Most players start having some holes in their game as drafts go on. They may hit for power but no speed. Some may run but hit for a poor average. Players go from five-category players to four-category players to two, etc.
Batting average and on-base percentage (OBP) are two main statistics that slowly decrease as the draft progresses. While OBP is easier to find as the draft goes along, both eventually disappear. In this article, I’ll discuss seven players with late-round average draft position (ADP) costs that can still help your teams in batting average and OBP.
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Fantasy Baseball Sleepers to Draft for AVG/OBP
Yandy Diaz (1B – TB)
Yandy Diaz has been the poster boy for late-round batting average sources late in drafts. Diaz hit .281 last year after hitting .330, .296, .256 and .307 over the previous four seasons. Diaz utilizes a ground ball rate over 50% and a hard-hit rate above 45% to elevate his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and batting average.
With his great batting average skills, Diaz also has a great OBP, consistently combining his high batting average and walk rate to over 10%. As a result, Diaz has showcased an OBP over .400 in three of the last five seasons. Diaz throws in some power to go with the average and OBP gains, making him a solid late-round target at his fantasy baseball ADP.
Jonathan India (2B – KC)
Jonathan India may not be the best batting average target, usually hitting .245-.250, but his OBP skills are solid. India has produced an OBP of .327 or better over the previous four seasons, peaking at .376.
India has walked 10% of the time in three of the past four seasons, aiding in the solid OBP. India adds 15+ home runs with 12+ steals while leading off. His leadoff spot in the lineup is key to his strong OBP gains, as it helps India record elite run production. India is going late in drafts, making for a solid late-round second baseman or middle infield option in all formats.
Jung Hoo Lee (OF – SF)
Jung Hoo Lee had a shortened MLB debut last season due to injury. He hit .262 with a .310 OBP over 37 games. Lee came to the bigs with a lot of batting average and OBP success in Korea. In seven seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), Lee hit over .300 each season with an OBP of .386 or higher.
In his last three seasons in the KBO, Lee struck out 6.8% of the time or fewer with a walk rate of over 10%. Lee has elite plate discipline and contact skills. Projections have Lee hitting .280 with an OBP over .340. Lee may not provide much power with some speed, but his batting average and OBP skills are elite.
LaMonte Wade Jr. (1B, OF – SF)
LaMonte Wade does not play every day but is on the strong side of the platoon. This may benefit Wade’s overall skillset, the primary being his OBP. Wade has hit .256 or better in the last two seasons but has walked over 10% of the time over the last three seasons.
Wade has an OBP of over .300 in his six seasons and an OBP of over .373 over the previous two seasons. Wade is nearly free in drafts and could be a great target in OBP formats.
Gabriel Moreno (C – ARI)
Gabriel Moreno does not bring a lot of power or counting stats to his fantasy profile, but he does bring a solid batting average and OBP, especially at the catcher position. Over the last two seasons, Moreno has hit .284 and .286, which is great for a catcher, but his OBP has been even better.
Moreno had an OBP of .339 in 2023 and improved his walk rate to 11.7% in 2024, giving him a .353 OBP. He only has a combined 12 home runs over the previous two seasons, but those batting averages and OBP skills are elite for the catcher position.
Xavier Edwards (SS – MIA)
Xavier Edwards has hit for average throughout the Minors. He carried that success forward in his first two seasons in the bigs. Over the last two seasons, Edwards has hit .295 and .328. With those elite batting averages, Edwards has put up great OBP numbers — .329 and .397.
Edwards improved his walk rate to 10.9% of the time last year to aid his .397 OBP. Edwards is the primary shortstop for the Marlins and should lead off, leading to plenty of OBP production and maybe some extra runs scored on top of that success.
Brendan Donovan (2B, OF – STL)
Brendan Donovan is as vanilla as it comes for fantasy. He’ll hit 10-15 home runs without stealing many bases. That’s OK, but his batting average and OBP make Donovan a strong target later in drafts.
Donovan has hit .278 to .284 over his three major league seasons with an OBP from .342 to .394. He has walked 9.4% of the time with a .311 BABIP. Donovan should continue to play daily. With a nice batting average and OBP, he’s a nice late-round target when you need help in those categories.
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