Braves' Hitters Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and More
Discussing the top fantasy hitters from the Atlanta Braves' stacked lineup as the 2024 season approaches.
The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles about the top players at every position, and while those kinds of stories will continue until the regular season starts up, we wanted to make sure we covered as many fantasy players as possible, so it’s time to look at options on a team–by-team basis.
We’ve covered several teams already, and those articles can be found at the links below:
American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals
National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies
Let’s talk about a loaded Atlanta Braves team next, again splitting things up into two stories. We’ll talk about the hitters now. Be sure to check back for the story on the pitchers.
Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!
Top Fantasy Hitters
There’s Atlanta hitters all over the FantasySP Average Draft Position list, starting with Ronald Acuna Jr. as the top option.
Acuna was simply sensational last season, finishing with a .337 batting average and .416 on-base percentage. He had 217 total hits, 80 of which went for extra bases (including 41 home runs). Acuna drove in 106 runs, scored 149 times and stole 73 bases. It simply doesn’t get much better than that.
Acuna should be drafted first in all league types going into the 2024 season. While he might not match the incredible numbers he put up in 2023, he’s hitting atop one of the best lineups in the league, so he’ll have the chance to deliver monster numbers again. Don’t overthink this: Acuna should be the top pick, and then the debates can start after that.
First baseman Matt Olson is the next Atlanta hitter off draft boards, ranking ninth overall with an ADP mark of 12.37.
Across 162 games in 2023, Olson tallied a .283 average and .389 on-base percentage. He racked up 172 total hits, 84 of which went for extra bases. He clubbed 54 homers, drove in 139 runs and scored 127 times.
It was a breakout season for Olson, who hit 43 points better than in 2022. One could argue that some regression is coming, but even if it does, because he’s hitting in the heart of a stacked lineup and could lead the league in homers. His RBI, extra-base hit and run marks should all remain high, which will still leave him as one of the best fantasy hitters. The bonus that he plays every day is another huge factor.
He’s the second first baseman off draft boards, just after Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman. Even being drafted this early, Olson has the chance to finish as a better fantasy hitter than several of the guys ahead of him, so I wouldn’t let him pass if he’s available after pick 10.
Infielders Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are up next for Atlanta. Albies ranks 30th with an ADP mark of 31.4, while Riley ranks 34th with a mark of 33.57.
Albies hit .280 across 148 games in 2023, while getting on base at a .336 clip. He had 68 extra-base hits (33 homers) among his 167 total hits, drove in 109 runs, scored 96 times and stole 13 bases.
His stats were a nice bounceback after a down 64-game season in 2022. He’s expected to hit after Acuna and before Riley and Olson, so if Albies can play a full season, he should be able to put up monster numbers across the board. I think he could greatly outperform his ADP by the end of the season and think you’ll get great value back if you land Albies near his current ADP.
Riley was great again for the Braves in 2023, posting a .281 average and .345 on-base percentage across 159 games played. He had 179 total hits, 72 of which went for extra bases (37 home runs), 97 RBIs and 117 runs scored.
He’s one of the most reliable hitters in the game, even with high strikeout numbers. Thirty-plus homers and close to 100 RBIs and runs scored just seem expected at this point, and there’s no reason to think he couldn’t improve on those numbers as he’s just 26 years old.
Michael Harris II is the next Braves’ hitter off the board, ranking 56th with an ADP mark of 61.69. Harris flies under the radar because he’s on a loaded team, but his numbers are fantastic too.
Harris played in 138 games a season ago, posting a .293 average, .331 on-base percentage, 148 total hits, 57 RBIs, 76 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. He’s not as big a fantasy asset with just 18 homers to his name, but he still had 54 extra-base hits last season.
In most lineups, Harris probably hits leadoff, but in Atlanta, Harris probably slots in sixth or later. It should afford him some RBI chances, granted they don’t clear the bases with homers before he steps to the plate. Even if that’s the case, he’s got a great average, and will post better numbers all around if he can get a full season in. He presents great value for his current ADP.
Marcell Ozuna is the hitter that’s expected to bat fifth in the lineup, after Olson and before Harris. He ranks 104th on the ADP list with a mark of 112.14.
Across 144 games in 2023, Ozuna had a .274 average, .346 on-base percentage, 145 total hits, 100 RBIs and 84 runs scored. He homered 40 times and finished with 70 extra-base hits.
All but two of his games came with him as the team’s designated hitter, so that’s what makes him available this late in fantasy drafts. He’s a player to target as your primary utility or DH, but it will limit how you can configure your lineup throughout the season. He’s still a great value for where he’s going in drafts, even if he regresses a bit.
The last Atlanta hitter on the ADP list is catcher Sean Murphy. He ranks 149th with a mark of 141.25.
In his first season with Atlanta, Murphy played in 108 games. He had a .251 average, .365 on-base percentage, 93 total hits, 68 RBIs and 65 runs scored. He doubled and homered 21 times during the year.
He played in 119 and 148 games the previous two seasons, so if he could get back in that range, his numbers should be better all around. He figures to hit seventh in the lineup, which should still afford a lot of run-scoring opportunities in this lineup.
Travis d'Arnaud is the top backup to Murphy, so in deeper leagues, he might be worth stashing to protect Murphy.
Jarred Kelenic and Orlando Arcia are the only projected starters not inside the ADP list, which goes up to 287 players right now.
Arcia had a career season in 2023, hitting .264, with 129 hits, 17 homers and 65 RBIs along the way. Kelenic played 105 games, posting a .253 average, 94 total hits, 11 homers, 49 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Both are streaming options, and could start for extended periods this season while in this lineup and against inferior opponents (which is most teams).
David Fletcher, Luis Guillorme and Forrest Wall are the projected bench players alongside d’Arnaud, but probably won’t play much unless there’s a couple injuries to the stars.
This lineup is right up there with the Dodgers and can be argued as the best in the MLB. If they all stay relatively healthy, they will have plenty of chances to break all kinds of offensive records.
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