Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2023: Best sleepers, breakouts, busts by model that called Votto's struggles
The official start of the 2023 MLB season might still be more than two months away, but with pitchers and catchers reporting in less than a month and the World Baseball Classic scheduled for the middle of MLB spring training, savvy Fantasy baseball owners are already prepping. After betting on himself by turning down an extension last offseason and proceeding to hit 62 home runs, Aaron Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract to remain with the Yankees. So should you be making Judge the top overall pick in 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts?
The MLB hot stove has produced a lot of movement at shortstop with Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson all signing lucrative deals to switch teams this offseason. A reliable set of 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings can help you figure out exactly where to target that trio in your upcoming drafts while also helping identify 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts. Before going on the clock in any 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts, be sure to see the Fantasy baseball rankings 2023 and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine's Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Reds first baseman Joey Votto. The team at SportsLine was all over Votto as a Fantasy bust from the start after a resurgent 2021 season that saw him going as one of the top 12 first basemen off the board in 2022 Fantasy baseball drafts. After slashing .266/.375/.563 with 36 homers and 99 RBI the year prior, Votto slashed .205/.319/.370 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 2022. He finished outside the top 45 players at his position and anybody who following SportsLine's advice avoided a major headache.
Their model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.
Any time more MLB news comes out about the updated 2023 MLB schedule or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers
One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball sleepers the model is all over: Tigers shortstop Javier Baez. Detroit wasn't exactly banking on a .671 OPS when it signed Baez to a six-year, $140 million contract last offseason. Unfortunately, the two-time All-Star had a terrible May (.432 OPS) and his numbers really recovered from it.
However, he did close the season with a strong final month, slashing .293/.322/.509 in September and October. And he posted a minimum OPS of .796 in each of the four full seasons that he played before last year's debacle. His combination of power and speed presents pretty clear upside in a talented young Tigers lineup and that's why the model ranks him as a top-15 option at shortstop despite the fact that he's the 28th player coming off the board at the position on average so far.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts
One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is all over: Orioles third baseman Gunnar Henderson. A consensus top-100 prospect last season, Henderson is now the No. 2 prospect in the MLB entering 2023 and the expectation is that he'll have an everyday role in an exciting young Baltimore lineup after impressing in a call-up last season.
In the minors, Henderson had a robust slash line (.297/.416/.531) and hit 19 home runs with 76 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 112 games. Then he proceeded to slash .258/.349/.440 in 34 games with the Orioles while starting games at three different infield positions. That versatility could be crucial for Fantasy baseball owners and the model is projecting him as its No. 16 Fantasy baseball third baseman for 2023.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball busts
As for players to avoid, the model has pinpointed White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease as one of its biggest 2023 Fantasy baseball busts. Building off a 2021 season where he went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 226 strikeouts over 165 2/3 innings, Cease put himself on the map as one of the most dominant starters in the American League in 2022.
He went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and struck out 227 over 184 innings to finish as the AL Cy Young runner-up. However, he did lead the league in walks (78) and his 3.10 FIP seemed to indicate that he was outperforming his metrics a bit. Cease is currently one of the top 10 starting pitchers off the board in 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts, but the model ranks him outside its top 30 at the position for next season.
How to find proven 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine's model is also high on a surprising starting pitcher who lands in the top 10 of its positional rankings. This player is barely going off the board in the top 125 picks, but is projected to outperform starters such as Aaron Nola, Shane McClanahan and Brandon Woodruff. This pick could be the difference in winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
