With just under a week until 2023 MLB Opening Day on March 30, Fantasy baseball owners across the country are scrambling to put together a winning 2023 Fantasy baseball draft strategy. The World Baseball Classic gave us a chance to see some of the biggest stars in the game playing meaningful baseball in March and the hope will be that players can still get acclimated with their teams over the final week of MLB spring training. The Phillies spent $300 million on shortstop Trea Turner this offseason and they'll be hoping he can stay hot after a scorching performance in the World Baseball Classic.
Turner went 9 for 23 with five home runs and 11 RBI in the WBC and his 2023 Fantasy baseball ADP is 8.99 as we enter the final week for Fantasy baseball drafts. And with a reliable set of live-updated 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings, you can decide if Turner is worth the first-round investment while also identifying potential 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 followed 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: Mets relief pitcher David Robertson. The veteran was slotted into a setup role prior to Edwin Diaz (knee) being lost for the year, but now he's the favorite to land closer duties. He certainly has experience with that role as he has 157 career saves, including 20 last season on a sparkling 2.40 ERA.
The 14-year vet still has plenty of juice left as his average fastball velocity last season (93.1 m.p.h.) tied a career-high. Robertson spent most of last year with the 88-loss Cubs, so his save opportunities were limited, but that won't be the case in Queens. Following Diaz' injury, SportsLine's model has Robertson as a top-5 RP option, but he's still being drafted outside the top 12 per 2023 Fantasy baseball ADP, making him a sleeper candidate.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts
One of the 2023 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is jumping on: Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. The 26-year-old hit .280 with 13 home runs, 79 runs and 72 RBI across 152 games last season, which was a major improvement from 2021. He is now set to have a significant breakout campaign in one of the best lineups in the MLB.
The former top prospect plays in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball, and his 14.8 expected home runs last year were nearly two more than his actual total. Some regression to the mean combined with his offseason improvement should help him easily reach 15 homers this season. Bohm is being drafted behind third basemen DJ LeMahieu and Eugenio Suarez in average drafts, but the model expects him to be a better 2023 Fantasy baseball pick than both of them.
Top 2023 Fantasy baseball busts
As for players to avoid, the model has pinpointed Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu as one of its biggest 2023 Fantasy baseball busts. The 34-year-old is a two-time batting champion and looked like an offensive juggernaut when he joined the Yankees in 2019 and then again in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. However, his productivity has dropped off considerably since and the model predicts he won't live up to his 2023 Fantasy baseball ADP of 174.11.
LeMahieu has hit just .265 over the last two seasons and the surprising power he showed in 2019 and 2020 has dissipated. His slugging percentage has dropped to .368 in 2021 and 2022 after it had been at .536 the previous two seasons. And his average exit velocity has tumbled from 92.4 MPH in 2019 to 88.7 MPH in 2022. All the supporting data points to LeMahieu continuing his downward trend and the model likes Isaac Paredes and Yoan Moncada more, with both players going at least five rounds later in 2023 Fantasy baseball drafts on average.
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.
So which 2023 Fantasy baseball busts, breakouts, and sleepers should you target or fade in your drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2023 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Joey Votto's disappointing season, and find out.
