Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategy: Middle Rounds (2025)

Fantasy baseball drafts can be an enigma to even the most experienced managers. They sometimes have close to 30 rounds, and it is easy to get lost after the top players fall off the board. Below, you will find a broad draft strategy applicable to all fantasy baseball league formats.

Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategies

The Middle

Some would call the middle of the draft the boring section. The middle is where you ensure you have an operational lineup for Opening Day.

The very early middle draft is where I recommend taking more hitters. The well-known superstars will be long gone by now, but there is plenty of value left. Try to snag some hitters who fly under the radar after the early rounds close.

The mid-to-late middle draft is the time to target starting pitchers. Select starter after starter. Hopefully, you already snagged a starting pitcher or two as anchors earlier. Now you can grab solid (but not great) pitchers to fill the ranks. However, if a tantalizing hitter falls through the cracks, do not be afraid to draft him instead of a pitcher. Try to draft about two starting pitchers short of how many starters your team needs (around seven if there are nine total)

Waiting to draft pitchers is key. Every season, elite pitchers emerge who were available on most waivers like Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet in 2024. Drafting a handful of starters in the middle draft allows a team to compete with a rotation while also providing the option to drop these pitchers for promising waiver claims. Fantasy managers should draft with the future in mind.

Be flexible throughout the middle of the draft to make sure you exit the rounds with a well-rounded team ready to compete. Try to target starters in the middle of the draft, but be open to talented players who slip past their fantasy ADP.