Earlier-Round Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets - They're Worth The Cost

Joey's earlier-round fantasy baseball draft sleepers, values, and targets who are worth the cost in 2025. These players are value picks, even in earlier rounds.

The MLB season will officially kick off between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers on March 18. These two teams will play a two-game series in Tokyo and start their seasons before everyone else. That means fantasy drafts will need to happen earlier than usual once again this year. 

In this article, we will help you get ready for your drafts by identifying multiple sleepers who are currently going early in fantasy baseball drafts. These players might be going within the first five rounds of drafts, but they have the potential to outperform their preseason ADP.

So, who are the five biggest sleepers going within the top 65 picks in drafts? Let's dive in and find out.

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Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves

ADP: 49.3

There is some risk in taking Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies at this current 49.3 ADP. He has missed more than 60 games in two of the past three seasons and is coming off arguably his worst season at the plate. Albies hit .251 with 10 home runs, 29 doubles, 53 RBI, and eight stolen bases across 99 contests.

However, all that makes him a sneaky pick at the beginning of drafts. Although he has dealt with some injuries in recent years, he has always been one of the best-hitting second basemen when he was healthy. In his last full season in 2023, Albies slashed .280/.336/.513 to go with 33 home runs, 30 doubles, 109 RBI, and 13 steals.

During that season, he contributed elite home run, double, and RBI numbers while having a solid average. So he's definitely worth taking a chance on early in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. No one truly knows how the season will play out and who will wind up missing time. If Albies does stay healthy, though, he will easily outperform that 49.3 ADP.

James Wood, OF, Washington Nationals

ADP: 55.7

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood has the chance to be a top-35 fantasy player in 2025. We saw glimpses of his potential in his rookie campaign last season, and the 22-year-old has the tools to be a strong fantasy option this upcoming season. Wood hit .264 at the plate with nine home runs, 13 doubles, three triples, 41 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 79 games last year.

James Wood. CRUSHED. pic.twitter.com/QF9ys6fVIv

— MLB (@MLB) August 18, 2024

While it might have been a small sample size for the Nationals' outfielder, there's reason to believe he can take his game to the next level this season. His average exit velocity (92.8 mph), hard-hit rate (52 percent), chase rate (21 percent), and walk rate (11.6 percent) across his 336 plate appearances all ranked extremely well. He also has a 28.7 ft/sec sprint speed, which should lead to over 20 stolen bases.

Therefore, Wood could wind up being an excellent value pick at his 55.7 ADP. Of course, the young outfielder still has some things to learn in the majors and needs to strike out less at the plate, but the upside is there for him in 2025. Don't forget, there was a stretch last year in which he slashed .354/.446/.570 with three home runs, 14 RBI, and five stolen bases across 22 games in August.

Michael King, SP, San Diego Padres

ADP: 59.1

Seeing what San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King did last season was truly impressive. In his first full season as a starter in the majors, King finished with a 2.95 ERA, 1.192 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts across 173 2/3 innings pitched. As a result, the right-hander is an underrated pick at his 59.1 ADP.

King was almost untouchable on the mound last year and should continue to be a consistent fantasy option this year. He ranked in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity (85.7 mph) and 97th percentile in hard-hit rate (30.3 percent). His increased changeup usage really helped him last season, as he threw it 24.6 percent of the time and struck out 66 batters on that pitch alone.

King should now be able to build off that strong campaign. So, he is actually a great pick at this point in drafts. He'll be able to maintain a low ERA while striking out close to 200 batters. His 29.3 percent whiff rate and 27.7 percent strikeout rate were also solid numbers for him last season.

Framber Valdez, SP, Houston Astros

ADP: 60.7 

Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez is one of the best pitcher targets in fantasy drafts this season. He has been an elite option in all formats in the past three years, and that should only continue into 2025. That makes him a smash pick at his 60.7 average ADP across all platforms.

Framber Valdez today

2 IP
0 H
0 ER
1 BB pic.twitter.com/DBvBTZYVpp

— Astros Muse (@MuseAstros) February 26, 2025

Last season, Valdez had a 15-7 record with a 2.91 ERA, 1.106 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts across 176 1/3 innings pitched. Although the left-hander spent some time on the injured list due to left elbow inflammation, he still pitched over 175 innings for the third straight year. He has also struck out at least 190 batters in two of the past three seasons.

As a result, it's hard not to take Valdez at his current ADP. He'll likely finish with a sub-3.50 ERA while pitching close to 190 innings. Even if he keeps up his 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings from last season, the Astros pitcher should still total over 180 strikeouts in 2025. That makes him a strong SP1 or SP2 option for fantasy managers this year.

Pablo Lopez, SP, Minnesota Twins

ADP: 65

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez has been one of the more consistent starters in the league over the past few years. He has had a sub-3.80 ERA in four of the past five seasons while starting exactly 32 games in three consecutive years. As a result, Lopez is certainly a value pick at his current 65 ADP.

The first player at @Twins camp every morning? Pablo López.

The right-hander spoke on his warmup routine and expectations for Minnesota's strong pitching staff this season.

MLB Network + @TMobile pic.twitter.com/hX9GMtqb3Y

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 8, 2025

While the right-hander is coming off an underwhelming season in 2024, it's hard to pass on a pitcher at this point in drafts who will deliver solid numbers in several categories. Last season, Lopez finished with 15 wins, a 4.08 ERA, 1.192 WHIP, and 198 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings pitched. He also issued just 41 walks last year, which ranked in the 90th percentile among all pitchers.

That makes him a fantastic target in the fifth round, especially if you can pair him with Zack Wheeler or Logan Gilbert a couple of rounds earlier. Lopez might have finished with a 4.08 ERA in 2024, but he had a 3.46 SIERA and was a much stronger fantasy option to end the season. The right-hander had a 2.81 ERA and 82 strikeouts over his final 14 starts. Given that he has struck out over 195 batters in back-to-back years, he is a sneaky pick early in drafts.

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