Best Fantasy Baseball Values by Position: Paul Goldschmidt, Xander Bogaerts, Craig Kimbrel and Others

A look at one player (or more) at each position who is ranked lower in fantasy baseball than his past production or projections indicate. These are the guys who will fill the cracks of your team and hopefully out-play their draft statuses.

Fantasy sports are often about finding the best value (along with being very, very, VERY lucky). Anyone can choose Ronald Acuna Jr. and Freddie Freeman in the first few rounds, but finding players later in your draft who can be high-level contributors is the difference between a solid lineup and playing the free agency game, constantly dropping and picking up sub-par players.

Streaming is a great strategy at times, but it takes a lot more work, especially if you have to do it at three or four positions. I am always on the lookout for guys ranked near the middle of their position who have the ceiling of a daily fantasy starter, bringing early-to-mid-round production from a mid-to-late-round pick.

The players below aren’t perfect; if they were, they’d be drafted in the first round. Each has a path toward high-level production, though, based on past production, opportunity, or versatility.

The rankings mentioned below are from FantasySP unless otherwise noted. My goal was to look at our rankings and see who stood out as a player to target and/or rely on as a fallback if your first choice gets taken. There is no third baseman listed individually, but several players mentioned below are eligible at third and guys I’m targeting more than any player locked into the corner position.

 

Catcher

Salvador Perez, KC

I’ve been comparing Perez to two catchers being drafted well ahead of him: Will Smith and J.T. Realmuto. Over the last three seasons, Perez has averaged nearly the same (or more) hits, doubles and home runs per year as the other two.

Despite that, Perez is valued in the 13th-16th round range in all formats, while Smith is in the fourth-sixth rounds and Realmuto near the 10th.

Perez doesn’t walk or steal bases. What he does, though, is put up about 120 hits, 20 doubles and 20 homers. He is also available to play first base, making him a good pairing with a top first baseman like Freeman who will play almost every day and can be replaced by Perez on the few days he sits.

 

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt, STL

Goldschmidt has been one of the most consistent hitters of the last decade-plus. Excluding the shortened Covid season of 2020, he has played over 150 games in all but one year since 2013 (109 in 2014). He has routinely been between 150-180 hits, 30-40 doubles and 25-35 home runs.

Goldy had his worst season since 2019 last year but still finished among the top 10 first basemen in fantasy scoring, according to CBS Sports. His batting average was below .270 for just the second time since 2013. Maybe most concerning, Goldschmidt will play most of this season at 36 years old.

This is about value, though. Goldschmidt is ranked sixth among first basemen, with a noticeable drop after the first five at the position. The top five guys are all valued within the first three rounds of fantasy drafts, while Goldschmidt is down near the sixth round.

He will never reach his peak again, but you can expect solid production from the veteran. The top few guys are worth their high draft status, but first base is deep with productive players, and I’d rather wait and take Goldschmidt after loading up on superstars at other positions and/or an ace.

 

Second Base

Andres Gimenez, CLE

Like the big drop in ADP between the fifth and sixth first basemen, Gimenez (valued eighth among second basemen) is ranked more than two rounds below anyone at the position in the top seven. Comparing his past production to higher ranked players, like we did with Perez, is helpful again here.

The top three (Ozzie Albies, Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve, with Mookie Betts excluded from the position) have all earned their draft position. The next four players are, in order, Nico Hoerner, Ketel Marte, Gleyber Torres and Luis Arraez, followed by Gimenez. Here are their averages over the past two seasons:

Player	Hits	Doubles	Home Runs	Stolen Bases
Nico Hoerner, CHC	155	24.5	9.5	31.5
Ketel Marte, ARI	137.5	34	18.5	6.5
Gleyber Torres, NYY	149	28	24.5	11.5
Luis Arraez, MIA	188	30.5	9	3.5
Andres Gimenez, CLE	143	26.5	16	25

Not much difference, is there? Torres has more power than Giminez, and Arraez will always get more hits, but the Cleveland second baseman steals more bases than anyone listed aside from Hoerner. The rest of Gimenez’s numbers are right in line with the others, creating similar fantasy value.

This doesn’t capture every measure, but again, Gimenez is valued anywhere between two and five rounds later than the other four. I’d much rather wait to grab Gimenez and stock up on valuable mid-round guys with higher ceilings like Dylan Cease, Oneil Cruz, and George Springer.

 

Shortstop

Xander Bogaerts, SD

Bogaerts is ranked outside the top 100 players, valued in the 10th round or later. He’s averaged around 170 hits, 35 doubles, and 17 home runs the last two years. Ranked lower than Bogaerts are guys like Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, Willy Adames and J.P. Crawford; this position is DEEP.

With that being the case, I like waiting and grabbing someone like Bogaerts later in the draft, where you can still get good production while not having to spend a top pick on big names like Corey Seager or Francisco Lindor.

