Fantasy Baseball can be played in various formats—roto, points, categories, best ball, and more. I crafted these targets based on ADP from fantasypros and these are guys I am generally targeting in most leagues, no matter the format. However, for specific league based questions, message me in the dugout discord channel or message me on patreon!
If you missed the first two articles, “Targets Per Round: Rounds 1-10” and “Fades Per Round: Rounds 1-10,” you can read them here and here!
Let’s go!
Targets Per Round: Rounds 11 - 20
Round 11 - Lance McCullers, Patrick Corbin, Eddie Rosario, Wil Myers
Gaslamp Ball
Lance McCullers is a bit of a wild card. He has dealt with various injuries over the past several seasons, ultimately never allowing him to pitch more than 130 innings in any major league season, but he has been a solid starting pitching option every time he has been healthy enough to take the mound. While he has not pitched like the ace that Houston was hoping he would be, he has certainly shown that he has the ability to be that guy in flashes, if only he could stay consistent and healthy. He had a solid 2020 season and although he had his career worst strikeout percentage, he still averaged over 1 K per inning. He did not allow batters to hit over .225 on any of his three best offerings, the sinker, curve and changeup, and most importantly, was able to stay healthy. Coming off the shortened season, it is expected that most pitchers will be on some sort of innings limit to protect their arms, which makes McCullers’ innings limit concerns a bit more digestible. He is a safe option here with serious upside as well. Patrick Corbin sucked in 2020, and that is putting it lightly. He lost velocity, which is concerning, got hit around, and did not look anything like the Patrick Corbin we have become accustomed to. This is why his ADP sitis in round 11, a steep drop off from the fifth round ADP just a year ago. I am putting my chips into the Patrick Corbin doesn’t suck now pile, and am weighing his very solid 2018 and 2019 seasons a bit more heavily. Both seasons he struck out over 235 batters, threw for over 200 innings and had a combined ERA of around 3.20. If he is able to get that velocity back up, which is my biggest concern, he should be okay, and if that happens, he will make his round 11 ADP look silly. Eddie Rosario is a super consistent, always solid mid round outfield option that always gets overlooked. He is almost certain to outperform his draft slot every season, making him a simple, nice mid round pick. Wil Myers is one of my favorite mid round picks this fantasy season and I will be drafting him a lot. I already have him in over half of my best ball leagues (12 and counting) and do not plan on stopping. He made big time gains in 2020 by adjusting his batting stance and approach, which are visible, tangible changes that should not be overlooked because of a shortened season. His baseball savant page is beautifully red and he still has the speed to steal 15+ bags. Add in that he bats in the middle of the blossoming San Diego Padres lineup and his ADP is even prettier. Sign me up all day for Myers here.
Round 13 - Josh Bell
Josh Bell had a tremendous 2019 season and down 2020. Meeting the two in the middle would still result in about 85 runs, 30+ HRs, 90+ RBI and a .250 average. There is really no downside to drafting Bell here, especially now that he is in the Washington lineup.
Round 15 - Austin Nola
ESPN
Austin Nola had a very good 2020 season, following up a very good 2019 season. Over the course of the two seasons he played in 127 games and hit 17 HRs with an average over .270 and an OBP over .340 for those in OBP leagues. He also made significant gains from 2019 to 2020 which saw his walk rate increase by one percent, his strikeout rate cut by 5%, and his average and slugging increase despite a 20 point drop in BABIP year to year. Baseball Savant also has him rated as a 90th percentile pitch framer, which makes him valuable both behind the plate and at the dish. Projection systems are not very high on Nola, but I think he has a real shot to be a steal if you wait on the catcher position.
Round 17 - Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman has always been a better real life pitcher than fantasy baseball pitcher because of his lack of strikeouts. Outside of the strikeouts though, Stroman has always been a very solid starting option that can help your team stabilize other categories with a career 3.76 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and double digit wins. Stroman had arguably the best year of his career in 2019 with a 3.22 ERA and a career high K/9, even if it was just 7.75/9. The most exciting part about Stroman, however, is how smart of a pitcher he is. He is not a commanding presence on the mound, so he has always tried to gain a mental edge when facing opposing batters. This translates off the field as well where he is constantly looking at advanced data, pitch grips and new analytics to improve his game. Stroman announced that he has worked on a new split finger and 4 seam fastball over the past year, since he opted out of the 2020 season. Stroman is already a nice steady presence in your rotation, but now, in the National League with one of the best offenses and an improved defense behind him, Stroman could take a nice jump up this fantasy season.
Round 19 - Jorge Polanco, Jarred Kelenic, Nate Pearson, Jesse Winker, J.D. Davis, Andrew Benintendi
AM New York
Well this round is chock full of players I like!
Jorge Polanco is a very solid option this late in the draft. He does not shine in any one area but he does a little bit of everything and is well worth a look at this point in the draft. Jarred Kelenic is an absolute stud, folks. This one is a swing for the fences. The biggest question mark is when he will get the call to the big leagues, but the talent is undeniable. Kelenic has a huge ceiling and could be a huge factor for your fantasy team, even if he only plays half the season. Nate Pearson is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He has a ridiculous fastball that tops out at triple digits, a great slider and years of dominance in the minors. He had a very rough introduction to the bigs in 2020, evidenced by his 6 ERA, but he only made 4 starts and had an inflated 16% walk percentage, which is more than three times his overall walk percentage in his minor league career. Pearson has the stuff to be a stud, and he comes at a very affordable cost. Jesse Winker is yet to put it all together for a full season, but has shown some tremendous flashes in his first several seasons in the big leagues. He is a career .280 hitter with a career .380 OBP. He clearly deserves a nice bump up in OBP leagues. He can be a solid contributor all across the board outside of SBs, and could have a much better season than his ADP indicates. J.D. Davis is simply a very good major league hitter. There is a bunch of talk about the Mets going after a third baseman, but Davis’ bat is more than good enough if he can become even a decent fielder. The man can simply hit and his ADP will end up being a big mistake. Just draft him. It was not so long ago that Andrew Benintendi looked like a star and was a third round pick in fantasy baseball drafts. Now getting a fresh start in Kansas City, Benintendi will have an everyday role and I am more than willing to take the gamble that he can come be a useful fantasy asset at this point in the draft.
Thanks for reading! Coming next is my round 11-20 draft fades!
Leave a comment if you agree or disagree with a player listed!
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By Michael Petropoulos (@BRotoFFMike)
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.