Fantasy Baseball: Trea Turner among the very best draft picks you can make in every round

It’s time to put my money where my mouth is. After writing one fantasy baseball article after another since the start of spring training, I’m ready to identify my top values in each round of Yahoo drafts. These picks are based on 10-team leagues.

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Round 1: Kyle Tucker, OF, Chicago Cubs

Of course, Shohei Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge are the preferred options. But I want to highlight someone who makes sense at any point past pick 3. Tucker has the five-category skill set that roto managers covet and the high walk rate that creates an elite floor in points leagues.

Round 2: Yordan Álvarez, OF, Houston Astros

Álvarez is sometimes overshadowed by other stars, but with a lifetime .973 OPS, he is part of the conversation as baseball’s best pure hitter. Sitting squarely in his prime with four straight 30-homer seasons, the slugger could still have one more power uptick.

Round 3: Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Simply put, Turner belongs in Round 2. The five-category star is a top 15 hitter in roto formats and a top 20 hitter in points leagues. Hitting atop a productive lineup gives Turner a rock-solid floor.

Round 4: Garrett Crochet, SP, Boston Red Sox

After striking out 209 batters in 146.1 innings last year, Crochet oozes upside now that he is permitted to log a heavy workload while working for a solid team. He has as good a chance as anyone to finish as the No. 1 starter of 2025.

Round 5: Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals

In 44 starts with the Royals, Ragans has logged a 3.00 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a 10.9 K/9 rate. He would have gone one round earlier if he had produced those numbers in a major market.

Round 6: Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers

Langford gave us a glimpse of the future when he was named AL Player of the Month in September after hitting .300 with 8 homers, 7 steals, 20 RBI and 25 runs scored. This is the last year that the future superstar will be available this late in drafts.

Round 7: Ryan Helsley, RP, St. Louis Cardinals

Sure, Helsley isn’t going to repeat his 49-save season. But he should be ranked higher than his current Yahoo ADP as the seventh reliever off the board. The ace closer has logged a 1.83 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP across the past three seasons.

Round 8: Matt McLain, 2B/SS, Cincinnati Reds

I previously identified McLain as my toughest player to rank. But after that painstaking evaluation process, I have become a big fan of someone who has a 20-20 floor and multi-position eligibility.

Round 9: Ryan Walker, RP, San Francisco Giants

Walker is a top-tier closer without the draft-price tag. The right-hander was among baseball’s best relievers last year (1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 99:18 K:BB ratio) and should save plenty of narrow wins at his pitcher-friendly home park.

Round 10: Bailey Ober, SP, Minnesota Twins

Ober is a WHIP darling (career 1.07 mark) who strikes out a batter per inning. I’m happy to lock in that production while crossing my fingers that his fly-ball-heavy approach continues to result in a solid ERA.

Round 11: Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

Bichette is my favorite value pick this year. I expect the career .290 hitter to return to his top form, which will not only include a high batting average but also 20 homers and a double-digit steals total from a premium lineup spot.

Round 12: Joe Ryan, SP, Minnesota Twins

Ryan is a cheaper version of his teammate Ober, with an even better strikeout rate that is offset by greater injury risk. The right-hander will have a WHIP below 1.10 and could whiff 200 batters.

Round 13: Justin Steele, SP, Chicago Cubs

Steele represents the end of a large second tier of starters. The southpaw has logged an ERA below 3.20 in each of the past three seasons and made major strides with a 1.10 WHIP last year.

Round 14: Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals

This is a great spot in the draft to take a chance on one of baseball’s best prospects. Crews may not hit for average right away, but he has the potential to accumulate 20 homers and 30 steals.

Round 15: Xander Bogaerts, 2B/SS, San Diego Padres

The 14th round is mostly a flat tier of uninspiring hurlers, so I’ll pivot to one of the few position players in the group. Bogaerts is past his peak but remains valuable as someone who can hit for average while also collecting 15-20 homers and steals.

Round 16: Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics

This is a great area of the draft to grab a competent backstop in one-catcher leagues. Langeliers and his 30-homer potential make for a fine target. J.T. Realmuto is another excellent option in this round.

Round 17: Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets

Admittedly, I’m worried about reports of Nimmo’s knee soreness this spring. But I’m still willing to invest a pick this late in an on-base machine who is expected to bat cleanup in a productive lineup.

Round 18: 1B, Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays

Admittedly, I don’t love the options in Round 18. But I’m happy to roster Díaz, whom I expect to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. The infielder gains value in points leagues by virtue of his high walk rate and could produce an improved homer total thanks to the Rays' temporary home park.

Round 19: Nick Pivetta, SP, San Diego Padres

This is a good spot in the draft to throw darts at starters with major upside. Pivetta logged a helpful 1.12 WHIP and an eye-popping 11.1 K/9 rate across the past two seasons. Finally on a team with a pitcher-friendly home park, he can push his ERA below 4.00.

Round 20: Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

Muncy is a perfect fit in points leagues with daily lineup moves, as he can provide 30 homers and 90 RBI while spending a day or two per week on the bench. In roto formats, I would prefer speedster Andrés Giménez in this round.

Round 21: Clay Holmes, RP, New York Mets

Holmes has been so effective as a starter this spring that he earned the Opening Day nod for the Mets. With excellent velocity and a heavy groundball lean, the former closer can be an efficient starter who posts excellent ratios across 150 innings.

Round 22: Matt Shaw, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs

I’m not sure where things will go with Shaw, but I’m happy to use a late pick on a premium prospect who may have an everyday role and opens 2025 with triple-position eligibility in Yahoo leagues.

Round 23: Clarke Schmidt, SP, New York Yankees

Schmidt could be the beneficiary of New York’s rotation injuries, as he now has a clear runway to make 30 starts after making major improvements (2.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) in an injury-shortened 2024 season. He may miss a couple starts at the outset of the season, but his shoulder injury is viewed as a minor issue.