X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Hitters Under $5 - Fantasy Baseball Auction Draft Values (2025)

Christian Encarnacion-Strand - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Prospects

Welcome RotoBallers to the next article in our fantasy baseball auction draft series targeting hitters with an average auction value (AAV) of under $5. In the auction draft format, fantasy baseball managers are no longer bound to the inane order of the snake draft.

But with freedom comes choice. You may have blown too much cash trying to haul in the big players, and realized you have to fill out your roster with cheap players. It may feel scary, but if you plan ahead for draft picks under $5, you'll likely be in a great spot going into the season.

In this article, we will target the hitters with average auction values of less than $5 that should offer the most value. RotoBaller's content for fantasy baseball auction leagues will keep on coming, so be sure to check it all out!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:

 

Trevor Story, SS, Boston Red Sox

$3 AAV (Average Auction Value)

After suffering through three injury-riddled seasons, Trevor Story has become untrustworthy in fantasy baseball. Last year, he only appeared in 26 games, slashing .255/.340/.394 with two home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs, six stolen bases, and a 31.1 percent strikeout rate.

With such a small sample size, there's very little you can glean from his 2024 performance. There's as much data to support him as there is to oppose him. However, his important measurables held relatively stable.

His 28.1 ft/sec sprint speed is lower than the 29.6 ft/sec sprint speed of his peak, but the 31-year-old is still reliable for double-digit steal totals at that rate.

You can't look at his 2024 season, but Story has a track record of success that you can't find for cheap any longer. Even in seasons where he was limited to under 100 games, Story has managed double-digit steal and home run totals. He should still give fantasy players those numbers in 2025, as ATC projects .230/.301/.383 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 53 runs, and 19 stolen bases through 112 games.

You can't love what you have seen recently from Story, but you shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The starting shortstop is an everyday player who should pick up enough home runs and steals to justify drafting him in 2025.

While you shouldn't rely on Story as a starting piece, he's less of a risk in auction leagues, considering how low he is priced. RotoBaller recommends an auction value of $6 for Trevor Story, making him a steal at his $3 AAV.

 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

$3 AAV (Average Auction Value)

Christian Encarnacion-Strand came into the 2024 season off the heels of an incredible performance in his debut year. In 2023, he slashed .270/.328/.477 with 13 home runs, 37 RBI, 29 runs, and two stolen bases through 63 games.

However, a wrist injury torpedoed his second season, as he was limited to just 29 games, slashing .190/.220/.293 with two home runs, 16 RBI, and 13 runs.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old is still one of the league's most interesting young hitting talents. In 2023, he held a 48.4 percent hard-hit rate, .457 xwOBAcon, 38.6 percent sweet-spot rate, and 10.5 percent barrel rate, all putting him among the better players in the league. His power numbers will play well in the incredibly hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

The only worry should be the lack of clear playing time in Cincinnati. However, the young hitter has a good shot at displacing any of designated hitter Jake Fraley, or the infielders Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario with a decent showing in spring training (he's already up to two home runs through 13 plate appearances).

ATC projects a line of .257/.309/.451 with 17 home runs, 57 RBI, 47 runs, and two stolen bases in just 95 games. RotoBaller recommends an auction value of $3 for Christian Encarnacion-Strand, making him a worthy pick for cheap power.

 

Lars Nootbaar, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

$3 AAV (Average Auction Value)

A statistical darling since his debut in 2021, Lars Nootbaar has yet to put together a full season. His performance in 2024 looks to be among the worst numbers of his career, but he still managed a solid season, slashing .244/.322/.417 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI, 39 runs, and seven stolen bases through 109 games.

However, the advanced numbers still held up for Nootbaar in 2024, with a .264 xBA, .455 xSLG, .355 xwOBA (.331 wOBA), .395 xwOBAcon, 49.5 percent hard-hit rate, and 9.9 percent barrel rate. All of these suggest that he performed well enough to consider his 2024 season a continuation of his strong statistical profile.

The only concern with 2025 is his health, but there is no way to foresee the 27-year-old missing time. ATC projects a line of .247/.344/.428 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 60 runs, and nine stolen bases in 121 games.

RotoBaller recommends an auction value of $3 for Lars Nootbaar, making him a good value pick at his current AAV.

