Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 300 cheat sheet for 2021

03/06/2021

If you thought last year’s fantasy baseball drafts were weird, welcome to 2021 where we know even less than usual (and did we really ever know that much?). That doesn’t mean we didn’t put a lot of careful thought into our top 300 rankings — it just means it’s more difficult than ever to balance previous stats (particularly last season) and what to expect this season, both in terms of performance and missed games. Nevertheless, there are still top-tier stars and late-round sleepers, and fantasy owners need to know how to discern between them and all the potential busts in between.

At the very least, it’s just fun to look at rankings and think about how much smarter you are than the person who put them together, right? So, whether you are earnestly seeking help with your draft or you just want to feel superior to the fantasy baseball pros, we’re here for you.

Our big board starts with a bit of a surprise, as we’re tapping Juan Soto as our No. 1 player. Many will opt for Ronald Acuna Jr. because of his higher SB potential, but Soto has a slightly higher average and RBI upside while also showing the ability to steal 15-20 SBs. You’re going to be a winner with whoever you go with — and that includes Mookie Betts or even Fernando Tatis Jr. — but it’s always fun to debate the top spot, so have at it.

The first few rounds are obviously going to be strong, and depending how you like to build your team, you could go in a variety of directions. Outfield, shortstop and third base are all particularly loaded positions — and first base and starting pitcher are strong, as well — but even more than deciding what positions to target, figuring out which categories to target will be key. Steals are once again at a bit of a premium, so getting at least one 20-SB guy early should be a priority for many owners.

Regardless of your early-round draft strategy, chances are the top 30 or 40 players in our rankings will be most of the top 30 or 40 players selected in your draft. After that, though, anything goes. This top 300 isn’t a glorified mock draft — just a rough outline for the overall value of players in a vacuum.

We generally don’t value pitchers quite as highly as some other fantasy sites. This year, that’s probably more prudent than ever, as no pitcher threw many innings last year and serious injuries are even more of a risk. Throw in the unpredictability of wins and saves, as well as the variance of WHIP and ERA, and you have an extremely volatile position. There also seem to be more closer committees this year, so reaching for RPs doesn’t really make sense.

Ultimately, it all comes down to your league’s settings, draft strategy, and the players you already have on your team. It’s all about being flexible and pivoting based on position and category needs. That might mean it makes more sense to draft someone ranked 180 over someone ranked 130 on this list, but that’s just how it works in fantasy baseball.

If you don’t know that by now, then you’ll probably have a lot of fun making fun of these rankings.

We’ll be updating this list frequently as needed, so check back for the latest player movement throughout the spring.

Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 300 cheat sheet

Rankings based on 5×5 H2H leagues with ERA, WHIP, Ks, Wins, and Saves as pitching categories and Rs, HRs, RBIs, SBs, and Batting Average as hitting categories.

Position eligibility based on Yahoo’s default settings

* = player not eligible at a position on draft day but expected to play there during the season

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