Best Ball Infield Values for Fantasy Baseball Drafts (2024)

February 10, 2024

Chris looks at 2024 fantasy baseball best ball sleepers for infielders (1B, 2B, SS). He picks five best ball draft values who are more valuable than their ADPs.

The fantasy baseball season is right around the corner. While some of you have been drafting for months, others are just returning from football. For either party, best ball formats are an excellent way to get your feet wet and dig deeper into the player pool. Best ball can help you get an early look at where players are being drafted in terms of ADP and where you can find pockets of value. 

One of the best parts of the best ball format is you can draft more teams because after the draft it requires no management at all. Each week, your best lineup is set by the computer, meaning no work on your part. This does change the strategy a bit as you need guaranteed plate appearances and innings, as you can't replace injured players with healthy options on the waiver wire.

It is also important to know your league scoring depending on which site you are playing best ball on. Pay attention to your league settings and scoring format and nearly every website scores differently for best ball. Here’s a list of fantasy baseball draft targets for best ball this season.

Infield Value Picks for Best Ball Drafts

For this article, we are going to focus on Fantrax best ball scoring, as it is one of the more popular platforms to play on. The table below shows you how it is scored.

*ADP is reflective of Fantrax

Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets

ADP: 29.98

Lindor had a career season in 2023, mashing 31 home runs and stealing 31 bases while posting a .254/.336/.470 slash. Given the Fantrax scoring system, where home runs and stolen bases are the most valuable assets, Lindor excelled, posting 611 points and finishing as the 11th-best hitter.

Even with natural regression and most projection system projections around 28 home runs and 21 stolen bases, Lindor projects for nearly 600 points, which would put him near the 10th-best hitter in Fantrax scoring.

Lindor's ADP sits near 30 overall and could be a great pick in best ball leagues as a set-it-and-forget-it type player.

FRANCISCO LINDOR WITH THE LITTLE LEAGUE INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/Hpqst060mi

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) March 16, 2023

 

Matt McLain, SS, Cincinnati Reds

ADP: 73.82

Despite only getting 365 at-bats at the MLB level in 2023, McLain still racked up 342 points in Fantrax best ball scoring thanks to his 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases while also getting on base at a .357 clip. Between Triple-A and the majors last year, McLain hit 28 home runs and stole 24 bases. If we regress that a bit and project him for 22-25 home runs with 20 stolen bases, all while getting on base at a high clip, McLain becomes an incredible value.

Currently projecting for over 500 points, McLain would sit as a near top-30 hitter and is being drafted after pick 70. If you do not get a shortstop early in your best ball, McLain is a strong target.

Spencer Steer, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP: 125

Steer, who happens to be McLain's teammate, is another strong buy in best ball leagues. His 2023 season seems like it flew under the radar amid all the talent that was called up to Cincinnati last year. But Steer hit 23 home runs while stealing 15 bases and a .271/.356/.464 slash line.

Having strong plate discipline skills, Steer plays up in an OBP format, and while the underlying power metrics are underwhelming, his bat plays up well in Great American Ball Park.

Last season, Steer accumulated 500 points in best ball formats, finishing as the 38th-best hitter, and it seems reasonable to think he could repeat his strong season at a minimum and potentially even improve. With his ADP near 125, Steer is one of the best buys at first base in a best ball format.

Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins

ADP: 198

There have been jokes about Julien's lack of swings and even the fact that he was taking pitches in the Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby. While the skill set may not play the best in a standard 5x5 league, it does allow Julien to play up in a best ball format.

Last season, he accumulated just 338 at-bats at the MLB level, hitting 16 home runs but walking 64 times, allowing his OBP to play up to .381. He scored 307 points in Fantrax best ball leagues. With full-time at-bats in 2024, there seems like a strong chance that he could reach 450-500 points. This is all while being drafted near pick 200. If you like Julien and the potential in best ball leagues, just wait on the second base position and be sure to grab Julien a round or two earlier than ADP and profit.

Yandy Diaz, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

ADP: 120

Diaz had a career season in 2023, hitting .330 with a .410 OBP and 22 home runs. As a hitter who has been known to pound the ball into the ground, Diaz went through stretches where he was lifting the ball, and it showed in his home run total as he eclipsed his career high by nine and bested his 2023 home run total by 13.

Hitting for power and getting on base is a recipe for success in best ball leagues, and that is what Diaz does. He finished last season as the 51st-best hitter in best ball leagues, scoring 477 points, and could primed for a similar season in 2024. His ADP of 120 makes him a great buy at the first base position.

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