Fantasy: 10 players to avoid

Even some of the most well-known players may not be great options in the fantasy world. Here are 10 players to avoid in your fantasy draft.

Average draft positions are from FantasyPros as of March 15.

Top players to avoid

Elly De La Cruz, Reds - SS/3B (ADP: 29)

The holes in De La Cruz's game make him a risk in fantasy - unless you're in a keeper league with time to invest in his growth. De La Cruz strikes out a lot - only four players with at least 400 plate appearances in 2023 had a higher K percentage than his 33.7%. He had fewer home runs than one might expect for the type of hitter he is and the cozy ballpark he calls home. He could be of some help if you need stolen bases, but De La Cruz has to get on base to steal, and his .300 OBP is worrisome.

Luis Robert Jr., White Sox - OF (ADP: 30)

Robert is your man if you need power, but he won't offer too much else on the fantasy front. That 40-homer bat and 30-30 potential are offset by his low OBP, high strikeouts, and an impatience at the plate that keeps his walk numbers down. He's stuck in - and forced to carry - a bad White Sox lineup, which further hurts his fantasy profile. Twenty-seven of Robert's 38 homers last year were solo shots because his teammates didn't get on base in front of him, which kept his RBI totals down. If that trend continues, he'll once again be the rare power hitter who won't help your fantasy team much in RBIs.

Shane Bieber, Guardians - SP (ADP: 128)

The former AL Cy Young winner is coming off a rough season in which he missed time with an elbow injury. Bieber's K/9 rate also dipped again: After falling by over three batters from 2021 to '22, it declined to below eight per nine innings in 2023. If he's healthy, this might be a different story, but it's easy to see why his stock has fallen. Bieber's really only worth a late flier in hopes of striking gold.

Blake Snell, Free agent - SP (ADP: 65)

Snell not only led the majors in walks last year but posted the highest BB/9 rate (5.0) among qualified starters. Yes, he'll strike guys out, but if he can't get the walks under control, he becomes a bit more of a high-risk, high-reward pick. There's also no guarantee he'll repeat his award-winning season. Just like his first Cy Young campaign in 2018, last year stands out as an outlier compared to the rest of his career. Snell also needs to ramp up quickly when he does sign somewhere, meaning you may have to wait for him to contribute. At the very least, make sure you don't draft Snell too early - there'll be better options available.

Max Muncy, Dodgers - 3B (ADP: 144)

Muncy's power-first bat means he'll rack up the home runs and RBIs, but there are plenty of reasons to still be wary. His production against left-handers has dipped over the last few seasons, reaching a low point in 2023. If the Dodgers' best option is to use him in a third-base platoon, that's reason enough to stay away from him as an everyday fantasy starter. His appeal as a versatile player with eligibility at multiple infield spots is also gone. Be careful taking Muncy without also grabbing a right-handed hitting third baseman to create a fantasy platoon.

Cody Bellinger, Cubs - OF/1B (ADP: 52)

We're not quite ready to buy into Bellinger being all the way back because there were quite a few concerning signs buried within his comeback 2023 campaign. Bellinger's exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage all remained well below what's expected from a hitter of his caliber. His walk percentage jumped up slightly but was still well short of his pre-injury norms. There's simply no guarantee he won't backslide again in 2024, and until he proves otherwise, it's hard to count on him as an everyday fantasy option.

Anthony Volpe, Yankees - SS (ADP: 127)

There's no question Volpe deserved his Gold Glove at shortstop last year, but that won't do much good in fantasy. Volpe's 21 homers and 24 steals masked his overall difficulties at the plate during his rookie season. Yes, he's enjoyed another solid spring at the plate, but nobody should buy into spring numbers - especially after he was unable to sustain last year's unreal Grapefruit League performance once the lights turned on. Volpe might become a go-to fantasy shortstop eventually, but he'll need to bring these spring mirages into the regular season first.

Sonny Gray, Cardinals - SP (ADP: 119)

There was reason to worry about Gray even before he suffered a hamstring injury early in camp that could keep him on the IL to start the season. Gray's career-best 2023 season at age 33 came almost out of nowhere, and even if he remains a solid starter in St. Louis, it's hard to see him leading the majors in FIP again. While he'll limit home runs, you're better off looking elsewhere for strikeouts. Spending a late-round pick on Gray to stash him on the IL could work, although question marks around when he'll make his Cardinals debut mean he could be available on the waiver wire later.

DJ LeMahieu, Yankees - 1B/2B/3B (ADP: 288)

Positional versatility aside, LeMahieu's fantasy stock is falling fast. The former batting champion's bat has sunk back to his career norms over the last few seasons, and there's no sign a reversal is imminent. His poor spring numbers are again putting his overall downturn on display. LeMahieu will probably keep his spot in the Yankees' lineup for the time being, largely because of his defense and versatility. If he's on your fantasy team, it should probably be as a waiver pickup after an injury.

Joe Ryan, Twins - SP (ADP: 88)

Ryan's 2023 season featured plenty of ups and downs. His increase in strikeouts and decrease in walks also came with an inflated ERA and homer rate - he allowed a round-tripper in nearly 5% of at-bats last year. Ryan's ground-ball percentage was also quite low, and his fastball velocity ranked in the 23rd percentile. Now that he's the Twins' No. 2 starter, he'll be asked to do more in the rotation. If he's up for the task, he could reward plenty of fantasy managers, but there are no guarantees. Make sure you have a deep rotation if you're going to draft Ryan so there's a cushion to fall back on.