Building a Fantasy Baseball Team Using FantasySP’s Draft Genius

It's time for another fantasy baseball draft article. Usually, I do mock drafts, but today, I wanted to show off FantasySP's Draft Genius, so I signed up for a quick draft on Yahoo.

I was assigned the No. 2 overall pick in a 10-team head-to-head points league. There's one starting spot at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop and third base, three outfield spots, two utility spots, starting pitchers and relief pitchers, four pitchers (starters or relievers) and five bench slots. There's also four injured reserve spots. 

I asked the Draft Genius for advice on every pick and then chose the player I liked best from the three suggestions. 

Fantasy baseball average draft position data can be found on FantasySP. Draft Genius now has custom head-to-head scoring options and on demand AI expert help for every pick.

Round 1 - Aaron Judge

With the second pick, I decided to take Judge. Juan Soto and Paul Skenes were the other two suggestions made by Draft Genius.

After Shohei Ohtani (who is split into hitter/pitcher in this league), I like Judge as the No. 2 pick. Draft Genius agreed, saying “Judge offers the highest projected floor/ceiling.” It was an easy pick in my eyes.

Round 2 - Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto was my second-round pick and filled my first starting pitcher slot. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Logan Gilbert were the other two suggestions.

Yamamoto is described by Draft Genius as “Elite point-per-inning anchor on a winning team. Projections favor him as the top available arm with high win/QS potential and rising spring velocity.” I think he's a great SP1 to build around, and I think I got good draft value and upside in him at this pick.

Round 3 - Logan Gilbert

Gibert was my pick next after being suggested third at my last pick. Ketel Marte and Logan Webb were the other suggestions.

Draft Genius suggested another SP, and Gilbert was the better choice over Webb. He's described as an “Elite value at pick 22. Projected for 146 points with strong K/BB upside; recent news shows his new splitter is "disgusting" in spring.” I feel I'm headed toward a great fantasy starting rotation.

Round 4 - Logan Webb

Webb was my pick in round 4, so I love that value after having him suggested a whole round earlier. Draft Genius called him a “clear value steal” as well.

Alex Bregman and Geraldo Perdomo were the other suggestions, but I decided to keep taking starting pitchers to turn that into a strength for me. My top-three SP could power me to fantasy glory.

Round 5 - Hunter Brown

Brown got the nod from me in round 5 over Freddy Peralta and Bregman. Brown felt like the best value pick here, even though he's already my fourth SP option.

I don't love not taking hitters, but the value of all these starting pitchers is simply too good to pass up. We'll see if Draft Genius can even my team out in the rounds to come with some hitter selections.

Round 6 - Alex Bregman

Bregman was still available in round 6, so I quickly hit the draft button on him. His ADP on Yahoo is way lower than it is on FantasySP, which is another reason why I skipped him earlier.

I took Bregman over William Contreras and Nico Hoerner, but I'll be targeting those two later. Bregman as my second fantasy hitter taken still feels strong to me - now I just have to hope Bregman stays healthy.

Round 7 - William Contreras

Naturally, Contreras was my next pick. He was the top suggestion, ahead of Hoerner and Framber Valdez. I obviously didn't need another pitcher, and I like Contreras over Hoerner, so he was the pick.

Draft Genius said Contreras was an “Elite value at pick 62. He is the top projected catcher available, offering 481 fpts and rare durability for the position (97% start rate). Huge positional advantage.” The catcher position could be avoided after taking him, but we'll see how the draft shakes out.

Round 8 - Nico Hoerner

Hoerner was still available here, so I finally took him. He was actually the second suggestion after Joe Ryan, but with so many pitchers already, I went with Hoerner instead. Kevin Gausman was the other suggestion.

I'm liking how my hitting is stacking up, despite picking so many pitchers early.

Round 9 - Geraldo Perdomo

Perdomo was the second suggestion behind Ryan, but again I went with the hitter again. Nick Pivetta was the other suggestion.

Perdomo fills a need at shortstop and is coming off a stellar 2025 season. With him, Contreras, Hoerner and Bregman in the infield, I love how that's shaping up.

Round 10 - Josh Hader

Hader got the nod in round 10, even though he was the third suggestion behind Corey Seager and Christian Yelich.

All three have injury concerns (either current or past issues), so I decided on a player at a position I didn't have yet. If Hader gets in close to a full season, he could be a draft steal from this draft slot.

