Building a team centered on Bobby Witt Jr. in fantasy baseball is a realistic strategy for several managers this season. Essentially, any manager who doesn’t have the luxury of picking first or second overall will have to consider this scenario. And we’re going to help you decide the better path toward building an efficient, balanced roster with the star shortstop as your cornerstone.
Witt has gone in most drafts in the 1.03-to-1.05 range, as he’s in the second tier of near-elite players, sitting next to Juan Soto and Jose Ramirez but decidedly behind the duo of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Few players embrace the concept of being a roster-building block better than Witt, who can hit for average and power, steal bases, and be an effective run-producer. However, the player you choose AFTER Witt can make or break your championship aspirations.
If you were lucky enough to choose Witt in the first round, that means you’ll be picking near the end of the even rounds (second, fourth, etc.) but near the top of the odd rounds (third, fifth, and so on). With that in mind, and in a standard 12-team format, your pick in the second round would fall in the 20-22 range, and the third one would be in the 27-29 range. Essentially, you’d have the luxury of having three top-30 players on your roster.
How to Build a Fantasy Baseball Roster Around Bobby Witt Jr.
The second-round pick could be the most important of your entire draft. If you’re looking to add more power to your lineup, targeting someone like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Kyle Schwarber would be excellent, although it’s uncertain if either would be available.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking to add another well-rounded hitter who can deliver production across the board, then Jazz Chisholm Jr. would be an excellent option. That would give you an elite infield of Witt and Chisholm, adding elite talent in areas where talent is scarce, thanks to Chisholm’s dual eligibility at second and third base.
Meanwhile, the third-round pick would be the perfect time to add the ace of your staff, with players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cristopher Sanchez potentially available. However, you can always decide to sort out pitching later.
If you’re aiming to add another power threat, Pete Alonso could be an option if you didn’t target Guerrero earlier. Adding an outfielder like Pete Crow-Armstrong or Yordan Alvarez could also be a solid move, although these two players carry a few more question marks.
The fourth round would have to be the latest option to add a potential ace to your staff, and by the time you get to pick in the 44-46 range, you could be looking at Chris Sale, Hunter Greene, or Logan Gilbert (if you’re lucky). Even an elite reliever like Mason Miller or Edwin Diaz would do the trick as well, as it’d allow you to draft from strength in scarce positions.
Ultimately, having the possibility of drafting Witt could be huge, but the players you select in the upcoming rounds are just as important. Building a strong core in the early rounds is always a positive in fantasy, as this is a volume-based game after all, especially in baseball and its 162-game regular season.
Adding a mix of players with a balanced skill set could be the most interesting approach when adding a do-it-all cornerstone like Witt with your first-round pick. As long as Witt is able to perform at a similar level to what he’s evidenced in the past two seasons, he’ll be worthy of being a first-round selection across all formats.
Leave a Reply