Whether it’s due to past failures, current situations, or fear of the unknown, some big-name or big-talent players get underrated in fantasy baseball drafts.
Sometimes, taking a flier — or a leap of faith — on these players ends up paying huge dividends later on, leaving you wondering why they were ever underrated in the first place.
We’ve already discussed the safe players. Now, here are my top picks for underrated gems in drafts, with one player for each of the first 10 rounds based on Yahoo ADP.
Jose Ramirez should not only be a top-five pick but maybe even a top-three pick.
Ramirez is a legitimate 30-30 threat who doesn’t hurt you in batting average (the median batting average in 2021 was .244; Ramirez only has one season hitting under .255, back in 2015). Considering how weak the fantasy third base position is in 2022, Ramirez becomes even MORE valuable as the very best option available at the hot corner.
I’m a little biased here because Tucker was one of the fueling forces behind my securing a fantasy championship last year, but hey, would anyone be mad at .294/.359/.557 with 30 homers and 14 stolen bases?
[Batter up: Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]
There is a yet-untapped ceiling here with Tucker that’s buoyed by an already strong floor. The 25-year-old is one truly monstrous season away from being a perennial first-round pick.
There is a curious subsection of the fantasy baseball community — and the baseball community at large — that seems to be waiting for the wind to be taken out from Anderson’s sails. As if he’s not the elite hitter he’s been the past few seasons.
While they’re busy debating when he’ll regress, I will happily take what I see as a second-round fantasy talent — a high-class batting average and 30-25 upside — at the top of the third.
Round 4: Liam Hendriks, RP, Chicago White Sox
You could make the case that Hendriks deserves to be the top closer in fantasy baseball drafts above Milwaukee’s Josh Hader. As it stands, the two are separated by six players; I think that gap should be much, much smaller. Hendriks plays for the better team and as one of the few actual ninth-inning workhorses out there in an age where secure save sources are so scarce, you could make the argument that he’s more valuable than some of the hitters around him in the fourth round.
I was stunned to see Arozarena with a fifth-round ADP when draft season started picking up. What’s not to like about his profile? He’s in his prime, he plays for a winning team, he has clear 20-20 ability and he’s already proven to be an offensive force in all aspects when it matters most (see: the 2020 playoffs). That might not hold weight during fantasy season, but it does for real-life managers.
I’d draft Arozarena over the likes of Nick Castellanos, Cedric Mullins and Teoscar Hernandez — all of whom are going several picks earlier than him.
A lot of Realmuto’s value comes from the fact he’s arguably a top-three hitting catcher yet his ADP doesn’t reflect that (in comparison, Salvador Perez is being drafted in the third round). With that said, what makes him underrated in 2022 is that he’ll now be insulated by a Phillies lineup that just added the aforementioned Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber to a mix that already contained Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins and Jean Segura.
You feel for Phillies pitchers with the lack of strong defense behind them, but at least they’ll get some run support. Realmuto should benefit from that while hitting in a premier spot in the lineup.
Do you mean to tell me I can draft one of the last true workhorse, ninth-inning closers who also possesses elite stuff in the seventh round?
[Try Yahoo Fantasy Plus for free to get premium baseball draft tools and more]
Yeah, say no more — sign me up!
Round 8: DJ LeMahieu, 1B/2B/3B, New York Yankees
LeMahieu had a pretty bad year by his standards in 2021. No point in debating that.
But was it so bad that he should be an eighth-round value in fantasy leagues? That seems a bit much for a guy who can win your batting average category by himself while chipping in double-digit home runs and the potential for triple-digit runs scored and batted in.
LeMahieu will likely find himself at the top of the Yankees’ improved (yes, it’s improved even though it doesn’t feel like it) lineup many times this season and his infield versatility ensures that. I’ll take the draft discount on the soon-to-be 34-year-old.
Round 9: Jorge Polanco, 2B/SS, Minnesota Twins
Polanco has been a staple of many of my fantasy teams the past few seasons, mainly due to his ADP almost always being depressed relative to his production.
He’s not a batting average hindrance in the 2022 era of baseball, he has 25-15 potential and can toss in his fair share of runs and RBIs. That’s a plus in the ninth round.
Round 10: Chris Bassitt, SP, New York Mets
Bassitt’s entire career of late has screamed “underrated.” Consider that, since 2018, Bassitt has compiled a 3.07 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and a 29-14 record. Sure, you wish for more strikeouts, but there are Ks aplenty elsewhere in drafts.
He’ll now play on a Mets team with a stronger lineup and in one of the best pitcher’s parks in MLB. Bassitt seems like the kind of guy who could be a lynchpin in a successful fantasy baseball rotation — and he’s being drafted in the 10th round.
Stay tuned for the most overrated picks of 2022 coming soon!