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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, fantasy baseball 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; nearly every website scores differently for best ball. Here’s a list of fantasy baseball draft targets for best ball this season.
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Fantasy Baseball Best Ball Scoring
For this article, we are going to focus on Fantrax 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
Best Ball Buys for Fantasy Baseball Drafts
Spencer Steer - 1B, Cincinnati Reds
ADP: 125
Steer, who happens to be McLain's teammate, is another strong buy in best ball leagues. His 2023 season seems like it flew under the radar amid all the talent that was called up to Cincinnati last year. But Steer hit 23 home runs while stealing 15 bases and a .271/.356/.464 slash line.
Having strong plate discipline skills, Steer plays up in an OBP format, and while the underlying power metrics are underwhelming, his bat plays up well in Great American Ball Park.
Last season, Steer accumulated 500 points in best ball formats, finishing as the 38th-best hitter, and it seems reasonable to think he could repeat his strong season at a minimum and potentially even improve. With his ADP near 125, Steer is one of the best buys at first base in a best ball format.
Mitch Keller - SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
ADP: 124
Keller reminds me quite a bit of Cease in the sense that his volatility won't kill you in a best ball format. He finished as the 17th-best pitcher based on Fantrax's scoring last season. Keller had eight starts in which he scored more than 20 points and 19 where he scored 15 points. If not for four negative point starts, Keller would have easily finished the year as a top-10 pitcher.
He has continually refined his arsenal, and that is why I don't love the volatility for roto leagues. Keller is a great buy in best ball and is going off the board as the 43rd pitcher based on Fantrax ADP. Buy Mitch Keller in all best ball formats.
Mitch Keller vs Henry Davis live BP pic.twitter.com/DlgjZiIPM7
— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 20, 2024
Edouard Julien - 2B, Minnesota Twins
ADP: 198
There have been jokes about Julien's lack of swings and even the fact that he was taking pitches in the Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby. While the skill set may not play the best in a standard 5x5 league, it does allow Julien to play up in a best ball format.
Last season, he accumulated just 338 at-bats at the MLB level, hitting 16 home runs but walking 64 times, allowing his OBP to play up to .381. He scored 307 points in Fantrax best ball leagues. With full-time at-bats in 2024, there seems like a strong chance that he could reach 450-500 points. This is all while being drafted near pick 200. If you like Julien and the potential in best ball leagues, just wait on the second base position and grab Julien a round or two earlier than ADP and profit.
Brandon Nimmo - OF, 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.
#Mets Brandon Nimmo hit a career-high in HR with 24
Came with elevating the ball more. Career-best marks:
- GB% (41%)
- barrel% (9.5%)
- hard hit% (47.7%)
- max EV (112 mph)This was a change he purposely made in his approach without sacrificing BA/OBPpic.twitter.com/glG0Qa1af2
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) February 2, 2024
Best Ball Fades for Fantasy Baseball Drafts
Yordan Alvarez - OF, Houston Astros
ADP: 16
Maybe it seems extreme to call Alvarez a fade or a bust for best ball formats as one of the best pure hitters in baseball, but the lack of games played hurt him.
While putting up a decent point-per-game total, Alvarez has only broken the 500-point mark in best ball scoring once in his career. Playing only 114 games last season, Yordan still managed 31 home runs. The Astros have said they want Alvarez playing more left field in 2024, which heightens the injury risk for an often injured player.
Over the last three years, Alvarez has finished as the 74th, 25th, and 45th ranked based on best ball scoring. Alvarez is not likely to be a complete bust, but the ADP is pretty high, considering the risky profile. If he plays 140 games, this call will look foolish, but for now, I am avoiding Alvarez at his current price tag.
Mike Trout - OF, Los Angeles Angels
ADP: 52
It is pretty clear at this point that the Trout we have seen over the last few years is not the Mike Trout of his prime. Struggling to stay on the field, he has eclipsed 100 games played just once since 2019. Even in 2022, when Trout played 119 games, the points total still was not great, and in 2023, his 3.5 points per game total was the worst of his career.
In the process, Trout has also seen his contact skills fade, and his 70 percent contact rate last season ranked in the 26th percentile while he struck out 29 percent of the time. His projections this year leave him as the 117th-ranked player in Fantrax's best ball scoring, while the ADP is double that at 52. At this point, it is easier to avoid Trout as the name value carries more weight than the production.
George Kirby - SP, Seattle Mariners
ADP: 42
This is not a knock on Kirby by any means, more that his profile is not best suited for a best ball league. In 2023, Kirby had a stellar season, pitching 190.2 innings with a 3.35 ERA and one of the lowest walk rates by a starting pitcher in some time.
Despite the incredible season, he only scored 438 points for best ball scoring, finishing as the 93rd highest scorer. Yes, he is consistent from start to start and will give points, but the lower strikeout numbers limit the upside for Kirby's scoring.
Even if Kirby has a similar season to 2023 and adds a few strikeouts in the process, he likely does not return value near his ADP. Kirby is an excellent pitcher who is as safe as they come, but if there is any format to fade him in, it is the Fantrax best ball scoring.
Bryce Miller has a light session off the mound. He and Bryan Woo will be on a schedule similar to George Kirby last season. pic.twitter.com/s7l1uV1aLa
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) February 16, 2024
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