, good value for a pitcher who could get double-digit wins.
Charlie Morton (SP – ATL): ADP 202.4
I kinda wrote off Charlie Morton last year but was surprised by how he finished. The win/loss record left something to be desired at 14-12 but he had good strikeouts with 183 and recorded 12 quality starts. He has started 30+ games in the last three seasons with over 150 innings pitched. Morton probably won’t get over 200 strikeouts as he did in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. It’s probably safe to expect over 150 strikeouts and over 150 innings. Like Musgrove, Morton won’t kill you with ratios in category leagues. In points league, he finished just under 400 total points; good enough to finish 34th for starting pitchers. Morton would be a good pick at his current ADP. Whether you’re going for a rotation of aces or waiting on pitchers, Morton will help fill out your pitching staff.
Expert Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice
- The Welsh’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Joe Pisapia’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Justin Mason’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- KC Bubba’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Blake Meyer’s Must-Have Players (Premium)
- Mason’s High-Stakes Leagues Draft Strategy (Premium)
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