The term sleeper means a lot of different things in fantasy. In this article, the term sleeper will be defined as a player who will outperform their preseason ADP. These fantasy baseball sleepers are simply going too late in points league drafts and could wind up being value picks this upcoming season.
Below, we will be looking at seven sleepers who fantasy managers should be targeting in the middle-to-late round of fantasy drafts. These sleepers will only pertain to those playing in fantasy baseball points leagues, and most of them are going in the double-digit rounds.
So, who are the biggest draft sleepers in fantasy baseball points leagues for 2025? Let's dive and find out.
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Taylor Ward, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 187
It makes sense why Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is going in the back end of fantasy drafts. He plays for an Angels team that likely won't score many runs per game, and the veteran doesn't have the biggest fantasy upside. However, Ward can be a consistent fantasy option for your team in 2025, considering his solid 2024 campaign.
The 31-year-old hit .246 at the plate with 25 home runs, 26 doubles, and 75 RBI across 156 games. Those numbers helped Ward finish with the 51st-most fantasy points in points leagues on Fantrax, and we can expect the Angels outfielder to finish with similar stats in 2025.
He had a career-best 13% barrel rate last year, and his launch-angle sweet spot rate has ranked in the top 3% of the league in two of the past three seasons. In those two years, Ward has hit 23 home runs (2022) and 25 home runs (2024). Assuming that Ward doesn't drop drastically in that category in 2025, another 20-plus homer season should be attainable for him.
Ward might not be the sexiest draft pick in drafts, but he will get the job for your team. RotoBaller's CUTTER Projections by Nick Mariano project that the Angels outfielder will hit 25 home runs and drive in 78 runs this upcoming season. If that's the case, the veteran should be able to score another 440-plus fantasy points in points leagues.
Notable 2024 September Performances #2
Taylor Ward
114 PA, .286/.386/.520, 17 R, 7 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB, 13.2% BB, 21.1% K pic.twitter.com/uFicQbiM17
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) February 12, 2025
Ryan Pepiot, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 195
In his first full major league season as a starter, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot showed a lot of promise. He finished the year with a 3.60 ERA and 142 strikeouts across 130 innings pitched. That makes Pepiot a potential steal in the later rounds, especially after his strong end to the 2024 season.
The right-hander had a 2.54 ERA and 67 strikeouts over his final 13 games of the 2024 campaign. The 27-year-old allowed two runs or fewer in 12 of those 13 starts, and his best outing during that span came when he struck out 12 batters across six innings of one-run ball against the Boston Red Sox on September 18.
With another full year in the Rays organization now, there's a great chance that Pepiot will break out in 2025. He held opposing hitters to a .216 batting average last year, and his 29.9% whiff rate ranked in the 82nd percentile. So, the right-hander is someone fantasy managers should take a chance on in the 16th or 17th round of fantasy drafts.
Nick Mariano's CUTTER Projections say that Pepiot will finish with a 3.74 ERA and 177 strikeouts across 165 innings this season. That type of production would make the Rays pitcher a value pick in the later rounds.
Shane Baz, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 183
Despite missing the entire 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz looked sharp across his 14 major league starts last season. He finished the year with a 3.06 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 79 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander also had a very strong showing in September, which should give fantasy managers some confidence in drafting him in 2025.
Baz had a 2.37 ERA and 28 strikeouts across five September starts last year and gave up two runs or fewer in all five of those outings. On top of that, the Rays pitcher delivered a quality start in four of those five starts while holding opposing hitters to a .139 batting average at the plate.
Shane Baz, 99mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/lBUSgULY5V
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 28, 2024
As a result, Baz is a great sleeper pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. He showed his potential on the mound last season and could take his game to the next level in 2025. The talent has always been there for the young pitcher, but injuries have limited him from making more of an impact in the majors. If he can stay healthy this year, good things should be in store for the right-hander.
That's why he's worth a selection at his 183 ADP. Opposing hitters only had a .219 batting average against him last year, and Baz's upside could help him become a reliable fantasy option for those in points leagues. Don't forget, he was Tampa Bay's No. 1 prospect back in 2022. So, the talent is surely there.
Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 160
There was no hitter hotter at the plate than Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez to end the 2024 season. He hit .313 at the plate with 15 doubles, 23 home runs, and 61 RBI over his final 70 games of the year. That strong stretch should at least make Suarez an intriguing selection at his 160 ADP.
Before that 70-game stretch from July 10 to September 29, Suarez was not really a strong fantasy option. He had just a .205 batting average to go with seven home runs and 40 RBI through the first 88 games. In most leagues, that landed him on the waiver wire by the middle of the season.