Round 11 - Steven Kwan

With my next pick, Kwan was the top suggestion, and easy choice. I took him over Yelich and Nathan Eovaldi.

After Judge, I hadn't grabbed another outfielder, so picking Kwan made a ton of sense. Draft Genius said he offered me a “high floor for your second OF spot.”

Round 12 - Corey Seager

Seager was still available in round 12, and I think the risk is worth it at a later pick. Luis Castillo and Christian Walker were the other suggestions.

Seager could be a massive draft steal if he stays healthy all season. As a utility starter, I don't need to rely on him, so I like this pick a lot.

Round 13 - Spencer Strider

We went hitter-heavy for several rounds, so I decided to dip back into some pitching here with Strider. Castillo was suggested over him, but Strider appeals to me more. Walker was also suggested again.

Draft Genius said “Starting Pitching (SP) value is peaking; high-K upside arms like Castillo and Strider are top priority in this scoring format.” Getting Strider as my fifth fantasy SP feels like a win.

Round 14 - Adley Rutschman

Rutschman was the top suggestion in round 14, and liking my team to this point, I decided to keep following the advice of the Draft Genius. I like him as a bounceback option, and a second fantasy catcher that can start daily for me in a utility spot.

Ryan Pepiot and Trevor Megill were the other suggested picks. 

Round 15 - Brandon Nimmo

Nimmo was the top suggestion for my next pick - he fills my third and final outfield spot. Draft Genius called him the “top available bat” and filling a need, it was a good choice in my eyes.

Alec Burleson and Tanner Bibee were the other suggestions.

Round 16 - Luis Arraez

Arraez was my pick in round 16, even though Roki Sasaki and Zac Gallen were suggested ahead of him.

Draft Genius also said that first base was getting scarce, so Arraez finally filled that spot. He's eligible at second base too, which is a nice bonus.

Round 17 - Trevor Megill

Megill is my second fantasy reliever here in round 17. I took him over Sasaki and Gallen.

Megill isn't locked into the closer role, but if he is the Brewers' closer, this will be a major draft steal.

Round 18 - Roki Sasaki

Sasaki was finally my pick in round 18. I took him over Gallen and Shota Imanaga.

Sasaki could be another big-time draft value if he takes off in his second season. He's a risk, but not a huge one at this juncture of a fantasy draft.

Round 19 - Shota Imanaga

Imanaga got the nod over Max Muncy and Drew Rasmussen in round 19.

He's another solid SP option for a rotation that is already stacked. Imanaga would be a trade chip if he excels in 2026.

Round 20 - Max Muncy

Muncy is the first bench bat I have drafted. I took him over Tatsuya Imai and Andrew Abbott.

Muncy adds a nice backup in case Bregman deals with injuries again. Muncy could be a trade chip if he excels in 2026.

Round 21 - Andrew Abbott

Abbott got the nod over Kevin McGonigle and Merrill Kelly in round 21.

Draft Genius said “Strong SP depth for your bench. Projected for 150 Ks and double-digit wins, providing reliable volume and scoring potential in this points format.” 

Round 22 - Spencer Schwellenbach

I'd been eyeing Schwellenbach for a while, so I finally decided to take him here. Kelly and Xander Bogaerts were the other suggestions.

He'll open the year on the 60-day injured list, but that's what those IR spots are for. Schwellenbach is worth the gamble here.

Round 23 - Merrill Kelly

Kelly is another SP option for me, and rounds out my draft. Bailey Ober and Spencer Steer were the other suggestions.

He's a late-round flier, and could be a trade chip if he pitches well in 2026.

Final Thoughts

I really like the final look of this Draft Genius-powered roster. I ran the team through the Team Breakdown feature inside the Fantasy Assistant and got similar feedback.

It told me I had elite starting pitching, middle infield quality and catcher depth as my strengths. My weaknesses were corner infield stability and active roster availability.

It suggested trading a catcher for a top-tier first baseman or outfielder. I'm also supposed to monitor my closers and their early-season injuries.

I feel like this team would at least compete for the fantasy title, and I feel I could be the favorite if I stayed pretty healthy.

Take advantage of FantasySP tools like the Draft Genius and Fantasy Assistant to get prepared for the fantasy baseball season ahead!