There has never been a right or wrong way to draft a fantasy baseball team. However, there is certainly a safe and a risky way to draft a team.
That is not to say that taking the safe route is going to pay dividends, but if you're not as much of a risk taker, these are five players I would potentially look past in my fantasy draft this year. That is not to say that these players are bad options for fantasy, but simply they are players that come with some extra baggage.
Courtesy of fantasypros.com, the ADP for each player is attached. For those wondering, ADP stands for "average draft position" and accounts for drafts across five different sites. To the point of highlighting these players clear: I wouldn't completely steer clear these players, but I personally would draft them later than what their ADP says.
1. Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies, ADP: 27
Don't get me wrong, the addition of Trea Turner on this list is not to say that he is overrated or no longer a premier shortstop. I believe Turner is still among the best shortstops in the game when he is hot. However, Turner's success is very dependent on that "when."
Turner is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball which has been embodied in each of his last two seasons with the Phillies. In 2023, Turner had a very slow start to the season and caught fire in the second half. Last year, Turner experienced the opposite — he posted a .941 OPS in the first half, and regressed to a .687 OPS in the second half.
If your priority at shortstop is consistent success over peak, Turner may not be your first choice, especially within the first few rounds of a draft.
On top of his inconsistencies, a lot of Turner's underlying metrics — specifically his power numbers — took a dip in 2024. His 6.9 barrel%, 40.2 hardhit%, 89.1 average EV, .419 xSLG, and .318 xwOBA were all down from 2023 and were some of the lowest marks of his career since 2018. He also saw a dip in his FB% at 36.5 and a significant increase in GB% from 39.6 in 2023 to 47.3 in 2024. If these trends continue, Turner's production at the plate may very well decrease this season.
It's also worth noting that while Turner is still a threat to steal 30+ bases, 2024 was his first season (excluding the shortened COVID season) that Turner stole less than 20 bases. That is typically an area where Turner provides even when his bat is performing at a sub-par level.