Today concludes the fantasy baseball sleepers‘ portion of our program. Like the 3rd basemen to target, 2nd basemen to target or outfielders to target, this post is necessary. You need to target the right names at the end of the draft for starters. As I always say, starters are available later. As with other target posts, these guys are being drafted after the top 200 overall. Also, all Steamer hitter projections are updated just about every day (mostly small adjustments), and all 2025 fantasy baseball rankings are updated daily until the (real) start of the season next week. Anyway, here’s some starters to target for 2025 fantasy baseball:
PSYCHE! The first week’s Buy/Sell is already available for Patreon members. It will be released all year early for Patreons, so if people are getting a jump on you, it’s because they paid the $10. Anyway, the starters to target:
Taj Bradley (ESPN 215, Yahoo 232, NFBC 201) Last year Taj-My-Ace was HIM-du, the Buddhist God of Pitching for 55 IP during a nine-game stretch when he had 70 Ks and 0.82 ERA, and I talked about him nonstop. If he can capture that for 120 IP, he’s gonna be a top 10 starter.
Brandon Pfaadt (ESPN 219) For these posts, I could just point you to my Brandon Pfaadt sleeper, but what I like to do instead is go to his player page and see if I can remember why I loved him. Pfaadt is one of the easiest. He literally was beat on one pitch and one pitch only and has great command, so just needs to figure out how to command that one pitch better.
Spencer Arrighetti (ESPN 231, Yahoo 223, NFBC 203) Same here as Pfaadt, could point to Spencer Arrighetti sleeper, or his incredibly filthy stuff. In just his rookie year, he seemed to already figure things out in the 2nd half: 65 IP, 3.18 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9. It’s a smallish sample size — that’s what she said, derisively! — but there’s real promise here to bring out the dazzlers.
Shane Baz (ESPN 210, Yahoo 248, NFBC 205) Now, it’s time for the Bazzlers. Bazzers? Brazz–Hmm, anyway. His stats are so all over the place that I honestly don’t know what you’re going to get here. Who knows if you even get more than 120 IP. ACKSUALLY, 100 IP might be asking a lot. It’s kinda his put up or shut up season. He was considered a can’t miss ace at one point, and he’s still only 25, so it could be this year. If you wanna dream a little dream on him, just watch him paint black with a 99 MPH turbo-sexy speed ball.
Ranger Suarez (ESPN 225, Yahoo 270, NFBC 262) He was 137th overall on the Player Rater last year. Not sure there’s anything more to say. Is he sexy? Not especially, but it’s sexy to win your fantasy league. Well, sexy to other guys, at least. But not guys who are into guys. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I could do the Player Rater examples of sleepers with so many guys. Jameson Taillon was more valuable than Suarez last year, and is unranked by ESPN. (If you’re wondering if I, like everyone, now loves Cristopher Sanchez, I do, but he’s going at 117 overall on ESPN and 153 at Yahoo, so not close to qualifying for this post.)
Nathan Eovaldi (ESPN 238, NFBC 208) Since 2018, he’s had one year with a 4+ ERA and that was an injury-stricken 67 2/3 IP in 2019. You can’t convince me Eovaldi is sexy. Nathan’s ain’t no weiner or league winner. He’s exactly middle-of-the-road, you’re-okay-I’m-okay-I-need-a-4th-to-5th-starter-to-get-me-innings starter.
Drew Rasmussen (ESPN NR, Yahoo 278, NFBC 257) Looking at these starters to target and thinking about putting $10 on the Rays to win the World Series. Oh, not because they will, but the odds are against them, but if they can sneak into the playoffs with all these sexy arms, I’m interested. Rasmussen might be the sexiest too. Last year, 11 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, and my eyes literally fell out of my skull. Little help here O’m typiing offf memroy.
Jackson Jobe (ESPN 266, Yahoo 254, NFBC 240) My Jackson Jobe fantasy is still worth perusing, but the big takeaway is he’s Paul Skenes for this year, but no one is Paul Skenes for this year. There might not be a Paul Skenes for another twenty years. Also, Itch thought Jobe could be the top rookie this year, better than Dominguez, Crews, well, every other rookie.
Nick Lodolo (ESPN 267, NFBC 233) Searched for most recent news on Lodolo and found “will not return this season,” and figured with his history it was from some point this spring. It was not, it was from last September. There’s worse things to take a flyer on than a guy who is free in drafts and could be a top ten starter because of his nastiness.
Tobias Myers (ESPN NR, Yahoo 322, NFBC 314) I know about the oblique. Trust me when I say, I’m refreshing injury news 24/7 in the preseason. How’sever, his price is free, so when I say his biggest attribute is he pitches for the Brewers, who pull rabbits out of their pitching staff all the time, it’s well worth the pick. Also: He has a 3.00 ERA in 138 career innings. A three ERA isn’t bad last I checked.
