Went over the top 25 last week and the comments reminded me to point something out about these rankings. In an effort to be as objective as possible, I am presenting them in the exact order of their projections. One of the great things about points leagues is how straightforward they are. That being said, the exact ranking that an individual player has next to his name isn’t important. In many cases, players are clustered together with four or five guys separated by only a couple points. This basically groups everyone into tiers, afterall, a single homerun one way or the other could shift a guy’s projection up or down multiple spots in the rankings. The moral of the story is, don’t read too much into what rank a guy holds on this list. Best of luck in the second half and may you bring home that championship. And now, on to the best of the rest.
26. Dylan Cease (168.6) – He could very well be the AL Cy Young winner. He leads the majors in punch outs and if anything, his projected 88 feels a touch low. It would not surprise me at all to see him put up the most strikeouts over the second half and take home the crown.
27. Robbie Ray (168.1) – His pants may be just as tight as ever but the Robbie Ray of 2022 has not been the same guy we saw last season. He’s been fine and is still striking out guys at a good clip but his ERA is almost a full point higher than it was last year. Based on his projection there could be a buying opportunity if his current manager is displeased that he’s not in Cy Young form.
28. Nolan Arenado (168) – He’s been pretty darn good this season. No reason for that to stop now. Keep on rolling him out there.
29. Shohei Ohtani (hitter) (167) – Even if you just have his bat, you’ve got one heck of a player. He has a shot at 40 home runs on the season and I really hope he gets there.
30. Yordan Alvarez (167) – Apparently, my hottest take on the top 25 was that Yordan wasn’t on it. I suppose that’s not entirely surprising, his 296 points on ESPN rank him as the sixth best hitter. Now I’m not here to say he’s a bad option in the second half, not by any stretch. He’s still a top 30 player overall and only a couple points from cracking the top 25. With his potential, and the way he’s been swinging the bat this season I definitely wouldn’t be looking to move him just because the projections say he’s a touch below the lofty point totals he’s put up so far.
31. Kevin Gausman (165.3) – His second half should mirror what he did for you in the first half. More good than bad with a few blowups along the way.
32. Corey Seager (165) – He’s well on his way to setting a new career high in the power department. As it stands right now, he’s only 3 short of tying his personal best.
33. Luis Robert (164) – Injuries have deprived us of the breakout that is just over the horizon. Hopefully, he can put that behind him and stay on the field. If he can manage that, he’s primed to close out the season in a big way.
34. Jose Abreu (164) – Unfortunately, his power is down this year and he’s on a pace for what would easily be a career low. The good news is he’s been racking up doubles and keeping himself very fantasy relevant.
35. Josh Hader (163.8) – Although he wasn’t the top RP going into the break, he is still primed to be an elite option for the stretch run.
36. Bo Bichette (163) – For where he was drafted, he has to be up there on the list of fantasy disappointments this season. I still believe in his talent and that he can get things turned around for the second half. Check in and see if he can be had at a discount.
37. Josh Bell (163) – Loved him in draft season and he’s been even better than I hoped. He’s legit, that first half wasn’t fools gold, even if his projections put him a tier below the level he’s currently at. Unless you’re getting insane value in return, hold and reap the rewards.
38. Aaron Nola (162.5) – He will continue to put up points thanks to his solid K and inning totals.
39. Paul Goldschmidt (162) – Power, check. Lots of hits, check. He may have lost a step in the speed department, but he’s still mighty fine for points leagues.
40. Carlos Correa (162) – His second half should mirror his first half with his projection almost equaling the 168 he put up so far. Actually, he will in effect be better after the break because there are about 20 fewer games. Maybe a buy at the right price.
41. Lucas Giolito (160.3) – Here’s a second half buy if I ever saw one. Simply put, Giolito has not lived up to draft day expectations. His Ks and innings have been solid but the plus 5 ERA is really pulling him down. There’s plenty of time for him to turn it around and he definitely has the raw stuff to do it.
42. Cedric Mullins (160) – Power is down and he was probably drafted a bit high this season but he really hasn’t been bad. If you’ve held onto him this long, keep on riding.
43. Giancarlo Stanton (160) – You like home runs? He’ll give you home runs. Unfortunately, he’ll spend some time on the IL and as of this writing, it is unclear when he will be back on the field.
44. Marcus Semien (160) – Last year’s fantasy super stud has been a solid fantasy asset this season. It’s sunk cost to focus on the draft capital. He’ll be fine in the second half.