Those guys will probably out-produce Bogaerts, but the difference might not be as big as pre-draft rankings are projecting. I love the idea of getting Gunnar Henderson early (who can play shortstop and third base in fantasy) then someone like Bogaerts later, who has proven production and can be in your lineup most days while Henderson moves between positions.

 

Outfield

Mike Trout, LAA

OK, so Trout isn’t the superstar he has been most of the past decade. He has missed over half the games during the past three seasons. That lack of availability is reason enough to drop his value and even get him on the proverbial “do not draft” list for many fantasy owners.

I love bounce-back guys, though, and this is a hitter who was a yearly top-three fantasy pick for an extended period. The 32-year-old’s best days are behind him; he’s still better than most of the league when healthy.

Trout is a player I’ve routinely been grabbing in mock drafts and auctions because of his upside and non-prohibitive cost: He’s valued near the seventh round and around $7 in auctions. Taking Trout will not tank your team if he misses long stretches, but he could be the fantasy MVP (based on draft position) if he stays healthy and reaches even 80% of his best production.

 

Teoscar Hernandez, LAD

Hernandez strikes out a lot; his 211 were third most in the league last year. He also produces when he does hit the ball, averaging near 150 hits, 30 doubles and 30 home runs the last three seasons. He now joins the best team in baseball, surrounded by stars.

Hernandez will likely have a daily role in the LA outfield, maybe sitting against a few right-handed pitchers. He is ranked 35th among outfielders, coming off the board in the 13th round or later.

He is also likely to get the most RBI opportunities of his career and have guys behind him ready to drive him in. Anyone playing most of the games for the Dodgers has automatic fantasy value because of the deep lineup. Hernandez’s ability when he puts the ball in play might bring out his best fantasy season to date.

 

Multi-Positional Players

I wrote a whole article on guys who can play two or more positions on your fantasy team, so I’ll just summarize here. I mentioned Henderson above, who is valued within the top five or six rounds, but there is a list of valuable players who give you lineup flexibility.

Cody Bellinger is a great candidate for the outfield and first base if he ever signs with a team. Cincinnati is stacked with young infielders, with Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer all available at multiple infield spots (and Steer in the outfield, too).

Later in your draft, Ha-Seong Kim of the Padres is able to play second, third and shortstop; he’s not a daily starter, but he can fill in when one of your guys sits, especially against left-handed pitching, which he handles much better.

My logic with valuing these guys higher than most ADP lists is that you can play matchups and have last-minute fill-ins readily available rather than adding and dropping without much of a plan. Streaming is great if you have a weak position or two, but I prefer having a team of multi-talented guys that you can fit in like puzzle pieces when needed.

 

Starting Pitcher

Chris Sale, ATL

Sale is one of many similar players with high-level production in their past but recent struggles and/or injuries that cause them to fall down the draft board. Sale is valued near the 14th round with guys like Yu Darvish, Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito and others.

They probably won’t return to Cy Young-contention levels of production, but they are nice finds with your last handful of picks. Most of the players in this range are streamers who you will shuffle on and off your roster, and I like to get at least one lottery ticket with the hopes of a big season.

I’ll choose Sale because he is now on one of the best teams in the league. Pitching for Atlanta means he will get elite run support, potentially boosting his win total. There are also the strikeouts: Excluding 2021 and 2022 when he pitched only 11 combined games, Sale has never struck out less than one batter per inning, a mark Fan Graphs calls “great” among starting pitchers.

Sale struck out 11 batters per nine innings last year, a number most starters never sniff. His ability to strike hitters out is among the elite starters to ever play the game.

The best part is that a 14th-round pick isn’t going to affect your team if he doesn’t pan out. Like Trout, this is a high upside pick but with much less value risk than the Angels star.

 

Relief Pitcher

Craig Kimbrel, BAL

Like Sale, Kimbrel joined one of the three teams to win 100 games last season, setting up well for his counting stats. Baltimore lost closer Felix Bautista late last year, and he will miss all of 2024. Enter the guy second among active pitchers in saves in Kimbrel.

The save opportunities are the stars here. Baltimore might not win 101 games again, but they are likely to be among the top teams in the league and win often. That means more chances for saves.

Lastly, Kimbrel will keep striking guys out, just like Sale. Relievers are different than starters, but Kimbrel has struck out 14.2 batters per nine innings in his career. That’s…insane. While he was down the last two seasons, Kimbrel still struck out over 10.5 batters per nine innings in both 2022 and 2023.

Best of all, Kimbrel is being taken at the end of drafts or not being drafted at all in some leagues. This is a guy you can take in the 15th round and reasonably hope for top-10 reliever production. It’s no guarantee, as Kimbrel walks too many guys and loses his control, but the low cost makes him a must-draft for me.

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