 

Jacob Young, OF, Washington Nationals

$3 AAV (Average Auction Value)

In his second year in the majors, Jacob Young settled into a nice everyday role with the Washington Nationals, slashing .256/.316/.331 with three home runs, 36 RBI, 75 runs, and 33 stolen bases in 150 games.

His statistical profile is rather gruesome, but Young still offers fantastic value in fantasy baseball this season.

His 33 steals are largely a byproduct of his elite 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed. The 25-year-old is likely to reach 30 steals again, if not more, in 2025. Additionally, he'll likely be ninth in the batting order, setting him up to once again deliver a high quantity of runs.

He should also offer solid production in the AVG category, with a .253 xBA, 19.3 percent whiff rate, 19.6 percent strikeout rate, and 83.1 percent contact rate likely to keep his batting average afloat.

The big worry for Young is his power. With a .317 xSLG, 1.6 percent barrel rate, and 28.9 percent barrel rate, his lack of power places him below more well-rounded candidates in the outfield.

While his elite defense (19 OAA in 2024, leading all outfielders) will keep him in the lineup daily, he won't be a starting-caliber option in fantasy baseball until he can add power. He arrived at spring training noticeably bigger and has already hit one over the fence through 16 spring training plate appearances, so he has a shot at improving his fantasy profile.

When you are this deep into the player pool, you will not find as many reliable, everyday players who offer massive production in at least one category. Young gives you that with his speed. He'll keep you afloat in the AVG category regardless, but he'll be one of the steals of the 2025 draft if his power improves.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zach Dezenzo11 mins ago

Suffers TMJ Sprain
Justin Wrobleski19 mins ago

Dodgers Option Justin Wrobleski To Triple-A
Nick Yorke25 mins ago

Could Make Opening Day Roster
Thomas Harrington33 mins ago

Allows One Run On Tuesday
Zach Hyman48 mins ago

Busy In Tuesday's Victory
Mikael Granlund58 mins ago

Scores Game-Winner Over Anaheim
Jordan Kyrou1 hour ago

Strikes Twice On Tuesday
Logan Thompson1 hour ago

Picks Up Win No. 30
Nazem Kadri1 hour ago

Scores Goal, Adds Helper In Victory
Christian Dvorak1 hour ago

Tallies Four Points On Tuesday
Freddie Freeman2 hours ago

Feeling Better, Remains Out Of The Lineup Wednesday
Matt Sauer7 hours ago

Contract Selected By The Dodgers
Matt Olson7 hours ago

Having Slow Offensive Spring
Corbin Burnes7 hours ago

Having Strong Spring With New Team
Kyle Tucker8 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Monday Tokyo Series Opener
Chase Dollander8 hours ago

Strikes Out Seven In Latest Cactus League Start
Jake Bloss8 hours ago

A Candidate For Blue Jays' Fifth Starter Role
Sepp Straka8 hours ago

Eyeing Victory At Valspar Championship
Lance McCullers Jr.8 hours ago

Tosses Scoreless Inning In Tuesday Grapefruit League Debut
Clayton Kershaw8 hours ago

Transferred To 60-Day Injured List Tuesday
Cade Povich8 hours ago

Strikes Out Six In Five Hitless Innings On Tuesday
9 hours ago

Jalen Milroe Meets With Steelers On Tuesday
Seattle Seahawks9 hours ago

Teven Jenkins Visits With Seahawks
Sam Stevens9 hours ago

Looking To Get Back Into Form At Valspar Championship
Houston Texans9 hours ago

Texans Release Anthony Averett, Waive Two More
Los Angeles Chargers9 hours ago

Chargers Sign Andre James
Tampa Bay Rays9 hours ago

Even Reifert Returned To The Rays
New England Patriots9 hours ago

Garrett Bradbury Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Patriots
Jordan Spieth9 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate At Valspar Championship
Alex Smalley10 hours ago

Aims To Continue Strong Form At Valspar Championship
Kirk Cousins10 hours ago

Will Levis On The Trade Block?
Adam Scott10 hours ago

A Risky Play At Valspar Championship
Las Vegas Raiders10 hours ago

Raiders Re-Sign Zachary Carter
Shane Lowry10 hours ago

A Home Run Pick At Valspar Championship
Tampa Bay Buccaneers10 hours ago

Bryce Hall Re-Signs With Buccaneers
Stephan Jaeger10 hours ago

Looks To Continue Momentum At Valspar Championship
Evan Mobley11 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday, Barring A Setback
Thomas Detry11 hours ago

