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The fantasy baseball season is right around the corner. While some of you have been drafting for months, others are just returning from football. For either party, best ball formats are an excellent way to get your feet wet and dig deeper into the player pool. Best ball can help you get an early look at where players are being drafted in terms of ADP and where you can find pockets of value.
One of the best parts of the best ball format is you can draft more teams because after the draft it requires no management at all. Each week, your best lineup is set by the computer, meaning no work on your part. This does change the strategy a bit as you need guaranteed plate appearances and innings, as you can't replace injured players with healthy options on the waiver wire.
It is also important to know your league scoring depending on which site you are playing best ball on. Pay attention to your league settings and scoring format and nearly every website scores differently for best ball. Here’s a list of fantasy baseball draft targets for best ball this season.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and weekly lineup resources:- Nick Mariano's fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups (Premium)
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Outfield Value Picks for Best Ball Drafts
For this article, we are going to focus on Fantrax's best ball scoring, as it is one of the more popular platforms to play on. The table below shows you how it is scored.
| Scoring Group | Category | Points |
| H | H | 1 |
| H | HR | 3 |
| H | R | 1 |
| H | RBI | 1 |
| H | SB | 3 |
| H | BB | 1 |
| P | ER | -1.5 |
| P | IP | 1.5 |
| P | QS | 3 |
| P | SV | 6 |
| P | K | 1.5 |
| P | W | 3 |
| P | H+BB | -0.5 |
*ADP is reflective of Fantrax
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
ADP: 33
Schwarber is made for the best ball format, where he thrives due to his big power and OBP skills. In 2023, Schwarber nearly eclipsed the 600-point mark and finished the year as the 13th overall ranked player. While you may look at an ADP of 33 and do a double-take, in a best ball format, it feels like Schwarber is still a bit undervalued.
Few players have their value change more drastically than Schwarber's does when going from a standard 5x5 roto league to an OBP or points-based format. When you take batting average out of the equation, Schwarber becomes a high-end asset.
Most projection systems like Schwarber in the 550-575 point range which still projects to be a top 15 player, making him a strong play in the early rounds of drafts.
Ryan Howard is speechless after seeing Kyle Schwarber hit a HR out of the stadium pic.twitter.com/8Tf9CILOke
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) September 19, 2023
Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
ADP: 139.6
Happ consistently performs year after year and never really seems to get the love he deserves. Last year, he finished as the 35th-ranked player in Fantrax Best Ball leagues, scoring 518 points.
After finishing the 2023 season with 21 home runs and 14 stolen bases, Happ’s .248 batting average was a little low, considering the contact quality. The .299 BABIP was well below his .315 career mark, and the fact that he hits so many line drives signifies that he could see the average tick-up in 2024.
The plate discipline skills are excellent, and Happ rarely chases out of the zone, leading to one of the better walk rates in baseball. This skill set is critical in Happ playing so well in points leagues. There is potential for Happ to hit 25 home runs, steal ten bases, and post a slash near .260/.370/.450. Happ is an easy buy in a best ball format given the low ADP.
Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers
ADP: 134.4
I love the fit for Hernandez in Los Angeles with a star-studded lineup around him. Most probably don’t even realize how productive Hernandez has been over the last three seasons. Yes, the shortened 2021 combined with 2022 may be a bit of an outlier, especially on the batting average side, as Hernandez hit .295 over 802 plate appearances and averaged 36 home runs per 600 plate appearances. But that does not mean he has not been a strong fantasy asset.
Between 2022 and 2023, Hernandez accumulated 1213 plate appearances and hit 51 home runs while slashing .262/.310/.460. Even in a down year per se in 2023, Hernandez still scored 461 points and finished as a top 70 player. He seems primed for even more in 2024, hitting in the middle of a strong Dodgers lineup.
PSA: Teoscar Hernandez HR hasn’t landed yet. Watch for flying object Mariners fans
— George Jarjour (@GeorgeOnTap) April 5, 2023
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
ADP: 158.5
Kwan does not provide many counting stats, playing down a bit in 5x5 leagues, but in a points format, Kwan excels. While not striking out often, Kwan has nearly as many career walks as strikeouts and posts some of the best contact rates in all of baseball. The skillset is Taylormade for a best ball league and he plays up well beyond ADP.
Last season, Kwan scored 466 points, finishing as the 66th-ranked player and 24th among outfielders. It was even a "down year" for Kwan, considering he hit just .268, following up a .298 average in 2022. While he will likely never post elite point totals due to limited home runs and stolen bases, Kwan should be a hitter who consistently posts totals between 450 and 500, making him an incredible value at his ADP.
Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets
ADP: 239
Nimmo has long been a points league darling, but injuries have limited him for much of his career. In the last two years, Nimmo has put some of that behind him, playing 151 and 152 games respectively. In 2023, Nimmo mashed a career-best 24 home runs while posting a .274/.363/.466 slash line. This pushed Nimmo to 474 points earned and a top 60 overall finish among all players in best ball.
While the performance has been good the last two years, Nimmo's ADP still sits near pick 250, making him an excellent value. You should draft Brandon Nimmo in every best ball draft this year because the cost is so cheap, and he is a lock to return value if healthy.
BRANDON NIMMO ROBS A HR 😱
Kodai Senga couldn't believe it
(via @SNYtv)pic.twitter.com/QiFAkcvJrD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 31, 2023
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