Earlier in this series of strategy articles for the living Draft Guide, I was tasked with writing an article entitled “Targeting Multi-Category Contributors” in which the benefits of drafting players with across-the-board production were extolled. That makes it somewhat ironic that I have also been tasked with writing this article that is designed to highlight hitters who can contribute in specific categories. It’s what they call a paradox.

In the multi-category contributors article, I wrote the following:

“Focusing on multi-cat contributors allows you to build a deep, flexible roster. You’re less susceptible to devastating injuries, and you have more options as far as the types of players you can add via waivers or trade.”

That broad-based approach is a team-building style I truly believe in. It’s a risk-averse strategy that fits my personality and has served me well over the years. Initially it seemed that writing this piece would be at odds with the multi-category strategy. However, upon further review, it’s entirely possible to draft players who can address a categorical need as your draft progresses without abandoning your commitment to multi-cat contributors.

We should note that outfielders tend to meet the multi-category requirement more often than infielders. As a result, it might be advisable to largely avoid outfielders early in your drafts. You can certainly draft a cornerstone outfielder early in your drafts who provides elite production in all or almost all categories. But if there are infielders you like in the early rounds, take them. As you move into the later rounds, most infielders provide more category specific production.

Below are examples of players who can help in specific areas without ceding too much elsewhere.

Power

Home runs and RBI are categories with an obvious level of correlation, so players addressed in this section can help you in both categories.

One early-round infielder to target for power is Javier Báez . Baez is entering the mythical age-27 season that is often considered a player’s peak for power potential. He regressed from 34 home runs in 2018 to only 29 last year, but he played in 22 fewer games. He still homered about once every 19 plate appearances, which was well above the league average of once every 28 plate appearances from last season. He consistently has a high BABIP which gives his batting average a floor, and he has double digit steals in four consecutive seasons.

Shohei Ohtani is a player discussed in the aforementioned multi-category piece, but he has to be mentioned again here. He is going outside the top 100 picks on average as of this writing, and he could easily hit 30+ home runs. If he maintains his career per PA home run rate, he will hit 28 home runs with only 550 PA. If he can stay healthy, he’s a good bet to hit 30. He also has 100-plus RBI potential with a spot in the lineup behind Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon .

Going a little deeper in the draft, Max Kepler and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stand out as options if you feel like you need to shore up the power categories. Kepler exploded for 36 home runs last season in just shy of 600 PA. Some regression is to be expected as he didn’t top the charts in terms of exit velocity or barrels. However, in 2018 he made a noticeable shift in his batted ball profile with his fly ball rate going from around 39-percent to 46-percent, and that profile held in 2019. That should help him remain above average in terms of homers. As for Gurriel, he hit 20 home runs in only 343 PA last season, so the power potential is evident. There is some downside risk in terms of batting average, but he did show some potential last year by swinging a tad bit less, though he did swing and miss more often.

Speed

Speed is the main category where some of the top contributors are antithetical to the multi-category approach. A guy like Jonathan Villar projects to finish the season in the top five in stolen bases, but he’s going to hurt you elsewhere. It’s imperative that you don’t chase speed at the expense of other categories. You can easily find your way to the top of the stolen bases rankings in your roto league by chipping away at the category throughout the draft.

I have to rip off my prior multi-cat piece again and mention Bo Bichette . Bichette is widely projected to steal 20-plus bases, and if he does so, his biggest fantasy contribution in roto leagues will come via steals given the lower steal totals around the league. But unlike most guys who derive their biggest contribution from speed, Bichette also delivers pop. He homered at a rate similar to that of Baez last year, and even if he regresses, he still has plenty of room between his rookie season home run rate and league average.

Yet another guy mentioned in my prior piece is White Sox rookie Luis Robert . There’s no need to rehash the Robert love, just see what I wrote about him previously and draft him.

Going outside the top 100 hitters currently and around the same range as Gurriel (which equates to the 13th or 14th round in 12-team mixed leagues) is Byron Buxton . Health is the obvious concern here as Buxton has less than 400 PA combined in the last two seasons. However, his speed is undeniable. In those near 400 PA Buxton has 19 steals with an 86-percent success rate. He may not give you above average production in any other category, but the key is that he is not projected to give you well below average production in any other category.

Batting Average

Batting average is perhaps the most unsexy of the categories, which makes it the category most likely to be overlooked.

You could make the argument that Xander Bogaerts is a better middle infield choice in the third round as opposed to Baez thanks to Bogaerts strength in batting average. You can find a one-off power hitter later in drafts, but it’s basically impossible to find a hitter late that only contributes in batting average as those hitters tend to contribute in other categories as well. If you agree with that logic, then Bogaerts and his batting average floor are for you. Leaving his rookie season aside, Bogaerts has had an average of .288 or higher in four of his last five seasons. The low mark in those five seasons was a still respectable .273.

Around pick 100 you could grab Jeff McNeil if you’re feeling like your team is hurting in the average category. McNeil has a .321 average in 815 career PA, so despite the small sample size it feels like there is a floor. He should provide some help in runs hitting in the top third of the order, and he hit a respectable 23 home runs last year. It still feels weird not thinking 23 home runs is above average, but given the power surge last year, it is what it is. McNeil won’t drive in a ton of runs hitting towards the top of the order, and you’d like him to be more successful than 5 of 11 on steal attempts. But hitting second affords some RBI opportunities, and double-digit steal attempts means he shouldn’t be a complete no-show in that category.

Michael Brantley going outside the top 120 on average feels like a gimme. Aside from a 2016 season in which he only played 11 games, Brantley has hit .299 or better in five straight seasons. He almost never swings and misses, so there’s little risk of his batting average falling of the map. Trash can banging or not, the Astros are still going to be a lineup that produces runs, and Brantley hit between second and fourth in the order in a large majority of games last season, so he’s going to continue to produce runs and RBI. His running days are over, but he’s projected to hit 20-plus homers again, so you’re getting four out of five cats with him and top-of-the-line, bankable production in average.