Fantasy Baseball 2017: Top 250 Rest of Season Rankings

Welcome back! Another week, another Top 250 update. Let’s jump right into it.

Quick reminder, these rankings are for standard 5x5 rotisserie. I’ll do my best to explain any large rankings changes and feel free to ask player specific questions in the comments. This is your weekly forum to sound off with any fantasy questions you have. I’m here to help you!

Quick Hits

• Injuries account for most of the big drops in this week’s update. Freddie Freeman was the biggest blow by far. The Braves first baseman was having a career year and looking like a potential MVP candidate. He was also a top 5 player in fantasy. I was ready to move him up to top 10 in my rankings but he instead falls due to suffering a fractured wrist. The initial timetable for his return is 8-10 weeks. This most likely puts him out past the All-Star break. Luckily for fantasy owners, 1B has been a rather deep position. You’re not getting a Freeman replacement, but there are plenty of serviceable guys out there. Freeman drops to player #71 and 1B #15 for me. I’m holding on to him in my DL spot and hoping for him to pick up right where he left off and give me a big boost in the 2^nd half of the season.
• It wouldn’t be a week of fantasy baseball without some closer news. Consensus top 3 RP option Aroldis Chapman hit the DL this past week with a shoulder injury. He is set to miss around a month of action. Dellin Betances jumps into the top 10 RP right away. A month of his performance is already elite stuff, but when you add on saves to the equation, top 10 is what you get. Hold on to Chapman though. He should take the closer’s role back once healthy. Jeurys Familia looks to be out most if not all of 2017, so he is no longer inside my top 250. I predicted he would lose his job to Addison Reed this year, it’s a bummer this is the circumstances upon which he lost the role. Now, I just need Addison Reed to make me look good. In Milwaukee, the Brewers are giving Neftali Feliz a ‘break’ from closing. He was a fringe top 250 option before and now he is out of the top 250. Corey Knebel looks to be the favorite to take over for him. Knebel is trailing just Chris Devenski for most strikeouts for a reliever. Oh and his 0.82 ERA and 1.05 WHIP are pretty good too.
• Both Bradley Zimmer and Ian Happ made their big league debuts over the past week. Both have huge upside and both started out quite well. Happ is hitting .353 with 2 HR 4 RBI and 5 R through his first 5 games with the Cubs. He’s also reached base in 11 of his 22 PA. Zimmer only has 2 games under his belt. He was 0 for 3 with 3 Ks in his 1st game and 2 for 4 with a double and a home run in his 2nd. Zimmer appears to have to inside track to playing time in Cleveland. Happ may have to force the issue (which he is certainly doing so far). Both warrant an add if they are still available due to the high upside.

Losing Faith

Here’s a few of players who dropped in the rankings and, if their poor performances continue, could soon be outside my top 250:

• Kevin Gausman (7.19 ERA & 1.86 WHIP)
• Joc Pederson (Just 1 HR and that was on Opening Day!)
• Brad Miller (Hitting just .205, now he’s hurt)
• Kendall Graveman (Cooled since his hot start. 6.35 ERA in 3 May starts)

Hello, Goodbye

The following players are new additions to the top 250:

• Yonder Alonso
• Ian Happ (see above)
• Bradley Zimmer (see above)
• Jason Vargas
• Alex Wood (21 Ks in 11 scoreless innings over last 2 starts)
• Corey Knebel (see above)
• Andrew Triggs
• Alex Cobb
• Didi Gregorius (Top 100 hitter last season)

The following players are no longer in my top 250:

• Jeurys Familia
• Neftali Feliz
• Asdrubal Cabrera
• Curtis Granderson
• Logan Forsythe
• David Dahl (Not sure where he played once healthy)
• Jason Heyward
• Adrian Gonzalez
• Felix Hernandez

See you next week!