Although I have some tried-and-true fantasy baseball draft strategies, I like to alter my plans each year. After all, the MLB landscape is constantly changing, and using last year’s plan is a great way to lose this year’s league. Here are my top tips for having a successful 2025 draft.
Start with 30-homer, .280 players
Based on my experiences the past two seasons, I’m making a change in how I attack the early rounds of drafts. Wise managers make draft decisions in conjunction with expected free-agent availability. Recent Major League rule changes have led to an increase in stolen bases, and there are now plenty of base stealers at all points of the drafts.
Additionally, base stealers are often readily available on the waiver wire. Players who produce at least 30 homers and a batting average of .280 or better are rarely available beyond the early rounds of drafts, and I have a goal of selecting two of those players before looking for speedier men in the subsequent rounds.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]
Balanced contributors
Research I completed a few years ago showed that hitters who produce lofty totals in a specific category rarely match their production the following year. Of course, I would be happy to draft Aaron Judge this season, as he could experience a significant home run decline and still rank among the most productive players. But in general, I try to avoid players who specialize in one area, such as Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Santander, Cal Raleigh, Luis Arráez or Brice Turang. These men tend to have little value if their singular skill deserts them for a period of time. Instead, I would like to have several players who offer some help in most areas.
Stockpile starters
Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are great pitchers, but so far they can’t hold a candle to the prime years of Clayton Kershaw, Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. For that reason, this isn’t the year to invest a first-round pick on a starter. Additionally, this isn’t the year to go with “pocket aces,” which is a strategy of drafting two elite starters in the first 3-4 rounds of your draft.
Instead, this is a great year to grab a few impactful hitters before building a deep group of above-average starters. Given the volatility that comes with hurlers, there is an excellent chance that a couple of members of your rotation will break out, especially if you put some research into your choices. I would be happy to draft as…