Since most of us play in fantasy leagues that start five outfielders, I decided to super-size my rankings for outfielders. We all know Mike Trout is the best fantasy player in baseball, but the rest of the field is very deep. There are a dozen guys who can help you in every category in a 5×5 standard roto league.
My outfield fantasy baseball rankings are based on a standard 5×5 league. If you have any specific questions about a different league, email me BobbyMcrib@gmail.com.
1. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – Trout is the consensus #1 overall fantasy player this season. He’s a yearly threat to be a 30/30 player and who knows, he could be a 40/40 player at some point. He’ll be an MVP candidate and be near the top of every major offensive category.
2. Andrew McCutchen – Pittsburgh Pirates – The reigning National League MVP should meet or exceed last year’s numbers. He’s in his prime and could even top 30 home runs this season.
3. Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies – When healthy, he’s one of the best players in the league. He has only averaged 129 games played the last four seasons. CarGo is a risky high draft pick, but you need to take some risks to win in fantasy baseball.
4. Adam Jones – Baltimore Orioles – Jones is a consistent fantasy player. He’ll get over 600 at-bats, hit 30+ homers and steal a dozen bases.
5. Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers – Braun is coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder. If he wants the Biogenesis questions to stop, he needs to put up big numbers. Can he do it post-PEDs? That is a question you need to ask yourself.
6. Carlos Gomez – Milwaukee Brewers – Gomez put together his first elite season in 2013. You saw signs of a breakout late in 2012. He’s in his prime and expect similar numbers. He’ll hit 20+ homers and creep near 40 steals.
7. Bryce Harper – Washington Nationals – Fantasy owners fall in love with prospect hype. Harper is still very young, but his upside is hard to ignore. Nagging injuries caused him to miss some time last season and he’s coming into the season 100%. He could put up some crazy numbers.
8. Yasiel Puig – Los Angeles Dodgers – I would have ranked Puig higher if L.A.’s outfield wasn’t so crowded. Matt Kemp, Andre Either, Carl Crawford and Puig will battle for three outfield spots. Puig should play most days, but he may get replaced in the lineup by the odd man out. Also, outfield prospect Joc Pederson could be brought up at some point.
9. Jose Bautista – Toronto Blue Jays – I’m much higher on Bautista than other fantasy baseball analysts. Bautista had a hip injury that ended his 2013 season. It is fully healed and he’s one year removed from wrist surgery. I expect a big year from him.
10. Jacoby Ellsbury – New York Yankees – Most people have Ellsbury ranked as a top five outfielder, but I have my doubts. I think he will have a very good year, but I just like other outfielders better. Ellsbury should see an increase in his power numbers from the short porch in right field. The speed will always be there. 40+ steals is expected from him.
11. Alex Rios – Texas Rangers – I usually shy away from Rios due to his inconsistent past. He used to have an off-year every other season. He finally strung two good seasons together. Texas is a good spot for him.
12. Giancarlo Stanton – Miami Marlins – After Stanton came back from an injury, he was his usual self. He crushed a few homers this Spring and he will definitely surpass his 24 home run mark he put up in 425 at-bats last season.
13. Shin-Soo Choo – Texas Rangers – Choo was an on-base machine in Cincinnati. He is even more protected in the lineup in Texas. I don’t know how much that will increase his numbers in a non-OBP league, but his Runs should definitely increase with the elite bats hitting behind him.
14. Justin Upton – Atlanta Braves – Upton was very streaky in 2013. He did not have the kind of breakout season we expected, but 27/70/.263 isn’t horrible. I do expect an increase in RBI and batting average. He’s still only 26, so he’s just now entering what most consider a baseball player’s peak age.
15. Jay Bruce – Cincinnati Reds – Bruce is a consistent fantasy player. Let me rephrase that, his end of the year numbers are consistent, but he is streaky during the season. He’s elite in roto leagues and only very good in head-to-head leagues. His RBI total may take a hit without Choo hitting in front of him, but he’ll still end the season near 100 RBI.
16. Yoenis Cespedes – Oakland A’s – Cespedes had a great rookie season, but his numbers regressed last season. His BABIP was much lower in 2013, which could explain the decline. Was this a correction or what we should expect going forward? I think it’s somewhere in-between.
17. Allen Craig – St. Louis Cardinals – Batting average is the reason you would be drafting Craig this high. He helps you everywhere else, but you can mark him down for a .305+ season.
18. Ben Zobrist – Tampa Bay Rays – I ranked Zobrist this high due to his 2B/SS/OF eligibility. A few players below him would be better outfield options. He is actually a much better second base and shortstop option. I just love the flexibility he provides in my lineup.
19. Hunter Pence – San Francisco Giants – He had a fantastic season in 2013. I got him in the middle rounds last season and helped me win a few leagues. He helps you in every category and his numbers should be near last year’s totals. They might decline a bit, but he’s still a top 20 outfielder.
20. Wil Myers – Tampa Bay Rays – I’m excited that we will get a full season of Wil Myers. He was brought up mid-season and played well enough to win the AL Rookie of the Year. He’s one of the best young power hitters and I expect numbers near 30/100/.280. I knocked him down a few spots due to my fear of a sophomore slump. It’s a bit unlikely, but pitchers may try to pitch around him.
21. Starling Marte – Pittsburgh Pirates – Marte is boom or bust. His contact rate is below average, but when he gets on base, he’s a speed threat. He hit .280 last season, but I think that is his ceiling in 2014.
22. Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals – Holliday has been a great fantasy player for ten seasons. The lineup that surrounds him is very good, so a high RBI total is a given, but is this the season the rest of his numbers will regress? I think a slight decline is expected, but nothing big.
23. Jayson Werth – Washington Nationals – He only had 462 at-bats, but he still had a line of 25/82/.318. I love Washington this season and predict Werth will be near the same total in home runs and RBI, but his .318 batting average is not sustainable.
24. Alex Gordon – Kansas City Royals – Gordon is a solid fantasy player. You know what you’ll get with him. Drafting him this high has little to no risk.
25. Carlos Beltran – New York Yankees – Does Beltran have one more good fantasy season left in him? Yankee Stadium is great for power hitters and a 30 home run season would not surprise me. He knows how to play in New York from his time on the Mets, so the extra media attention will not bother him.
26. Josh Hamilton – Los Angeles Angels – How the mighty have fallen. Hamilton had his worst fantasy season after being selected in the first round in most leagues. Has the hate gone too far? Maybe, but he’s not 100% going into the season. His calves are banged up and that caused him to fall down my rankings. He could still have a good fantasy season, but he’s an injury risk at this point.
27. Jason Heyward – Atlanta Braves – He was once the #1 overall prospect in baseball. He hasn’t developed as fast as expected. His power and speed numbers haven’t put him in the elite category. I think he will one day hit 30+ home runs, but it may not be this season.
28. Mark Trumbo – Arizona Diamondbacks – Trumbo finally has an everyday spot in the lineup after years of being bounced around the diamond in Los Angeles. He always comes out of the great hot, but han’t have enough gas to keep it up the entire season. If he begins to decline near the All-Star Break, you could flip him while his stock his high.
29. Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers – Kemp could be a top ten outfielder this season, but a nagging ankle injury is a red flag. His ankle has been bothering him since late last season. The Dodgers have a crowded outfield and Kemp could take a few too many days off.
30. Desmond Jennings – Tampa Bay Rays – Jennings has gradually improved his numbers the last three seasons. He is near his ceiling, but there is still room for slight improvement. He will steal 20+ bases, but I only ranked him at #30 because he will only drive in 50-60 runs due to his spot in the lineup.
31. Michael Cuddyer – Colorado Rockies
32. Alfonso Soriano – New York Yankees
33. Shane Victorino – Boston Red Sox
34. Will Venable – San Diego Padres
35. Domonic Brown – Philadelphia Phillies
36. Marin Prado – Arizona Diamondbacks
37. Brandon Moss – Oakland A’s
38. Coco Crisp – Oakland A’s
39. Nelson Cruz – Baltimore Orioles
40. Billy Hamilton – Cincinnati Reds
41. Carl Crawford – Los Angeles Dodgers
42. Leonys Martin – Texas Rangers
43. Khris Davis – Milwaukee Brewers
44. Josh Reddick – Oakland A’s
45. Christian Yelich – Miami Marlins
46. Brett Gardner – New York Yankees
47. Torii Hunter – Detroit Tigers
48. B.J. Upton – Atlanta Braves
49. Curtis Granderson – New York Mets
50. Michael Bourn – Cleveland Indians
51. Corey Hart – Seattle Mariners
52. Norichika Aoki – Kansas City Royals
53. Austin Jackson – Detroit Tigers
54. Colby Rasmus – Toronto Blue Jays
55. Adam Eaton – Chicago White Sox
56. Nick Markakis – Baltimore Orioles
57. Michael Morse – San Francisco Giants
58. Alejandro De Aza – Chicago White Sox
59. Evan Gattis – Atlanta Braves
60. Andre Either – Los Angeles Dodgers
61. Nick Swisher – Cleveland Indians
62. George Springer – Houston Astros
63. Ben Revere – Philadelphia Phillies
64. Michael Brantley – Cleveland Indians
65.Nate Schierholtz – Chicago Cubs
66. Eric Young Jr. – New York Mets
67. Nick Castellanos – Detroit Tigers
68. Dexter Fowler – Houston Astros
69. Angel Pagan – San Francisco Giants
70. Carlos Quentin – San Diego Padres
71. Kelly Johnson – New York Yankees
72. Matt Joyce – Tampa Bay Rays
73. Chris Carter – Houston Astros
74. Rajai Davis – Detroit Tigers
75. Gregory Polanco – Pittsburgh Pirates
76. Justin Ruggiano – Chicago Cubs
77. Denard Span – Washington Nationals
78. Oscar Tavares – St. Louis Cardinals
79. Avisail Garcia – Chicago White Sox
80. Marlon Byrd – Philadelphia Phillies
81. Kole Calhoun – Los Angeles Angels
82. Melky Cabrera – Toronto Blue Jays
83. Gerardo Parra – Arizona Diamondbacks
84. Michael Saunders – Seattle Mariners
85. A.J. Pollock – Arizona Diamondbacks
86. Junior Lake – Chicago Cubs
87. Oswaldo Arcia – Minnesota Twins
88. Josh Willingham – Minnesota Twins
89. Garrett Jones – Miami Marlins
90. Dustin Ackley – Seattle Mariners
91. Jon Jay – St. Louis Cardinals
92. Marcell Ozuna – Miami Marlins
93. Peter Bourjos – St. Louis Cardinals
94. Lorenzo Cain – Kansas City Royals
95. Chris Young – New York Mets
96. Ryan Doumit – Atlanta Braves
97. Jonny Gomes – Boston Red Sox
98. Dayan Viciedo – Chicago White Sox
99. Jason Kubel – Minnesota Twins
100. Chris Denorfia – San Diego Padres
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.