Fantasy Baseball Draft Tiers: Printable Cheat Sheet & Rankings (2024)
Fantasy baseball enthusiasts are experiencing a resurgence of nostalgia, with a renewed appreciation for the tactile experience of printed draft kits. Scott White of CBS Sports released Version 4.0 of his popular draft tiers on Monday, offering a single-page, printable format for the 2026 season – a nod to a bygone era when paper-based draft preparation was the norm.
The move comes as a response to consistent feedback from players who miss the simplicity of physical draft materials, according to White. “You’ve told me what you want, what you really, really want, and it’s to move back to 1997 — a simpler time, with rankings you could reach out and touch,” White wrote in his release. The sentiment reflects a broader trend of appreciating analog tools in an increasingly digital world.
The appeal to 1997 is not accidental. That year saw a boom in the home printer market, fueled by falling PC prices and increased competition in the low-finish inkjet sector, according to a February 1998 report in ZDNET. Sales in December 1997 were up 27 percent compared to the same month the previous year, reaching 1.27 million units. Canon and Epson led the market with significant sales increases. An Epson Stylus 400, a 4ppm 720dpi printer, cost around $200 at the time, while the Stylus 600, offering 6ppm and 1440 dpi, was priced at $300, as reported by DOS Days.
The tiers themselves categorize players at each position – Catcher, First Base, Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop, Outfield, Starting Pitcher, and Relief Pitcher – into levels of expected performance: The Elite, The Near-Elite, The Next-Best Things, The Fallback Options, The Last Resorts, and The Leftovers. The system is designed to help drafters identify positional scarcity and make informed decisions during the draft process. For example, the “Elite” catchers for 2026 are listed as Cal Raleigh, while the “Elite” shortstops include Gunnar Henderson, Trea Turner, and Francisco Lindor.
The release of Version 4.0 coincides with the peak draft weekend for fantasy baseball, providing players with a tangible resource as they navigate the complexities of building their teams. The printable format is intended to offer a convenient alternative to digital interfaces, catering to those who prefer a more traditional approach to draft day.