Early (1st or 2nd round)
Mookie Betts: This five-tool stud is the only Red Sox player I would consider in the first round of fantasy drafts. Betts posted a disappointing .264 batting average last year that was dragged down by fluky BABIP results. Expect that average to trend back toward the .300 mark. In what many considered a down year, Betts was still one of only eight hitters with 100+ runs and 100+ RBI. He was also one of nine players with 20+ home runs and 20+ steals. Betts will contribute in every category. If his power returns to the 30-homer level he showed in 2016, there’s a legitimate case to be made for Betts being the top fantasy hitter in baseball.
Chris Sale: The rising importance of bullpens has left us with fewer 200+ inning workhorses. A sub-3.00 ERA is more valuable for a pitcher that handles this workload than it is for a pitcher who only tosses 170 innings. You can find plenty of pitcher value in the middle rounds but if you want a reliable ace to anchor your staff then you’ll need to grab one in Round 2. Clayton Kershaw still gets the nod for the top pitcher on draft boards as long as he’s healthy. He may even go in the first round in some leagues. Sale belongs in the next tier with Max Scherzer and Corey Kluber.
J.D. Martinez: It’s easy to view the 45 home runs Martinez blasted last year as a reason to draft him among the top handful of hitters in fantasy. If a first-round pick is what it would take to land Martinez, he won’t end up on my team. Martinez provides elite production in four categories but won’t help at all in the stolen base category. He has also played in over 123 games only once in his career. Last year’s numbers were inflated by his time spent in Arizona. Fenway is a good hitter’s park but not on the same level as Chase Field.