The fantasy baseball draft is open to countless strategies. One often overlooked strategy is drafting injured players at a discount with the hope they bounce back and pay dividends later in the season. The fantasy baseball season is long. Stashing talented players on the injured list (IL) can be extremely worthwhile in the long run.
Although the 2025 draft seems to have fewer injured players than most years, here are some enticing injured players to grab at a low average draft position (ADP).
Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes to Draft
Ronald Acuna | Estimated May Return | ADP: 30
How often can you draft a recent MVP after the first few rounds? We all know how good of a player Ronald Acuna is, so I will not bog you down with the details of his 2023 40/70 season. There should be no problem holding the 27-year-old until May, but I think pick 30 is early for a player coming off his second ACL tear, especially considering his struggles returning from his first ACL tear in 2022.
The fantasy baseball draft is open to countless strategies. One often overlooked strategy is drafting injured players at a discount with the hope they bounce back and pay dividends later in the season. The fantasy baseball season is long. Stashing talented players on the injured list (IL) can be extremely worthwhile in the long run.
Although the 2025 draft seems to have fewer injured players than most years, here are some enticing injured players to grab at a low average draft position (ADP).
Fantasy Baseball Injury Stashes to Draft
Ronald Acuna | Estimated May Return | ADP: 30
How often can you draft a recent MVP after the first few rounds? We all know how good of a player Ronald Acuna is, so I will not bog you down with the details of his 2023 40/70 season. There should be no problem holding the 27-year-old until May, but I think pick 30 is early for a player coming off his second ACL tear, especially considering his struggles returning from his first ACL tear in 2022.
Stash Acuna if he falls to around the fifth round and below.
I will preface this section by saying it is not a good idea to draft George Kirby in the 70s. The Mariners starter is dealing with a rough shoulder injury. I only recommend drafting him if he falls in drafts.
If Kirby does fall, you get a great pitcher for cheap. The righty tossed 191 innings of 3.26 ERA and 1.07 WHIP baseball last season. The excellent ratio pitcher should be targeted as an injury stash if he slides in draft rooms.
Spencer Strider was drafted as the SP1 last season. The ace provides tremendous value where he is currently being drafted. Strider will certainly have ups and downs after UCL surgery, but he is looking great so far.
In his first start since the injury this spring training, the 26-year-old retired all eight batters he faced, throwing 23 strikes in 27 pitches and striking out six. Draft Strider earlier than his current fantasy baseball ADP, or I am certain your league mates will.
Spencer Steer is coming off a 2024 season where he struggled with batting average but had decent pop and on-base skills. He was a threat on the basepaths, with 25 stolen bases.
Expect Steer to have another productive season, even with a shoulder injury that makes it possible he misses Opening Day. Target the 27-year-old at his current ADP.
Depending on the league format, Nico Hoerner provides insane value at his current draft position. The Cubs shortstop is a high-average hitter and steals many bases. The 27-year-old has slashed .278/.338/.381 through six years in the Majors, and 2024 was right on that mark.
Hoerner has stolen at least 20 bases a season in three consecutive years, making up for his limited power. The best part about Hoerner’s draft position is the fact his forearm injury is not serious and he is likely to be back by the end of March.
Sean Manaea suffered a left oblique strain and is currently rehabbing his injury. The 33-year-old looks to build off his best season yet, but his injury is an early setback. However, beyond pick 200 in ADP is cheap for a pitcher who tossed 181.2 innings last season with a 3.47 ERA.
Deep Leagues/Honorable Mentions
The following pitchers are recovering from UCL surgery and will likely return sometime this season. It is not worth drafting any of these players unless you are in a very deep league. Regardless, you should keep them in mind and stash them closer to their return dates.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
