It’s already the middle of March, and Opening Day will be here before you know it. managers all over the world are getting ready for those ever-crucial drafts in order to stock their fantasy rosters with the talent that they hope will end up with a championship.
They say that practice makes perfect — and you can certainly practice your drafting skills in our — but that saying raises the question: What would a “perfect” draft even look like?
Tristan H. Cockcroft and Eric Karabell weighed in on each of their ideal picks from each of the 10 draft positions in an ESPN standard league in both of our primary fantasy baseball formats (points-based scoring and rotisserie). Let these selections help guide you towards getting your own draft off to a perfect start.
Cockcroft (points-based leagues): Round 1 – , Round 2 – /
The “cheat code” is back, as Ohtani is 2 ½ years removed from reconstructive elbow surgery and potentially ready to dominate on both sides of the ball. As a two-way player following the All-Star break, albeit one who averaged only 68.3 pitches per start, he lapped the field by 56 fantasy points (excluding hitting stats on his pitching days under the assumption you would — and should — slot him in at pitcher). We’ve projected him for 911 combined points (819 when docking his per-game hitting average over 28 starts), meaning that in ESPN leagues, he could be within range of his 2022 (904 actionable points) or 2023 (737) production. Getting the No. 1 overall draft slot this year, especially in a points league, grants a monstrous advantage.
Woo and Schwarber are interchangeable as at-the-turn picks, though sound sluggers . and are also viable, personal-preference picks in Rounds 2/3. Base your decision for picking Woo (or a comparable starting pitcher) on your level of confidence in Ohtani’s ability to deliver those 28 starts.
Karabell (rotisserie leagues): Round 1 – Ohtani, Round 2 –
Regardless of format and your league’s rules for taking advantage of the greatest two-way option ever, I cannot make much of a case for anyone but Ohtani for roto/categories formats, either. There was reasonable doubt entering last season about Ohtani stealing bases and making enough pitching starts to be relevant there and, still, it was another fantastic season. Do not overthink this one.
Caminero smashed 45 home runs and knocked in 110 runs in his age-21 season, albeit taking advantage of Tampa Bay’s one-year advantage of playing home games in a minor-league park. Still, we must assume Caminero will adjust as a hitter, regardless of home ballpark. His power is immense. He is a building-block player.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – , Round 2 –
Putting aside Ohtani’s pitching contributions, Judge has otherwise been fantasy baseball’s top-scoring player over the past four seasons, totaling 2,176 points. That’s an average of 544 per year — a threshold exceeded in 2025 alone by only five players, one of them Judge himself. He’s in the midst of one of the most remarkable multi-season runs in the history of baseball.
A pitcher like Yamamoto, Woo or (whom we’ll discuss shortly) is a wise partner pick to Judge, considering a league that drafts the position more aggressively could leave the team drafting from the two-slot picking from a lower tier (read: SPs 11-15) of the player pool. Yamamoto’s only drawback compared to the other two is the tendency of the to use a six-man rotation, which keeps his innings pitched ceiling slightly lower than the two members of the .
Karabell: Round 1 – Judge, Round 2 – Schwarber
Ah, if Judge could only pitch and add fantasy value that way, then he wouldn’t merely be the greatest right-handed hitter of his generation and an obvious Hall of Fame player. He would surpass Ohtani. Alas, Judge settles for No. 2 here, as he not only offers staggering power, but he has hit better than .300 and performed in at least 152 games in three out of four seasons. He is an incredible talent, too.
Schwarber is the lone NL fellow to out-homer Ohtani and he led the majors in RBI. He isn’t going to aid a fantasy team so much in batting average or stolen bases (though he did swipe 10 bases in 2025, half of Ohtani’s total), but this is safe, reliable power. Schwarber has averaged 47 home runs, 108 RBI and 107 runs over four seasons. The only reason to avoid Schwarber is if you already roster Ohtani, for each is DH-only.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – , Round 2 –
Thanks to his best-in-baseball plate discipline — in his eight-year MLB career, he has the highest walk (18.7%) and lowest chase (16.6%) rates among players with at least 2,000 plate appearances — Soto is the safest, highest-floor pick for points-league play. His five seasons of 500-plus fantasy points in the past seven are the game’s most and, in four of them, he reached that threshold without the benefit of 15-plus stolen bases (let alone his NL-leading 38 in 2025).
Henderson, one of the stars of the World Baseball Classic, figures to rebound to at least second-round status after a 2025 that was largely derailed by an early-season intercostal strain. He’s 24 years old, heading into his prime and has long been advertised with front-line fantasy potential.
Karabell: Round 1 – ., Round 2 –
Witt’s fourth MLB season may have seemed a tad disappointing, as the shortstop dropped 37 points of batting average and hit nine fewer home runs. Still, these numbers are amazing, and Witt hasn’t hit his prime quite yet. A repeat of 2024 remains plausible.
