Welcome to the 2021 MLB Living Draft Guide presented by Fantasy Alarm!

First off, please allow me to congratulate you on your choice to play fantasy baseball. The 2020 season was the roughest we’ve ever seen things as the COVID-19 pandemic forced MLB into a truncated 60-game season where games were played in empty ballparks. From a fantasy standpoint, things became even more convoluted as draft strategies were upended, injuries mounted and the countless hours of research we spent preparing for a normal season seemed like a waste as we all were forced into continuous on-the-fly adjustments throughout the shortened season.

Even now, we are currently waiting for Major League Baseball to pick an Opening Day. We know pitchers and catchers will report on February 17. We know preseason games will begin March 1. Those seem to be the only dates currently set as April 1 is simply labeled as a tentative start date. Should that be pushed to May 1, we will adjust.

But having you here means the world to us. Baseball is the game we love and fantasy baseball is where many of us started our careers as both members of the industry and participants in fantasy leagues. We feel privileged to have you with us as we present, what I firmly believe to be our best Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide ever.

Let’s start with some basics:

What is a Living Draft Guide?

We’ve said it for years and we stand by it 100% -- the era of magazines is over.

As both the world and the fantasy sports industry continue to evolve, Fantasy Alarm remains at the helm of draft guide innovation in an effort to bring you the most updated content for your fantasy baseball draft prep.  To provide you with an actual draft magazine, rankings and articles must be done in November and December so they can be published and distributed in time for both Spring Training and your drafts. While that is something we can easily accomplish, it does you no good with regard to free agent player movement that takes place during and after the December MLB Winter Meetings. How can you project what a player will bring to the table statistically if you don’t even know what team he will play for in the upcoming season?

Our online version is updated daily to reflect any and all changes that take place in the MLB universe. Our player rankings will be updated regularly to reflect every free agent signing, spring injuries and position battles and as we slowly roll out our articles, you can be assured that everything you read will be accurately presented with the most current information.

If it is a tangible stack of pages you crave, our printable PDF version updates daily as well so feel free to invest in a ream of paper and some extra ink.

GM Jim Bowden Continues to Leads the Way for a Fantasy Alarm MLB Super-Team

If you already listen to the Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (M-F 6-8pm ET), then you know the wealth of knowledge GM Jim Bowden brings to the table. His 16 years of experience as a real-life big-league General Manager not only provides you with an actual hands-on look at player evaluations, but his insights into a team’s front office and how they handle their business both on and off the field gives you a leg up in your overall fantasy scouting, waiver wire pick-ups and in-season roster management, as well as an insider’s view into which potential call-ups you should be targeting for the long haul.

In addition to the GM, we have the finest collection of fantasy analysts in the business, all contributing to this Draft Guide. In fact, I have been doing this for nearly two decades and I have never worked with a stronger group. Adam Ronis is a legend in fantasy circles, Jen Piacenti took the fantasy industry by storm last year during her inaugural season with Fantasy Alarm, Greg Jewett is one of the top analytical minds in the game and the rest of the Fantasy Alarm team, myself included, routinely crushes both the seasonal and daily fantasy games, as well as the betting side of baseball.

So, what can you expect to find inside the Fantasy Alarm MLB Living Draft Guide? Here is just a sampling of the content you will receive:

2021 Player Rankings – Every position will be broken down for mixed leagues as well as for AL and NL-only play. They will be updated regularly to reflect any and all changes between now and the start of the 2021 MLB season. Best of all, in addition to Jim Bowden’s personal fantasy rankings, you will also get them from me, Adam Ronis and Greg Jewett. You will have access to all of our individual rankings as well as a set of Consensus Rankings that merges all of them.

Fantasy Baseball Strategies – The Fantasy Alarm staff will provide you with the strategies they employ each year and help guide you towards making the right decisions. From targeting particular players to in-draft adjustments to making in-season, category-specific decisions, our team of fantasy baseball experts are prepared to help you every step of the way. We know winning a championship doesn’t end with your draft which is why our strategies are designed to aid you from Opening Day to Game 162…or however many games they actually play this season.

Front-Office Insights -- Curious as to what goes on behind the scenes of a Major League Baseball Club? Do you feel like inside information from real life General Managers will help your fantasy game? We do. That's why Jim Bowden and I sit down for a podcast series where they bring you all the front office information from all 30 teams.

Fantasy Baseball Player Profiles – Sometimes you need to get more in-depth when discussing a particular player. Rankings can only take you so far. That’s why Greg Jewett and Colby Conway will spend this offseason breaking down a number of MLB players who we anticipate having a serious impact, both good and bad, on fantasy rosters everywhere. Their award-winning work in the 2019 edition of the Draft Guide was lauded throughout the industry and both are primed to keep that momentum rolling here in 2021.

Fantasy Baseball Player Debates – This is a BRAND-NEW addition to the Draft Guide here in 2021 and we think you’re going to absolutely love it. As our player profiles roll out, free agents sign with their new teams and spring training begins, you will see a series of podcasts start to populate this page. Each of those podcasts will feature at least two of our analysts debating the value of players for the 2021 MLB season. You will get the pros and cons of a variety of players, including where they are being valued in fantasy drafts for a variety of leagues and scoring systems. Even better is that you, the owner of this Draft Guide, will get the opportunity to request specific debates throughout the preseason.

MLB Rookies Analysis – Everyone loves the shiny, new toys, right? Beginning with Matt Selz’ Top-20 MLB Rookies, our team of analysts will provide you with player evaluations and insights into this year’s crop of youngsters. We’ll deliver to you which players are primed for a 2021 impact and which ones you should look at for your keeper and dynasty leagues as well. In fact, Selz has mapped out a plan to increase coverage specific to long-term dynasty leagues and takes Fantasy Alarm’s content to depths most other sites are too ill-equipped to reach.

Traditional Fantasy Baseball Articles – Who doesn’t love a Top-20 list of sleepers and busts? Looking for closers? How about thoughts on free agent movement? Which injury-prone players should you avoid this season? We have articles to cover everything you need while answering any and all questions you may have.

Advanced Analytics – Looking to understand sabermetrics? Wondering how to understand BABIP trends? Which players are improving their plate discipline? How do you use the array of new pitching statistics we are continuously inundated with each year? We’ll break down everything from contact rates to swinging-strike totals and everything in between as we turn you into premier baseball scouts.

Daily Fantasy Baseball – Are you ready to build up that DFS bankroll? We are and we’re ready to take you along for the ride. Our DFS team will be breaking down hitting and pitching statistics and match-ups on a daily basis this season and our DFS Corner here in the Draft Guide will teach you everything from how to use the Playbook Pro to lineup construction for both cash games and tournaments. We don’t just give you a fish so you can eat for a day. We teach you to fish so you can eat for a lifetime.

MLB Draft Guide Audio/Video Series – This is where we really take things to the next level. We understand that not everyone has time to sit down and read a lengthy article on strategy or player insights, so why not get the condensed version in a short podcast or video? We’ll have a number of strategy sessions, player profiles, position analysis and even interviews with MLB players, managers and GMs available to you as part of this year’s Draft Guide.

Had enough yet? Neither have we. Everything you’ve just read only scratches the surface. This isn’t just a fantasy baseball draft guide. This is an experience. So dig your heels in and get ready. The Fantasy Alarm team is about to take you and your fantasy baseball knowledge to an entirely new level. We hope you enjoy the ride.

Click here to get your copy today!

Sincerely,

Howard Bender

V.P. of Operations & Head of Content