The early NFBC average draft position (ADP) rankings have been released over at NESN and NFBC. The NFBC leagues are 15 team leagues, most of which are mixed leagues, but they do have NL only and AL only leagues as well. And there is money involved, so I imagine the competition is very good.
Below is a link to the NESN data:
Here are the NFBC Top 50 rankings:
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Pos |
Avg Pick |
Min Pick |
Max Pick 1 |
1 |
Mike Trout |
LAA |
CF |
1.56 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
Bryce Harper |
Was |
RF |
2.33 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
Paul Goldschmidt |
Ari |
1B |
3 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
Clayton Kershaw |
LAD |
SP |
4.33 |
1 |
8 |
5 |
Josh Donaldson |
Tor |
3B |
5.11 |
2 |
8 |
6 |
Carlos Correa |
Hou |
SS |
7.56 |
4 |
11 |
7 |
Nolan Arenado |
Col |
3B |
8.11 |
5 |
13 |
8 |
Manny Machado |
Bal |
3B |
9.11 |
6 |
17 |
9 |
Kris Bryant |
ChC |
3B |
9.78 |
4 |
12 |
10 |
Giancarlo Stanton |
Mia |
RF |
10.44 |
7 |
14 |
11 |
Anthony Rizzo |
ChC |
1B |
12.33 |
8 |
18 |
12 |
Jose Altuve |
Hou |
2B |
12.78 |
8 |
17 |
13 |
Max Scherzer |
Was |
SP |
13 |
6 |
28 |
14 |
Miguel Cabrera |
Det |
1B |
13.56 |
6 |
29 |
15 |
Andrew McCutchen |
Pit |
CF |
14.22 |
5 |
30 |
16 |
A.J. Pollock |
Ari |
CF |
16.78 |
14 |
31 |
17 |
Mookie Betts |
Bos |
CF |
18.33 |
16 |
32 |
18 |
Jake Arrieta |
ChC |
SP |
18.67 |
15 |
33 |
19 |
Dee Gordon |
Mia |
2B |
20 |
14 |
34 |
20 |
Buster Posey |
SF |
C |
20.78 |
14 |
35 |
21 |
Edwin Encarnacion |
Tor |
1B |
21.44 |
11 |
36 |
22 |
George Springer |
Hou |
RF |
23 |
19 |
37 |
23 |
Starling Marte |
Pit |
LF |
24.11 |
21 |
38 |
24 |
Jose Abreu |
1B |
24.44 |
18 |
39 |
|
25 |
Chris Sale |
CWS |
SP |
24.44 |
16 |
40 |
26 |
Jose Bautista |
Tor |
RF |
27 |
17 |
41 |
27 |
Chris Davis |
Bal |
1B |
27 |
18 |
42 |
28 |
Zack Greinke |
Ari |
SP |
27.67 |
9 |
43 |
29 |
Madison Bumgarner |
SF |
SP |
29.11 |
26 |
44 |
30 |
Jose Fernandez |
Mia |
SP |
31.44 |
16 |
45 |
31 |
Joey Votto |
Cin |
1B |
32.22 |
25 |
46 |
32 |
Kyle Schwarber |
ChC |
LF |
33.44 |
21 |
47 |
33 |
Matt Harvey |
NYM |
SP |
35.11 |
27 |
48 |
34 |
David Price |
Bos |
SP |
35.89 |
28 |
49 |
35 |
Charlie Blackmon |
Col |
CF |
36.22 |
28 |
50 |
36 |
Gerrit Cole |
Pit |
SP |
36.33 |
30 |
51 |
37 |
J.D. Martinez |
Det |
RF |
38.22 |
23 |
52 |
38 |
Jacob deGrom |
NYM |
SP |
38.33 |
25 |
53 |
39 |
Stephen Strasburg |
Was |
SP |
40.22 |
28 |
54 |
40 |
Corey Kluber |
Cle |
SP |
40.33 |
32 |
55 |
41 |
Yoenis Cespedes |
NYM |
LF |
41 |
27 |
56 |
42 |
Dallas Keuchel |
Hou |
SP |
41.22 |
32 |
57 |
43 |
Ryan Braun |
Mil |
RF |
42 |
24 |
58 |
44 |
Nelson Cruz |
Sea |
RF |
42.89 |
33 |
59 |
45 |
Todd Frazier |
CWS |
3B |
48.44 |
38 |
60 |
46 |
Troy Tulowitzki |
Tor |
SS |
48.44 |
36 |
61 |
47 |
Justin Upton |
SD |
LF |
49 |
41 |
62 |
48 |
Noah Syndergaard |
NYM |
SP |
49.56 |
41 |
63 |
49 |
Lorenzo Cain |
KC |
CF |
49.78 |
35 |
64 |
50 |
Chris Archer |
TB |
SP |
50 |
43 |
65 |
Some initial thoughts
- If you want to draft a top four third baseman, you will need to draft them early. I mean, very early.....as in first round early. Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Manny Machado are all going in the top nine picks of NFBC drafts right now. All four are coming off excellent 2015 seasons, so it comes as no surprise that they are first round picks right now.
- The NFBC isn't reflecting Cubs catcher Kyle Schwarber in their catcher rankings, but he is currently the 10th ranked outfielder and 32nd player coming off draft boards with an ADP of 33. That is way too high for me as he had trouble making contact last year. Sure, he has plenty of power, but he is not the 32nd best fantasy player. Among outfielders, he is being drafted before Charlie Blackmon, J.D. Martinez, Yoenis Cespedes, Ryan Braun, and Carlos Gomez among others.
- If you want to draft the top shortstop in fantasy baseball, you will have to grab him very early in the first round of drafts in 2016. Carlos Correa has an ADP of 6 and is being drafted ahead of all third baseman not named Josh Donaldson, Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen and even teammate George Springer.
- Speaking of Springer, he is currently ranked as the 7th best outfielder, which, for me, is a few spots too low, but I am glad he is getting the love he deserves. He has yet to show us what he can do in a full season.
- Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is coming off NFBC draft boards at #4 which makes sense to me. He is coming off a 2015 season where he struck out 300 batters. 300!!!
- Sixteen pitchers are ranked in the NFBC top 50 and not one of them is named Felix Hernandez, Adam Wainwright, Sonny Gray, Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto.
- The top five shortstops according to NFBC, in order:
1. Carlos Correa
2. Troy Tulowitzki
3. Corey Seager
4. Francisco Lindor
5. Xander Bogaerts
- All five are being taken in the first 70 picks, or the first five rounds of NFBC drafts. Seager's ADP is 56.89, so he is being drafted in the fourth round of drafts thus far.
- Three players heading into their second full season in baseball, Carlos Correa, Kris Bryant, and Mookie Betts, are being drafted in the first 17 picks of NFBC drafts. Could one of them be a bust in 2016?
- Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton is currently being drafted as the 21st ranked outfielder, ahead of Jason Heyward, Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, and Corey Dickerson. That is too high for me, but I understand the reasoning. I just think he could see a diminished role at some point in the next year or two due to his inability to get on base.