Winning teams in fantasy baseball always get strong value from their draft picks. Any GM can select obvious stars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge with top picks, but savvy selections in later rounds can transform a good team into a champion.
With that in mind, here’s a sample of middle-round possibilities—rookies, veterans, and mid-career players—who could push your fantasy team to the upper tier of the standings.
Sal Stewart (1b) Cincinnati Reds
A consensus top 25-30 prospect at 22 years old, Stewart is a good bet to start opening day at first base for the Reds. He’s a career .287/.386/.470 hitter with 45 home runs and 42 stolen bases in 341 career games, including 18 in the majors late in 2025. Stewart makes a lot of contact with the barrel and should draw a good number of walks. The home-run environment at Great American Ball Park could make him a candidate for 25-30 homers, even in his first full season. Take him higher than his 201 ADP.
Jorge Polanco (2b-3b) New York Mets
A season ago at age 32 he slugged .495 with the Seattle Mariners, clubbing 26 home runs in 471 at-bats. Playing home games at Citi Field won’t hurt his power potential. Polanco qualifies at second base and third base in Yahoo leagues, is set to play a lot of first base for the Mets, and will bat in the middle of the lineup. Fantasy GMs are drafting him in the low 200s, but he has a chance to give value closer to the top 100.
Colson Montgomery (ss-3b) Chicago White Sox
Feb 19, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox infielder Colson Montgomery (85) performs a drill during a Spring Training workout at Camelback Ranch Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Montgomery emerged with huge power as a rookie, hitting 21 homers in just 284 plate appearances, finishing with a .290 ISO. He doesn’t steal bases, and the White Sox don’t have a top lineup to supplement runs scored and RBIs, but Montgomery might be good enough to produce them anyway. His ADP was about 178 at a recent check, but he could sneak into the top 5-6 at short and even higher at third base.
Mike Trout (of) Los Angeles Angels
If you never had Mike Trout on a fantasy team, now is probably your best chance as he nears age 35. After several seasons experiencing declining health and results, he has an ADP of 170. He’s still hitting the ball hard, even if he swings through too many center-cut fastballs. Trout hasn’t been a base stealer for years, but says he feels healthy again for the first time in years, and he’s been posting sub 30-second sprint times in Spring Training. Think: George Springer in 2025.
Trevor Rogers (sp) Baltimore Orioles
Jun 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Fantasy GMs prefer O’s right-hander Kyle Bradish, whose 80 ADP ranks about 20th among all starting pitchers. Rogers comes in an average of 70 spots later, yet could finish with stats just as good. Finally healthy, he posted a 1.80 ERA with rejuvenated strikeout numbers and career-best walk numbers in 2025, though it came in just 18 starts. A .228 batting average on balls in play indicates regression is coming, but if he DID approach his ’25 results over 32 starts, Rogers would finish in the top three in AL Cy Young voting. Take him in the low 100s, sit back, and profit!
Carter Jensen (c) Kansas City Royals
Even in his mid-30s, Salvador Perez is still the man behind the plate in KC. But Jensen will get lots of opportunities to hit in the Royals lineup, possibly as the primary DH. He has a chance to hit for power and draw walks. With eligibility behind the plate, Jensen could be a top-five catcher that costs only an ADP in the 230s right now.
Kenley Jansen (rp) Detroit Tigers
It’s not necessarily reflected in his 160-ish ADP, but the Tigers are going to use Jansen to close games. He’s on a Hall-of-Fame track with 476 career saves, including 29 a season ago with a terrible Angels team. Jansen showed signs of wear too, like his career-low 24.4% K% and career-worst 44.6% hard-hit percentage. But he still allowed opposing hitters a .175/.245/.321 slash line. Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest also had 20-plus saves, and their presence also gives fantasy GMs pause. But if Jansen can keep fly balls in the park and doesn’t regress more with his strikeouts, he could lead the league in saves at age 38.
