Livescore
In an ideal world, a fantasy manager selects players with balanced skill sets in every round as he or she steadily works toward overall category targets. But the journey to draft-day success is never that smooth. In reality, the best value picks are sometimes players who shine in one category more than the others. And once a manager grabs one of these players, he or she needs to make other picks that counterbalance the selection.
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Here is a collection of category specialists who offer imbalanced production but have a reasonable ADP and provide solid value overall.
Home runs
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (Yahoo ADP: 58.3)
Of the 11 players who hit at least 35 homers last season, Ozuna has the latest ADP. That fact is especially surprising when recognizing that Ozuna went deep 40 times in 2023 and ranks sixth among all players in long balls over the past two years. Managers who start their draft with a speedster such as Elly De La Cruz or Corbin Carroll should set their sights on grabbing the undervalued Ozuna in Round 5.
RBI
Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks (Yahoo ADP: 70.0)
Naylor was an RBI machine in Cleveland, ranking seventh in baseball with 205 runs batted in across the past two seasons. The Canadian slugger will now ply his trade in Arizona, which gives him even more RBI potential from the heart of a lineup that led the majors in runs scored last year.
Runs
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians (Yahoo AD: 141.5)
Kwan is the perfect embodiment of a low-ceiling middle-round pick whose value is driven by his ability to get on base and score runs. The leadoff man averaged 91 runs across his initial two seasons and needed just 122 games to score 83 times last year. Kwan enjoyed a power uptick by homering 14 times last season, and the career .285 hitter has 20-steal upside. He’s the perfect mid-round fit for a team that has otherwise loaded up on sluggers.
Stolen bases
Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins (Yahoo ADP: 120.2)
Edwards has some clear flaws in his profile, namely that he struggles to hit the ball hard. But he knows how to play to his strengths by keeping most of his batted balls on the ground and letting his fleet feet do the rest. The rebuilding Marlins allowed the 25-year-old to run wild last year (31 SB in 265 AB), and he is on a short list of players who could lead the majors in steals.
Batting average
Yainer Díaz, Houston Astros (Yahoo ADP: 102.9)
It’s too easy to place Luis Arráez in this spot. After all, every manager already knows that Arráez is the annual favorite to lead the league in batting average while offering unremarkable contributions elsewhere. Instead, I’ll highlight Díaz as someone who can make a massive impact. Not only is Díaz likely to hit for a high average (.299 BA, .299 xBA in 2024), but his batting mark will be far ahead of that of most catchers, which gives him even more value.
Wins
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (Yahoo ADP: 79.7)
Trying to predict wins is typically a fool’s errand, but the formula for accumulating victories includes throwing plenty of effective innings while being supported by a decent team. Given those criteria, Webb is as good of a candidate as anyone. The veteran leads the majors in innings across the past three seasons and has logged an impressive 3.22 ERA during that stretch.
Strikeouts
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds (Yahoo ADP: 110.2)
The lack of buzz surrounding Greene is surprising. The 25-year-old took a major step forward last year, making a career-high 26 starts while logging excellent ratios (2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP). He’s also one of baseball’s hardest throwers, and last year his 97.6 mph fastball was only bettered by Paul Skenes and José Soriano among full-time starters. With a lifetime 29.6% whiff rate, Greene has 200-strikeout upside.
ERA
Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians (Yahoo ADP: 247.2)
I’m going to throw a curve and list Smith in this spot. Sure, relievers throw fewer innings than starters, but they can still have a massive impact when they post ultra-low ratios like the 1.91 ERA and 0.90 WHIP that Smith produced last year. Even better, the right-hander reached those numbers on the strength of special skills (103:17 K:BB ratio) rather than batted-ball luck (.303 BABIP). Smith also earned six wins while being used heavily in high-leverage situations.
WHIP
Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners (Yahoo ADP: 139.7)
Woo is a starter on the rise who is still available for a reasonable draft price. The 25-year-old has exceptional control skills (2.8% walk rate in 2024) and, before fantasy managers view his .211 batting average against last year as a fluke, they should recognize that he also logged a .220 xBAA. Seattle starters know the game plan at this point — limit walks and let their pitcher-friendly home park minimize the damage of batted balls.
Saves
Jeff Hoffman, Toronto Blue Jays (Yahoo ADP: 145.2)
Everyone seems to agree that Hoffman is one of the best relievers in baseball. And after signing a three-year contract in the offseason, the right-hander has a firm grip on the closer’s role.
So, why is Hoffman the 17th reliever off the board in Yahoo drafts?
Is it because two teams (Baltimore, Atlanta) didn’t feel comfortable signing him to a multi-year contract to be a starter after they reviewed his medical records? Fantasy managers can let the Blue Jays worry about the long-term impact of Hoffman’s contract while enjoying the 35 saves he will accumulate this year.
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