Fantasy baseball draft day cheat sheet: Injuries, sleepers and ADP tips

You get up in a chilly sweat, as a horrifying realization involves thoughts: It’s Draft Day, and you have not executed any analysis.     

It may simply be a nightmare, however perhaps it is your actuality. We’ve all obtained busy lives, and perhaps the Fantasy season is sneaking up on you. Hey, it occurs, and that is what the Fantasy Baseball Today workforce is right here that can assist you out with. We’ve spent the previous six months getting our rankings prepared for Draft Day, and we have executed loads of analysis on the best way there. And immediately’s publication is all about sharing that with you. 

This is the second largest draft weekend of the 12 months, and as such, it is time to provide you with the whole lot we have got. That means hyperlinks to utterly the whole lot that you must know earlier than you draft, whether or not that draft is in seven hours otherwise you’re taking it proper up till Opening Day. There’s nonetheless time, even when the clock is now ticking.     

Before we get to that, although, this is a rundown of the most recent information and notes that you must learn about from the previous few days earlier than you draft: 

• The newest on Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor, and Jackson Holliday’s recoveries from hamate bone surgical procedure
• Carroll truly performed in a spring recreation Wednesday, serving because the designated hitter simply over a month after he had surgical procedure to take away the hamate bone in his proper hand. He will use a unique bat deal with in the interim, however already had a batted ball of 113.6 mph in his first game, so the uncooked pop remains to be there. He acknowledged he’ll be enjoying by means of some ache, and I fear that might restrict him early on. But if he is been cleared by medical doctors and could have a week-plus of spring motion to prepare, I feel you must roughly draft him as if the damage is up to now. That means proper across the 1-2 flip, if not earlier, if you’re feeling actually adventurous. 
• Lindor has been enjoying in minor-league video games this week and continues to insist he’ll be ready for Opening Day. At this level, that timeline appears reasonable, so who am I to doubt him? 
• Holliday is seemingly much less sure that he’ll be prepared for Opening Day regardless of having the surgical procedure across the identical time as Lindor and Carroll. He’s additionally considerably cheaper and has seen his value impacted by his damage much more, so he stays a viable selection round 175 in lots of drafts. 
• Hunter Greene has elbow surgical procedure to scrub up unfastened our bodies from his proper elbow. He’ll be out till July on the earliest, and any setback would put him out till the second half, so you may have to determine in case your league circumstances will assist you to stash him. He went 351st in our NFBC Online Championship draft Thursday, however that is a league with out IL spots, so he may be price taking earlier in different leagues. 
• Spencer Schwellenbach is on an identical timetable to Greene, nevertheless it’s tougher to purchase into him coming again within the second half and making an influence when he broke down final season and could not even get by means of a couple of weeks of Spring Training earlier than needing surgical procedure. I will not take him till Greene is off the board, not less than. 
• Blake Snell probably won’t debut until May. He threw a bullpen session Thursday, and supervisor Dave Roberts acknowledged he is mainly in the beginning of his spring development, which is able to seemingly embrace six weeks of ramp-up. Snell has been held again after he completed final season with shoulder soreness, however so far as we all know, he’s wholesome proper now. He’s gotta fall out of the highest 150 earlier than I’ll look his manner.  
• Josh Hader will open the season on the IL. He’s getting back from biceps tendinitis, and whereas he threw his first bullpen session Tuesday, he only hit 87 mph. He has an extended ramp-up forward of him, so anticipate Bryan Abreu to shut for the Astros for April, not less than. Even getting 5 saves out of him early on could be sufficient to make him price a top-175, particularly given the chance of setbacks for Hader that might make Abreu a top-12 nearer for a very long time. 
• Nick Pivetta is coping with arm fatigue. It would not sound like a really severe concern — in actual fact, there’s an opportunity it is only a delay of some days, and we’ll neglect about all of this come April. But it is sufficient to drop Pivetta down a couple of rounds. I will not take him till after the one centesimal decide. 
• Jeremy Pena suffered a fractured finger tip and is with no timetable to return. That may imply Opening Day is a risk, however my guess is it will be longer than that. That ought to give Isaac Paredes an opportunity to play each day, with Carlos Correa sliding over to shortstop not less than to begin the season. 
• Konnor Griffin is difficult for an Opening Day job, as is Kevin McGonigle. Both have been fairly productive up to now this spring, however McGonigle has in all probability been a bit higher general. At this level, I’d put it at a coin flip for every to make the roster, however sadly, that is only a guess; the Pirates and Tigers are enjoying their playing cards near the vest. 
• But JJ Wetherholt nonetheless appears to be like all however sure to crack the Opening Day lineup because the Cardinals beginning second baseman. He is not fairly on Griffin or McGonigle’s stage as a prospect, however he is a top-20 man in his personal proper and has seemed in whole management this spring, strolling eight occasions to 4 strikeouts in 10 video games. He has 20-20 upside. 
• Zack Wheeler hasn’t confronted reside hitters but as he works his manner again from Thoracic Outlet surgical procedure, however he’ll throw reside batting apply this weekend. We have not actually seen any signal of the place Wheeler’s stuff is but, however that hasn’t stopped drafters from focusing on him round 120. I can not get on board with that value, however I’ll admit there’s some FOMO there with Wheeler seemingly an April return at this level. 
• Gerrit Cole has reached 98 mph throughout a number of reside BP classes and might pitch in a Spring Training recreation someday subsequent week. His timeline remains to be anticipated to be slower than Wheeler’s, but when he avoids setbacks, I do assume there’s an opportunity we see him within the majors within the first quarter of the season. We’ll in all probability see a full 30-day rehab project from Cole, so his timetable might change into clear as soon as the season begins. 

