Sleepers At Every Position

Dan identifies the best fantasy baseball sleepers for hitters at each position for 2025 drafts. His fantasy baseball value picks based on their current ADPs.

With spring training just a few weeks away, fantasy baseball managers everywhere are getting set for a new season. One part of that preparation includes identifying fantasy baseball sleepers lurking in the later rounds of drafts.

The beauty of a good sleeper is that there is the potential for a big payoff while minimizing draft capital. Hitting on one of these selections is one of the more gratifying parts of our game. Aside from the obvious benefit they provide to your fantasy team, there is a nice ego boost that comes with calling your shot.

For our purposes here, a “sleeper” can be read as a player going after pick 200 (with one exception). Some are aging stars who still have an opportunity to produce, some fit the “post-hype sleeper” mold, and some are up-and-comers on the cusp of breaking out. Also, note that the ADPs I reference come from NFBC drafts held between January 27 and February 10. Read on to discover who is available down the board to help you at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, outfield, and designated hitter.

• Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
• BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
• PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
• Who should I start? Fantasy baseball comparisons
• Daily MLB starting lineups
• Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
• Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard
• Fantasy baseball injury reports

Catcher Draft Sleepers

Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals

Ivan Herrera put up promising numbers in limited action last year. Thanks to Willson Contreras’ myriad injuries, Herrera appeared in 72 games in 2024 and finished with five home runs, 27 RBI, 37 runs, and a surprising five steals. His .301 batting average was the highest for a catcher, with a minimum of 250 plate appearances since Buster Posey’s .304 in 2021.

Herrera’s under-the-hood numbers were encouraging, too. The 24-year-old comes to the majors with a good eye for the plate. In 2024, he had a 9.7% BB% and 20.5% K% and swung at just 25.9% of pitches outside of the strike zone.

Contreras is shifting to first base in 2025, leaving a vacuum at catcher. Herrera will fill the void but will compete for playing time with Pedro Pages. Pages is better behind the plate, but St. Louis will be motivated to keep Herrera’s bat in the lineup as much as possible, perhaps even at designated hitter. Herrera is the 17th catcher off the board and comes at the cost of a 227.33 ADP.

Need batting average at your No. 2 catcher?
Ivan Herrera is your guy. (ADP: 245 @TheReal_NFC )
.301 AVG last year, .293 xBA, elite contact skills.
He is slated to be the everyday backstop in St. Louis
ATC projects 4th-best AVG (.266) at the position 👀 #FantasyBaseball pic.twitter.com/DmqMihenrm

— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) February 3, 2025

First Base Draft Sleepers

Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles

Is there such a thing as a post-post-hype sleeper? If there is, then Ryan Mountcastle qualifies. The Orioles' first baseman broke out in 2021 with a 30-homer season, which inspired hope for another big year in 2022.

When Mountcastle provided just 22 HR but a second-straight 80 RBI season with it, fantasy managers held on to hope that a power rebound was in store for 2023 but were disappointed again as injuries eroded his counting stats over the last couple of years.

The downturn has pushed his 2025 ADP down to 232.17, placing Mountcastle on the cusp of undrafted territory. He managed to turn in above-average hard-hit and launch angle sweet spot rates in each of the last three seasons, suggesting the power is still there.

He should benefit from the changes being made to Orioles Park’s left field this offseason. The Orioles are bringing in the fence by as much as 20 feet in places and lowering the wall height to eight feet, which will make it easier for the right-handed Mountcastle to sneak one out of the park.

Mountcastle will have to get his pull rate and fly ball rate back to where they once were to take full advantage of the new dimensions. If he can, then he will be a cinch for 20 home runs and could return to 80 RBI territory, hitting in the middle of Baltimore’s promising lineup.

Hitters with the most home runs stolen by Camden Yards' left field wall since 2022:

Ryan Mountcastle -- 11
Austin Hays -- 8
Jorge Mateo -- 7
Anthony Santander -- 7
Adley Rutschman -- 7
Ramon Urias -- 5
Trey Mancini -- 5
James McCann -- 4
Jordan Westburg -- 4

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) November 15, 2024

Second Base Draft Sleepers

Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays

Brandon Lowe broke out in 2021, hitting 39 home runs and racking up 99 RBI and 97 runs with a .247 average. Unfortunately, numerous injuries have cost him significant portions of each season since then. Still, Lowe managed to swat 21 homers in both 2023 and 2024 despite playing in just 109 and 107 games, respectively, in each of those seasons.

