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

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 | Outfield | Pitcher | 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