Turner enters his age-33 season showing few signs, if any, of obvious decline, as he won the NL batting title and stole 36 bases, his most since 2018. Turner also made great strides defensively, and thus we don’t hear talk of him moving off shortstop anymore. Perhaps one seeks more power in Round 2, and nobody in a points format should covet him, but batting average, runs and steals matter, too.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – , Round 2 – Caminero
You can flip a coin between Skenes and for the honor of No. 1 non-Ohtani fantasy starting pitcher if you wish, but Skenes, who has the lowest ERA through 55 career starts (1.96) of any pitcher since earned runs became an official stat in 1913, is my personal preference. It’s tough to bet against a 23-year-old at his pitching performance peak whose weakest category last year was wins, something that can fluctuate year over year and should improve behind an improved offense.
Caminero gives this team one heck of a young leading pitcher-and-hitter combination, as one of the game’s best up-and-coming sluggers. As Eric mentioned, Caminero’s power should play anywhere, and even some statistical regression would keep him a worthy second-round pick.
Karabell: Round 1 – , Round 2 –
Ramirez comes off his second consecutive 30/30 campaign, and it is difficult to find anyone contributing five-category greatness and durability on an annual basis. Ramirez, 33, shows no signs of slowing down.
Chourio, 22, is already one of the best, young hitters in the sport, but it certainly feels like he can provide even greater numbers, like perhaps a 30-HR, 30-SB campaign. Like many others on this list, Chourio is not much for plate discipline (5.1% walk rate), but there is time for him to improve in all areas.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – Witt, Round 2 – Gilbert
In points leagues, Witt is as likely to be a prime contender for the hitting (i.e. non-Ohtani) scoring lead as he is to deliver second-round production, having followed up his 590 point 2024 with a more modest 461 points last season. That said, he’s a prime-age 25 with upper-tier skills in terms of power, speed and hit tool, making him about as sound a selection here (if not a couple picks sooner) as there is.
Gilbert’s 2025 was disappointing, but he remains one of the most talented, 200 IP-capable starting pitchers, two years removed from a top-10 overall fantasy point total (505). He’s an ideal pitcher around whom to build, and points-league managers ideally want to address the position in at least one of these rounds.
Karabell: Round 1 – Soto, Round 2 – Henderson
No matter how many bases Soto decides to steal this season, whether it is another 38 (like 2025) or single digits (like 2024), his fantasy value is safe as he offers excellent power and the very best plate discipline in the sport. Expect another dominant season.
Henderson’s numbers slipped a bit from his previous two seasons, as he began 2025 on the injured list and struggled to meet expectations. Still, Henderson was a five-category roto option, and we saw his upside in 2024. He can return to that level, especially as the have added offense around him.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – Skubal, Round 2 –
Skubal’s sheer dominance makes him a viable pick in a points league as early as the No. 3 slot overall, but again, Skenes is my preferred first starting pitcher for 2025. But let’s make the Skubal case, which makes him an easy pick at sixth overall: He led all pitchers in fantasy points in his back-to-back Cy Young Award seasons, and he also led across his final eight starts (among 15 total) of 2023. With a new contract in his near future, he’ll be plenty motivated to pile up the points.
Though hamate surgery threatened Carroll’s status for Opening Day during spring training’s early weeks, his recent return to DH action and impending return to the outfield strengthens his case for second-round points league status. The only lingering concern, which is what keeps him here rather than a few picks sooner, is whether his power will swiftly recover following the operation.
Karabell: Round 1 – Carroll, Round 2 –
Carroll was already a fantasy star entering the 2025 season, and then he notched career highs in both home runs and RBI. We can debate if we have already seen Carroll’s power upside emerge, especially as some worry about his recovery from hamate bone surgery, but this remains a foundational fantasy asset.
Tucker joins his third franchise in as many seasons, where he will merely be one piece of the Dodgers’ extraordinary offense, rather than the prime star. Perhaps this is a good thing. Tucker wasn’t at his best in his lone season for the and he drops a round in the rankings, but he offers power, speed and plate discipline. Perhaps he returns to durability in 2026 as well.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – Ramirez, Round 2 – .
Ramirez has scored more fantasy points than anyone over the last five seasons (2,640), and he has a league-leading six years with 500-plus points over the last nine. You won’t find a much safer pick for points-league play, though at age 33, we’re more likely to see Ramirez’s stats to slightly tick downward than improve from here. He’s only slotted here because those picked ahead of him have more ceiling into which to grow.
Tatis provides a sound partnership with Ramirez, as a similarly multi-talented offensive player but one who does bring that higher ceiling into which to grow. Tatis is 27 years old and, in addition to finishing top-30 in fantasy points (439, 28th), made significant strides in terms of both his walk (12.9%) and chase (24.4%) rates.
