
With Opening Day approaching, your fantasy drafts will likely occur within the next week. If you haven't prepared much for your drafts, don't worry; RotoBaller has you covered. In this article, we will go through five hitters to avoid in points leagues.
These players are going too high in drafts and should be passed on at their current ADP. Four of the five players on this list are going within the first five rounds, while the last player finds himself with an ADP outside the top 100.
So, who are the five hitters to avoid in points leagues this year? Let's dive in and find out.
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Jazz Chisholm, 3B, New York Yankees
ADP: 25.2
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm just had the best season of his career in 2024. He totaled career highs in batting average (.256), home runs (24), doubles (21), RBI (73), and stolen bases (40) while playing 147 games combined with the Yankees and Miami Marlins. However, Chisholm should be avoided in most points leagues at his 25.2 average ADP.
There's no doubt that Chisholm was a strong fantasy option in points leagues last season. He finished with the seventh-most fantasy points among all third basemen on Fantrax and averaged just over 3.6 fantasy points per game. Nonetheless, we could see some regression from him at the plate this year. His expected batting average (.240), hard-hit rate (41.1%), and whiff rate (29.3%) all ranked in the bottom 35% of the league in 2024.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is iced out with a One Piece chain for Yankees Photo Day 🥶 pic.twitter.com/vDCLktH2Uv
— MLB (@MLB) February 18, 2025
In addition, Chisholm has had a hard time staying healthy in recent years. Although he appeared in a career-high 147 games last season, the 27-year-old averaged just 94 games played per season from 2021 to 2023. That's something fantasy managers have to keep in mind. Given that he isn't known as a big home run hitter either, an early third-round pick is too high for him in this format.
Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
ADP: 27
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is one of the most exciting players in baseball. Two years ago, he hit .337 with 41 home runs, 35 doubles, 106 RBI, and 73 stolen bases across 159 games. Unfortunately, though, Acuna tore his ACL in late May last season and missed most of that campaign. That season-ending knee injury is a large reason he is a fade at his 27 ADP.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Return In Early- To Mid-Mayhttps://t.co/mu8YgqZwVP
— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) March 13, 2025
For starters, Acuna is set to miss at least the first month of the 2025 season. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com said the Braves are anticipating their star outfielder to return sometime between early and mid-May. That means fantasy managers will be without one of their top fantasy draft picks for at least 30 games to begin the year.
Even when he returns, Acuna might not be the strongest fantasy option. The last time he tore his ACL was back in 2021, and in the ensuing season, he hit just .266 at the plate with 15 home runs, 24 doubles, 50 RBI, and 29 stolen bases in 119 games. With reports that the Braves outfielder could also run less in 2025, he should be avoided in most points leagues. There are just too many risks surrounding him entering the year.
Michael Harris II, OF, Atlanta Braves
ADP: 49.1
There's definitely appeal in taking Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II this early in drafts. He has the potential to put up a 20-home run, 20-stolen base season in 2025, and he finished on a high note last year. Harris hit .283 with 11 home runs, five doubles, and 28 RBI over his final 42 games. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old is an avoid at his 49.1 ADP in points leagues.
Fantasy managers should worry about two things about Harris this season. The first is his injury history. Harris has played under 115 games in two of the past three years and only appeared in 110 games for the Braves in 2024. The second is his inability to total big numbers in any major category. The young outfielder hasn't totaled more than 19 home runs, 65 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in any of his three MLB seasons.
As a result, Harris isn't worth a top-50 pick in points leagues. He hasn't been able to stay healthy in recent years and likely won't finish with strong home run or RBI numbers this season. The Braves outfielder also averaged just 3.1 fantasy points per game on Fantrax last season, the same average as Giancarlo Stanton and Andrew McCutchen. There are just better fantasy hitters to target at this point, like James Wood or Ozzie Albies.
CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
ADP: 55.3
Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has been a consistent fantasy option in each of the past two seasons. As a matter of fact, Abrams put up almost identical stats in both those campaigns. In 2023, he hit .245 with 18 home runs, 28 doubles, 64 RBI, and 47 stolen bases across 151 games. Then, last year, he hit .246 with 20 home runs, 29 doubles, 65 RBI, and 31 stolen bases in 138 games.
However, Abrams is going a bit too high in points leagues. He hasn't totaled more than 140 hits in a season and likely won't hit more than 20 home runs in 2025. We could also see some regression from the Nationals' shortstop at the plate. His xwOBA (.319), expected batting average (.247), and average exit velocity (88.2 mph) all ranked extremely poorly in 2024.
#NATITUDE CJ Abrams' 2024 season was a tale of two halves:
A strong first half (.268/.343/.489, 15 HR, 15 SB)...
followed by a steep decline in the second (.203/.260/.326, 5 HR, 16 SB)
Are you IN or OUT at his 48.5 ADP on @TheReal_NFC pic.twitter.com/RDJPpo6whB— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) January 12, 2025
Since home runs are extremely important in this format, he shouldn't be drafted as a top-55 pick in most points leagues. Although he will contribute above-average stolen base numbers, it will be hard to rely on him to post consistent numbers in the other major categories (home runs, doubles, RBI, and hits). That makes Willy Adames (66.3 ADP) and Anthony Santander (71.3 ADP) better picks at their respective ADPs instead.
Brice Turang, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
ADP: 112.3
Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang broke out in his second major league season. He hit .254 with seven home runs, 24 doubles, four triples, 57 RBI, and 50 stolen bases across 155 games. Those numbers helped Turang be a serviceable fantasy option throughout the year. But taking him with a top-115 pick in points leagues might not be the best decision this year.
Turang is really only a stolen base threat and posts below-average numbers in every other category. Therefore, it's tough to select a player in the 10th or 11th round who will hit less than 10 home runs, drive in less than 60 runs, and won't carry a high average throughout the year. The 25-year-old also struggles mightily against left-handed pitching, which could hurt his fantasy value even more this season.
Despite showing some great things at the plate in 2024, Turang's low home run and RBI numbers make him an avoid in drafts. Drafting the Brewers' second baseman just for his steals is not ideal in this type of format, especially since fantasy managers only get one point for stolen bases in ESPN and Fantrax leagues and three points in Yahoo leagues. That's not enough to take him here.
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