As expected, the 2025 outfield group is loaded. Outfield has become a foundational component of every successful fantasy roster, as there is annually an abundance of talent, depth and diversity at this position. Even those who start five outfielders in a 12-team league will find plenty of useful options in the late rounds of drafts.
Although there is enough depth to wait on outfielders, most fantasy managers will not have that luxury. Managers will need to spend some early round picks at this position, as there are many players who can provide game-changing fantasy numbers. In fact, five to six names taken in the first round of a typical 12-team league will consist of players with outfield eligibility.
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It’s the area of diversity where this position really shines. When fantasy managers are rounding out their lineups, they will be able to grab the skill sets they need to have a balanced roster. Here are some players to target at various points in the drafts, as well as a couple to avoid.
Proactive picks
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (Yahoo ADP: 60.6)
It’s hard to believe that after the numbers he has produced in the past two seasons, Ozuna still can’t find his way into the top 50 picks. After all, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the only players who have outperformed Ozuna in homers, RBI and batting average over the pair of campaigns. The slugger’s Statcast page is drool-worthy, as he ranks among the top 10% of players in nearly every metric that relates to quality of contact. And the icing on the cake is that the rest of the Braves lineup is due to rebound from injury plagued seasons.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (Yahoo ADP: 64.7)
From a skills perspective, few players can match the ceiling of Cruz. The lanky outfielder places in the 100th percentile in bat speed, the 99th percentile in average exit velocity and the 88th percentile in average sprint speed. So far, this incredible skill set has been held in check by a penchant for strikeouts, but there is plenty of room for growth for someone who has tallied fewer than 1,000 MLB at-bats and missed nearly all of the 2023 season. A 30-30 season from Cruz is on the horizon.
Lawrence Butler, Sacramento Athletics (Yahoo ADP: 88.0)
Butler has a wider range of possible outcomes than nearly any other player. After all, he wasn’t considered an elite prospect, nor was he expected to make a major impact last season. But a three-month…