Top 10 Outfielders to Target at Current ADP (2024 Fantasy Baseball)

Good value can usually be found at every position and any juncture of fantasy baseball drafts. Sometimes, the best bargains come in the second or even third round on players with first-round upside. In other instances, a player with huge potential drops outside even the top-200 picks for any number of particular reasons. Well-prepared drafters will be ready to pounce on those opportunities and all others that come in between.

The outfield-eligible options below all carry solid upside considering their current ADP across the fantasy landscape.

*** ADP based on FantasyPros Consensus Rankings at time of writing

Top-10 OF Values

Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – ADP: 53

Well, the day has come when Trout can be selected as late as the fifth or sixth round in some fantasy baseball drafts. That would’ve been unthinkable just a year or two ago.

Granted, injuries have significantly limited his total counting stats over the last few years, and now he is without the protection of Shohei Ohtani. Even during a “down” year in which he played only 82 games due to nagging health issues, Trout put up an .858 OPS with 18 homers. His current draft stock is understandable but seems like an overreaction.

Christian Yelich – Milwaukee Brewers – ADP: 72

Yelich was a similar case to Trout this time last year. However, following a nice, bounce-back campaign, the 2018 NL MVP’s draft positioning remains a little lower than it probably should be. Yelich is not likely to ever reach the heights of his prime years again, but his .818 OPS, 19 homers, 28 steals, and 106 runs last season were all personal bests since 2019.

The Milwaukee table setter also recorded his highest hard-hit (49.9%) and barrel rates (9.2%) of the last three years.

Josh Lowe – Tampa Bay Rays – ADP: 88

After appearing a bit overmatched over 52 MLB games in 2022, Lowe broke out in his first full big-league season last year. Across 501 plate appearances, he hit a solid .292 with .500 SLG, 20 home runs, and 32 steals. The chance to grab a guy with 20-HR, 30-SB potential in the eighth, or possibly ninth, round is too good to pass up. Lowe also delivered 83 RBI and 71 runs for fantasy managers in 2023. All those counting stats could be set to increase with a few more ABs.

Lane Thomas – Washington Nationals – ADP: 119

Thomas showed signs of breaking out in the second half of the 2022 season. He made good on that promise in 2023, belting 28 homers to go with 86 RBI, 101 runs, and 20 stolen bases over 156 games for the rebuilding Nationals. Thomas has little protection in the Nationals’ lineup, but the case was the same last season. Although, with the emergence of young CJ Abrams last year as well, the Nationals have a dynamic duo atop their batting order. Thomas is simply being drafted too low.

James Outman – Los Angeles Dodgers – ADP: 181

Another breakout player from 2023, Outman finished third in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting. His output was a bit of a rollercoaster, and he struck out in nearly 32 percent of his 567 plate appearances.

When all was said and done though, Outman delivered 23 homers, 70 RBI, 86 runs, and 16 steals. He may never be an asset in batting average, but he’s got upside remaining in all other areas, particularly in the Dodgers’ deep lineup. Outman is a bargain right now.

Jarren Duran – Boston Red Sox – ADP: 200

Okay, one more player who finally performed at the show last year was Duran. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a toe issue that cost him the final six weeks or so.

Before hitting the IL, Duran turned in a .295/.346/.482 slash line with eight homers, 34 doubles, and 24 steals across 362 plate appearances for the Red Sox. With a 91.2 Z-Contact%, 25.6 LD%, and 45.7 HardHit%, the metrics more than back up his production. Duran may never offer many home runs, but his average, speed, and run-scoring potential easily make up for that.  

Jung Hoo Lee – San Francisco Giants – ADP:212

Time will tell how successfully Lee can transition from the KBO to MLB, but given the money that the Giants shelled out to bring him stateside, the 25-year-old center fielder is going to get every opportunity to succeed.

Lee began playing professionally at age 18, hitting an impressive .340 with an .898 OPS over nearly 900 games since 2017. He has some speed, but steals have never been a huge part of his game. His .423 OBP and 11.4 BB% compared to a 5.9 K% are the most eye-popping marks he’s put up over the last three years. Lee may only make a difference for fantasy managers in two areas – AVG (OBP) and runs – but it could be a big difference.

Max Kepler – Minnesota Twins – ADP: 285

Apparently, folks are either not buying Kepler’s second-half surge last year or they have just forgotten about it. The veteran slugger had a nice year overall, but, over 265 plate appearances after the All-Star break, he absolutely crushed the baseball, slashing .306/.377/.549 with 12 deep drives and 36 RBI. In that span, Kepler recorded a 50.8 HardHit%, 13.7 Barrel%, and 92.4 mph average exit velocity. He’s certainly a candidate for 30-plus home runs with little draft investment required.     

Will Benson – Cincinnati Reds – ADP: 299

The question with Benson following a strong rookie season is playing time in the overcrowded Cincy outfield. If Benson maintains or perhaps improves upon his performance from last year, however, Reds’ manager David Bell is going to have a difficult time sitting him.

Over 329 plate appearances, the 25-year-old finished with an .863 OPS, 11 long balls, and 19 steals. The whiffs need to improve, but Benson has great speed, a line-drive approach (23.2%), and a sharp eye (12.2 BB%). On top of that, he plays half his games in the Great American “Small” Park.      

Nelson Velazquez – Kansas City Royals – ADP: 350

Velazquez strikes out too much (30.1%) and has hit only .219 over his first 130 games in the bigs. Well, that’s not something to be too concerned about in the last round or two of drafts.

Reports are that Velazquez is expected to be the main DH for the Royals this season, and that’s due to the ridiculous power he displayed last season. In 53 games between the Cubs and Royals, he slugged .586 with 17 homers over 179 plate appearances. His 21.4 Barrel% and .352 ISO were off the charts. All those marks are likely to come down a tick, but Velazquez’s HR upside is elite.