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Welcome to the final installment of RotoBaller's midseason tiered rankings for fantasy baseball. We'll cover the outfielders today ranked 26-60. If you missed the first part of the outfield rankings, click here.
The outfielder tiers for both rankings will be named after television dramas. The invitation to berate me on Twitter (@amoralpanic) for either set of rankings remains open.
Editor’s Note: You can check out all of RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball midseason rankings and analysis, which has been updated over the past few days.
More rankings: Starting Pitchers (Part One), Starting Pitchers (Part Two), First Base (1B), Second Base (2B), Third Base (3B), Shortstop (SS), Catcher (C), Outfielders (Part One), Relief Pitchers
Tier 6 - The Americans
Jason Heyward
Carlos Gomez
Michael Brantley
Yasiel Puig
Gerardo Parra
Jay Bruce
Even after a horrendous start to his Cardinals career, Heyward enters the All-Star break close to a 20/20 pace. He may never be the superduperstar we all expected after his rookie year, but Heyward is still a useful player in both real and fantasy baseball. Gomez has been a disappointment, battling myriad injuries. Don't expect him to run nearly as much as he has in recent years, but he's hit much better of late. Brantley has likewise failed to deliver on many owners' heavy investment, though that shouldn't be a surprise. The lack of power he's shown is in line with the rest of his career, leaving 2014 looking very much like an outlier. Puig remains an immensely talented and entertaining player, so his lack of production to this point could easily be forgotten with a big second half. Parra is likely playing a bit over his head but has been one of the best outfielders in the game in recent weeks. Bruce has rebounded from a disastrous 2014 and is back to his usual level of production.
Tier 7 - Fargo
Dexter Fowler
Nori Aoki
Josh Reddick
Matt Holliday
Kevin Pillar
Denard Span
Fowler's slumped hard since the end of May, but he's hitting leadoff for a good offensive club that plays in a hitter-friendly park. Expect a rebound. Aoki was having a career year before suffering a broken leg and is nearing a return. He should resume leadoff duties immediately. The A's rotten luck this year hasn't included an injury to Reddick for a change, as he's been one of their most productive players. Holliday's power was curiously absent before he hit the disabled list. That can't be ignored given his age, but he's earned some benefit of the doubt after being such a consistently good hitter over the last decade. Pillar has given the Jays the stellar center field defense they expected and also contributed nicely at the plate and on the bases. Span's back injury appears to be less severe than expected, so he shouldn't miss much time. He continues to be an underrated fantasy asset.
Tier 8 - Better Call Saul
Marlon Byrd
Andre Ethier
Ender Inciarte
Curtis Granderson
Matt Kemp
Byrd is on pace to eclipse 20 homers for the third straight year, after hitting more than 12 only once in his first 10 seasons. He'll be 38 at season's end. Sometimes you just have to throw your hands up and take what the fantasy gods give you. After a couple of years in the wilderness, Ethier's hit his way into consistent playing time (with an assist from the injury fairy). Inciarte should be back soon from a hamstring injury. He's a nonentity in the power cats, but will be an asset everywhere else. Granderson is an AVG drain and hasn't driven in many runners, but he's on pace for 25 homers and double digit steals. Kemp's atrocious May scared off plenty of owners, yet he's still provided a bit of category juice. Last year's second half surge should still be fresh in your memory as well.
Tier 9 - Boardwalk Empire
Gregory Polanco
Byron Buxton
Brandon Moss
Adam Eaton
Carlos Gonzalez
Ben Zobrist
I expected Polanco to be a fantasy force this year. While he's run enough to remain relevant, the rest of his game hasn't really materialized. Still tons of potential, but this might not be his year. Same deal with Buxton - outside of speed, don't expect much from the rookie in 2015. The walks are down and the whiffs are up, but Moss's power still makes him worthy of attention. Eaton's surprising pop has helped soften the blow from his lack of steals, and he's been productive after a horrid opening month. The contact ability and speed that helped make CarGo an elite fantasy outfielder have deserted him. However, the oft-injured vet has avoided the DL to this point and is on pace for 25 homers.
Tier 10 - True Detective
Chris Coghlan
Yasmany Tomas
Christian Yelich
Jorge Soler
Evan Gattis
Melky Cabrera
I covered Coghlan last week. Tomas isn't going to maintain a .380 BABIP forever, but he is hitting the ball with authority and hits a good lineup and home park. Yelich and Soler were both expected to take the leap this year and have instead fallen flat. Too much talent to give up on, though, and either would be an intriguing buy-low option. Gattis's power and catcher eligibility help make up for the warts in the rest of his game. Meanwhile, Cabrera recently remembered that he is a professional baseball player and could be worth a flier.
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