45. Framber Valdez (159.6) – Must be his predator blood. If he didn’t miss time he would likely be higher in the points standings. Fire him up every turn out.
46. Austin Riley (159) – He’s good and he hits a whole bunch of bombs. Everyone has power nowadays but 40 home runs is nothing to scoff at.
47. George Springer (159) – Spring into the new year, or the second half. Enjoy the points.
48. Carlos Rodon (158.1) – When he’s not kicking bats, he’s been pretty darn good. His innings are a touch low compared to the top pitchers but he can make up that gap with punchouts.
49. Zack Wheeler (157.8) – His ERA should rise a few ticks from where it currently sits but that doesn’t mean he won’t still be pretty darn good.
50. Max Fried (156.4) – If his K per 9 was higher he would find himself higher up on this list.
51. Fernando Tatis Jr (156) – Ooh here’s the big one. We were robbed of the chance to watch him by an injury that occurred during the lockout and I sympathize deeply with anyone that took him in the first round and felt like they finally had their man. He’s finally taking some hacks and as much I would like to trade for him, there’s no reason for the manager that’s stashed him all season to move on now that he is actually making progress towards a return. If, by some miracle, he is on waivers (maybe your league doesn’t have IL spots) you would rather pick him up too early than miss out.
52. Xander Bogaerts (156) – Hits are the source of his points I expect him to continue to deliver.
53. Rhys Hoskins (156) – With his power, he would be really dangerous if he could get his batting average up. Until that happens he’s merely a very solid roster piece.
54. Tim Anderson (154) – I wouldn’t say he’s been particularly flashy this season with his numbers. In fact, he’s outside the top 15 at shortstop. Fear not for he shall be better in the second half.
55. Seiya Suzuki (153) – We should all remember him bursting out of the gates with a power bat. After that, he slumped and was injured. His season numbers are respectable but the projections love him for the second half. The power should really show itself, more than doubling his current total. Given his lower point total going into the break, there may be an opportunity to steal him away. At least kick the tires on a top 40 hitter.
56. Jacob deGrom (152.7) – Will he return to the mound? That’s the big question. He’s trending in that direction and we all know what he can do when he takes the hill.
57. Francisco Lindor (152) – Feels like he’s become the forgotten one after his letdown last season. He’s still pretty darn good for points.
58. Sandy Alcantara (152) – Oh Sandy, say it ain’t so… He’s been absolute fire this season. I think he can beat his strikeout projection in the second half but he may not provide quite the same value he has before the break.
59. Liam Hendriks (152) – In a league that requires relief pitchers, you want to have Liam on your squad.
60. Edwin Diaz (151.8) – See my thoughts about Hendricks, repeat them here.
61. J.D. Martinez (151) – Just Dong hasn’t really lived up to his name this season. He’s got double digit power in him for the second half
62. Kris Bryant (151) – Coors should have been a godsend to him Instead he can’t seem to stay on the field. Assuming health we could be looking at big time points, but I’m not sure how much I’d bet on it.
63. Ketel Marte (151) – Doesn’t feel flashy, and he doesn’t stand out in any particular area. He does a little bit of everything and that adds up to points.
64. Whit Merrifield (149) – If you drafted him early you probably have mixed feelings at this point. He’s been fine but nothing special. Looks like he will continue in his ways.
65. Ty France (148) – Really wanted him to be higher up on this list because I have an infatuation with him. I think he’s better than most people realize, he has the talent to beat this projection.
66. Jake Cronenworth (148) – He scores points and is eligible at multiple positions. I’d say that’s Cronenworth it.
67. Spencer Strider (148) – Talk about insane K numbers. He lags in innings but he sure can ring em up. He’s a gamble at this point considering he’s rapidly approaching a career high in innings. My heart says ride with him, but my head says sell while you can.
68. Charlie Morton (147.9) – He may be boring, but he will give you solid points.
69. Jose Berrios (147.8) – We know how good he can be so he’s a tough guy to rank. I’d probably sell on the name if you can get good value. Looks like a solid mid-tier starter.
70. Eloy Jimenez (147) – Oh Eloy, you could have been something. If you could just stay healthy you could be a stud.
71. Jorge Polanco (147) – Hip hip Jorge. Solid even if he doesn’t knock your socks off. Points are points.
72. Julio Urias (146.8) – Wasn’t a big fan going into the season because he won a jillion games last year. He’s not too far off pace in wins, but he already has more losses.
