Fantasy Baseball Draft Hitter Rankings: Expert Picks (2024)

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	Ronald Acuna Jr.	ATL	RF	1	1	13	1	0	1	–
2	Bobby Witt Jr.	KC	SS	2	1	7	3	1.3	3	1
3	Julio Rodriguez	SEA	CF	3	2	8	3.1	0.8	6	3
4	Mookie Betts	LAD	2B,RF	4	2	10	4.9	1.8	2	-2
5	Corbin Carroll	ARI	LF,CF,RF	5	2	20	5.9	2.5	5	–
6	Kyle Tucker	HOU	RF	6	2	8	6.2	0.8	4	-2
7	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SD	RF	7	2	11	6.7	1.9	11	4
8	Freddie Freeman	LAD	1B	8	3	17	8.6	1.9	7	-1
9	Aaron Judge	NYY	RF,DH	9	3	15	9.1	1.9	9	–
10	Juan Soto	NYY	LF	10	4	18	9.4	2	8	-2
11	Shohei Ohtani	LAD	DH,SP	12	3	27	11	3.1	12	–
12	Trea Turner	PHI	SS	13	6	26	13.5	4.1	16	3
13	Jose Ramirez	CLE	3B,DH	14	10	19	13.5	1.8	14	–
14	Matt Olson	ATL	1B	15	7	22	13.7	1.3	15	–
15	Yordan Alvarez	HOU	LF,DH	16	8	22	14.1	2.4	17	1
16	Bryce Harper	PHI	1B,DH	18	10	23	16.8	3	18	–
17	Austin Riley	ATL	3B	19	12	25	16.9	1.5	21	2
18	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B	20	16	25	18.9	1.5	20	–
19	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B	22	14	29	21.3	3.1	22	–
20	Francisco Lindor	NYM	SS	23	14	35	21.4	3.9	28	5
21	Marcus Semien	TEX	2B	25	13	48	21.9	3.2	23	-2
22	Pete Alonso	NYM	1B	24	15	34	21.9	2	25	1
23	Corey Seager	TEX	SS	26	12	36	23.2	4.6	26	–
24	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	1B,DH	28	11	36	23.4	4.4	27	-1
25	Luis Robert Jr.	CWS	CF	29	15	32	24.4	3.5	35	6
26	Michael Harris II	ATL	CF	30	20	32	25.8	2.7	36	6
27	Gunnar Henderson	BAL	3B,SS	31	19	40	27.4	3.7	31	–
28	Bo Bichette	TOR	SS	33	14	52	28.3	4.3	40	7
29	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B	35	22	40	30.3	2.6	32	-3
30	Adolis Garcia	TEX	RF	39	24	50	30.4	2.6	44	5
31	Elly De La Cruz	CIN	3B,SS	36	17	54	30.5	7.8	34	-2
32	Randy Arozarena	TB	LF	40	21	41	30.9	4.1	43	3
33	Manny Machado	SD	3B,DH	46	28	45	36.4	3.4	48	2
34	CJ Abrams	WSH	SS	44	15	68	37.4	7.8	59	15
35	Mike Trout	LAA	CF	48	24	51	37.7	5.9	53	5
36	Royce Lewis	MIN	3B	49	32	48	38.8	4.5	64	15
37	Paul Goldschmidt	STL	1B,DH	56	31	51	39.5	4.7	61	5
38	Cody Bellinger	CHC	1B,CF	50	26	61	39.6	4.4	54	4
39	Nolan Jones	COL	LF,RF	53	28	144	39.8	7.1	62	9
40	Adley Rutschman	BAL	C,DH	52	32	61	40.7	6.1	39	-13
41	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	MIA	CF	58	32	64	41.6	4.3	82	24
42	Christian Yelich	MIL	LF,DH	61	30	54	43.2	3.9	72	11
43	Matt McLain	CIN	2B,SS	66	36	68	46.5	8.3	66	–
44	Oneil Cruz	PIT	SS	65	31	81	47.7	11.1	88	23
45	Nico Hoerner	CHC	2B,SS	70	32	83	48.2	12.2	58	-12
46	Kyle Schwarber	PHI	LF,DH	76	29	111	48.5	9	60	-16
47	Gleyber Torres	NYY	2B	78	30	76	49.2	8	87	9
48	Christian Walker	ARI	1B	74	35	76	50.1	6.9	76	2
49	Alex Bregman	HOU	3B	75	38	64	50.3	6	67	-8
50	J.T. Realmuto	PHI	C	73	38	72	51.7	8.7	73	–

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.