• Kyle Teel will miss most of April with a hamstring damage. He suffered the damage throughout a World Baseball Classic recreation with Team Italy and shall be out 4-6 weeks. That provides Edgar Quero slightly extra early-season enjoying time, making him an excellent higher late-round goal in two-catcher leagues. Teel remains to be price drafting in leagues with IL spots, not less than. 
• Ivan Herrera has been coping with irritation in his knee, however is anticipated to play in some spring video games this week. The knee damage might restrict him to early-season DH obligations, which is irritating for a man who’s Util/DH-only at most Fantasy websites. But he might additionally see time at catcher, the outfield, or first base at factors, so I hope he nonetheless has a path to gaining eligibility someplace — although I do assume Herrera is price drafting even for those who can solely slot him at DH for some time. 
• Jordan Westburg has a torn ligament in his throwing elbow, which suggests Coby Mayo has his finest (and perhaps final) probability to carve out an on a regular basis function. Westburg had PRP injections in his elbow and shall be out till not less than May, although seemingly fairly a bit longer. Mayo, for his half, has hit .500 with only one strikeout in 28 plate appearances this spring, albeit with only one homer and no walks so far. Still, we would quite see him hitting than not, so put him in your late-round sleeper checklist. 
• Lawrence Butler is being labored in slowly after offseason knee surgical procedure. He has been taking reside BP and enjoying on again fields in sim video games, however hasn’t gotten into an official Cactus League recreation after having surgical procedure on his proper knee (he additionally had a PRP injection in his left knee). Butler ought to play in his first spring recreation subsequent week and may nonetheless be prepared for Opening Day. He’s a viable post-hype sleeper, however his value is usually nonetheless inside the highest 150, and I’d choose a bit extra of a reduction. 
• Mike Trout set a objective of hitting 30 toes per second on a dash this spring, and he is completed it not less than as soon as already in spring motion. That’s the quickest dash velocity he has registered since April of 2024, earlier than he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee that wrecked that season. It’s an indication that Trout may be in higher form than in 2025, when he performed in 130 video games however hit simply .232/.359/.439. I fairly like the concept of shopping for a wholesome Trout with an ADP round 180, personally. 
• Bryce Miller is coping with an indirect damage. Which is healthier than the elbow damage that wrecked his 2025, however nonetheless appears to be like prefer it’ll preserve him off the sphere for a lot of April after he suffered a setback in current days whereas attempting to throw. I like him as a late-round stash, nonetheless. 
• Edwin Uceta will start the season on the IL with a shoulder damage. At this level, it would not sound like he’ll miss an excessive amount of time, however given the uncertainty of his function, it in all probability is not price drafting him in most leagues. Griffin Jax is more than likely to steer the workforce in saves, however Garrett Cleavinger, Bryan Baker, and Hunter Bigge are another names who might issue into what figures to be a closer-by-committee state of affairs. 
• Quinn Priester and Logan Henderson are each coping with accidents. Henderson is coping with elbow soreness, however he did throw a bullpen session Thursday and might nonetheless be prepared for Opening Day, although he is clearly working out of time. Priester will open the season on the IL, however has not less than prevented surgical procedure up to now whereas coping with a wrist damage that’s “in that [thoracic outlet syndrome] family,” as supervisor Pat Murphy put it. The workforce will attempt to keep away from having Priester bear surgical procedure, however I’m largely taking him off my draft checklist given the damage. There are simply too some ways for this to go fallacious. 
• Shane Bieber stays with no timetable as he continues to be slow-played because of lingering soreness in his forearm. He handled fatigue after final 12 months’s playoffs and hasn’t thrown off a mound but this spring, so we’re in all probability a May return on the earliest, and it appears like there are nonetheless loads of methods for issues to go fallacious earlier than we get there. I might solely draft him late in a league with IL spots. 
• Matt McLain is having a ridiculous spring. He tweaked his batting stance and is utilizing a quarter-inch longer bat, and up to now it has had a huge effect — he has 5 homers and is hitting .607 in his first 10 spring video games. The scorching spring is sweet to see from a man who was largely a catastrophe in 2025, however … it is also nonetheless simply spring, so let’s not go overreacting or something. Of course, he went 148th in our draft Thursday, so I suppose it may be too late for that after he was being drafted exterior of the highest 200 for many of the spring. But it’s completely doable we’re seeing a delayed breakout after McLain performed coming off shoulder surgical procedure final season. 
• Mick Abel is rising as an actual late-round sleeper. Initially considered as one thing of an extended shot to make the Twins, Abel has 13 strikeouts to zero walks in his first 10 innings this spring and has to have an inside observe. The former first-rounder and high prospect put up a 2.20 ERA and 10.4 Ok/9 at Triple-A however largely floundered in his first style of the majors. He went 283rd in our draft Thursday, which appears nicely well worth the danger. 

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