First-Year Player Draft Blueprint

This is the third-annual First-Year Player Draft Blueprint for dynasty leagues. Accompanying this article is the fully updated FYPD Board. I've provided descriptions of every player there, along with ETAs. The Board features 100 players, but you should be able to get through your FYPD without going too far past my top 50. If you want more detail or opinions on any players, don't hesitate to ask me in the comments or on Twitter.

The massive update to the top 400 prospect rankings was completed Jan. 15., so you can check that out to see where these players slot in among all prospects. Additionally, I've written the outlooks on all the prospects in the top 40 on the FYPD Board, so you can reference those for more info.

If you listened to me last year, you had a better chance of getting Kyle Manzardo, Gavin Williams or Connor Norby, but you may also have used an early pick on Kahlil Watson, James Triantos or Jay Allen. This is a tough thing to get right, but I think this piece should serve as a useful guide, even if you don't follow it rigidly.

I don't rank international signees who are 25 or older at the time they sign on the top 400 prospect rankings, as I don't consider them prospects and I don't follow any of the leagues in Asia or Cuba. However, they do need to be ranked on a set of FYPD rankings. The first round of a FYPD is probably the best opportunity you will get all season to add a future elite hitting prospect, so passing on that opportunity to get a win-now veteran with zero track record in MLB isn't my style in dynasty leagues. 

If you've got an old roster and 2023 is one of the last year's of your competitive window, then either trading your FYPD pick for a big leaguer or using it on Kodai Senga or Masataka Yoshida makes all the sense in the world. Similarly, if you'll easily be able to add top-100 prospects in-season in your league, then it makes sense to take Senga or Yoshida in the first round of an FYPD. On the flip side, if most of my top 400 prospects are already rostered in your league, then I think drafting prospects is the clear way to go. Being flexible with your strategy from league-to-league and team-to-team is key in dynasty.

1-2

1. Druw Jones, CF, Diamondbacks, 2025 ETA

2. Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles, 2025 ETA

Jones has a slightly higher ceiling due to his elite speed, but both guys have first-round potential in fantasy drafts. Holliday is arguably safer since he really impressed in a brief pro debut while Jones had shoulder surgery and won't debut until this season. I think these two prospects are special enough that I wouldn't be looking to trade a top-two pick. In shallow leagues that don't allow in-season pickups, I'd follow my rankings and take Jackson Chourio or Kyle Manzardo (if available) over Jones or Holliday.

Options: Take Jones or Holliday

Top-400 Range: 10-12

3-4

3. Termarr Johnson, 2B/DH, Pirates, 2025 ETA

4. Elijah Green, RF/CF, Nationals, 2026 ETA

I prefer Johnson because of his combination of floor and ceiling, but Green has an almost unheard of ceiling if he hits, so even if his bust rate is higher, he's worth the risk at a this point. I've gotten questions about his strikeout rate, but I think there's a case to rank Green top-25 even if you think he's only got a 40-50% chance of panning out, so I'm factoring in the risk and the reward. 

Johnson and Green are great consolation prizes in this range of the first round, and with Johnson, Green, Senga and Yoshida in the player pool, Holliday will fall to third overall in many drafts. I can't imagine Jones falling here, but that'd be an easy call. Like with Jones and Holliday, I think the opportunity to get Johnson or Green is too special to look to trade this pick unless you're getting a big haul.

Options: Take Jones or Holliday if one falls; take Johnson or Green

Top-400 Range: 20-23

5-8

5. Cam Collier, 3B/1B/DH, Reds, 2026 ETA

6. Zach Neto, SS, Angels, 2023 ETA

I think Jones-Holliday-Johnson-Green will go in the top five of most FYPDs, with Senga going in the top five of some. There's also a lot of fanfare for other hitting prospects in this class, so odds are you can get one of Collier or Neto all the way down at eighth overall and likely even later in some leagues. If I'm early in a rebuild, Collier is the easy call, but if it's a league where fewer prospects are rostered/valued highly and/or you're in a contention cycle, I'd go with Neto. If a non FYPD guy like Everson Pereira is available, I do stand by my rankings and would take Pereira over Collier/Neto.

Options: Take Johnson or Green if one falls; take Collier or Neto

Top-400 Range: 45-46

9-16

7. Jett Williams, 2B/SS/CF, Mets, 2026 ETA

8. Brooks Lee, 3B/2B/SS, Twins, 2024 ETA

9. Kevin Parada, C/1B/DH, Mets, 2024 ETA

10. Chase DeLauter, RF/CF, Guardians, 2024 ETA

11. Drew Gilbert, CF, Astros, 2024 ETA

12. Spencer Jones, CF/LF/RF, Yankees, 2024 ETA

13. Dalton Rushing, C/1B/DH, Dodgers, 2024 ETA

As you can tell by how closely they're ranked on the top 400, I basically value these seven hitting prospects equally, so you want to be picking in the middle or back of this range once Collier/Neto are off the board. I strongly expect at least one of these guys to be on the board at 16th overall, and obviously there will be some leagues where one or two slip past that spot.

