It’s drafting season, and there’s no better feeling than building a team from scratch. Quite frankly, it’s always nice to pick your players, compile some projected numbers, and project where your team will be throughout the season. That being said, the site from where you draft could make the difference between a good team and a great one.
Various sites have their own ADP rankings which differ from site to site. The reasons for this are that, on every draft platform, there’s always a different group of people selecting their players for whatever reason. For instance, some sites, such as CBS, have many mono leagues where only half of the player pool can be used. Other sites, like ESPN, have a lot of points leagues where the format of it differentiates itself from the rotisserie format. And additionally, there are other sites, like Yahoo, that have a lot of keeper leagues and different eligibility rules, which may change the value of a player. All in all, things differ from site to site.
That’s where the values come in. It’s quite possible to look at one site’s rankings, see certain players being drafted in an odd place, and capitalize on these variances. Many drafters use the ADP list as a guide toward player value, which could lead to some hidden treasure. Here are the values for ADP in ESPN Fantasy Baseball Leagues. It’s important to remember that ESPN values power over speed in its batters and strikeouts over anything else in its pitchers.
Note: Always remember to know your league settings. The following players are based on 5X5 leagues. The Consensus ADP that is listed takes the valued ADP into account, making it even more of a bargain.
Ronald Acuña Jr. – ADP 22
It’s hard to imagine Ronald Acuña Jr. being a second-round pick in any format, but here we are. The flashiest of superstars has an ADP of 22, despite being a consensus top-five pick everywhere else. In many points league formats, speed doesn’t matter as much as power, so it’s somewhat understandable. However, most projections have him hitting anywhere from 29 to 32 home runs this season, which, combined with his almost 40-steal prediction, make him quite the asset to have.
So how can you take advantage in your fantasy leagues? These 20 players are projected to add at least 5 SBs to their total following this adjustment: pic.twitter.com/XvRXWtZcRr
— Derek Carty (@DerekCarty) March 10, 2023
Summary: Projected to be an elite five-category contributor, Acuña Jr. should help any team win their league. If your draftmates think otherwise and want to wait until the second round, don’t hesitate to pounce on this tremendous value. With a consensus ADP of around three, he is a tremendous value over at ESPN.
Julio Rodríguez – ADP 20
Similar to Acuña, Julio Rodríguez comes with an incredible bargain here as well. After a rough start to the season, the Seattle phenom stormed his way back to stardom and into our hearts. He was able to finish the year as a five-category contributor who could have been even better had he not gotten injured to end the season. Still, there’s a chance, given the new rules and with better health, we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Julio Rodríguez had only four of his 25 stolen bases in the second half.
Part of that was due to health, part pitchers paying more attention to him.
This season? We could see more even more swipes.
"It's a big part of his game," Scott Servais said.— Corey Brock (@CoreyBrockMLB) February 17, 2023
Summary: In most leagues, Rodriguez is a top-five pick and has gone first overall many times. He’s young, athletic, and developing this spring. With the potential to run even more this season, there should be zero hesitation on anyone’s part to draft him as early as he’s going. Be sure to scroll down the standard ESPN listing and draft Julio Rodríguez early with confidence. He is going at an average draft price of five, making him a great value at ESPN.
Bobby Witt Jr. – ADP 43
In some of the earliest of leagues last autumn, Bobby Witt Jr. was being drafted in the middle of the first round. This was because many believed he would build upon last season’s success and become a five-category contributor. After a rough start to the year, he turned things on and finished the year with a .254 batting average with 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. How did this happen? It looks like he saw the ball better. He took his time at the plate, picked the pitches he wanted to attack, and limited any nonsensical contact.
Summary: Bobby Witt Jr. enters the season as someone who should fill the stat sheets with home runs and stolen bases. With a bad team context, there’s a chance that his runs and RBI totals don’t live up to the same hype as other stats. At only age 22, his ceiling is unmatched by most in baseball. There’s a world where his batting average increases and he becomes that five-category contributor that early drafters envisioned. That being said, his ESPN ADP of 43 is too late to wait, and owners everywhere should be frothing at the mouth trying to get him on their teams. At worst, he’s a middle second-round pick, with the upside for more. He has a consensus ADP of seventeen, making him a steal at ESPN.
Michael Harris II – ADP 66
Last season, Michael Harris II arrived at the Atlanta Braves and hit the floor running. Almost immediately he made an impact by getting on base and running amuck. He used his bat to spread the ball all over the field and his legs to put his team in position to score. Part of what makes him special is the energy he provides. To put it bluntly, he was a stud in his rookie season, despite some under-the-hood flaws. While most everything looks good, he did show a lack of patience, coupled with a troublesome chase rate.
Summary: Despite the flaws in his approach at the plate, Michael Harris II remains someone with immense upside. He’s already gone on record to announce his plans to go for a 40-40 season this year. While that might be a lofty goal, he was on track last season to be as productive as the other two rookies mentioned above. Still, he’s too good to be going at the 66th overall pick, and his consensus 31st overall pick suggests this is too low. Anyone drafting him in the third round should feel good about that selection.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. – ADP 107
Thinking back to the 2022 season, there weren’t many players that hit well in the first six weeks. One player that did mash was Jazz Chisholm Jr., as he hit four home runs and stole four bases. There seemed to be nothing that he couldn’t hit and the offseason adjustments of demonstrating patience were working. Then, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of the lineup for a bit. After returning (game 35), something just wasn’t right with him. Perhaps that injury lingered, or maybe pitchers made adjustments to his game. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t the same at the plate. He would later end the season early with a stress fracture in his lower back in July.
Summary: Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of the most exciting players in baseball, and rightfully so. His energy on and off the field is electric, and his teammates feed off of it. He has worked hard this offseason to not only return from injury as strong as possible but learn a new position. He’s worked with Gary Sheffield on his swing throughout the offseason, as well as coach Jon Jay to learn the intricacies of the outfield. To say that he hasn’t done enough to be prepared would be an understatement. With a consensus ADP of 47, he is well worth moving up your queue list in ESPN leagues in order to draft earlier than that. He should be a four-to-five-category contributor with dual eligibility, and you can’t ask for much more than that.
Other ESPN Values
Teoscar Hernández: ESPN ADP 124 vs Consensus ADP 66
Adolis García: ESPN ADP 142 vs Consensus ADP 60
Eloy Jiménez: ESPN ADP 98 vs Consensus ADP 69
Starling Marte: ESPN ADP 140 vs Consensus ADP 72
Oneil Cruz: ESPN ADP 126 vs Consensus ADP 74
Andrés Giménez: ESPN ADP 157 vs Consensus ADP 86
Byron Buxton: ESPN ADP 154 vs Consensus ADP 87
Tim Anderson: ESPN ADP 171 vs Consensus ADP 91
Ramón Laureano: ESPN ADP 442 vs Consensus ADP 248
Kyle Finnegan: ESPN ADP NA vs Consensus ADP 305