Drafting a roster filled with high-level, low-level players is a great way to get to the third spot. We all know that third-place finishes in fantasy baseball are rarely remembered by record-keepers. Having a stable group of players is great, but they need to add some players who can significantly outperform ADP.
[Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season]
Here are some players with a wide range of potential outcomes.
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Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
With an ADP of 10.9, Acuña is the last hitter with a reasonable chance of becoming No. 1 overall. He accomplished that feat in 2023 (41 HR, 73 BA, .337 BA), but after playing a combined 144 games in two injury-plagued seasons, there’s a strong case to be made that he’s still available as the first round draws to a close. There’s no doubt the 28-year-old is still a great hitter, posting a .935 OPS in 95 games last year. His durability and base-stealing aggression (9 SB in 2025) are two variables that will determine whether he’s a No. 1 overall contender or outside the top 100.
judgment: Prosperity. Acuña is a great option for the second half of the road. 1.
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Trevor Story, SS, Boston Red Sox
Story joins Juan Soto, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Julio Rodriguez as the only players to go 25-90 and 90-30 last season. Two of those players were first-round picks, Crowe Armstrong was selected at the end of the third round, and Story had an ADP of 120.6. The reason for fantasy fear is easy to see as the 33-year-old hit .232 with 21 home runs and 29 steals in 163 games during his first three seasons with the Red Sox. The shortstop should be productive every game, with durability being his only question mark.
judgment: Prosperity. The risk of drafting Story is built into his ADP. He’s a good choice.
Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals
Ragans had a great breakout season in 2024 (3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 223 SO). In some ways (2.42 FIP, 14.3 K/9 rate), he was even better heading into the 2025 season, but he only made 13 starts due to groin and rotator cuff injuries. A recent injury history, along with a 4.67 ERA coupled with a .357 BABIP will scare away some draft picks. Most in the industry still favor the southpaw as his ADP of 53.7 puts him ahead of starters like Jacob deGrom, Joe Ryan and Freddy Peralta.
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judgment: Prosperity. But everyone sees the potential in Ruggans, which makes him a fair (but not exceptional) choice in ADP.
Trent Grisham, OF, New York Yankees
Grisham came into his own in his age-29 season, hitting 35 home runs, 74 RBIs and 87 runs. Do you feel lucky to be doing it again? If you are, then he’s yours, as Grisham went undrafted in 51% of leagues and had an ADP of 204.3.
judgment: Prosperity. I think Grisham is a calculated risk at this point, as he joins Brandon Lowe and Spencer Torkelson as the only players to hit 30 homers after the 150th pick.
Adley Rutschman, center, Baltimore Orioles
Rutschmann went in the wrong direction at the wrong time. His OPS dropped a full 100 points from 2023 to 2024, then regressed further, hitting .220 with nine home runs in 90 games last season for a .673 OPS. As he slides, many of his position partners move up, allowing the receivers to sit deeper than ever before.
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judgment: Shattered. Rutschmann has bounce-back potential, but there’s no need to invest anything in him other than a late-round pick. In most one-catcher leagues, he should start the season on waivers.
Chris Sale, SP, Atlanta Braves
Entering the 37-year-old season, Sale is still very skilled and can become a top-three starter if he can start 30 games. After all, his 32.4% strikeout rate last season rivaled any Aces opponent, and his 2025 rates (2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) are outstanding. Unfortunately, he’s unlikely to revisit his ceiling. The veteran made 29 starts in the 2024 season, with two 20-start seasons in between. He has reached 160 innings just once since 2018.
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judgment: Shattered. For me, a way. The No. 4 pitcher needs Bissell to have a better chance of staying away from Illinois. Everything I said about Sale also applies to deGrom, who is coming off a stellar season but has a lengthy injury history and will be 38 years old in June.
Chase Burns, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has shown similar skills to other young talents like Trey Yesavich and Jacob Misiorovski. Bad luck (.360 BABIP, 64.0% strikeout rate) resulted in a 4.57 ERA in 43.1 innings last season, masking a dominant 35.6% strikeout rate.
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judgment: Prosperity. Despite having the same ceiling, Burns was drafted later than other high-level starters. His ADP (123.6) is cheap.
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Trevor Rogers, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Rodgers may be the hardest player to rank this season. He was very efficient (1.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP) in 18 starts last year. But his skills are not great, but good, especially his 24.3% strikeout rate. He also pitched poorly in spring training and started the season in the minor leagues despite his team being short on pitchers. He also didn’t perform well in Triple-A, with the lefty posting a career 4.36 ERA and 1.41 WHIP at the time of his recall.
judgment: Shattered. There’s plenty of reason to be wary of Rodgers and keep him on the board after an ADP of 151.2.
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Devin Williams, RP, New York Mets
Williams is the only reliever to finish in the top 10 at his position despite losing the closer role multiple times with the Yankees last year. His current ADP (104.0) could be a bargain, as he enters 2025 with a career 1.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 14.3 K/9. The Mets have handed him the key to the ninth inning, and in a perfect world, Williams could become the No. 1 reliever on a team that wins 90-plus games.
judgment: Prosperity. Williams’ huge upside makes him worth the risk. This is especially true in the standard Yahoo format, where alternate save sources can sometimes be found on the waiver wire.