Lowe is a free-swinger, but when he does make contact, he is a masher. In 2024, he had a 12.4% barrel rate and a 44.7% hard-hit rate, both well above league averages. His tendencies as a pull and fly ball hitter should benefit him as the Rays take up residence at George M. Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season.

The ballpark’s dimensions mimic Yankee Stadium’s, whose short porch in right field has long been appreciated by left-handed hitters like Lowe. The park factor will be amplified by the stadium’s outdoor setting instead of Tropicana Field’s climate-controlled dome. Like Mountcastle, he is an afterthought in 12-team drafts with a 208.54 ADP but carries the potential for 25 HR and 70-plus RBI.

Shortstop Draft Sleepers

Luisangel Acuna, New York Mets

Ronald Acuna Jr.’s little brother made his MLB debut in 2024, playing in 14 games for the Mets down the stretch. The sample size was quite small, but he was impressive all the same, going 12-for-40 with three home runs as New York was making its push for a wild card spot.

Acuna was granted just three plate appearances in the postseason, but manager Carlos Mendoza recently said that Acuna will have a “huge role” on the team in 2025.

Acuna’s primary position is blocked by Francisco Lindor, but he has experience at second base and is reportedly taking reps at third base. Mark Vientos plays subpar defense so the Mets might be inclined to move him to DH and allow Acuna to take over at the hot corner if he can show he can handle the job.

Acuna didn’t have a chance to demonstrate his elite speed in his two weeks at the MLB level but he has stolen at least 40 bases in each of his minor league seasons going back to 2021.

He also demonstrated good plate discipline as a minor leaguer, having a 19% K% across all levels, including a 16.4% rate across 131 games in Triple-A last year. Acuna's 442.65 ADP reflects the fact that he is likely to open the season in Triple-A, but it shouldn't be long before he is welcomed back to the big leagues.

David Stearns praises Luisangel Acuña for his "really impressive" contributions during last year's playoff push in September:

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/xcKv9imfIi

— SNY (@SNYtv) January 25, 2025

Third Base Draft Sleepers

Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies

Alec Bohm isn’t exactly sneaking up on anyone but carries an ADP of 173.71 and is the 12th third baseman off the board. Bohm lacks the power potential that his peers provide, but his contact skills and position in the Phillies’ potent lineup have brought solid returns over the last three seasons.

The 28-year-old doesn’t barrel the ball often (6.7% rate in his career), and his bat speed is a middling 72.2 mph, but he makes solid contact, recording a 95th percentile squared-up rate in 2024. Bohm’s zone contact rate has improved in each season and ended at 92.0% in 2024. Going back to 2022, Bohm has the 12th most hits in all of MLB and a .278 batting average.

Bohm racked up 97 RBI in each of the last two seasons, giving him the 15th most in that time, and had another 72 back in 2022. Assuming he returns to the cleanup spot in 2025, he should be a lock for the 80 RBI projected by ATC. Bohm is a safe bet for average and RBI that comes at a low price and someone I will have a lot of shares of in the coming year.

Outfield Draft Sleepers

Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants

Jung Hoo Lee’s first MLB season was derailed by a torn labrum after playing just 37 games for the Giants. In that short window, he showed signs that his transition from KBO was going smoothly. Lee doesn’t have much power in his bat but his quality of contact was encouraging. He squared up at a 37.1% clip, and his 91.5% contact rate was second only to Steven Kwan among outfielders at the time he went down.

Lee also demonstrated a good eye. He logged a 25.1% O-Swing% and a minuscule 3.7% SwStr% (once again ranking only behind Kwan). Lee’s rehab went well, and he won’t have any restrictions in spring training. He is set to be the Giants' everyday centerfielder and leadoff hitter and should be a good source for batting average and runs without having to invest much draft capital (242.50 ADP).

