In an ideal world, a fantasy manager selects players with balanced skill sets in every round as he or she steadily works toward overall category targets. But the journey to draft-day success is never that smooth. In reality, the best value picks are sometimes players who shine in one category more than the others. And once a manager grabs one of these players, he or she needs to make other picks that counterbalance the selection.
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Here is a collection of category specialists who offer imbalanced production but have a reasonable ADP and provide solid value overall.
Home runs
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves (Yahoo ADP: 58.3)
Of the 11 players who hit at least 35 homers last season, Ozuna has the latest ADP. That fact is especially surprising when recognizing that Ozuna went deep 40 times in 2023 and ranks sixth among all players in long balls over the past two years. Managers who start their draft with a speedster such as Elly De La Cruz or Corbin Carroll should set their sights on grabbing the undervalued Ozuna in Round 5.
RBI
Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks (Yahoo ADP: 70.0)
Naylor was an RBI machine in Cleveland, ranking seventh in baseball with 205 runs batted in across the past two seasons. The Canadian slugger will now ply his trade in Arizona, which gives him even more RBI potential from the heart of a lineup that led the majors in runs scored last year.
Runs
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians (Yahoo AD: 141.5)
Kwan is the perfect embodiment of a low-ceiling middle-round pick whose value is driven by his ability to get on base and score runs. The leadoff man averaged 91 runs across his initial two seasons and needed just 122 games to score 83 times last year. Kwan enjoyed a power uptick by homering 14 times last season, and the career .285 hitter has 20-steal upside. He’s the perfect mid-round fit for a team that has otherwise loaded up on sluggers.
Stolen bases
Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins (Yahoo ADP: 120.2)
Edwards has some clear flaws in his profile, namely that he struggles to hit the ball hard. But he knows how to play to his strengths by keeping most of his batted balls on the ground and letting his fleet feet do the rest. The rebuilding Marlins allowed the 25-year-old to run wild last year (31 SB in 265 AB), and he is on a short list of players who could lead the majors in steals.
Batting average
Yainer Díaz, Houston Astros (Yahoo ADP: 102.9)
It’s too easy to place Luis Arráez in…