Fantasy Baseball: Guardians first-half fantasy All-Stars headline list

The actual lineups for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game have now been announced and fans have had plenty of time to dissect each selection. For those of us who are passionate about fantasy baseball, here are the players who would fill All-Star rosters if first-half fantasy baseball production was the only criteria.

American League Fantasy Stars

Adley Rutschman – C, Baltimore Orioles

Rutschman used his premium position in Baltimore’s highest-scoring offense to rank among the top four catchers in homers, RBI and runs scored.

Josh Naylor – 1B, Cleveland Guardians

One of this year’s surprise stars, Naylor led Cleveland’s productive lineup by ranking ninth in baseball in homers and fourth in RBI.

José Altuve – 2B, Houston Astros

Hitting .306 with 14 home runs and 15 steals, Altuve continues to be one of fantasy baseball’s most steady producers.

Gunnar Henderson – 3B, Baltimore-Orioles

The leader of baseball’s most powerful lineup surpassed even the most optimistic projections for a breakout season, leading MLB in runs and ranking third in homers.

– SS, Kansas City Royals

Witt made big strides as a hitter for the second year in a row. From a fantasy perspective, he ranks second in runs scored and is one of four players with at least 15 homers and 20 steals.

Aaron Judge – OF, New York Yankees

Judge was baseball’s leading hitter in 2024 (1.112 OPS) and leads the majors in home runs and RBI.

Juan Soto – OF, New York Yankees

Judge and Soto have proven to be the perfect combination to disrupt opposing pitchers, as the duo ranks first and second in the majors, respectively, in OBP.

Yordan Álvarez – OF, Houston Astros

One of the best pure hitters in baseball, Alvarez drove in four runs in May but was so effective throughout the rest of the season that he is among the top 20 hitters overall.

José Ramírez – DH, Cleveland Guardians

Ramirez is the leader of Cleveland’s resurgent offense and could post illustrious career bests in home runs, runs and RBI.

Tarik Skubal – SP, Detroit Tigers

Skubal was the best pitcher in fantasy baseball this year, ranking in the top five in baseball in wins, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. He has been ultra-efficient, throwing at least six innings in 16 of 19 starts despite reaching the 100-pitch threshold just once all season.

Emmanuel Clase – RP, Cleveland Guardians

Clase rebounded from a down year (by his high standards) in 2023 to post career-bests this season (0.81 ERA, 0.68 WHIP). Thanks to the resurgence of the Guardians team, he is expected to save 40 games for the third year in a row.

National League Stars

William Contreras – C, Milwaukee Brewers

Contreras earned this nod despite mediocre power numbers (10 HR), leading all catchers in runs, hits and steals.

Bryce Harper – 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

Harper has been so consistent as the leader of a productive Phillies lineup that even a brief stint on the IL couldn’t keep him from ranking among the top 15 hitters overall.

Ketel Marte – 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Considered a steady but boring veteran during draft season, Marte leads all second basemen in runs and homers while ranking second in RBI.

Elly De La Cruz – 3B, Cincinnati Reds

De La Cruz’s quick feet have been a big story this season, as he has collected 16 more shots than any other player and could surpass Ronald Acuña Jr.’s impressive 73 steals.

Francisco Lindor – SS, New York Mets

In addition to struggling to average in April, Lindor has been a metronome of steady, balanced fantasy production. He joins Shohei Ohtani, Elly De La Cruz and José Ramírez as the only players at least 17 years old in the home run and stolen bases categories.

Marcell Ozuna – OF, Atlanta Braves

Few would have predicted Ozuna would lead Atlanta’s star-studded lineup, but the veteran leads the team in home runs, RBI, runs scored and batting average.

Jurickson Profar – OF, San Diego Padres

Released early in the season, Profar is the most surprising name on this list and provides a good reminder to never give up entirely on former top prospects.

Brenton Doyle – OF, Colorado Rockies

Doyle made notable strides in his walk and strikeout rates, which allowed his exciting mix of power and speed to flourish. As is the case with most Colorado hitters, he has been outstanding at home and just average on the road.

Shohei Ohtani – DH, Los Angeles Dodgers

While recovering from elbow surgery, Ohtani still hit well enough to be the No. 1 fantasy player so far this season. Wild! He is the only 20-20 baseball player who ranks no lower than sixth in all five standard fantasy categories.

Chris Sale – SP, Atlanta Braves

Although Paul Skenes starts the true All-Star Game, he hasn’t had time to capture Sale in fantasy value, as the Braves veteran leads the majors in wins while ranking in the top 7 in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts.

Ryan Helsley – RP, St.

Although Helsley has pitched well (2.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), he is given this position primarily because he has received the most save chances of any pitcher. Only Clase is within striking distance of Helsley’s league-leading total (32).