Now that 2022 MLB Spring Training is underway, Fantasy baseball owners are finally getting an opportunity to see players who have relocated during an MLB offseason that had a four-month gap in it because of the lockout. After signing a 10-year, $325 million deal to join the Rangers before the lockout, Corey Seager is off to an exciting start this spring as he hit a three-run home run in his debut on March 18. Texas revamped its offense and Seager is one of the best Fantasy baseball shortstops there is, but where should you be targeting him in 2022 Fantasy baseball drafts?
Meanwhile, Max Scherzer threw five innings of one-run ball in his debut for the Mets on March 21, but can the 37-year-old continue to be a dominant force? A reliable set of 2022 Fantasy baseball rankings can help you answer those questions and also help you identify the 2022 Fantasy baseball sleepers who can outperform their 2022 Fantasy baseball ADPs. Before making any 2022 Fantasy baseball picks, be sure to see the Fantasy baseball rankings 2022 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 reliever Brad Hand.
The team at SportsLine was all over Hand as a Fantasy bust from the start, and he went on to lose his job as a closer as he bounced around between three teams. He had a disastrous 7.57 ERA in a stint with the Blue Jays later in the season. Their model had him listed much lower than expert consensus rankings, and anyone who listened to their advice avoided a major speed bump that could have derailed their season.
Their model is powered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2022 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 2022 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 2022 Fantasy baseball sleepers
One of the 2022 Fantasy baseball sleepers the model is all over: Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz. The elder statesman DH will turn 42 this season, his first as a member of the Nationals. Last season, his 17th as a big-leaguer, Cruz still had 32 home runs.
He made an All-Star appearance last season as a member of the Twins before being dealt to the Rays, his seventh MLB team. Cruz hasn’t had fewer than 32 home runs in a season since 2013. Even if he’s in the twilight of his career, anything approximating what Cruz did last year is going to result in above-average returns based on his current 2022 Fantasy baseball ADP.
Top 2022 Fantasy baseball breakouts
One of the 2022 Fantasy baseball breakouts the model is all over: Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft played in 37 games across rookie ball, low-A and regular-A after signing his contract and then was left off the taxi squad list in 2020. However, that didn’t stop him from working his way up through double-A and triple-A in 2021 and he’s on track to make his MLB debut at some point early in 2022.
Whether or not that means he’ll break spring training with the Orioles remains to be seen, but Rutschman flashed more than enough potential at the plate to be worth a draft pick in 2022. In 543 plate appearances, Rutschman hit 23 home runs and drove in 75, while slashing .285/.397/.502. Even with expected growing pains, that elite plate patience, raw power and plus contact creates an impressive offensive profile at a position that sorely lacks offense. That’s why the model ranks Rutschman ahead of established veterans like Mitch Garver and Tyler Stephenson.
Top 2022 Fantasy baseball busts
As for players to avoid, the model has identified Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill as one of its biggest 2022 Fantasy baseball busts. Like many others, he wasn’t able to get into a rhythm in 2020, but he came back last season to have his best year in the majors. He finished with 34 home runs and 80 RBI in 138 games played, and cemented a role for himself in left field for St. Louis.
The model believes that O’Neill will go through some regression this season, which might look something closer to his 2019 version as a player. He still produced reasonably well that year, just with a slightly lower walk percentage (2019: 6.6 percent) and a slightly higher strikeout rate (2019: 35.1 percent) than he had in 2021. National League teams were big players in free agency when it came to pitching, particularly division rival Chicago. As a result, the model doesn’t value O’Neill’s potential as highly as some other players being taken much later than him, like Michael Brantley, A.J. Pollock or Austin Hays.
How to find proven 2022 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine is also high on a surprising starting pitcher who lands in the top five of its positional rankings. This player is barely going off the board in the top 100 picks, but is projected to outperform starters such as Julio Urias, Max Scherzer and Lucas Giolito. 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 2022 Fantasy baseball busts, breakouts, and sleepers should you target or fade in your drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2022 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that called Brad Hand’s disappointing season, and find out.
