Injuries and disappointment are inevitable parts of a fantasy season. So, picking up players mid year will be necessary for those of you with championship aspirations. Here are the top players at each position who generally went undrafted and who could offer some nice value.
Catcher
• Danny Jansen
• Alejandro Kirk
• Carson Kelly
• Wilson Ramos
• Jorge Alfaro
• Joey Bart
• Tom Murphy
• Elias Diaz
• Sam Huff
A boring position, a mostly boring cast. The list is mostly made up of breakout candidates like Bart, Kirk, and Alfaro, some bounce back possibilities such as Kelly and Murphy and a higher floor guy like Ramos. I wouldn't worry too much about paying attention to catchers but if someone is playing well, why not pick them up.
First Base
• Brandon Belt
• Bobby Dalbec
• Andrew Vaughn
• Joey Votto
• Jesus Aguilar
• Nate Lowe
If I had to pick one guy on this list to pick up right now, it would be Andrew Vaughn, who has won a spot on Chicago’s roster. He hasn’t played above A ball which could be a concern, but he looks like a mature hitter with good spring numbers.
Second Base
• Tommy La Stella
• Ty France
• Kolten Wong
• Enrique Hernandez
• Jonathan Schoop
• Jazz Chisholm
• Bobby Witt Jr.
Another weak position. After the top tier of second baseman, there’s a big production drop off. So second baseman who weren’t even drafted aren’t going to be the prettiest. However, this list does include some breakout potential players Chisholm, France, and Witt. Other than those two, Hernandez is my favourite. He will be deployed as the Red Sox’s leadoff hitter and will receive every day at bats with 20+ homer potential.
Third Base
• Maikel Franco
• Carter Kieboom
• Edwin Rios
• Mike Brosseau
• Ryan McMahon
If Edwin Rios and Mike Brosseau can secure some consistent playing time, then they could definitely deserve roster spots on your fantasy team. If not, maybe McMahon or Kieboom will finally have a good season. If you are down to your last resort, Franco will probably give you a power source if nothing else.
Short Stop
• Willi Castro
• Wander Franco
• Willy Adames
• Luis Urias
This list is a bunch of young, unproven upside guys. If the top prospect in baseball, Wander Franco, gets the call, he is the clear number one on this list. Urias should get his first full season of play. Castro and Adames put up good numbers last year, although a little luck was in play, but both are slugging in spring and will try to show that last season wasn’t fake.
Outfield
• Raimel Tapia
• Alex Dickerson
• Brandon Nimmo
• Myles Straw
• Adam Duvall
• Alex Kiriloff
• Jo Adell
• Tyler O’Neil
• Hunter Renfroe
• Jarred Kelenic
• Robbie Grossman
• Sam Hilliard
• Franchy Cordero
If and when Kelenic, Adell, and Kiriloff get the call it would be wise to bring in one if you have a spot. If you’re looking for higher floors, you can grab Nimmo, Grossman, or Duvall. With this group of players, you should have no problem finding a replacement outfielder.
Starters
• Freddy Peralta
• Robbie Ray
• Yusei Kikuchi
• Griffin Canning
• McKenzie Gore
• Michael Kopech
• Trevor Rogers
• Dane Dunning
• Tarik Skubal
• Casey Mize
• Josh Lindblom
• Chris Archer
• Spencer Howard
• Rich Hill
• Yusei Kikuchi
There are a lot of names here, so I’ll just go over my favourites. Make sure to watch for good seasons from the prospects Gore, Kopech, Rogers, Skubal, Mize, and Howard. If you notice one getting consistent innings and off to a good start, it could help your staff a lot. Don’t sleep on Kikuchi and Lindblom. Their numbers may not have looked good on the surface last year, but if you dive deeper, they were actually pretty good.
Relievers
• Jordan Romano
• Giovanny Gallegos
• Emilio Pagan
• Stefan Crichton
• Tanner Scott
• Lucas Sims
• Ian Kennedy
• Matt Bush
If someone’s on this list, they’ve either been given the closer role during spring or they could secure the role with a good performance during the year. If you’re in need of saves I wouldn’t wait long to add one of Romano, Pagan, or Scott, the presumed closers, before they’re scooped up by someone else.