Fantasy Baseball OF Rankings: Outfield Tiers, Sleepers, Draft Strategy

Matt Lutovsky

Fantasy Baseball OF Rankings: Outfield Tiers, Sleepers, Draft Strategy image

Outfield is once again one of fantasy baseball's deepest positions. There's no shortage of top-tier stars and intriguing sleepers, and you don't really need any sort of draft strategy when approaching this position. There are outfielders worth drafting early, in the middle rounds, and late, and you can find power hitters, power-speed contributors, and high-average guys. Because of this, our OF rankings shouldn't be looked at as a strict guide for drafting, as your picks after the first 10-15 players will ultimately come down to category needs. 

The top five outfielders in our rankings will likely come off the board in the first round. From there, it's anyone's guess as to how things will play out. Personal preference will play a big role in the order in which players are drafted. We rank some younger players like Trent Grisham higher than most sites, and we also seem to have more love for big-time sluggers like Jorge Soler and Joey Gallo. Your draft strategy might push you toward higher-average, more versatile players instead. As we said in the intro, that's perfectly fine, but it could lead to wild differences in our rankings and your big board.

DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2021 Fantasy Baseball Cheat Sheet

That's just how it goes at this position, but one thing we'd caution against is relying too much on last year's stats when putting together your rankings. We all know last year was weird one, and there were plenty of hitters who uncharacteristically struggled in their limited action. If they dealt with even one injury on top of the lack of games, that could greatly skew their final stat line. Conversely, we've seen unlikely players have a good 60 games before falling off in the final 100 games before. Players didn't have the chance to fall off last year, making it seem like they were/are better than they actually are.

2021 FANTASY BASEBALL RANKINGS:
Catcher | First | Second | Third | Short | Starter | Reliever | Top 300

This is obviously true for everyone, but with outfield being the deepest offensive position, there are more examples. Moreover, even in three-OF leagues, it's easy to fall back on drafting an OF when you can't find players you like at other positions, which often leads to overdrafting outfielders. While you can't necessarily prepare for specific situations, you can constantly remind yourself to focus on more than just last year and which stats you need. That should help you put together the most complete, well-rounded outfield and avoid overdrafting potential busts.

2021 FANTASY SLEEPERS
Catcher | First | Second | Third | Short | OutfieldPitcher | Each Team

We'll be updating the OF rankings throughout the spring, so check back for the latest player movement. Please note that these rankings are compiled as if all players are only eligible at OF. Some players, such as Whit Merrifield or Ketel Marte, may be ranked higher overall because of their multi-position eligibility.

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Fantasy Baseball OF Rankings: Outfield Tiers, Sleepers, Draft Strategy

Rankings based on 5x5 H2H leagues with Rs, HRs, RBIs, SBs, and Batting Average as hitting categories. 

Position eligibility based on Yahoo's default settings

* = player not eligible at a position on draft day but expected to play there during the season