Aims To Regain Form At Valspar Championship
Detroit Lions11 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Pat O'Connor
Kris Dunn11 hours ago

Returns To Starting Five
Los Angeles Rams11 hours ago

Rams Agree To Terms With Nate Landman
Pascal Siakam11 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Contest
Brandin Podziemski11 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
Tim Jones11 hours ago

Vikings Add Tim Jones To Receiver Room
Myles Turner11 hours ago

Off The Injury Report For Wednesday
Damian Lillard11 hours ago

Will Play On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday
Mecole Hardman11 hours ago

Signing With Packers
Tyrese Haliburton11 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Gary Trent Jr.11 hours ago

To Play On Tuesday
Rondale Moore11 hours ago

Visits With Jets
Stephen Curry11 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday Night
Jon Gray12 hours ago

Rangers Place Jon Gray On 60-Day Injured List
Zach Dezenzo12 hours ago

Exits Early On Tuesday
Jason Delay12 hours ago

Optioned To Minors
Patrick Corbin13 hours ago

Joining Rangers
Slade Cecconi13 hours ago

To Open Season On Injured List
Craig Kimbrel13 hours ago

Signs With Braves
LaMelo Ball13 hours ago

Downgraded To Unavailable Versus Atlanta
Jayson Tatum13 hours ago

Sidelined On Tuesday
Clint Capela14 hours ago

Not Playing Tuesday Versus Hornets
Shea Theodore14 hours ago

Returns To Practice Tuesday
Trae Young14 hours ago

Available For Tuesday's Matchup With Hornets
William Karlsson14 hours ago

Nearing Return
Arthur Kaliyev14 hours ago

Done For The Year
John Gibson14 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Thatcher Demko15 hours ago

To Join Team For Upcoming Road Trip
LaMelo Ball15 hours ago

Downgraded To Questionable For Tuesday
Conor Garland15 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
Dylan Strome15 hours ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Corey Kispert15 hours ago

Out For Rest Of Season After Thumb Surgery
David Moore17 hours ago

Re-Signing With Panthers
Jauan Jennings17 hours ago

Could Be 49ers WR1 To Begin Next Season
San Francisco 49ers17 hours ago

49ers Likely To Add Running Back In NFL Draft
Najee Harris18 hours ago

Chargers Eyeing Explosive Complement To Najee Harris In 2025 NFL Draft
Shane Zylstra18 hours ago

 Heading Back To Detroit
Seattle Seahawks18 hours ago

Dillon Radunz Visiting With Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings18 hours ago

Jeff Okudah Signing With Vikings
Mattias Ekholm18 hours ago

Cleared For Tuesday's Contest
Zach Hyman18 hours ago

Returning On Tuesday
Russell Wilson18 hours ago

Browns Unlikely To Land Russell Wilson
John Klingberg18 hours ago

Not Playing On Tuesday
Justin Thomas18 hours ago

Continues To Spark But Hopes To Keep It Lit At Innisbrook
Alexander Romanov18 hours ago

Not Facing Pittsburgh On Tuesday
Tyler Seguin19 hours ago

Progressing In Recovery
Miro Heiskanen19 hours ago

Could Miss Opening Round Of Playoffs
Michael Kim19 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Tom Kim20 hours ago

Looking For Putter Form At Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard21 hours ago

Looking For Form At Valspar Championship
Jericho Sims21 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Regular Season Following Thumb Surgery
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Needs To Find Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Valspar Championship
Bradley Beal21 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One Week Of Action
Stephen Curry22 hours ago

Could Be Rested Tuesday
Trey Murphy III22 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of 2024-25 Campaign
Tommy Fleetwood22 hours ago

Looks To Keep Short But Successful Run Going At Innisbrook
LaMelo Ball22 hours ago

Probable Tuesday
Eric Cole22 hours ago

Needs To Find A Spark At Innisbrook
Sam Burns22 hours ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Filip Gustavsson1 day ago