Lee was scratched from the Giants' Cactus League matchup against the Mariners on March 15 due to back discomfort. To the dismay of Giants fans (myself included!) Lee's pain did not dissipate over the weekend and he was sent in for an MRI on Monday, March 17. Fortunately, the imaging revealed no structural damage so it is possible that Lee will be good to go for the season opener on March 27.

Lee is reportedly still experiencing back spasms but the Giants hope to have him back in action for the final weekend of spring training. While his status is murky, I will be taking aim at him in my remaining drafts as his ADP has fallen below 250 since the initial announcement of his MRI being scheduled.

The @SFGiants are getting a consistent bat back in the lineup with Jung Hoo Lee healthy 💪 pic.twitter.com/gyLgGyiDeO

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 8, 2025

Evan Carter, Texas Rangers

Evan Carter debuted in the last month of the 2023 season and made an immediate impact, going .306-5-12-15-3 in 23 games. He kept it rolling by hitting an even .300 as a regular piece of the Rangers’ lineup on their way to a World Series win.

His impressive debut made him a popular breakout candidate in 2024, but he failed in the follow-up, slashing .188/.272/.361 in 45 games before a back injury shut him down for the season.

Now healthy and with the focus shifted to Wyatt Langford, Carter has the opportunity to play the role of a post-hype sleeper. Carter’s 88.5% zone contact rate was encouraging and despite the bad back, he flashed 97th percentile sprint speed for the second season in a row.

Carter’s 260.19 ADP carries almost no risk in 12-team leagues and is said to be in contention for the Rangers’ leadoff spot, where he would pay huge dividends.

Michael Conforto, Los Angeles Dodgers

Once the offseason was underway, the Dodgers didn’t waste much time in securing the services of Michael Conforto. Los Angeles signed the 32-year-old outfielder back on December 8, and he is in a good spot to experience the boon in production Teoscar Hernandez did after joining the team in 2024. Last year, Hernandez enjoyed a .272-33-99-84-12 line while hitting in the heart of the best lineup in MLB.

Over the last three seasons, Dodger Stadium had one of the highest park effects for home runs for left-handed hitters, and Oracle Park had the third-worst. Conforto still managed to bank 20 HR as a Giant in 2024 and showed the potential for greater damage is still there.

Last year, he had his highest barrel rate (11.8%) since 2019 and the second-highest hard-hit rate (46.0%) of his career. It is possible Conforto is relegated to playing the strong side of a platoon but at his 279.15 ADP, he is as low-risk, high-reward as they come.

Michael Conforto (signed by LAD) is a lefty power bat that had excellent underlying metrics in 2024 while posting a 112 wRC+ across 488 PA

This is a smart acquisition by the Dodgers https://t.co/jsfoIZYGHm pic.twitter.com/OsmsQy4Tuf

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) December 9, 2024

Designated Hitter Draft Sleepers

Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers

Any batter can fill a fantasy team’s utility slot, but in keeping with the position-specific theme of this column, I wanted to present a true “UTIL only” player. Joc Pederson enters 2025 as such a player after operating solely as a designated hitter for the Diamondbacks in 2024.

In 133 games last year, Pederson hit 23 home runs and slashed .275/.393/.515. He also posted the second-best barrel rate (12.8%) of his career and, for the third straight year, finished in the 91st percentile or better in average exit velocity.

Before his stint in Arizona, Pederson called Oracle Park home in 2022 and 2023. He averaged 20 HR per season in those three seasons despite those parks having the worst and third-worst effect on home runs for lefties in that time.

Pederson now gets to play in one of the friendliest parks for left-handed power, Globe Life Field. In December, he signed a two-year, $37 million deal with the Rangers and will be the team’s strong-side DH.

Pederson’s tendencies to pull the ball in the air and the opportunity to hit behind Marcus Semien, Langford, and Corey Seager invite optimism that he will outdo his projections for 22 HR and 59 RBI per ATC. Pederson’s 376.69 ADP puts him out of most mainstream drafts, but he is someone to watch out for in deeper leagues.

More Fantasy Baseball Advice