While you go through your draft, you should be mixing safety and upside throughout as you build a cohesive roster. However, at the end of fantasy baseball drafts, you should be throwing darts at players that could really pop.
Below are some of my favorite late-round lottery ticket players and where they are going in average draft position (ADP).
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Late-Round Lottery Tickets to Target in Fantasy Baseball Drafts
Willi Castro (2B, 3B, OF – COL) | ADP: 302.6
Willi Castro is finally going to be a full-time player in 2026 after years as a utility player in Minnesota. In Colorado, he is expected to play every day at third base.
While Castro isn’t a power source, the thin air and larger outfield will help with the batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and batting average. He is still fast and could challenge his best stolen base season, which was 33 in 2023.
Brett Baty (2B, 3B – NYM) | ADP: 312.2
Brett Baty is a former top-25 prospect who was quietly really good in 2025, hitting .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs and eight stolen bases in 432 plate appearances.
Baty is projected to be on the strong side of a platoon at designated hitter, but could find extra plate appearances at first, second or third base. The power is legitimate, and the hit tool is good enough to untap even more power.
Victor Scott (OF – STL) | ADP: 306.2
Victor Scott stole 34 bases in just 463 plate appearances in 2025 and is now slated for full-time reps as the everyday center fielder in 2026.
While the surface numbers haven’t been great in spring, Scott’s underlying numbers are better. Since the Cardinals are rebuilding, even if Scott struggles, he should still play and steal a ton of bases in 2026.
Jordan Lawlar (3B – ARI) | ADP: 316.8
Jordan Lawlar is another former top prospect, but he has struggled in small samples in the Majors and has been blocked from his natural position in the infield with the emergence of Geraldo Perdomo and the acquisition of Nolan Arenado.
However, the Diamondbacks have been playing him in the outfield, and he has been crushing it offensively in spring, hitting .282/.391/.615 with four home runs and a stolen base in 46 plate appearances. There is massive upside if he can carve out a full-time role.
Kirby Yates (RP – LAA) | ADP: 327.4
With the injuries to Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson, Kirby Yates appears to be the top candidate to get saves for the Angels.
Los Angeles does still have Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano, but it seems pretty clear that Yates will be given the lion’s share of the opportunities to start the season.
Zach Eflin (SP – BAL) | ADP: 352.3
Zach Eflin had a disaster season in 2025, throwing only 71.1 innings due to a back injury, recording a 5.93 ERA. However, he underwent surgery to correct the issue this offseason and has looked great this spring, throwing with increased velocity.
If Eflin is back to being the pitcher he was before, he could return a ton of value with him going outside of the top 350 picks.
Chad Patrick (SP – MIL) | ADP: 339.3
Kyle Harrison (SP, RP – MIL) | ADP: 631
Brandon Sproat (SP – MIL) | ADP: 639
With the injury to Quinn Priester and the uncertainty around whether or not Brandon Woodruff will be ready to start the season, Chad Patrick, Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat are likely to start the year in the Brewers’ rotation. All three have massive upsides as young, talented pitchers with very good stuff.
The most intriguing might be Harrison, who has added a new pitch and looks like he finally may reach the promise that his prospect pedigree had for him. Patrick and Sproat are intriguing in their own right, but may have a shorter leash to work with once Woodruff and Priester are healthy.
Coby Mayo (1B – BAL) | ADP: 378.7
Coby Mayo is another former top prospect who has struggled in very small samples in the Majors. However, after Jordan Westburg got hurt, Mayo is likely to start the year as the Orioles’ everyday third baseman.
Mayo has looked great in spring training, hitting .500/.464/.731 with a home run and a stolen base in 28 plate appearances. If he can make consistent contact, he provides 40 home run upside.
Nasim Nunez (2B, SS – WSH) | ADP: 437.7
Nasim Nunez has virtually no power, but what he does do, he does really well, and that is get on base and steal. Nunez stole 45 bases between AAA and the Majors and walked at a double-digit rate.
Nunez is doing it again in spring, with a 19% walk rate and stealing four bases in just 32 plate appearances. He is a fantastic defender as well and should be locked into playing time for the Nationals.
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