Stops 28 Shots In Victory
William Nylander1 day ago

Busy On Monday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris2 days ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young2 days ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Xander Schauffele2 days ago

Struggles At The PLAYERS Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard2 days ago

Misses First Cut In 2025
Lucas Glover2 days ago

Produces Another Strong Showing At The PLAYERS Championship
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Suffers His First Loss
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi Suffers First-Round TKO Loss At UFC Vegas 104
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Finishes Seung Woo Choi In Debut
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry2 days ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger2 days ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson2 days ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain2 days ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
NASCAR2 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric2 days ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron2 days ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott3 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron3 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Roman Dolidze5 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani5 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos5 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez5 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson5 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro5 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Florio's Non-Free Agent Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Free Agency takes over the football world every March. It is always such a fun week that shakes up the league. It is followed by plenty of analysis over which players ended up in good fits and which hurt their stock.  Free agents are not the only players whose value is shaken up this week […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Regression Candidates: Potential Sophomore Slumps

No one, and especially not Dynasty fantasy football managers, wants to hear that their rookie breakout player is going to slump in their second season. Yet we see that happen pretty much every season with certain players. The best example from 2024 was quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award […]


Tre Harris - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Draft

Three Fantasy Football Rookie Wide Receiver Sleepers: Yards Per Route Run Analysis

In one of my first fantasy football articles covering NFL Draft prospects, we looked at three rookies who stood out via yards per route run. The landing spot and actual draft capital mattered since they showed how NFL teams value those players. That said, we will switch it up and examine the 11 wide receiver […]


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football RB Rankings Analysis: Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Breece Hall

Dynasty startup drafts are in full swing. There’s nothing that quite matches the dopamine hit and adrenaline rush of beginning a new dynasty draft. As any good dynasty manager knows, running backs are critical elements when it comes to building a perennial contender. Some of the top backs available in startup drafts this year are […]


CeeDee Lamb - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Rankings Analysis – CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua

The cool thing about dynasty fantasy football is that rankings change all the time. At this time last year, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. were being drafted in the first round of rookie drafts. Now, both wide receivers are top-15 dynasty assets.  Three wideouts whose […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Winners and Losers of 2025 NFL Free Agency

The biggest NFL free-agency frenzy of 2025, namely the first few days of free agency, is now in the books, so the majority of the biggest moves have been made by now. There are still a few big names that haven't signed yet, but most of the most coveted players have found new landing spots […]


Stefon Diggs - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Stefon Diggs Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Stefon Diggs enjoyed a nice first season with the Houston Texans before he tore his ACL in Week 8. The veteran receiver was playing on a one-year deal and has yet to be signed by another team this offseason. Diggs enters his age 31 season in 2025 and has shown some signs of decline in […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The 2025 NFL offseason continues to march forward as free agency enters its second week. Believe it or not, a few well-known veterans remain unsigned. One such player is former Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen. He did not have his best season in 2024, and the Bears ultimately chose not to re-sign him. Allen […]


Nick Chubb - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Nick Chubb Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

NFL free agency has entered its second week. Believe it or not, a few well-known veterans remain unsigned. One such player is former Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb. After missing most of the 2023 season with a major knee injury, Chubb returned to the Browns’ lineup at midseason. However, he struggled mightily upon his […]


Kenneth Walker III - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Kenneth Walker III - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

At times, the dynasty fantasy football marketplace can feel like the Wild West. Player values move up and down based on any significant (or insignificant) transactions, news items, or social media posts. With that said, we must always think about how certain players should be valued. What’s a player’s current value? Are they overvalued or […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

2025 Fantasy Football Busts: Overvauled AFC Draft Avoids

There are 16 teams in the AFC (obviously) meaning that there are plenty of players in that conference that will bust, obviously. Identifying them isn't easy, of course, but since it's my job to research fantasy football as much as possible and deliver you the best possible content, I'll try anyway. I want you to […]


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Who is the Dynasty RB1 for Fantasy Football: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Ashton Jeanty 2025 Outlooks

The fantasy football world is seeing a change in the running back position. The 2017 NFL Draft class produced several elite fantasy football running backs. Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Joe Mixon have been three of the top fantasy running backs since their rookie seasons. Meanwhile, James Conner, Aaron Jones, Kareem Hunt, Dalvin Cook, and […]