Austin Riley or Rafael Devers

So, Who's Better?

Going into the 2025 season, we have Riley slotted as the #3-ranked third baseman (with an ADP of 38). Compare that with Devers, who's #4 at the position (ADP of 29). Based on just those full-season projections, expect Devers to be the slightly better fantasy performer. Nothing's that easy, though - let's dig into the most important stats for both daily and roto leagues...

DFS Contests

Daily lineups are all about timing, short-term trends and matchups, even among highly-ranked players. With these two guys, keep an eye on the following splits...

On any given day (see today's matchups), check to see how many of these OPS "bonuses" apply. If most or all are in play, highly consider going in that player's direction.

Roto Leagues

On the flip side, rotisserie is a marathon and MUCH more predictable. Most major trends tend to repeat, especially with established players.

For starters, Riley is a 28-year old righty with the potential to produce a slash of .270/90/35/85 (BA/R/HR/RBI)... with basically no steals a year. So, that's the big downside here. With regard to OPS, a projected level of ~.850 means he'll inflict plenty of damage across all extra base cats. In baseball years, he's pretty established so don't expect major jumps in his stat ceiling (staying consistent is the name of the game for vets).

Now, with Devers - he's a 28-year old lefty with .280/90/35/95 splits... with virtually no SBs a season. You'll need to make up that speed gap elsewhere. OPS levels are likely to end up around ~.870, so a bunch of consistent extra-base damage. At his age, he's a legit veteran so, stat-wise, we pretty much know what to expect (or hope to get).

Overall, these two have a bunch in common so, over the course of a full season, you'll get a similar amount of fantasy points from each. Draft for value, not strictly points.

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What's your take?