Breaking down CBS Sports' fantasy rankings for the 2024 Phillies

It's the most wonderful time of the year: fantasy baseball draft season. Ok, maybe you find other things like March Madness or "the entire NFL season" more enthralling, but the relative popularity of fantasy baseball in the sports landscape is nothing to sneeze at.

Sites and sources abound, and a check of the composite rankings put together by the good folks at CBS Sports gives us some nice information on which we can base a draft strategy. As you would expect for a team with numerous star players, many Philadelphia Phillies rank pretty high up in the rankings at their positions. Let's see if CBS did them the justice they deserve, or if any of their rankings seem a little bit askew.

Note: These are the players' roto ranks using the consensus of three CBS writers, whom we will talk about individually at various points throughout.

J.T. Realmuto is ranked 3rd among catchers

It's a changing of the guard, as Adley Rutschman assumes the slam-dunk top spot among backstops that J.T. Realmuto owned for so many years. It's to be expected, though, as Realmuto is now firmly in the "boring veteran" stage of his career.

He still charts as high as second on Scott White's individual list; however, owing to how shallow the catcher pool is. In fact, no matter where I look, the absolute lowest I've seen Realmuto is fourth, behind Rutschman, William Contreras, and Will Smith. I think he's right there with Smith as the No. 3 option. We'll call this one spot on.

Bryce Harper is ranked 3rd among first basemen

Once again, this seems pretty fitting, as Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson are no-brainers at the top two spots at the cold corner. But Harper still makes a big splash at his new position, beating out the likes of Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Neither of these players can match Harper's overall run production numbers and a healthy dose of steals, which should make him a top option at first base for years to come. We can't really argue with this placement, either.

Kyle Schwarber is ranked 18th among outfielders

We all know the deal with Schwarber, as he absolutely mashes but can cripple your team's batting average. This is especially true since he'll probably hit leadoff again and amass a large number of plate appearances on the season that you'll find difficult to offset with higher-average guys on your fantasy squad. But he's a known commodity that you have to plan around, and you always pay a premium for guys who hit in stacked lineups like the Phillies seem to have.

I think 18th is a tad high, but appropriate. Frank Stampfl has him 21st, which is probably the sweet spot. If your league uses OBP instead of batting average, Schwarber doesn't sink you as much.

Nick Castellanos is ranked 25th among outfielders

I think Castellanos is accurately slotted here, well back of the true stars and hyped-up younger players but ahead of some other guys who don't have his track record. He's another one of those "boring" veterans at this point, but he makes a great OF3 for your club. You know what you're getting. At the same time, nobody's heart will be broken if Castellanos gets sniped one pick before their turn.

Whit Merrifield is ranked 61st among outfielders (and 24th among second basemen)

Whit Merrifield presents an interesting case, as it'll all come down to playing time. Can he get enough of it to steal 20+ bases and for his typically good average to make a dent on your roster? He makes for a decent gamble in your middle infield slot or a bench bat. If you're actually drafting him as one of your regular outfielders, though, you're in trouble. You're better off going with a more unproven player who will at least be given a starting spot out of the gate to show what he can do.

Brandon Marsh is ranked 90th among outfielders

I think this is a low number for Marsh, but it's also probably reflective of health concerns after his surprise offseason surgery put the start of his season into question. So I can't grumble too much about that, but this is one that I fully expect to look foolish by season's end. If he plays 140+ games, Marsh should be able to put up numbers more in line with the guys who are being ranked in OF slots 60-75. In fact, I will say the same about Johan Rojas, who didn't even crack the top 100 in CBS' projections.

Zack Wheeler is ranked 4th among starting pitchers

Staff workhorse Zack Wheeler has earned this spot, and I think he should even be above Corbin Burnes, whom CBS has at No. 3. Wheeler inspires total confidence, and fantasy players shouldn't hesitate with him at all, as he's given no indication of slowing down since he came to the Phillies. No objections here.

Aaron Nola is ranked 14th among starting pitchers

I realize Nola's value to the Phillies, but I still don't see enough to slot him this high. Chris Towers even has him 11th, ahead of Tyler Glasnow and George Kirby. Ultimately, a big part of Nola's fantasy allure is his durability. His floor is as safe as any starting pitcher outside of the elite group. But he still strikes me after all these years as a fringe top-20 SP.

I'd be a little uneasy with him as my SP2, but there is always risk. If you believe in trends, you could be encouraged by the fact that Nola's ERA yo-yos wildly between even and odd years, so he's due for a good performance there in 2024.

Cristopher Sánchez is ranked 60th among starting pitchers

Cristopher Sánchez is catching on in fantasy communities, and I can see the appeal. If you've already built a strong staff, you can afford to take the plunge on him as your SP5. His starting spot doesn't appear to be in any danger, so it seems reasonable that he can pile up enough innings to justify this ranking. If I had to go one way or the other, I wouldn't put him this high, but when we look back at the end of 2024, he should be within the top 70 SPs.

Ranger Suárez is ranked 96th among starting pitchers

Oh, the disrespect. I realize that Ranger isn't exactly a top target, but people seem to be sleeping on his talent level after an uneven 2023 that got off to a late start. With a clean bill of health this time around, I fully expect Suárez to be a top-75 starting pitcher when all is said and done this year. Health can never be assumed, of course, but solid ratios and a dozen wins are nothing to sneeze at from your team's SP5, which is what I view him as in a standard-sized league.

José Alvarado is ranked 23rd among relief pitchers

If you're only counting saves and not holds or SOLDS (saves + holds), the Phillies simply don't offer the high-end locked-in closer that will win you the category. And so the highest-ranked of their bullpen arms is Alvarado, who figures to toss his usual high strikeout numbers to accompany however many saves he'll compile.

It's anyone's guess if he runs with the job and can rattle off 25+ or if this bullpen turns into more of a committee and he barely gets 10. Such is the dilemma. Either way, this is an accurate ranking to reflect that uncertainty.