MLB fantasy: 5 bounce-back candidates

One way to win a fantasy baseball championship is drafting devalued stars. A bad year because of underperformance or injuries will cause a drop in average draft position, which is a sneaky way to build a great team. Here are five players who could bounce back with a big 2025.

Average draft positions are from FantasyPros as of March 5.

Julio Rodríguez, Mariners - OF (ADP: 15)

A player with an ADP so high usually wouldn't be on a list like this but Rodríguez has the chance to be a league-winner if he puts up numbers similar to 2023 or better. The 24-year-old ranked second behind only Ronald Acuña Jr. heading into last season after slashing .275/.333/.485 with 32 homers, 103 RBIs, 37 stolen bases, and 102 runs two years ago. However, he hit .273/.325/.409 with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, 24 steals, and 76 runs en route to becoming one of the biggest fantasy busts of 2024. Yet, Rodríguez's ceiling is still a 40-40 campaign, which would make him a massive steal at his current ADP.

Triston Casas, Red Sox - 1B (ADP: 106)

Casas is the 13th-ranked first baseman entering this season after missing nearly four months last year because of a rib cartilage tear. Plenty of reasons point to the young slugger having a big 2025 campaign on an ascending Red Sox club. Casas will likely see good pitches to hit and have opportunities to drive in lots of runs with Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and Alex Bregman hitting in front of him. Casas, 25, has already proven he can mash after going deep 24 times with 65 RBIs and an .856 OPS during his 2023 rookie season, and he could be in line for even bigger numbers this year on a much better team.

Adolis García, Rangers - OF (ADP: 120)

García collected 25 home runs with 85 RBIs and swiped 11 bags last season, but his fantasy owners were left yearning for much more after a .224/.284/.400 slash line. As a result, his ADP dropped from 37 to 120 going into 2025. Some risk exists with the two-time All-Star on the wrong side of 30 and already dealing with an oblique issue, but he still finished in the 87th percentile in hard-hit percentage, 85th percentile in barrel percentage, and 78th percentile in average exit velocity, according to Baseball Savant. So, he can still do damage and should be hitting in the middle of a loaded Rangers lineup.

Shane McClanahan, Rays - SP (ADP: 122)

McClanahan was one of the favorites to win the 2023 AL Cy Young before undergoing Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old is now healthy after finishing his rehab in September and enters the season without any restrictions. There are 37 starting pitchers are ranked higher than the left-hander, but only a handful of those are proven fantasy aces like McClanahan. He should be impactful in five different pitching categories thanks to a career 33-16 record with a 3.02 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, and 36 quality starts.

Bo Bichette, Blue Jays - SS (ADP: 124)

Bichette was an even bigger fantasy bust than Rodríguez in 2024. The Blue Jays shortstop had an ADP of 38 going into last season before experiencing by far the worst year of his career, slashing .225/.277/.322 with four homers, 31 RBIs, 29 runs, and five steals over 81 games during an injury-plagued campaign. The good news is the 26-year-old two-time All-Star recorded a combined 555 hits with 73 homers and an .815 OPS between 2021-23. He's also slated to hit free agency next offseason, which means he should be motivated to stay on the field and produce big numbers in a walk year.