Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2022 | Top Fantasy MLB Players To Draft

Here are The Game Day’s updated 2022 fantasy baseball rankings to fully prepare you for your fantasy draft day.

These fantasy MLB rankings include our top 300 players overall and are broken down by fantasy positions.

We also feature auction values for each player in 15-team standard rotisserie leagues with the following categories:

• Home Runs
• Runs
• RBIs
• Batting Average
• Stolen Bases
• Wins
• Strikeouts
• ERA
• WHIP
• Saves

We’ll also offer fantasy baseball draft tips and positional overviews to get your 2022 draft strategy aligned.

Rankings are provided by Scott Engel, an inaugural Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Famer. He was a nominee for the 2021 FSWA Fantasy Baseball Writer of the Year and recently won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Baseball Ongoing Series. Scott is also a member of the prestigious Tout Wars mixed auction league and is a two-time Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association experts league champion.

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Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2022

How To Use Fantasy MLB Rankings 2022

• Know your format and scoring system. Our rankings are based mainly on a rotisserie format, so you’ll need to tweak your ranks and approaches depending on the league style.
• Offense will go early. In some early mocks and expert drafts so far, it’s unusual to see more than two pitchers go off the board in the first round.
• Be aware of position scarcity. You should not use positional scarcity as a firm guidepost, as it’s often better to simply take the best player available. But as your draft progresses, you’ll have to address weaker positions such as third base.
• Stick to your budget. Whether you’re utilizing our auction values or creating your own, don’t stray too far from your projected prices. Of course, you’ll have to read the room and adjust on the fly.
• Be aggressive. High-stakes players and industry experts will frequently draft a sleeper or value play ahead of their Average Draft Positions, so don’t be afraid to reach for a player if you’re particularly bullish on him.
• Make a plan for closers and catchers. If you’re not going to take a top closer or catcher, then you will have to be prepared to monitor the waiver wire for relievers or go for riskier catchers. These are two unique positions that create much discussion among fantasy analysts, and you will have to decide on a preferred route.
• Every draft is unique. Rankings and ADPs serve as a basis for what you may be preparing for, but no two drafts are ever the same.
• Go your own way. You can use these rankings as a template, but you should have preferences as to what players you want to move up and down your draft board.
• Drafting is just the beginning. Keep in mind that we will be working the waiver wire frequently throughout the season to address holes and replace injured players. The roster you finish with will likely look considerably different than the one you started with.
• Draft with confidence. If you are well-prepared and don’t overanalyze takes on players, everything should go smoothly. No one has a perfect roster after the draft, especially in 15-team leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Positional Ranking Tips

Fantasy C Rankings 2022

Experienced fantasy baseball players are well aware that this is the thinnest position in the game. Salvador Perez is the clear fantasy prize here, but you will also feel very comfortable with J.T. Realmuto or Will Smith.

In two-catcher leagues, strong consideration will have to go to one of the top five catchers. If you opt to pass on an elite backstop, upside targets include Keibert Ruiz and Tyler Stephenson.

Outside of the top 10, we are conceding batting average drains such as Mike Zunino and Gary Sanchez, or hoping to just get respectable production from lesser-heralded types.

Fantasy 1B Rankings 2022

As is usually the case at this position, first base offers good depth in terms of power and run production. You’ll be comfortable picking any of the top eight players at the position, followed by an interesting mix of promising youth and proven veterans.

Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto are still productive. Josh Bell could be headed for one of his better seasons, while Ty France and Spencer Torkelson are two intriguing targets as you get deeper into the position.

Fantasy 2B Rankings 2022

The keystone is full of versatility, as many notable players qualify at more than one lineup slot in terms of eligibility. That also means some of the better selections could be taken off the board quickly as your league mates look to fill their infield positions from here.

You will find both power and speed at second base, as Trea Turner and Ozzie Albies will be gone quickly. We are very interested to see if Jonathan India and Jazz Chisholm can build on what they displayed last season, and there are also viable middle infield options such as Kolten Wong and Jonathan Schoop.

Study up for your fantasy baseball drafts:

• Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2022
• Fantasy Baseball Draft Tips

Fantasy 3B Rankings 2022

This has become a position where you must take scarcity into consideration.

Once we get outside of the top eight or so, you won’t feel too great about the remaining starting options. There’s hope that Ke’Bryan Hayes can start to break through this season, though, and maybe we can get another good year out of Justin Turner.

Those who take Jose Ramirez as a first pick can then pivot towards first base to fill a corner infield slot later on. Wander Franco is an obvious upside play, and you also have to decide if the risk is worth the reward with Adalberto Mondesi.

Fantasy SS Rankings 2022

If one misses out on Bo Bichette or Tim Anderson, there are still good targets at the top half of the position. Many fantasy players will walk away with some appealing combinations of power and speed in the first few rounds of the draft.

Francisco Lindor, who hit well late last season, is eyeing a return to form in his second year with the New York Mets. One of the biggest breakout targets in fantasy baseball is Rookie of the Year favorite Bobby Witt Jr., who might be the position player under a magnifying glass more than any other.

Fantasy OF Rankings 2022

Outfield appears deep, but when you have to start five at the position you cannot practice too much patience. There’s a lot of power and speed to be had inside the top 20, and drafters can fill out their depth nicely inside the top 50 or so.

Once fantasy players start lurking beyond that, however, it’s best to go for youth and upside. In a 15-teamer, stay aggressive to ensure that you aren’t starting shaky options at your final outfield spots.

New York Yankees sluggers Giancarlo Stanton (L) and Aaron Judge (R) are both strong targets in 2022 fantasy drafts thanks to their elite power numbers. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)

Fantasy DH Rankings 2022

There isn’t much to see here in terms of DH-only players. It’s all about getting Shohei Ohtani and committing to him in that spot, which is well worth it. Nelson Cruz has landed in Washington and is always worth the pick for power.

The introduction of the universal DH should lead to increased at-bats for many National League players, so we’ll be watching this position closely during the season.

Fantasy SP Rankings 2022

Those who snatch one of the top six arms here can get off to a nice start in drafts if they grab another top-20 hurler, but others will wait while piling up on offense early and may eschew aces for quality depth later on.

There are guys with the potential to be big difference-makers if they can build on their recent performance, including Freddy Peralta, Robbie Ray, and Alek Manoah. Trevor Rogers and Pablo Lopez are among the upside plays, while former studs such as Justin Verlander and Noah Syndergaard are tempting candidates to bounce back from health issues.

Fantasy CL Rankings 2022

When it comes to fantasy closers, pay up or shut up on draft day.

If you land one of the top eight relievers, you’re more likely to guarantee stability. Once we get outside the top 12, however, then the dice rolling begins.

Be ready to trade for saves or chase them in free agency if you wait at the position. Pittsburgh’s David Bednar could turn out to be a good value play, and we also mix in the valuable “swingman” types who can qualify at both starter and reliever.