As March rolls on, fantasy baseball managers are gearing up for their draft season, looking to build championship-caliber teams. The discussion around the "perfect" draft is heating up. Tristan H. Cockcroft and Eric Karabell provided insights into optimal first and second-round picks across various draft positions in ESPN standard leagues.

From the number one slot, both experts agree on Shohei Ohtani as the top choice, noting his unparalleled scoring potential as both a pitcher and hitter. For points leagues, Cockcroft pairs Ohtani with Ketel Marte, highlighting Marte's underrated skills and positional scarcity at second base. Conversely, Karabell favors Trea Turner for rotisserie formats, believing in his bounce-back capabilities despite a down year.

At the number two pick, Cockcroft endorses Juan Soto, who boasts impressive walk rates and hard contact statistics, while Karabell opts for Bobby Witt Jr. Both analysts see significant value in balancing power and speed in their selections. Judge remains a consensus pick at number three, with varying second-round choices reflecting differing strategies in points versus rotisserie formats.