When drafting your fantasy baseball teams for 2017, avoid these overrated players. One such example is New York Mets SP Matt Harvey.

What makes a player “overrated” in fantasy baseball? Inconsistent play or contributing in only one category. This is the answer in a nutshell. 

The players on this list are being over drafted and, in some cases, are more name than actual fantasy production. Don’t try to be cute and overdraft a player because they are on your favorite team. One category players are who you want to stay away from in fantasy this year. Do your best to stay away from players who are coming off of career years out of the blue, have big injury concerns or their names are the reason they are being drafted.

The players on this list are being drafted ahead of better players at the same position and they will give you less production than them. If a player has a breakout year out of nowhere (Rick Porcello, Jean Segura) then I would be very cautious when drafting them this year. I would rather draft players who have a more consistent track record instead of taking a risk on a player who could have had a career year.

Here is my list of the most overrated players in fantasy baseball 2017. Let me know who I have on here that shouldn’t be or others that I missed.

Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor is projected as a top 25 pick this year in most fantasy drafts and it makes no sense to me. When drafting someone in the top 25 overall, they need to be elite in at least one category. He will give you a solid batting average, score plenty of runs and can steal 20 bases, but is that worth a top pick for?

Lindor is being drafted ahead of players with a lot more upside and talent such as Giancarlo Stanton, Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes. Don’t fall into the trap of drafting Lindor this year. Wait a little longer on shortstop and draft a player who can give you better overall numbers. I would draft other shortstops like Carlos Correa, Jonathan Villar and Trevor Story who are going in the same round or multiple rounds later.

Christian Yelich

Christian Yelich is projected to be a top 40 overall pick this year in drafts and, again, I have no idea why. He had 21 home runs (his previous career high was nine) and he drove in 98 RBIs (his previous career high was 54). He is still a young player and those numbers can be the player he is, but I am not taking a chance on drafting Yelich that early in drafts.

The number that scares me is his stolen bases. 2016 was the first year he didn’t steal double digit bases. If he can become a 20/20 guy then he is worth the draft pick but the home run numbers are an outlier and the drop in stolen bases is concerning. Don’t draft Yelich in the top four or five rounds this year. Instead of drafting Yelich, I would recommend drafting Kyle Seager, Wil Myers and Dee Gordon, who will all provide better numbers with less risk.

Jean Segura

Jean Segura enjoyed a career year in 2016 and a lot of it had to do with the ballpark he was in. Chase field is one of the best hitter’s parks in the league and the usual light hitting shortstop who just contributes in stolen bases and runs benefit greatly there. He had a career high in home runs, RBIs and average, and now he is heading to Safeco Field in Seattle where his power numbers will most likely be cut in half.

Projected to be a top 55 pick is too much of a risk. He will give you stolen bases next year and has a chance to score 100 runs again but for only two categories, that is not worth drafting in the top 55 overall. Segura will end up on zero of my teams and he shouldn’t even up on anyone’s roster who is reading this. Draft players with a lot more upside such as Alex Bregman and David Dahl who can be top 30 players by the start of next year.

Eric Hosmer

Hosmer drove in 104 RBIs last year but from a fantasy standpoint, that is all he did. 2016 was the first year that he hit 20 home runs and it seemed that he sold out to do so. Hosmer is usually a pretty safe bet for average but by selling out to hit more home runs he batted only .266 and without elite power numbers and speed numbers, he won’t help out your fantasy team.

Instead of wasting a pick on Hosmer, I would recommend drafting Adam Eaton, Jose Bautista or Miguel Sano, who will all showcase better numbers across the board.

Rick Porcello

Talk about an average player who had a breakout season. Rick Porcello, over his career, averaged over 10 hits per nine innings and last year that number dropped to below eight. He set a career high in innings pitched at 223, which is the second time in his career that he passed the 200 inning mark. He isn’t an elite strikeout pitcher (6.1 Ks per 9) and with the high number of wins last year, it is driving up his draft value. His win total can be cut in half and he won’t give you 200 strikeouts next year.

Wins is the most unpredictable category in fantasy and strikeout numbers are what helps drive up fantasy pitchers numbers. The more strikeouts, the more outs which means less balls put in play and that means less of a chance of the pitchers giving up runs. Stay away from Porcello in this year’s draft. Draft pitchers with more upside such as Dan Duffy, Lance McCullers and Sonny Gray.

Matt Harvey

Matt Harvey is trying to come back from alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome which has ended other pitchers careers. This is not an injury or surgery like Tommy John where players can come back in a year stronger and pitch like they were in the past. This is a very serious injury and it will have its effects on Harvey for the rest of his career.

Harvey, before the injuries, was a true ace in the league. Unfortunately, those days seem like a distant memory. I will not have Harvey on any of my teams and he shouldn’t be on any of yours. Don’t let the name fool you into drafting him no matter how far he falls in drafts. Draft almost any other pitcher in the league instead of Harvey, the health concerns are real. Harvey is not worth the headache.

Billy Hamilton

Any person who tells you to draft Billy Hamilton needs to get their head checked. He is not a good baseball player. He is fast and that is all he has going for him on the baseball field. His .260 average last year might be the highest of his career. He hits the ball straight into the ground and he it out for hits. That is not a player I want on my team. He doesn’t walk, hit for power and for someone with his speed, doesn’t hit a lot of doubles.

Hamilton is a one category player and he will lose you weeks because of his poor and inconsistent play. Stay away from Hamilton in your drafts, draft speed early and often when you can so you don’t put yourself in the position to draft Hamilton. He’s not very good at baseball.