73. Frankie Montas (146.7) – Could be on the move and who knows what that will do to his value.
74. Bobby Witt Jr. (146) – The top prospect can score points any which way you choose. Love him for the future, but he’s also pretty good for the right now.
75. Will Smith (146) – Catcher is rough. Smith is more than good enough.
76. Alex Verdugo (146) – Don’t expect a ton of bombs but he knows how to smack a double.
77. Kyle Schwarber (145) – If there’s one thing he knows how to do is hit home runs. A strong finish could have him looking at 50.
78. DJ LeMahieu (145) – Not too flashy, but he gets the job done.
79. Max Muncy (145) – He’s been pretty brutal in the stats department. Points haven’t been stellar either. With that lineup and his track record, he can turn it around.
80. Jon Gray (144.8) – Like him more as a streamer than a full-time candidate for daily leagues. For weekly or deeper leagues, you could do worse.
81. Nathan Eovaldi (144.6) – Tough to recommend a guy with a 4.30 ERA. He can drop that while still striking out a batter an inning.
82. Emmanuel Clase (144.4) – If you need closers, he moves way up. But his raw point totals lag behind the top pitchers.
83. Jonathan India (144) – Injuries have really marred his season. The potential is all still there, he just needs to stay on the field. He has a variety of avenues to score points but I would like to see his batting average be a bit higher. Even so, I like the value he can provide.
84. Clayton Kershaw (143.9) – I want to like him because he seems like a good guy, but I just can’t bring myself to trust him.
85. Chris Bassitt (143.7) – Thought he had a chance at ace potential going into the season. Obviously, that hasn’t quite happened and he won’t magically turn into an ace in the second half but he should be a solid starter.
86. Bryce Harper (143) – Oh please come back. If he makes it back in August he can help you finish strong. I hate to say it, but selling on name value isn’t the worst idea,
87. Steven Kwan (143) – A top 60 hitter should not be as widely available as he is. Maybe it’s the lack of power that keeps him off a lot of manager’s radar or maybe it’s the terrible May he endured, batting below .200. Whatever the reason it seems his value is going unnoticed. He has a chance to make a big impact coming out of the break.
88. Julio Rodriguez (142) – After his display of firepower at the Home Run Derby and his strong first half performance, I really expected him to be higher on this list. Rookies are hard to project because there’s no track record to go off of. His upside is way too good to even think about moving him for a hitter higher up on this list.
89. Nick Castellanos (142) – There’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that’ll be a home run. And so that’ll make it a 4-0 ballgame.
90. Charlie Blackmon (142) – If/when he gets moved his fantasy value could shift, but as long as he’s in Coors I like him. And if he goes to a contender, he’ll have value there too.
91. Raisel Iglesias (141.8) – Another reliever? I was actually surprised to see him projected in this range.
92. Lance Lynn (141.5) – He’s been bad, no way around it. I highly doubt he just forgot how to pitch so I still believe there is hope for the future.
93. Alek Manoah (141.2) – I worry about a potential innings limit since he’s already surpassed his career high. However, his innings projection looks pretty good. Keep rolling him out there, his team (and yours) needs him.
94. Starling Marte (141) – Can he be a star? Probably not, however, he is looking at a potential 20/20 season. That makes him worth a spot.
95. Justin Turner (141) – I hate to recommend another boy in blue but despite my personal bias you can’t deny that they have a stacked team and that means lots of fantasy points.
96. Joe Musgrove (140.5) – He may seem boring, but you can consider him old reliable.
97. Luis Castillo (139) – When he’s on, he can toe the rubber with the best of them. He has a good chance to beat his strikeout projection. Unfortunately, he also has a good chance to beat his walk projection.
98. Yu Darvish (138.4) – Doesn’t feel like that long ago that Yu was the belle of the ball. He’s been pretty darn good so far but I expect some regression.
99. Gleyber Torres (138) – You’ll want a piece of that offensive juggernaut and Gleyber is most likely one of the more attainable ones.
100. Christian Yelich (138) – He’s been a pleasant surprise, I thought his best years were behind him. Maybe they are, and he’s certainly no longer a top 10 guy. But he has been well worth his draft position and that should continue.
101. C.J. Cron (138) – Coors, need I say more?
102. Vinnie Pasquantino (138) – He’s free right now but he could be just outside the top 60 hitters going forward. There’s some pop in his bat and he can leg out a double. The potential is there, he is a top prospect after all and he’s one hot streak away from being noticed.
TTFN… thats all for now folks, find me here or on Twitter for all your fantasy needs.
