Identifying early sleepers is one of the best ways to gain an edge in fantasy baseball drafts. Whether it’s a breakout hitter poised to take the next step or a pitcher ready to exceed expectations, finding undervalued players can make a huge difference in your championship pursuit. To help you stay ahead of the competition, we asked our Featured Pros to highlight their top early sleepers for the 2025 fantasy baseball season. Their expert insights will help you target the right hitters and pitchers before the hype catches up. Let’s dive into their picks!
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Which hitter outside the top 150 overall in ECR do you expect to be this year’s biggest sleeper and why?
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Hitters
“Second base is light this year, and this time last season, people couldn’t wait to overpay for Jackson Holliday. Now, he’s being drafted at pick No. 199, which is an equally ridiculous overreaction. He’s made off-season adjustments, ditching the big leg kick, and Holliday is still very much the guy who slashed .304/.443/.486 over 218 minor-league games. We expected too much from the 20-year-old last season, and we’re not expecting enough this season. He could end up being a 20/20 player in 2025 with a decent BA and counting stats, depending on his lineup spot.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
“Gobble up hefty portions of Heliot Ramos this draft season. The Giants left fielder finds the barrel 14.5% of the time and has an average exit velo of 91.5mph. He uses the whole field and has a hard hit rate of 47.5%. Pass on someone like Riley Greene and snag Ramos five rounds later.”
– Todd D Clark (The Fantasy Fix)
“Are we totally sure Victor Robles’ numbers in Seattle to end 2024 were complete fool’s gold? He looked like a completely different player compared to his tenure in Washington. Robles had 3.1 WAR, batted .328, and stole 30 bases…in just 77 games! His xBA was much lower at .257, so of course, some regression is coming from that .388 BABIP. But he was on pace for over 60 stolen bases in a full season, and even in an environment where steals are up across the board, that’s still a needle mover. He’s also, somehow, only 27 years old still, and it wouldn’t be entirely unheard of for a 27-year-old former elite prospect to finally put it all together at the plate. I’m not saying Robles is a league winner, but as a guy being drafted outside the top 225 picks, I think he’s a great bet to return lots of value in certain formats.”
– Ryan Wormeli (FantasyPros)
“Victor Robles after 200 is a steal this year. After being traded to Seattle, in 77 games, Robles hit .328/.393/.467 with 4 HRs and 30 SBs. Yes, double those numbers, and the full-year pace was 8/60. I don’t expect 60 SBs, but 7/40 with a .300 average looks nice, especially when guys like Brice Turang, Andres Gimenez, Xavier Edwards, and Masyn Winn are going multiple rounds earlier.”
– Brandon ‘B_Don’ Myers (Razzball)
“Jordan Walker sank last year behind another season where he wasn’t given a chance to be the guy. This year, he is locked into a starting role. He spent the offseason shortening his swing to get to the ball quicker. That is key, as he still has tremendous 30-plus home run power and can barrel consistently. If he cuts the strikeouts and makes more contact, he has a chance to be a top-100 fantasy player in 2025.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)
“The hitter outside the top 150 overall in ECR that I expect to be this year’s biggest sleeper is Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels. Neto may be slipping in early drafts due to his offseason shoulder surgery. He still is unable to make full-length throws across the infield, but he is now able to take batting practice. In 2024, Neto Neto was the Angels’ best player, as he delivered .249/.318/.443 with 23 home runs, 34 doubles, 77 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases across 155 games. Keep an eye on him during spring training to monitor his progression from offseason surgery. He’s good for at least a 20/30 season.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
“Matt Wallner had a very productive 2024 in limited action. He hit 13 home runs in 267 plate appearances and slashed .259/.372/.523. With the departure of Max Kepler, there is everyday playing time for Wallner, and RosterResource has him batting at the top of a decent Minnesota lineup. His OBP has been north of .370 each of the last two seasons, and even with a dip, he should still collect plenty of runs and give you 20+ homers. He may not be the most exciting sleeper option, but there is excellent potential for a guy going in the 23rd round of drafts.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)
Early Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Pitchers
Which starting pitcher outside the top 150 overall in ECR do you expect to be this year’s biggest sleeper and why?
“I don’t know what more Seth Lugo has to do to prove his worth to fantasy managers. In 2023, he broke out in the Padres rotation, and last season, he was a Cy Young contender who tossed 206 innings with a 3 ERA and 184 Ks. Although Lugo is 35 years old, he doesn’t have nearly the wear and tear on his arm as he’s spent most of his career in the bullpen. The fact you can be that good and basically be a sleeper is frankly cuckoo.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
“MacKenzie Gore is going way too late in drafts. In 2024, he was 12th in K/9 (9.79), 10th lowest in HR/9 (0.81), and 9th lowest HR/FB rate (9.0%) while being unlucky with the highest BABIP in baseball at .340. Gore is missing more barrels, and his BB% is getting better by the year. An absolute bargain at his current ADP.”
– Todd D Clark (The Fantasy Fix)
“Hopefully, Maher doesn’t beat me to this pick, but Zach Eflin at an ECR of 190th overall sure feels like highway robbery to me. In nine starts after being traded to Baltimore at the deadline in 2024, Eflin went 5-2 with a 2.60 ERA (145 ERA+), averaging over six innings per start. His FIP was a bit higher, and the Great Wall of Baltimore is being moved in a bit this year, so I wouldn’t expect a direct repeat. But this is one of the two best pitchers for a team that expects to win a lot of games, so double-digit wins and nearly a strikeout per inning seem like a low-end outcome for a guy almost going after pick 200. Sign me up in any format at that price, especially when we’ve seen an even higher ceiling with the Orioles already.”
– Ryan Wormeli (FantasyPros)
“Cristopher Sanchez doesn’t get enough credit for putting up a workhorse-like year in 2024 with over 180 innings pitched. He produced low strikeout numbers, yet two of his three pitches had a 30% or higher WHIFF rate. The fastball brought him down as a nothing burger to punch outs at only a 13% WHIFF rate. This season he is working on adding the cutter in, which could be a difference-maker in getting to those strikeout pitches in bigger spots. If he raises his K% to around 25% to go along with a low three ERA, he could be a top-30 SP in 2025.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)
“The starting pitcher outside the top 150 overall in ECR that I expect to be this year’s biggest sleeper is Luis Gil of the New York Yankees. He’s the reigning AL rookie of the year and is coming off of a 15-win season. His 10.17 K/9 is outstanding, and I look for continued growth from Luis Gill in the 2025 season.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
“I will be the first to admit that I may have a slight obsession with Spencer Arrighetti, but I also think he has the potential to make a leap forward in 2025. He now has a full season under his belt, which ended with a 27.1% strikeout rate and a 27.7% whiff rate. He seemed to figure things out as the season wore on, accumulating a 3.18 ERA and .226 BAA in the second half. Arrighetti had an ugly 1.30 HR/9, but this does not track with any of his minor league history, and his xERA was a half-run lower than his actual. If he controls the long ball, he is going to be a boon to many fantasy teams coming out of the 18th round.”
– Kelly Kirby (FantasyPros)
“I might have Brady Singer in every league this year. I have him ranked over 100 spots ahead of his ECR and ADP. Sure, he struggled the last couple of months of the season, and he’s moving to Cincinnati’s terrible park for pitching. However, he was also 11th in GB rate among qualified pitchers last year. From the start of the season through July, he had 125 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 22.2% K rate, and a 7% BB rate. two out of the last three seasons, he’s had 150+ innings of sub-4 ERA ball going after pick 300.”
– Brandon ‘B_Don’ Myers (Razzball)
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