Grading and evaluating the fantasy positions by scarcity
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All ADP data courtesy Fantasypros.
Catcher
Catcher is the thinnest position in fantasy baseball. The drop-off after the first four catchers - all of which are set to go between picks 40-75 - is nearly 60 spots between top-ranked San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey and fifth-ranked Chicago Cubs C Willson Contreras. With under half the teams in your league likely to land a top-tier backstop, many fantasy owners will be forced to wait on the position.
Failure to secure at least a functional option behind the plate, however, will cause you headaches all season long. With such a wide gap between top- and bottom-end production, selecting at least a mid-tier backstop between picks 120-160 is highly recommended. Drafters shouldn't rely on a late-round dark horse to save them. Grade: D-
First Base
Everyone in your league should end up with a solid option at first. And while there are plenty of home run hitters, securing a well-rounded option will be difficult. Mid-tier options like Chicago White Sox 1B/3B Todd Frazier or Baltimore Orioles 1B Chris Davis come with obvious flaws and can be sinkholes in certain categories.
In order to avoid your first base position becoming simply a source of homers and RBIs, drafters can pick two or three mid-tier options to complement one another. Assuming your league comes with a utility spot, drafting a few 1Bs will safeguard you from injury or a draft day flop. Grade: B+
Second Base
A young crop of talent, headlined by Washington Nationals 2B/OF Trea Turner, makes it likely for all members of 10- and 12-team leagues to be just fine at second base.
With many respected 2Bs set to go between picks 30-70, drafters should make sure to get their hands on at least one option in this 40-pick juncture. Drafting two 2B-eligible players in this span would prove valuable, as it would help maximize your games per week among your infield.
After the top 15 options are gone, the lower batch of candidates include the likes of Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop, New York Mets 2B Neil Walker, and San Diego Padres 2B/3B Ryan Schimpf - none of which can be relied upon for an entire season. Grade: B
Shortstop
Fantasy Pros projects the top seven shortstops to go between picks 8-40. After this, Seattle Mariners SS Jean Segura will go roughly 20 spots later. While Segura isn't likely to repeat his fantastic 2016 campaign, he's a better fantasy asset than most at the shortstop position.
After Segura, the drop in ADP and quality is immense. Addison Russell, the ninth-ranked SS, sports an ADP of 125 and heads a group of players which can be considered mediocre fantasy contributors, at best.
With such a concentrated top group, fantasy owners can't afford to shorthand themselves, here. Using one of your first three or four picks on a top-end shortstop will provide a significant advantage. Grade: C-
Third Base
The elite group of 3Bs is just four players deep. Unless you spend your first or second pick on one of them, you'll likely be waiting until the middle rounds.
Thankfully, there are a handful of nice options between picks 50-90. Fantasy drafters should again target two players in this juncture. The fall from this middle-tier to the pool of unproven risks is rapid. Waiting too long at the hot corner would be a mistake. Grade: C+
Outfield
Though there's great depth in the outfield, fantasy rosters usually entail three OF positions and one or two UTIL spots. Because of this, the OF market can thin out quickly as each owner may select upward of five OF eligible players.
Ultimately, how you draft your OFs will likely come down to your personal draft strategy and how your draft unfolds. Stacking pitching or top-tier hitters early are both fair strategies which come with obvious pros and cons.
Fantasy players should, however, be aware home runs were aplenty last year, and finding a hot OF on the waiver wire is usually much easier than a scorching middle infielder a few months into the season. Grade: A
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)