Karabell: Round 1 – ., Round 2 –
Acuna isn’t a first-round pick based on his 2024 or 2025 numbers, but for what he achieved in 2023 and the likelihood he plays healthy at that special level again. Wouldn’t we all love another 41-HR, 73-SB season? Mock if you wish, but Acuna, fully recovered from another major knee injury, should be plenty motivated to remind everyone what he is capable of statistically. We cannot let him slip from the first round.
Lindor remains about as consistent (and durable) a hitter in the sport, coming off another 30/30 season and playing in nearly every game. As with Carroll, fantasy managers may have some trepidation about him being ready for Opening Day due to hamate surgery, but it is hard to bet against Lindor.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – Tucker, Round 2 –
Points-league managers will want a piece of the Dodgers lineup, as it’s loaded and therefore likely to maximize its hitters’ run-scoring and RBI potential, but perhaps as importantly, the number of times they come to the plate. Those who can’t get Ohtani would do well to pick Tucker, who is assured at least a top-five spot in the order and perhaps the dream No. 2 spot between Ohtani and . Over the last three seasons, Tucker’s 3.30 fantasy points-per-game average ranks seventh-best.
Marte is the class of a thin position, having averaged four-tenths of a fantasy point per game than the next-closest regular second baseman over the last three seasons. He’s more of an injury risk than many of the players picked in this tier, but the advantage he provides at the position is important in the format.
Karabell: Round 1 – , Round 2 – Tatis
It may not seem like it, but Cincinnati’s shortstop made key strides in 2025, as he cut down on his strikeouts, made more contact and hit a career-best .264. Fantasy managers may have preferred 30 homers and 75 steals, but as De La Cruz develops, perhaps those numbers are possible. De La Cruz is 24 and we dare to dream.
Fantasy managers once dreamed of Tatis becoming one of the first players to covet in every draft. He has slipped a bit in value to the second round, but there is little wrong with a player we can count on for both power and speed, and Tatis played in a career-high 155 games in 2025, too. Hope for similar durability and the excellent numbers will be there.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – , Round 2 –
Crochet’s fantasy potential isn’t far from that of Skenes or Skubal, with last year’s results as compelling evidence as any: Skubal scored only three more fantasy points for the season, and Skenes scored 49 fewer. As starting pitchers come at a premium in points leagues, Crochet is the third member of the position’s clear first-round class.
A catcher in the second round?! When it’s a catcher who hit 60 home runs one year ago, with any reasonable regression calculation still keeping his number in the 40s, it’s an easy case to make. Near-everyday catchers bring with them a noticeably greater advantage relative to their brethren in points leagues relative to roto — volume is king here — and Raleigh’s could again amount to as many as 75 more fantasy points than the next-closest at the position (although I’m admittedly a believer in a rebound to close that gap somewhat).
Karabell: Round 1 – Julio Rodriguez, Round 2 – Crochet
Rodriguez bounced back from a disappointing 2024 season (20 HR, 24 SB) with better stats (32 HR, 30 SB), and he performed in a career-high 160 games. As with Tatis and others, perhaps we yearn for more, but Rodriguez has settled in as a reliable statistical provider and borderline first round selection. That is good enough.
Crochet changed his Sox from White to Red and led the big leagues with 255 strikeouts, while posting a 2.59 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. OK, so perhaps he isn’t the first starting pitcher off your draft board, but he should not be far from it.
Cockcroft: Round 1 – Acuna, Round 2 –
A healthy Acuna is capable of challenging for the fantasy points scoring title. In fact, he would have already have one, in 2023, if not for Ohtani — and he’s looking as healthy and productive this spring as ever. Acuna shouldn’t be one of the first picks off your draft board in a points league, but he also shouldn’t slide far, if at all, into the second round.
Sanchez’s 2025 breakthrough sets him up for a run at the top of the pitching leaderboard this season, as he’s again throwing extremely well during spring training. Teams picking from the No. 10 slot need to bear in mind the starting pitching candidates who might remain come the Rounds 3-4 turn if they pass on Sanchez or one of the comparable picks in the rankings: It might mean settling upon , or as your staff ace.
Karabell: Round 1 – Skubal, Round 2 – Skenes
Skubal earned his second consecutive AL Cy Young award and there is little reason to believe he cannot make it three in a row. While the ace won five fewer games than the season prior (through no fault of his own), Skubal lowered his ERA to 2.21 and his WHIP to 0.89. He also raised his strikeout rate. Even in roto, Skubal warrants first round attention.
The second season of the Skenes experience was quite memorable, as he earned the NL Cy Young award and posted a sub-2 ERA yet again. His career ERA is 1.96! The Pirates should offer more offensive support in 2026, and Skenes should earn more victories, which would help elevate him far higher than last year’s SP43 in terms of value for wins.
