What’s The Point: Ranking Time

What is up party people? We are back in the thick of spring training and draft season. That means rankings are the talk of the town and I am here to guide you. ADP is a guide but it’s also a trap, go get your guy. Fantasy is always way more fun when you have the players who you like to watch. So let’s have some fun and win some leagues.

(Editor’s Note: We have a few spots left in Razzball Commenter Leagues drafting this month, including some money leagues, like this one for $20 against Truss drafting this Saturday, March 16th at 10 PM ET – Click to join!  They aren’t points leagues, 5×5 roto leagues, but all are welcome, even points leaguers!)

1)  Ronald Acuna Jr – I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a moment of panic when I heard the news he was going in for some tests on his knee, but thankfully it’s just mild irritation. He’s the best player on the board and, frankly, it’s not even close. I’m taking him first overall 11 outta 10 times.

2) Juan Soto – Right off the bat we have a guy whose value takes a jump in points leagues. He has power that comes with a strong average but what puts him over the top is his eye for the strike zone. Last season he topped the league in walks with 132 and there’s no reason to expect that to change unless he suddenly decides to dress like a pirate and start rocking an eye patch. Fortunately, he was traded to New York and not Pittsburgh.

3) Mookie Betts – The man was in the running for MVP last season or he would have been if Acuna didn’t make history. That’s really neither here nor there and he’s obviously a great player in a great lineup (as a lifelong Giants fan that hurt to type). He already earned the number 3 spot by virtue of his dual eligibility at second base and outfield and now he will gain eligibility at short within the first couple weeks of the season.

4) Kyle Tucker – Projections put him neck and neck with Mookie but since he only qualifies as an outfielder, he has to take a back seat. That is not intended to be a knock on him in any way. Dude is legit, but he’s just as good as the guy above him and doesn’t have the positional flexibility.

5) Jose Ramirez – JoRam does a little bit of everything. Actually, he does more than a little bit of everything. Not really much more to say about him beyond that.

6) Bobby Witt Jr – Now here’s a guy who has turned all his potential and hype into actual fantasy results. He has 30 dong power and 40 steal speed with a .280ish average. Yep, that’s all the tools to be a stud.

7) Freddie Freeman – At this point, it feels like he’s become Old Faithful. He may not be the exciting new guy but his “boring” veteran performance will stabilize your lineup.

8) Yordan Alvarez – Look, he could hit 70 bombs this season and I wouldn’t be surprised. If he can get to that mark he will obviously finish the season higher up the rankings. You want him because his floor feels like 40 home runs and I think he is unlikely to be at his floor.

9) Shohei Ohtani – The fantasy cheat code is no more for this season. There is a small chance he returns to the mound late in the season but I’m not holding my breath. Even without his pitching value, he is still amazing as a hitter. He’s great, the lineup is great, you know the drill.

10) Spencer Strider – I will not be drafting him here because I subscribe to the almighty Grey’s line of thinking that top bats are better than top arms but this is where the Projections land. As for Strider as a player, he’s awesome and does just about everything you want from a pitcher. I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone who takes him in the first round, I just prefer to build my team around hitters.

11) Matt Olson – First base feels top heavy and Olson is a phenomenal option. The surrounding lineup is a boost as well.

12) Vladimir Guerrero Jr – Vladito is right behind Olson. He has the power but a slightly weaker supporting cast so he falls just a hair behind.

13) Rafael Devers  – Just like first base, the hot corner feels top heavy. There’s value at both positions but locking in a top option like Devers will do a great deal to boost your mental health.

14) Alex Bregman – For points leagues, it feels like Bregman is wildly underrated. Projections put him only a bit behind Devers but he is available quite a bit later. Don’t wait too long to pounce on him in case someone else in your league reads Razzball and snatches him up.

15) Julio Rodriguez – It hurts me to rank him this low because he’s such a fun player to watch. Power is good but not mind-blowing and he doesn’t walk enough to be in the top 10.

16) Corbin Carroll – Dude is legit and insanely fun to watch. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign, I don’t think it’s entirely unrealistic to hope for some growth. I would not be surprised at all if we’re looking at him inside the top 10 next season.

17) Fernando Tatis Jr –  Could he wind up in the top 10 at the end of the season? Absolutely. Truth is we need to see what he can do after his suspension before I can fully endorse him. I think he’ll be good, but there’s a chance he can be great.

18) Marcus Semien – You could do far worse than to land Semien as your second baseman. Grey thinks he has more to give and that’s good enough for me.

19) Aaron Judge – The thing I love about him is that he can hit a million homers. The thing I hate about him is that he has missed a bunch of games throughout his career. I’m fine with the risk here because the upside is worth it.

20) Bryce Harper – He only plays first base now but that’s fine because he’s still really good and because first base drops off. Last season was marred by injury, he didn’t even get back to the plate until May. When he finally got back to 100% he was exactly what you wanted him to be. Well, he is back this season and that means big things are in store.

21) Ozzie Albies – The lineup sells him. That’s assuming you already know what he can do on his own. If you don’t know, what he does is hit.

22) Pete Alonso – Just like He-Man, he’s got the power. Big upside here.

