Cardinals Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Paul Goldschmidt, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Ryan Helsley, Jordan Walker and More

Discussing the top fantasy players from the St. Louis Cardinals as the 2024 season approaches.

The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles relating to 2024 fantasy baseball draft prep and will continue to do so through the start of the MLB season.

Recently, we’ve been looking at things on a team-by-team basis. Those articles can be found at the links below:

American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros (hitters and pitchers), Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays (hitters and pitchers), Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels

National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers), Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks (hitters and pitchers), San Diego Padres

Now, we’ll take a look at the St. Louis Cardinals.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

Top Fantasy Hitters

The first St. Louis hitter off fantasy draft boards, according to FantasySP Average Draft Position data, is first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. He’s ranked 53rd overall with a mark of 59.67.

Goldschmidt had a down season compared to his career numbers, but was still a top-10 finisher at 1B in points leagues last season. Goldschmidt hit .268 and got on base at a .363 clip. He had 159 total hits, 56 of which went for extra bases (25 homers), 80 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 89 runs scored.

I expect Goldy to bounce back quite a bit this season - he’s a career .293 hitter, so if he can get close to that mark again, all his other numbers should improve and he’ll be a top-five player at the position. I think his ADP is right where it should be after last season, but I’d prefer to get him a touch later.

Nolan Arenado is next up, ranked 61st with a mark of 69.57.

Arenado had a .266 average, .315 OBP, 149 total hits, 93 RBIs and 71 runs scored across 144 games last season. He homered 26 times among his 54 extra-base hits. 

His average took a dive as well, so a bounceback in that department could lead to better overall numbers. He was a top-seven finisher last season, and is the seventh 3B off draft boards this spring, so that’s spot on again. I think Arenado will be a better fantasy asset this season, and would be OK drafting him in the late 50s/early 60s.

Jordan Walker is next, ranking 164th with a mark of 153.42.

Walker had some ups and downs in his first MLB season, but finished with a .276 average, .342 OBP, 116 total hits, 51 RBIs, seven stolen bases and 51 runs scored across 117 games played. He homered 16 times among his 37 extra-base hits.

The outfielder is projected to hit in the bottom half of the lineup, but that should give him plenty of RBI chances. If he can maintain those marks across a full season, Walker will be a pretty noticeable draft steal. He’s a good final outfielder or top bench option, with the chance to be an everyday fantasy player.

Willson Contreras is the next STL hitter on the ADP list, ranking 173rd with a mark of 160.52.

He played 125 games in his first season with the Cards, finishing with a .264 average, .358 OBP, 113 total hits, 67 RBIs, six stolen bases and 55 runs scored. He homered 20 times among his 47 extra-base hits.

It was one of Contreras’ better hitting seasons over his eight-year career. His power numbers rose a touch, as did his total hits and RBIs, but his run total dropped a bit. Better seasons from Goldy and Arenado could help guys like Contreras too. 

Contreras is a borderline everyday starter at the catcher position. If you want to use him in that role, make sure you have a good backup plan in place. I personally like him as a backup option, and probably a round or two after he’s currently going.

Tommy Edman is next up, ranking 184th with a mark of 167.67. He’s expected to be out until at least mid-April with a wrist injury.

He played in 137 games last season, finishing with a .248 average and .307 OBP. Edman had 119 total hits, 47 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and 69 runs scored. He homered 13 times among his 42 extra-base hits.

A wrist injury for a hitter is definitely a concerning thing, but the mid-April estimation makes it appear to be a relatively small issue. His ADP has fallen a bit after the injury news, and I expect it to keep falling over the next couple weeks. Regardless of where you get him in a draft, I’d have a strong backup plan in place in case this injury affects him all season.

Lars Nootbaar is ranked 205th with a mark of 181.59. He’s dealing with a rib injury and should be back about a week or so before Edman.

Nootbaar appeared in 117 games last season, posting a .261 average, .367 on-base percentage, 111 total hits, 46 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 74 runs. He homered 14 times among his 38 extra-base hits.

It was one of his better hitting seasons in the big leagues, but not playing in 45 games is not exactly what fantasy owners are looking for. He’s a depth OF option, and again, because of the injury, I’d prefer to take him a round or two later.

Nolan Gorman is the last hitter on the ADP list, ranking 226th with a mark of 196.27.

Gorman played in 119 games last season, finishing with a .236 average, .328 OBP, 96 total hits, 76 RBIs, seven stolen bases and 59 runs scored. He homered 27 times among his 44 extra-base hits.

Gorman’s average isn’t very impressive, but he has good pop and RBI numbers. A full season at similar numbers to last season could make him a pretty big draft steal. He could have eligibility at 2B and 3B, which could make him a little more valuable for the upcoming season. I like Gorman as a depth infielder, with the potential to start as an extra infielder or utility player most of the season.

Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, Dylan Carlson and Masyn Winn are the team’s other projected starters (at least for the start of the season) - Burleson is expected to platoon. Donovan plays all over the field, so he’s a popular pick in late rounds of drafts. All of these guys are pretty young yet, so if they figure things out, they could be streaming options for several weeks at a time.

Ivan Herrera is the backup catcher, while Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford are some big names expected to come off the bench most often. 

Top Fantasy Pitchers

Sonny Gray is the first STL pitcher off draft boards, coming in 93rd overall with a mark of 99.08.

Gray was great for the Minnesota Twins last season, going 8-8 with a 2.79 earned run average across 32 starts. He struck out 183 batters over 184 innings.

I think you’re getting great value for Gray at his current ADP. He’s got a chance to outproduce a number of the SP taken before him. I view him as a good SP2, but most likely being your third or fourth SP taken.

Closer Ryan Helsley is next, ranking 134th with a mark of 135.35.

Helsley was 3-4 with a 2.45 ERA last season. He earned 14 saves and struck out 52 batters over 36 2/3 innings.

Durability is an issue for Helsley, but that helps you draft him later than a top-end closer should be going. If he stays healthy all season, he’s got a chance to be one of the best fantasy closers in the game. 

Lance Lynn is next up, ranking 214th with a mark of 186.1.

Lynn struggled in stints with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He went 13-11 overall, with a 5.73 ERA and 191 strikeouts over 183 2/3 innings.

Despite the bloated ERA, Lynn still ate innings and struck out plenty of batters. He’s got a career 3.74 ERA, so he’s a bounceback candidate. Lynn is a good SP option for the end of your rotation, and if you can get him as a depth option, even better.

Kyle Gibson is the next pitcher up, ranking 336th with a mark of 265.33.

He pitched with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023, going 15-9 over 33 starts. Gibson had a 4.73 ERA and 157 strikeouts over 192 innings.

The ERA is deceiving when you look at his win-loss record. He could finish a bit worse this season if his ERA doesn’t improve. He’s still a good end-of-the-rotation/depth piece for fantasy purposes.

Miles Mikolas is last up, ranking 348th with a mark of 276.

Mikolas regressed big time in 2023, finishing 9-13 with a 4.78 ERA across 35 starts. He struck out 137 batters over 201 1/3 innings.

He’s a big bounceback candidate, but is also 35, so last year could have also been a sign of things to come. I still think Mikolas is worth one of your final picks - if things don’t improve, you can simply drop him and look elsewhere for SP help.

Steven Matz and Matthew Liberatore are the team’s other projected starters, while Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby are top-100 prospects that could help out this season. 

Giovanny Gallegos would probably be the reliever to add if Helsley misses extended time.

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