Welcome back to our February rankings update! Today’s focus is the 2017 outfield fantasy baseball rankings (part one). Specifically, I’ll be covering the top five tiers today, and Jeff Kahntroff has offered his thoughts on the best of the rest in part two of the outfield rankings analysis.

As a reminder, this round of rankings features input from Bill Dubiel, Brad Johnson, Nick Mariano, and Harris Yudin, in addition to Jeff and myself.

Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

2017 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Outfield, Part One (February)

Outfield Rankings Analysis: The Tiers

Tier 1

No surprises here, as most of us have Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, and Mookie Betts as the top three players overall regardless of position. At this point, humanity has run out of superlatives to bestow upon Trout. The guy is already one of the best players in the history of the game, and he’s still only 25. It’s absurd. Bryant just won NL MVP and a championship, improving considerably upon his Rookie of the Year-winning campaign in 2015. Betts tapped into his power and became a five-cat monster in the process.

Tier 2 

Bryce Harper couldn’t replicate his otherworldly 2015 performance, but still managed a 20/20 season with solid run production. He’s still just 24 years old and should be expected to bounce back as long as he can stay healthy. Teammate Trea Turner was a revelation as a rookie and is a legitimate 20/50 threat with eligibility at both middle infield spots. If you’d prefer veterans who have come close to those benchmarks, you can find them in this tier as well in Charlie Blackmon and Starling Marte. Want big-time power with high batting average to boot? Go for Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun, or J.D. Martinez. Rounding out this group is George Springer, still a solid bet to be the guy who ends MLB’s 30/30 drought.

Tier 3

A.J. Pollock missed most of last season with injury, but turned in a mammoth 2015 campaign. Even 80 percent of that performance would be enough to justify this ranking. Ditto Kyle Schwarber, who will retain catcher eligibility in Yahoo leagues. We’ve got two-thirds of the Marlins and Rockies’ starting outfields in this tier. Giancarlo Stanton’s power continues to tempt fantasy owners, though they’ve seemingly quit drafting him in the first round after years of failing to play a full slate. Christian Yelich tapped into his power a year ago, but it came at the expense of stolen bases. If he can find a way to do both, he may outperform this ranking. Carlos Gonzalez just keeps on truckin’; he doesn’t run anymore but got his average back up near .300 after a couple of lean years there. New teammate Ian Desmond bounced back from a tough 2015 and now gets to play half his games at Coors Field.

Justin Upton struggled for much of his first year in Detroit, but a late-season surge got his numbers into their usual territory. Conversely, a shoulder injury sapped Gregory Polanco’s newfound power in the second half, making him a potential bargain in 2017. You might also get Jose Bautista at a discount, though his injury concerns, age, and low batting average are causes for concern.

Tier 4

Like Bautista, Andrew McCutchen underperformed in 2016, and injuries were at least part of the problem. Cutch is still only 30 and was a reliable four or five category stud for most of the decade prior to last year. He’s an excellent bounceback candidate. This tier has several options in the slugger department, as both Mark Trumbo and Khris Davis hit over 40 homers last season, while Matt Kemp thumped 35. Looking for more well-rounded contributions? Both Odubel Herrera and Jose Ramirez can give you a high average and runs total, along with speed and double-digit pop. Judging by his ADP, owners expect the same from David Dahl despite the red flag of a .404 BABIP during his impressive rookie season. Lastly, Billy Hamilton’s blazing speed continues to entice the fantasy community at large despite his shortcomings as a hitter.

Tier 5

The largest of the top five tiers is also arguably the most diverse. You’ve got steady if unspectacular vets like Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler, and Adam Eaton rubbing elbows with up-and-comers like Andrew Benintendi and Jose Peraza. There are several players looking to bounce back from injury-plagued seasons (Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Pence, and Michael Brantley) and a couple looking to cement themselves after breakout seasons (Jackie Bradley Jr. and Stephen Piscotty). It’s an interesting group of guys, warts and all.