In this series, I will be going through each position to identify potential value based on Average Draft Position (ADP). The best time to find these ADP values is early in the draft season when there are still a lot of unknowns. This includes players returning from injury, prospects on the verge of a breakout, positional battles within a team, or a player looking for a bounce-back season. This week we turn our attention to second base.
When looking at your team’s construction as you prepare for your drafts, we generally don’t find value in the early rounds. We expect the players we draft high to return their value and when they are combined with multiple players who end up outperforming their draft position, it becomes a winning formula for a successful fantasy team.
With such a deep position in 2025, my strategy with second base is to mostly avoid the top guys and hunt for value later in the draft. Let’s dive in and look at some players on my radar.
2025 Second Base ADP Values
Jonathan India – Kansas City Royals
After four years in the Reds organization, India was traded to Kansas City this offseason. He had a terrific rookie season with the Reds back in 2021 where he posted a 122 wRC+ but fell off quite a bit over the next two years with a 95 and 98 wRC+ respectively. The good news here is that he rebounded in a big way in 2024 posting an elite walk rate(12.6%) which was in the 97th percentile and a near elite xwOBA(.352) which was in the 87th percentile.
He gets on a base a ton and that is exactly what the Royals are looking for as he is projected to hit leadoff for them with Bobby Witt Jr. right behind him. The downgrade in park factor is offset by the upgrade in lineup which most definitely gives India a 100-run upside this season. On top of the elite on-base metrics, India also adds some speed and has stolen at least 12 bases in three of his four seasons.
With all that said, the best part is that he is currently being drafted around pick 250, outside the 20th round, and as the 23rd-25th player at his position. That is a cheap price to pay for a player who can contribute in multiple categories and help you build a solid core around him in the early rounds.
Brendan Donovan – St. Louis Cardinals
Another player going around the 20th round right now is Brendan Donovan who is currently projected to hit cleanup for the Cardinals in 2025. He isn’t your prototypical middle-of-the-lineup guy with below-average bat speed and barrel rate but is elite when looking at contact metrics as he is 98th percentile in squared up %, 94th percentile in whiff rate, and 97th percentile in K rate.
Can the elite contact rate turn into more power? I believe it can as he has increased his launch angle each season which has resulted in an increase in home runs. A few more minor adjustments, and I think he can once again set new career highs in not only home runs but RBI and runs scored, as well.
With his current situation, there is a ton of upside for a player going this late in drafts.
Kristian Campbell – Boston Red Sox
Looking at the three players in this article, Campbell definitely comes with the most risk as he isn’t even guaranteed to make the Opening Day roster. He is currently going undrafted in some season-long leagues but has the potential to have the biggest jump in ADP from early to late drafts should he crack the Red Sox Opening Day roster.
Drafted in 2023, Campbell has flown through the Red Sox system and across three levels last year, posting a .330/.439/.558 slash line with 20 home runs, 77 RBI, 94 runs scored, and adding 24 stolen bases. He has the potential to contribute in all categories for fantasy baseball managers and could also end up with multi-position eligibility(2B/SS/OF).
He is a player I am loading up on early in draft season before the buzz really takes off.
Who are your favorite ADP values this season? Drop some names in the comments below. For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.
