When you get into the later rounds of your fantasy baseball draft you have a few different options that you can run to. First, you can check out the fantasy baseball rankings and fantasy baseball player projections to see which players are rated the highest and where they would fit into your roster construction. Second, you can check out the fantasy baseball prospect rankings and take some stabs at some MLB rookies that could be making an impact this season that boasts some high upside potential. Either way, the later rounds always carry some risk and these are players that generally can provide some statistical value in a single category or two. When it comes to the outfield position there are plenty of late-round possibilities for your fantasy lineups that should be on your radar so let’s dive in.

 

Fantasy Baseball Late-Round Outfielder ADP

Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees

Which version of Stanton shows up in 2023? In 2022, we saw Stanton hit 31 home runs, which is more than acceptable, but it came with only 53 runs, 78 RBI, and an abysmal .211 batting average. In 2021, we saw Stanton hit 35 home runs with 64 runs, 97 RBI, and an average of .273. He, of course, missed time in both seasons and was limited to just 110 games last year – but you bake that into his value a bit. If you get the 2021 version of Stanton then he is a great bargain at his current ADP. If you get last year’s version of Stanton then he still won’t necessarily kill your lineup because of the home run upside but you will certainly need to build some high batting average players into your roster construction. 

Whit Merrifield, Toronto Blue Jays

The 2022 season was a down year for Merrifield but he did pop a bit following his trade to the Blue Jays, hitting .281 with five home runs and an OPS of .769 over the final 44 games of the season after hitting just .240 with a .643 OPS as a member of the Royals. Merrifield is expected to hit towards the bottom of the Blue Jays lineup this season but all that means is that the top of the Blue Jays lineup is right behind him in George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero. Merrifield was also a bit snake-bitten with just a .276 BABIP which impacted his batting average and on-base percentage numbers. Being in a much better lineup along with a full season in a division with favorable hitter parks could result in a nice bounce-back season from Merrifield who is only a few seasons removed from swiping 40 bases and scoring close to 100 runs.

Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers

Greene entered the 2022 MLB season as the No. 4 ranked prospect by Baseball America after hitting .301 with 95 runs, 24 home runs, 84 RBI 16 stolen bases, and an OPS of .921 between Double-A and Triple-A during the 2021 season. Unfortunately, injuries limited the rookie to just 93 games for the Tigers in which he hit just .253 with 46 runs, five home runs, 52 RBI, one stolen base, and an OPS of .682. Not exactly the breakout rookie performance the Tigers were hoping to get from their top prospect. That said, fantasy managers should still be intrigued by his power/speed combo here, especially given his current ADP of 182 where all he would cost you is a 15th-round draft pick. If Greene doesn’t pan out he is a player that can be dropped for someone off of the waiver wire that is producing but given the talent that he could bring to the table, he is certainly worth a look in the later rounds.

 

Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox

If you play in leagues where batting average and on-base percentage matter, then Yoshida could be someone you look to take late in your draft. One of the prized international signings this offseason, Yoshida is expected to be an everyday player for the Red Sox and likely be the team’s leadoff hitter. While playing in Japan during the 2022 season he hit .336 with 57 runs, 21 home runs, 89 RBI, four stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.007. Yoshida doesn’t project to have a ton of power upside but 12-to-15 homers seem to be a common projection. If he does hit leadoff and he gets on base as he is projected to do then Yoshida is a high average, high OBP player with the chance to score 90+ runs this late in your draft is a decent target.

Jesse Winker, Milwaukee Brewers 

Winker heads back to the NL Central after an unsuccessful season with the Seattle Mariners in 2022. This is actually great news for Winker as he torched opposing NL Central pitching in 2021 for a career-best 24 home runs and an OPS of .949. Now, Winker benefitted from playing his home games in the Great American Ballpark during that season but his career numbers in Miller Park are INSANE. In 32 career games in Miller Park, Winker is hitting .344 with an OPS of 1.032. If he can regain his form in a now better hitting environment then he could be a late-round steal for your lineups that is going in Round 21.

Adam Duvall, Boston Red Sox

I know, we are going pretty deep here and more than likely Duvall ends up being a waiver wire pickup in your fantasy league this season but if you need some cheap power late in your draft then I think he is certainly worthy of consideration. Duvall signed with the Red Sox this offseason and is in a position to see plenty of playing time in center field with Kiké Hernández moving to the infield this season following the loss of Xander Bogaerts and the injury to Trevor Story. While 2022 was a bad year for Duvall, he did have a monster 2021 which saw him hit 38 home runs and drive in a league-leading 113 RBI for the Braves and Marlins. The power numbers for Duvall project really well as he moves into a very hitter-friendly Fenway Park, especially for right-handed power with the Green Monster just a short poke to left field. Duvall will not be a friend when it comes to your batting average and on-base percentages but you likely won’t mind as much if he hits another 30 home runs this season with an everyday role. 

 

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