Fantasy Baseball Outfielders: Who to Start and Who to Stream

An investigation into the preseason values of those who play the outfield and who is viewed as a star, a daily starter, or more suited for a situational fantasy role.

I have been making my way through each position in baseball and trying to determine who is valued as a daily starter and who is seen more as a streamer to deploy in the right matchups. It was easy in the infield, where less than 30 players at each position are feasible fantasy options.

Outfield is a different animal, with about three times as many players to choose from. Every position has tiers, but they don’t break up nearly as cleanly in the outfield as they do in the infield.

To determine perceived value, I used FantasySP’s Average Draft Position tool. That’s important: Other sites will have different rankings and values, and this is exclusively based on FantasySP’s calculations.

I am thinking in terms of a 10-team league with Roto scoring and standard lineup structure, with a player at each infield position, three outfielders, and a DH/utility among position players. 

My goal here is to identify the clear top players at the position, the guys who will make a consistent impact from day to day, and those who are better left for when they face a weaker opponent. Players are listed alphabetically in each tier, with the streaming list left short because of the sheer volume of fantasy options.

 

Elite Tier

Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL; Yordan Alvarez, HOU; Mookie Betts, LAD; Corbin Carroll, ARI; Aaron Judge, NYY; Shohei Ohtani, LAD; Julio Rodriguez, SEA; Juan Soto, NYY; Fernando Tatis Jr. SD; Kyle Tucker, HOU

There aren’t any surprises or guys to argue about here. If Ohtani is only available as a DH in your league, I don’t like his value as much. Being able to slot him into an outfield spot makes him one of the best players in fantasy baseball; only being able to play your DH/utility spot makes him tougher to build a team around. Something to keep in mind (this pertains to J.D. Martinez and a few others, also).

Grabbing at least one of these guys is a must; they are all ranked inside the top 20 players overall. Betts is my favorite pick because of his flexibility to also play second base. Health is the only thing likely to stop any of the top 10 outfielders.

 

Daily Starters

Randy Arozarena, TB; Cody Bellinger, CHC; Adolis Garcia, TEX; Michael Harris II, ATL; Nolan Jones, COL; Josh Lowe, TB; Bryan Reynolds, PIT; Luis Robert Jr., CHW; Kyle Schwarber, PHI; George Springer, TOR; Mike Trout, LAA; Christian Yelich, MIL

The line here is tough to find. There is a small gap in value from the 80s to around 100, so it seemed logical to make the cut there. These are the players firmly valued within the first 10 rounds.

There’s also a reason that each isn’t seen among the top 10 at the position. Trout and Yelich have both won MVP awards but have dealt with injuries and are not up to their peak value currently. Those high-upside players can give you top-10 production from a later pick, but they also run the risk of missing games and hurting your team.

The young guys (Harris, Jones and Lowe) all have upside but less proven production than the seasoned veterans. Garcia won ALCS MVP and continues to rake for Texas. Schwarber is a huge source of power who also might bat under .200.

Grabbing one player from the elite tier and one of these guys sets up your fantasy team nicely with a few solid outfielders who can be in your lineup nearly every day. Mixing and matching skills could be useful: If you start with a masher, like Judge, maybe a guy like Harris is better as your second outfielder because he has more speed and will excel by stealing bases and getting on base rather than hitting home runs.

This group is full of talented players ready to contribute, and they represent good value picks in the fifth through 10th rounds.

 

Stream-Worthy

Evan Carter, TEX; Nick Castellanos, CIN; Teoscar Hernandez, LAD; Wyatt Langford, TEX; Giancarlo Stanton, NYY; many, many more

At this level, it’s more about matchups and finding the right players on the right days. Some of these guys will start every day on some fantasy teams, and there’s nothing wrong with that; streaming takes a lot of work.

There are so many guys that could be listed here, so I just chose a few names that stood out to me for one reason or another. I wish I had better advice for you here, but the outfield options are so abundant that you can pick up a different useful player pretty much every day of the season.

Carter made a name for himself in the playoffs, helping the Rangers win the World Series. He only has 62 regular season at-bats to his name and could conceivably start the year in the minor leagues, but that seems unlikely. He’s a possible daily starter as the season goes on. Langford was drafted third overall last year and already has rave reviews. Pundits estimate he will see the big leagues this season.

Stanton used to be a beast but now spends most of his time in the trainer’s room. He’s worth a shot in the dark if you don’t know who to choose at the end of your draft. I like Hernandez’s outlook after moving to the Dodgers. He will probably play nearly every day in one of the best lineups in baseball. I predict this will be among the best seasons of his career due to expanded runs and RBI opportunities.

 

Streaming Advice

I’ve already said it a few times, but this is NOT as straightforward as the other positions. Guys are going to fluctuate between tiers as the season goes on, and it’s important to stay current with who is performing and who isn’t.

Streaming, at its core, is attempting to get starter-worthy fantasy production at a position where you do not have a starter-worthy player. It’s easier to manage this with just one spot to fill, like catcher, first base, etc. With three outfield slots, it’s almost guaranteed that you will have to stream at one point or another during the season.

Play the matchups at this level. With the number of guys you can choose from, you’ll never be left without an option. Another benefit is stumbling upon a guy on a hot streak and being able to ride him for a month or more. Streamers become must-start players every year; you might be lucky enough to grab one if you are active in the free agent market and staying in-tune with what’s happening in the world of baseball.

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