Fantasy baseball is an exciting process, from the draft, to the waiver wire and beyond. The most exhilarating part of this “silly little game” is drafting your team. Each fantasy draft is different in its own right. You could compare it to a snowflake in that no draft is ever the same. When it comes to drafting a baseball squad everyone has a different strategy. One of the main strategies is to stay away from the players who are likely to bust. Another rule is not to reach for players in the early rounds.

That brings me to the topic at hand, overrated fantasy players. I want to make this clear from the beginning; I am not saying all these players are overrated in the aspect of how well they perform for their team. The players that I am listing below are, in my opinion, hitters and pitchers who have been overrated for fantasy baseball purposes only. I did not create a numbered list ranking, but simply a list of the players who I consider overrated.

Josh Hamilton, Center Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Josh Hamilton is one of the most interesting players on this list. His numbers are solid but there are some telling signs of what his future holds. His strikeout numbers went from 92 to 162 and his OBP dropped from .411 to .354. The most shocking stat of all is his swings at pitches outside of the zone; it sky rocketed from 17.3% two seasons ago to 25.5%, which was the highest in the Majors last season. Don’t get me wrong, Hamilton is a great baseball player but do you really want to draft him 19th overall or let someone else take the risk? I say pass.

Albert Pujols, First Basemen, Los Angeles Angels

Here is another prime example of a good baseball player who is ranked far too high in my opinion. His OBP has dropped every single year since 2008; along with his slugging percentage, batting average and number of walks. His WAR has also dropped every single year since 2010 as well. Obviously his 2008 season was one of the best we have seen in awhile so you can’t expect those type of numbers every year. But drafting him seventh seems WAY too early to take a player who didn’t even bat .300 last season.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Center Fielder, Boston Red Sox

Ellsbury is ranked 45th overall in most mock drafts and rankings. Once again this is the type of guy who you don’t want to waste an early round draft pick on. Most of the time risk is not worth the reward. He has also been injured for a large part of two of his last three seasons. I sound like a broken record here but pass on Ellsbury unless you’re desperate for a center fielder.

R.A. Dickey, Starting Pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays

Personally I do not like knuckleball pitchers on the mound or on my fantasy team. The fact that Dickey is 38 years old also scares me. He struck out 230 batters last season but I do not see him even breaking 200 in 2013. The only way I would draft him is if he is available in the 12th round or higher. You will most likely see someone reach for him before this happens.

Justin Upton, Left Fielder, Atlanta Braves

Upton is a player that I envision having a great season. But I do not think he should be the 12th overall pick in any draft. This is why I have him as an overrated player. He has shown the tools to be an MVP but hasn’t put all of these tools together at once. For a guy who bats .280 it seems silly to draft him with an early second round pick.

Mike Trout, Center Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Here is the prime example of a great baseball player who has too high of a ranking. In every single mock draft I have done, Mike Trout has been taken top three. I don’t believe taking a player who is only in his second season as one of the top three picks. Yes, he had one of the greatest rookie seasons in history but do you really think he can do that for a second straight year? I’d rather take, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder here.

Ryan Howard, First Base, Philadelphia Phillies

Most people would disagree with me on this pick but Ryan Howard is over rated and being paid far too much money. He hasn’t batted over .300 since 2006 and strikes out at one of the highest rates in MLB. His walks have stayed up relatively but I think the days of 30 home runs from Ryan Howard are long gone. Adam LaRoche, Paul Konerko or even Kendrys Morales are more reliable first basemen.

Tim Lincecum, Starting Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

I may be the biggest Lincecum hater in the world, but for good reason. He was good for four seasons and last year everything unwound on him. He has far too many moving parts to be a consistent pitcher in this league. He had no control or demand of any of his pitches last season. I do not see this changing anytime soon. Although he is projected to be drafted with the 120th pick, I wouldn’t take him with my last pick. Do not draft Tim Lincecum, final.