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Although Opening Day kicks off the 2024 MLB season on Thursday, many fantasy baseball drafts still have yet to take place. Waiting until the last minute to draft gives fantasy managers the latest information and updates, so it's time to take a look at three intriguing draft targets.
Anthony Volpe, Elly De La Cruz, and Andrew Abbott have all had plenty of fantasy values in the past, and all three are worth diving into for last-minute draft preparation.
Should you draft Volpe, De La Cruz, or Abbott in fantasy baseball? Read the draft recommendations and 2024 fantasy outlooks for each player below.
Anthony Volpe Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 118
Current ADP: ~pick 128
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is coming off a 20/20 season in his rookie year. While that's nothing to get upset over, it wasn't the most rewarding season for Volpe and fantasy managers. There are no excuses to be made for a .209/.283/.383 slash line.
It was just an overall poor performance on his part. In the times Volpe was bad, it was tumultuous. And when he was good, it wasn't good enough to carry his season. The 22-year-old was probably a year ahead of schedule with his MLB debut and you wouldn't be judged if you wanted to throw away his 2023 stats.
WHAT A CATCH BY ANTHONY VOLPE pic.twitter.com/tIfBxKACCP
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 22, 2024
If you're looking for positives, however, they were there. His 9% barrel percent, 88.7 exit velocity, 14.2-degree launch angle, and 43% hard-hit percentage were all above league average. As were his walk rate and sweet spot percentage. The biggest hole in the youngster's game is his strikeouts. His 27.8% K rate put him in the bottom 11% in that category. You could get good value from him at that draft spot.
Elly De La Cruz Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 33
Current ADP: ~pick 28
21-year-old switch hitter Elly De La Cruz took the baseball world by storm after making his debut for Cincinnati on June 6. In 21 games that month, he batted .307 with three homers, 12 RBI, nine stolen bases, and an .881 OPS. The Dominican rookie also hit for the cycle on June 23 and wowed with incredible speed and arm strength. Unfortunately for the Reds, De La Cruz could not maintain this offensive production and dropped off significantly following the All-Star break, slashing just .191/.272/.355 in 68 second-half games.
ELLY, ELLY, ELLY 💥 pic.twitter.com/hkXBg380gU
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 23, 2024
It's still far too early to label De La Cruz as a bust. After all, he'll be just 22 years old at the start of the 2024 season and was a top prospect in the Reds organization before his debut. ATC projects De La Cruz to bat .249, slug .438, hit 21 homers, and knock in 69 runs while stealing 37 bases. His ADP predicts him to land at 28.0, and considering the value he can bring to any fantasy team, this is a fair assessment.
Andrew Abbott Fantasy Baseball Value
BALLER MOVE: Target in drafts ~pick 260
Current ADP: ~pick 245
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott put together a strong rookie campaign in 2023. He finished with a 3.87 ERA and 120 strikeouts across 109.1 innings pitched. That type of success could continue for Abbott in his second year. The left-hander delivered a quality start in five of his first six career starts and entered July with a 1.21 ERA.
Abbott did struggle to end the year, but the talent is there. The Reds starter won't go near the top of fantasy drafts; however, he is a great late-round pick because of his upside at the position. The southpaw should grow in his second year, making him a nice value pick in the last couple of rounds
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