Options: Take Collier or Neto if one falls; take Williams, Lee, Parada, DeLauter, Gilbert, Jones or Rushing

Top-400 Range: 72-83

17-45

16. Dylan Beavers, RF, Orioles, 2025 ETA

17. Xavier Isaac, 1B/DH, Rays, 2026 ETA

18. Felnin Celesten, SS, Mariners, 2027 ETA

19. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Cardinals, 2024 ETA

20. Brandon Barriera, LHP, Blue Jays, 2026 ETA

21. Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs, 2025 ETA

22. Dylan Lesko, RHP, Padres, 2026 ETA

23. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Twins, 2025 ETA

24. Eric Brown, 2B/SS, Brewers, 2025 ETA

26. Jud Fabian, CF/RF, Orioles, 2024 ETA

27. Cole Young, SS/2B/3B, Mariners, 2026 ETA

28. Ethan Salas, C, Padres, 2027 ETA

29. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Brewers, 2025 ETA

We can assume Kodai Senga (14), Masataka Yoshida (15) and Gavin Cross (25) are gone at this point, so I skipped past them. This tier is made up of the top pitchers in the class, the top two international signees and my favorite undervalued hitters from the draft. Based on some mock drafts I've done, it's probably unlikely Lesko or Young would ever be listed as my best available, but I value them very similarly to to the guys just ahead of them. Feel free to take whoever your favorite player from this tier is when you're on the clock.

Given how much higher I think I am on guys like Beavers, Isaac, Barriera, Prielipp and Fabian than the average drafter, I think you'll be able to exhaust this grouping of prospects into the 40s of your FYPD, and maybe even into the 50s if there aren't other RotoWire subscribers in your league.

Options: Take Williams, Lee, Parada, DeLauter, Gilbert, Jones or Rushing if one falls; take Beavers, Isaac, Celesten, Hjerpe, Barriera, Horton, Lesko, Prielipp, Brown, Fabian, Young, Salas, Misiorowski

Top-400 Range: 101-140

46-65

31. Landon Sims, RHP, Diamondbacks, 2025 ETA

32. Mikey Romero, 2B/SS, Red Sox, 2026 ETA

35. Sterlin Thompson, LF, Rockies, 2025 ETA

36. Cayden Wallace, 3B, Royals, 2024 ETA

37. Enmanuel Bonilla, RF, Blue Jays, 2027 ETA

38. Sal Stewart, 1B/DH/3B, Reds 2026 ETA

39. Brock Jones, CF/LF, Rays, 2025 ETA

40. Jordan Beck, RF, Rockies, 2025 ETA

41. Jacob Melton, CF/RF, Astros, 2025 ETA

42. Ryan Clifford, LF/RF/1B/DH, Astros, 2026 ETA

43. Justin Campbell, RHP, Guardians, 2025 ETA

44. Owen Murphy, RHP, Atlanta, 2026 ETA

45. Brandon Mayea, CF/LF/RF, Yankees, 2027 ETA

46. Sebastian Walcott, SS/3B, Rangers, 2027 ETA

This is the last tier of FYPD guys I'm excited about. Unless I'm in a really deep league, I'll probably be able to exhaust this tier while also mixing in non-FYPD players with my final picks. For instance, non-FYPD prospects like Jonny DeLuca, AJ Smith-Shawver and Mason Miller are available in many dynasty leagues and they are far superior to the FYPD prospects that haven't been listed yet. I'm assuming Jacob Berry (30), Jace Jung (33) and Brock Porter (34) are all gone at this point, so I didn't list them. 

Options: Take Beavers, Isaac, Celesten, Hjerpe, Barriera, Horton, Lesko, Prielipp, Brown, Fabian, Young, Salas, Misiorowski if one falls; take a non-FYPD player or take Sims, Romero, Thompson, Wallace, Bonilla, Stewart, Jones, Beck, Melton, Clifford, Campbell, Murphy, Mayea, Walcott

Top-400 Range: 156-251

66-100

Again, I'm probably going with non-FYPD guys at this point unless it's a super deep league. Here are my favorite flyers who haven't been mentioned yet and who should be available at this stage of your FYPD:

49. Derniche Valdez, SS/3B, Cubs, 2028 ETA

50. Danny Serretti, SS/2B/3B, Tigers, 2024 ETA

52. Adam Mazur, RHP, Padres, 2025 ETA

54. Luis Almeyda, SS/3B, Orioles, 2028 ETA

55. Jacob Miller, RHP, Marlins, 2026 ETA

66. Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians, 2025 ETA

69. Jacob Zibin, RHP, Guardians, 2027 ETA

70. Dominic Keegan, C/1B/DH, Rays, 2025 ETA

75. Caden Dana, RHP, Angels, 2027 ETA

Options: Take Sims, Romero, Thompson, Wallace, Bonilla, Stewart, Jones, Beck, Melton, Clifford, Campbell, Murphy, Mayea, Walcott if one falls; take a non-FYPD player or take Valdez, Serretti, Mazur, Almeyda, Miller, Messick, Zibin, Keegan, Dana

Top-400 Range: 260-385

Please ask me any questions in the comments section, and good luck in your first-year player drafts!