Rank Player (bats) Age (as of 4/1) Team Other Pos. Tier
1 Juan Soto (L) 22 Nationals -- 1
2 Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) 23 Braves -- 1
3 Mookie Betts (R) 28 Dodgers -- 1
4 Christian Yelich (L) 29 Brewers -- 1
5 Mike Trout (R) 29 Angels -- 1
6 Cody Bellinger (L) 25 Dodgers 1B 2
7 Bryce Harper (L) 28 Phillies -- 2
8 Luis Robert (R) 23 White Sox -- 2
9 Kyle Tucker (L) 24 Astros -- 2
10 Trent Grisham (L) 24 Padres -- 2
11 Aaron Judge (R) 28 Yankees -- 2
12 George Springer (R) 31 Blue Jays -- 2
13 J.D. Martinez (R) 33 Red Sox -- 2
14 Marcell Ozuna (R) 30 Braves -- 2
15 Yordan Alvarez (L) 23 Astros -- 2
16 Jorge Soler (R) 29 Royals -- 2
17 Charlie Blackmon (L) 34 Rockies -- 2
18 Joey Gallo (L) 27 Rangers -- 3
19 Whit Merrifield (R) 32 Royals 2B 3
20 Starling Marte (R) 32 Marlins -- 3
21 Franmil Reyes (R) 25 Indians -- 3
22 Nick Castellanos (R) 29 Reds -- 3
23 Michael Conforto (L) 28 Mets -- 3
24 Giancarlo Stanton (R) 31 Yankees -- 3
25 AJ Pollock (L) 33 Dodgers -- 3
26 Kyle Lewis (R) 25 Mariners -- 3
27 Eddie Rosario (L) 29 Indians -- 3
28 Brandon Lowe (L) 26 Rays 1B, 2B 3
29 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) 27 Blue Jays 2B 3
30 Randy Arozarena (R) 26 Rays -- 4
31 Mike Yastrzemski (L) 30 Giants -- 4
32 Austin Meadows (L) 25 Rays -- 4
33 Victor Robles (R) 23 Nationals -- 4
34 Tommy Pham (R) 33 Padres -- 4
35 Wil Myers (R) 30 Padres 1B 4
36 Cavan Biggio (L) 25 Blue Jays 2B, 3B 4
37 Byron Buxton (R) 27 Twins -- 4
38 Nick Senzel (R) 25 Reds -- 4
39 Kris Bryant (R) 29 Cubs 3B 4
40 Ketel Marte (S) 27 D-backs 2B, SS 4
41 Michael Brantley (L) 33 Astros -- 4
42 Jeff McNeil (L) 28 Mets 2B, 3B 4
43 Ian Happ (S) 26 Cubs 2B, 3B 4
44 Trey Mancini (R) 29 Orioles 1B 5
45 Max Kepler (L) 28 Twins -- 5
46 Ryan Mountcastle (R) 24 Orioles 1B 5
47 Dominic Smith (L) 25 Mets 1B 5
48 Anthony Santander (S) 26 Orioles -- 5
49 Teoscar Hernandez (R) 28 Blue Jays -- 5
50 Nick Solak (R) 25 Rangers 2B, 3B 5
51 Dylan Moore (R) 28 Mariners 2B, 3B, SS 5
52 Austin Riley (R) 23 Braves 3B 5
53 J.D. Davis (R) 27 Mets 3B 5
54 Hunter Renfroe (R) 29 Red Sox -- 5
55 Kyle Schwarber (L) 28 Nationals -- 5
56 Joc Pederson (L) 28 Cubs 1B 5
57 Clint Frazier (R) 26 Yankees -- 5
58 Aaron Hicks (S) 31 Yankees -- 5
59 Alex Verdugo (L) 24 Red Sox -- 5
60 Ramon Laureano (R) 26 A's -- 5
61 Leody Taveras (S) 22 Rangers -- 5
62 Kole Calhoun (L) 33 D-backs -- 6
63 Randal Grichuk (R) 29 Blue Jays -- 6
64 Mitch Haniger (R) 30 Mariners -- 6
65 Myles Straw (R) 26 Astros -- 6
66 Corey Dickerson (R) 31 Marlins -- 6
67 Andrew McCutchen (R) 34 Phillies -- 6
68 Andrew Benintendi (L) 26 Royals -- 6
69 Jesse Winker (L) 27 Reds -- 6
70 Justin Upton (R) 33 Angels -- 6
71 Willie Calhoun (L) 26 Rangers -- 6
72 Victor Reyes (S) 26 Tigers -- 6
73 Tommy Edman (S) 25 Cardinals 3B, SS, OF 6
74 Manuel Margot (R) 26 Rays -- 6
75 Garrett Hampson (R) 26 Rockies 2B, SS 6
76 Brandon Belt (L) 32 Giants 1B 6
77 Hunter Dozier (R) 29 Royals 1B, 3B 6
78 Dylan Carlson (S) 22 Cardinals -- 6
79 Austin Hays (R) 25 Orioles -- 6
80 Adam Eaton (L) 32 White Sox -- 6
81 Lorenzo Cain (R) 34 Brewers -- 6
82 Raimel Tapia (L) 27 Rockies -- 7
83 Gregory Polanco (L) 29 Pirates -- 7
84 Avisail Garcia (R) 29 Brewers -- 7
85 David Peralta (L) 33 D-backs -- 7
86 David Dahl (L) 27 Rangers -- 7
87 Mark Canha (R) 32 A's 1B 7
88 Brandon Nimmo (L) 28 Mets -- 7
89 Brian Anderson (R) 27 Marlins 3B 7
90 Sam Hilliard (L) 27 Rockies -- 7
91 Stephen Piscotty (R) 30 A's -- 7
92 Bryan Reynolds (S) 26 Pirates -- 7
93 Jon Berti (R) 30 Marlines 2B, 3B, SS 7
94 Garrett Cooper (R) 30 Marlins 1B 8
95 Chris Taylor (R) 30 Dodgers 2B, SS 8
96 Aristides Aquino (R) 26 Reds -- 8
97 Jason Heyward (L) 31 Cubs -- 8
98 Kevin Kiermaier (L) 30 Rays -- 8
99 Harrison Bader (R) 26 Cardinals -- 8
100 Dee Strange-Gordon (L) 32 Reds 2B, SS* 8
101 Oscar Mercado (R) 26 Indians -- 8
102 Daulton Varsho (L) 24 D-backs C 8
103 Jo Adell (R) 21 Angels -- 8
104 Yoshi Tsutsugo (L) 29 Rays 3B 8
105 Josh Naylor (L) 23 Indians -- 8
106 Jarred Kelenic (L) 21 Mariners -- 8
107 Cedric Mullins (S) 26 Orioles -- 9
108 Alex Kirilloff (L) 23 Twins -- 9
109 Alex Dickerson (L) 30 Giants -- 9
110 Cristian Pache (R) 22 Braves -- 9
111 Jurickson Profar (S) 27 Padres 2B 9
112 Scott Kingery (R) 26 Phillies 2B 9
113 Tyler O'Neill (R) 25 Cardinals -- 9
114 Roman Quinn (S) 27 Phillies -- 9
115 Michael Chavis (R) 25 Red Sox 1B, 2B 9
116 Mauricio Dubon (R) 26 Giants 2B, SS 9
117 Shogo Akiyama (L) 32 Reds -- 9
118 Robbie Grossman (S) 31 Tigers -- 9
119 Jake Fraley (L) 25 Mariners -- 9
120 Franchy Cordero (L) 26 Red Sox -- 9

Matt Lutovsky

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Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.