A solid strategy on draft day sets the stage for a championship run. That’s where our Draft Day Cheat Sheet series comes into play, offering you a comprehensive guide from some of the sharpest experts in the industry to help you make every pick count. Check out my fantasy baseball draft day cheat sheet below, where I walk you through my favorite targets by position, favorite targets by round, players to avoid at their current ADP, and an overview of my draft day strategy.
For an even more tailored draft experience, leverage the power of the FantasyPros Draft Wizard. This innovative tool syncs to your league to offer mock drafts, instant analysis, and customizable cheat sheets to ensure you’re fully equipped for your specific leagues and formats.
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
- 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
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The Wonkypenguin’s Draft Day Cheat Sheet (2024)
My Favorite Targets By Position
Catcher: Yainer Diaz, Cal Raleigh, Willson Contreras, Logan O’Hoppe, Mitch Garver
First Base: Freddie Freeman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Nolan Jones, Christian Walker, Triston Casas, Spencer Torkelson, Josh Naylor, Isaac Paredes, Kris Bryant, Alex Kirilloff, Nolan Schanuel
Second Base: Mookie Betts, Ozzie Albies, Marcus Semien, Nico Hoerner, Gleyber Torres, Zack Gelof, Isaac Paredes, Nolan Gorman, Edouard Julien, Brice Turang
Third Base: Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, Austin Riley, Royce Lewis, Alex Bregman, Josh Jung, Nolan Gorman, Jeimer Candelario, Brett Baty
Shortstop: Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, Nico Hoerner, CJ Abrams, Ha-Seong Kim, Oneil Cruz, Ezequiel Tovar, JP Crawford, Tim Anderson
Outfield: Ronald Acuna Jr., Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, Corbin Carroll, Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Michael Harris II, Kyle Schwarber, Nolan Jones, Bryan Reynolds, Josh Lowe, Evan Carter, Seiya Suzuki, Teoscar Hernandez, Jordan Walker, Esteury Ruiz, Jackson Chourio, Brandon Nimmo, Riley Greene, Wyatt Langford, Chas McCormick, James Outman, Kris Bryant, Kerry Carpenter, Henry Davis, Brent Rooker, Sal Frelick, Will Benson, Alex Kirilloff, James Wood
Utility: Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez, Yordan Alvarez
Starting Pitchers: Pablo Lopez, George Kirby, Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal, Max Fried, Framber Valdez, Logan Gilbert, Grayson Rodriguez, Jesus Luzardo, Zach Eflin, Justin Steele, Joe Ryan, Joe Musgrove, Cole Ragans, Tanner Bibee, Michael King, Carlos Rodon, Bailey Ober, Brandon Pfaadt, Triston McKenzie, Reid Detmers, Edward Cabrera
Relief Pitchers: Devin Williams Edwin Diaz, Camilo Doval, Jhoan Duran, Andres Munoz, Paul Sewald, Ryan Helsley, Tanner Scott, Adbert Alzolay, Jose Alvarado, Robert Suarez, Kutter Crawford, Jason Adam, DL Hall, Garrett Whitlock
Targets By Round (12 Team League)
1st: Ronald Acuna Jr., Mookie Betts, Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto
2nd: Jose Ramirez, Yordan Alvarez, Rafael Devers, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies
3rd: Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Francisco Lindor, Michael Harris II
4th: Pablo Lopez, George Kirby, Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez
5th: Freddy Peralta, Nolan Jones, Nico Hoerner
6th: Kyle Schwarber, Royce Lewis, Jhoan Duran, Alex Bregman
7th: Jesus Luzardo, Christian Walker, Zach Eflin, Triston Casas
8th: Gleyber Torres, Josh Lowe, Oneil Cruz, Justin Steele, Joe Ryan
9th: Cole Ragans, Evan Carter, Tanner Bibee, Yainer Diaz, Seiya Suzuki
10th: Spencer Torkelson, Andres Munoz, Pete Fairbanks, Teoscar Hernandez, Dansby Swanson
11th-15th: Josh Jung, Jordan Walker, Esteury Ruiz, Tanner Scott, Cal Raleigh, Anthony Volpe, Zack Gelof, Mitch Keller, Max Muncy, Michael King, Willson Contreras, Adbert Alzolay, Brandon Nimmo, Carlos Rodon, Bailey Ober, Chas McCormick
16th-20th: Nolan Gorman, Rhys Hoskins, Noelvi Marte, Logan O’Hoppe, Shota Imanaga, Jarren Duran, Ezequiel Tovar, Brandon Pfaadt, Triston McKenzie, Bo Naylor, Edouard Julien, JP Crawford
21st-25th: Andrew Abbott, Reid Detmers, Colt Keith, Ryan McMahon, Kris Bryant, Kutter Crawford, Henry Davis, Brent Rooker, Sal Frelick, Jason Adam, Will Benson
Post-300 ADP: Zach Neto, Seth Lugo, Jon Gray, Louie Varland, Austin Hays, DL Hall, James Wood, Tim Anderson, Nelson Velazquez
Players To Avoid Near ADP
- Aaron Judge (8.8)
- Zac Gallen (37)
- Elly De La Cruz (37.8)
- Cody Bellinger (56)
- Emmanuel Clase (59.6)
- William Contreras (78.8)
- Xander Bogaerts (95)
- Spencer Steer (97.8)
- Kodai Senga (110)
- Justin Verlander (133)
Strategy/Advice
- My favorite start to a draft is OF/3B, with particular emphasis on grabbing a 3B in Round 2.
- I’m totally okay waiting to grab a pitcher in the fourth round or later. That top tier of guys is outstanding, but there are a number of players later that are capable of holding down an SP1 spot.
- That said, it’s a year when Pocket Aces could be a fun strategy because no one is using it.
- Say it with me: Boring veterans are how you win your league.
- The existence of “high-upside” guys implies the existence of “low-downside” guys. In fantasy baseball, if a player has the first, he also has the second. You don’t want a bunch of these on your team, no matter how fun they are to draft.
- Overall, you can build a quality team in a myriad of ways and never be afraid to devise a strategy that turns an entire draft on its head. Make sure to utilize some of the amazing FantasyPros tools we have. And, as always, good luck!
More 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)
More Fantasy Baseball Draft Cheat Sheets
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