However, it's hard to ignore what the slugger did in the final three months of the year. During that stretch, his 23 home runs ranked third in all of baseball -- only behind Aaron Judge (26) and Shohei Ohtani (26) -- and his 61 RBI ranked tied for second with Judge. Although Suarez got off to that slow start in 2024, his late-season surge helped him finish with the 39th-most fantasy points on Fantrax last year.
As a result, he is a fantastic value pick at his current 160 ADP. Suarez will strike out a lot and will likely go through plenty of slumps throughout the year, but his power should carry him once again in 2025. The 32-year-old has hit over 30 home runs and driven in 85 runs in three of the past four seasons. Those two stats are surely important in points leagues.
Nick Castellanos, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 153
It feels like every year Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos is slept on in fantasy. He is always going in the middle-to-late rounds of drafts but always winds up finishing in the top 50 in fantasy points scored in points leagues. That was the exact case with Castellanos last season.
Even though the power-hitting outfielder got off to a slow start last year, he still finished with a .254 average, 23 home runs, 30 doubles, 86 RBI, and four triples across 162 games. That helped him score 490 fantasy points on Fantrax, which was the 46th-most among all hitters in points leagues in 2024. Therefore, Castellanos is a sleeper pick heading into fantasy drafts at his 153 ADP.
At this point in Castellanos' career, we know what to expect from the veteran. He'll hit around .260 to .270 at the plate while totaling over 20 home runs, 30 doubles, and 85 RBI. The 32-year-old will also start almost every game for the Phillies, which means he'll always be available for your fantasy team. He has appeared in 319 out of 324 games over the past two seasons.
That makes him almost a must-draft in the 13th or 14th round of fantasy drafts. He should see plenty of RBI chances in the fourth or fifth spot in this Philadelphia lineup, and his .271 expected batting average and .441 expected slugging from 2024 are all great signs for him entering the new season.
Randy Arozarena, OF, Seattle Mariners
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 121
There's no doubt that Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena didn't have the strongest season at the plate in 2024. He finished with a .219 batting average and 60 RBI while striking out 169 times on the year. But it wasn't all bad offensively for the 29-year-old outfielder.
He still hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases, marking the fourth straight season that Arozarena has had a 20-20 season. On top of that, he drew 70-plus walks for the second consecutive year and totaled 33 doubles. So, despite the poor batting average and low RBI numbers in 2024, the Mariners outfielder still scored the 56th-most fantasy points on Fantrax last year.
That makes him a major sleeper heading into 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. He finds himself going in the 10th or 11th round of drafts this season, which feels like a bargain for a player who will likely hit over 20 home runs, steal over 20 bases, and drive in close to 70 runs.
Three hitters have 50+ HR and 50+ SB over the last three seasons and currently have an ADP outside of the Top 100 picks...
(ADP from NFBC, last 30 days)
Randy Arozarena (134.7)
Lane Thomas (176.2)
George Springer (245.9)#FantasyBaseball— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) January 24, 2025
Although Arozarena's average might bring down his fantasy potential, his ability to contribute solid numbers in the home run, steals, and doubles department will help him outperform his ADP. The 29-year-old was just one of 18 players last season to total at least 20 home runs, 20 steals, and 30 doubles. He'll be in a good spot to finish with those numbers again this year, and that makes him a nice draft pick in 2025.
Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers
Fantasy Baseball ADP: 110
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene is coming off his best season in the majors. He hit .262 with 24 home runs, 27 doubles, and 74 RBI across 137 games. It was truly a breakout campaign for the former fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, and there's reason to believe that he will build on that strong 2024 season.
Greene ranked in the 83rd percentile in several categories last year, including expected slugging (.477), average exit velocity (91.3), barrel rate (13.4%), and hard-hit rate (47.1%). The Tigers outfielder also had a great eye at the plate by ranking in the 85th percentile in chase rate (23.1%) and in the 83rd percentile in walk rate (11%).
As a result, Greene is a great target in points leagues at his 110 ADP. He ranked 60th in total fantasy points on Fantrax last season and has the potential to be a consistent fantasy option again in 2025. The 24-year-old should easily hit over 20 home runs and 25 doubles while driving in upward of 70 runs, similar to his numbers in 2024.
There are only 5 players under the age of 25 who had an OPS above .800:
Bobby Witt
Gunnar Henderson
Jackson Merrill
Elly De La Cruz
Riley GreenePlease get on the Riley Greene bandwagon before it’s too late.
pic.twitter.com/GKlWTjnRp7— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) February 7, 2025
There's also a chance that Greene takes that next step this season. His metrics were fantastic in his breakout campaign last year, and Nick Mariano's CUTTER Projections has the 24-year-old projected for 25 home runs and 79 RBI. If he puts up those stats in 2025, he will easily outperform his preseason ADP.
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