Nick Martinez (ESPN NR, Yahoo 338, NFBC 298) I’m a big-time sucker for guys who walk zero hitters. You know that proverb: Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day, but teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime? I have a similar one for fantasy baseball: Show me strikeouts, and excite me for one game. Show me good command, and excite me for the season.
Michael Wacha (ESPN 289, Yahoo 279, NFBC 276) Not saying Wacha is incredibly exciting, but you know what is? Winning your fantasy league. Last year, an unranked ESPN example in this starters to target post was Seth Lugo. Who was the 6th best starter for all baseball.
Clarke Schmidt (ESPN 260, Yahoo 229, NFBC 248) So, I know he’s been having shoulder issues. That would usually scare me off like leafy greens seeing Popeye’s chompers, but Schmidt is going so incredibly cheaply in drafts, and the Yanks have said the injury is minor. I know, I know, I KNOW! How minor are shoulder injuries? But, again, price is cheap.
Bubba Chandler (ESPN NR, Yahoo 371, NFBC 310) Jared Jones (elbow’s noodled) was removed from the top 40 starters, and the pitchers’ pairings tool. The list of pitchers who threw 97 MPH or harder in 2023, who were then hurt in 2024 is in that post, and, brucely, scary. It sucks, because I like the speed-balls, as well. They are all ticking time bombs. In fairness, all pitchers are, but throw hard and risk goes up exponentially. So, as Truss said in our Razzball writer Discord to this Jones news, “It’s Bubba Chandler SZN!” To which I said, “It’s Carmen Mlodzinski SZN.” Pirates held down Skenes, but did promote Jones to start the year, so it’s hard to say, but worth grabbing Chandler, just in case.
Will Warren (ESPN NR, Yahoo 295, NFBC 336) My only real concern with Will Warren is Will…they or won’t they start him? See what I did there? How could you have missed it? His new change looks nasty as eff, and he should have a rotation spot for at least a few, until Schmidt returns or they DFA Stroman.
Max Meyer (ESPN NR, Yahoo 351, NFBC 321) My starting pitcher sleeper has a first name, it’s M-A-X. My starting pitcher sleeper has a 2nd name it’s M-E–well, you can spell. Meyer was considered a huge prospect not that long ago, and might finally be reaching his potential, clocking two-plus miles on his fastball, and a slider, change and sinker that are all clicking, finally.
Casey Mize (ESPN NR, Yahoo NR, NFBC 333) Sticking with the post-hype sleeper theme that was just established with Meyer, Mize makes me smize, to quote Tyra Banks. He has a new splitter, and, as I mentioned on the starting pitcher pod from this week, every pitcher who has a splitter succeeds. It’s science.
Landen Roupp (ESPN NR, Yahoo NR, NFBC 639) Fine, one last one. I didn’t even rank him. Wait, one more! Hayden Birdsong! Okay, whoever wins the Giants’ 5th starter job is worth a look. Staying in NoCal, Osvaldo Bido looks very interesting too. These guys are streamers in 12-teamers. For now. Emphasize the shizz out of “for now.”
Bowden Francis (ESPN 263, Yahoo 242, NFBC 260) Okay, one more! But honestly there could be another 20 starters to target. It’s why there’s the pitchers’ pairing tool and 2025 fantasy baseball rankings. Not saying you could ignore starters until pick 250 and then draft a whole staff, but, well, I did just say that, didn’t I? I really have to wrap up this post.
AJ Smith-Shawver (ESPN NR, Yahoo NR, NFBC 470) Okay, one one more! And that’s it! Why AJ Smith-Shawver? Do you not know about the Shroud of Touki? Are you not aware that once a year a Braves’ prospect shrouds himself in the glory of Touki when he’s called up, pitches well for one year, then disappears? So, you never heard of Ian Anderson? The name Kyle Wright means nothing to you? How dare you not respect your elders, like Bryce Elder! Okay, all the 2025 fantasy baseball rankings are up to date. Good luck with your weekend drafts!
If you want to join an RCL, there’s only a few more spots left:
TO JOIN A LEAGUE
Click the LINK in the ‘League Link’ column (see below grid) for the time you want and voila, you’re in. If you’re not signed up at Fantrax, you need to do that too (it’s free). Damn, that’s too easy. Oh, I guess I should also mention make sure you’re joining a league for free or for money, depending on your preference. That’s it! You can join as many leagues as you like. If you accidentally join a league, you can quit a league by going to OTHER –> All Options –> Quit League (located at the bottom). Now go join some leagues!