23) Corey Seager – Coming off hernia surgery and I’m still ranking him this high? Maybe I’m crazy but I think he’ll be back to full strength soon and when he’s healthy he’s a great hitter. He’s trending in the right direction and that’s all I need to know. There’s a chance you might even be able to snag him for a discount.

24) Jose Altuve – Regardless of how you feel about him following the scandal, he is still an elite option at the keystone.

25) Austin Riley – If you already drafted Semien, Riley is absolutely a better choice than Altuve. Overall, I see them as roughly the same in terms of the points they will give you. So draft the one that fits your team the best.

26) Luis Arraez – His .330 batting average is way more valuable in points leagues. He did bat over .350 last season so look out world. If you can snag him at his ADP you’ll have yourself an outstanding value.

27) Michael Harris II – Gotta love the talent and the lineup. He can hit for average with some power and speed. When you put that all together you get a pretty darn good outfielder.

28) Nico Hoerner – He won’t hit for big power but that didn’t stop him from being pretty darn good last season.

29) Framber Valdez – This feels like a good place to start looking at pitching. He’s got that predator blood in him. Expect him to provide you a bunch of innings and rack up the Ks.

30) Kevin Gausman – Love what he did last season and I think there’s more to be had. The shoulder issue was a scare but it doesn’t look like that will impact his performance and he should be good to go when the season starts.

31) Zack Wheeler – He’s right behind Gausman and if the shoulder worries you, I’m fine with taking Wheeler first. I miss him on the Giants but having him on my fantasy team somewhat makes up for it.

32) Trea Turner – He does enough of everything to be an all around player and that makes him a strong choice at short.

33) Francisco Lindor – Another great option at shortstop. His projections are family similar to Turner’s, and by fairly similar I mean that the net result is almost identical. Turner has been going earlier in drafts so Lindor may be the one you’re left with and there is no reason to be disappointed by that.

34) Ketel Marte – By his ADP he is way underrated. He doesn’t run much but he still has the speed to give you some doubles. Maybe it’s because there isn’t any single area he stands out in but I think he should be getting more love.

35) Bo Bichette – Bo knows how to hit for average (roughly .300 for his career) and he plays in what should be a solid offensive lineup. That sounds like a recipe for success.

36) Steven Kwan – It may be slightly irrational, but I absolutely love him. He doesn’t hit for power but he also doesn’t strike out. The walks should more or less neutralize his Ks and he runs enough to put himself in scoring position. This is big time points league value right here.

37) Gunnar Henderson – The upside is huge and if he can improve on his .255 average from last season he will likely find himself ranked above this spot at the end of the season.

38) Manny Machado – The Padres are always a team that looks impressive on paper and then the season starts. I’m not too worried about his elbow surgery and his projections reflect that. He was pretty dang good last season and he looks like a great value at his ADP.

39) CJ Abrams – Last season was his breakout and I don’t think that was a flash in the pan. I get that his average dipped pretty significantly in the second half but I’m not expecting a repeat. He has arrived and this year he will justify all the hype surrounding him as a prospect.

40) Gleyber Torres – This is his year. Actually, you could make the argument that last year was his year because if you drafted him you were very pleased with the results. On to this season. Like some other guys covered here, he doesn’t stand out in any one area but he does enough of everything to be a valuable part of your lineup.

41) Yandy Diaz – He’s always been a points league hero but last season he took it to a whole different level. His contact skills are phenomenal and if the newfound power sticks… well you’ll regret not having him on your squad.

42) Paul Goldschmidt – One day the bottom is going to drop out of his production, but I’m willing to bet it won’t be this season. However, I completely understand if the risk feels like too much for you.

43) Pablo Lopez – When he’s on he can rack up strikeouts. Even better he is lined up to throw a whole bunch of innings as well.

44) Aaron Nola – You want innings, he’ll give you innings and that’s the name of the game in points leagues. Strikeouts will be there too and it’s a beautiful thing.

45) Luis Castillo – I’ve always been a fan of his raw stuff and he should approach 200 Ks. He will also log a lot of innings, another great attribute. Walks have been and likely will continue to be an issue but the points will be there.

46) George Kirby – Seattle is set up to be a great source of pitching this season, at least at the top of the rotation. As for Kirby, he should rack up innings but his strikeouts lag a bit behind his teammate and thus he comes in a spot behind.

47) Zac Gallen – His team is on the rise and he will be right in the middle of it. He has the ability to get batters to swing and miss and you have to love it.

48) Vinnie Pasquantino – By ADP he’s an incredible value and you know that I love finding an undervalued option. He’s ranked here but you may be able to snag him 50 plus picks later.

49) Josh Naylor – His projections are solid, but there is potential for a whole lot more. Like Vinnie, you should be able to get him a bit later in your draft. My advice, take whichever one is still on the board around pick 100 if recent trends hold.

50) Logan Webb –  Maybe it’s because I’ve been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember but I needed to include him in my top 50. First, let’s get the bad or rather the less exciting part out of the way, he averages less than a K per inning. In spite of that he still almost got to 200 and that brings me to my second point (and reason to like him) he is the definition of an innings eater. Last season he topped the league with 216 and that is gold in points leagues. He may not hit that total again but he’s as good a bet to eclipse 200 innings as anyone in the league.

 

As always thanks for reading and you can find me here or on X for all your fantasy needs.