Austin Lowell | Fri, Mar 14th 2025, 7:06am EDT

6 Fantasy Baseball Values to Target: CBS Drafts (2025)

Last week, we spotlighted CBS’s overrated players who were being drafted far too early on their platform. Today, we turn our attention in the opposite direction, focusing on underrated players. While CBS drafters tend to overreach on prospects, many middle-round players seem to be falling. While they may not lead your team to victory, they can play an integral part in a winning roster.

There is plenty of value in rounds 15- 20. Don’t forget about these productive players come the late-teen rounds. It’s also worth stating that because these players are being selected later in CBS leagues, you can probably wait a little longer to draft them than you normally would. That’s enough chit-chat for now, here are six undervalued players who you can likely get for a discount in CBS leagues.

6 Undervalued Players to Target: CBS Drafts

All average draft positions (ADP) are roto league-based. CBS ADP is listed first followed by the Consensus ADP. The Consensus FantasyPros ADP is created by taking the average ADP between Yahoo, Fantrax, RTSports, and NFC leagues.

Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR) | ADP: CBS – 175 / Consensus – 150

CBS players are unsurprisingly down on Kevin Gausman. The slender right-hander is coming off his worst season in the last five years. While there were some excellent starts thrown in between mediocre ones, Gausman’s season as a whole left a lot to be desired.

Selected as an SP2 in most fantasy leagues last year, Gausman was a disappointment. The Blue Jays ace finished with a 3.83 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 14 wins. While those numbers are passable, they are hardly ace or No. 2-type numbers. The main issue with Gausman’s game was that his strikeout rate dipped from 31% in 2023 to 21% in 2024 (237 total strikeouts to 162).

All that said, there is hope on the horizon. Gausman admitted last year that his normally devastating splitter wasn’t “splitting” the way he wanted it to. He spoke a few times to the media about it, saying he had lost the feeling for the pitch and it was anyone’s guess whether it was going to be working each time out.

The data also backs this up. The pitch fell to a -2.7 on the vertical comparison scale, meaning compared to splitters league-wide, Gausman’s was dropping 2.7 inches less than average (a far cry from last year’s near-zero rating). It’s not the best metric to measure success but it is a good barometer as to why it failed. The pitch did still maintain a massive horizontal break, but no longer fell out of the zone consistently, which significantly hurt his strikeout totals.

Here’s the good news: Gausman’s splitter is darting more than ever this spring, supposedly. He’s racked up a 33.3% strikeout rate in games so far and claims he’s feeling good again. Gausman only just turned 34, so he should have plenty more in the tank. Since he is going around 25 picks later in CBS drafts, you can probably wait to select him in the 15th round. But I wouldn’t wait much longer than that. It’s not every day you can snag a potential 200-strikeout guy with nice ratios and 12+ wins in the middle rounds.

Taylor Ward (OF – LAA) | ADP: CBS – 211 / Consensus – 180

Taylor Ward is creeping up draft boards in CBS leagues, but he’s still a few rounds away from where he should be. The Angels are dealing with a handful of injuries to strong role players but a healthy Mike Trout should be enough to keep the offense moving. Once players like Luis Rengifo and Zach Neto return (and it shouldn’t be long for either), the Angels will quietly have a decent lineup. Throw in the new addition of Jorge Soler and the solid production they get from catcher Logan O’Hoppe and first baseman Nolan Schanuel and they should score a respectable amount of runs.

I mention this because even though Ward has been productive in the past his counting stats have suffered. It’s not easy to collect RBI and runs when no one around you is getting on base. If Ward can reach 25 homers again with a .270 average, he should be a strong candidate to reach 80+ runs and RBI. Much of it will come down to availability, for him and his teammates. But if they can stay relatively healthy, Ward should blow by his mid-round average draft position (ADP) cost. Target the Angels outfielder in CBS leagues around 185-190 overall.

Ceddanne Rafaela (2B, SS, OF – BOS) | ADP: CBS – 216 / Consensus – 178

Ceddane Rafaela is a talented athlete. This young man can do it all and he’s only going to get better. The Red Sox have him penciled in to play center this year where all his gifts will be on a nightly display. The 24-year-old still needs to improve his eye a bit (3% walk rate, 26% strikeout rate) but seems to be making strides this spring. It’s a small sample size, but Rafaela has only stuck out twice while walking three times over 23 spring training plate appearances. He’s also batting .300 with a .550 slugging rate and a stolen base.

Last year, the toolsy Rafaela racked up 15 homers and 19 steals to go along with 23 doubles and five triples. The previous two years, at just 21 and 22 years old, the speedy outfielder combined for a total of 41 Minor League home runs and 64 steals.

Look for Rafaela to take his game to the next level this season, possibly increasing his draft stock closer to 100th overall by next year. He also qualifies at multiple positions, including second base, which furthers his value. Target the young stud around pick 185 in CBS leagues.

Brandon Pfaadt (SP – ARI) | ADP: CBS – 217 / Consensus – 176

Brandon Pfaadt is a forgotten man among all the big-name arms on the Diamondbacks roster, but he shouldn’t be. A former top pitching prospect for the club, Pfaadt has been a reliable starter since earning his promotion.

Last season, the 6-foot-4 righty started 32 games and finished with 11 wins and better than a strikeout per inning (185 total). His ratios weren’t as helpful (4.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP) but his analytics paint a better picture.

Pfaadt’s FIP and expected ERA both registered a full run less than his actual ERA. Pfaadt had trouble stranding runners as his 64.5% left-on-base rate was well below the league average. He also allowed a .315 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) despite generating a solid 42% ground ball rate. Pfaadt’s BB/9 sat at a nifty 2.08/9 and he only gave up 1.19 HR/9. All that combined with the amount of strikeouts he gets should lead to better numbers this season. He’s also a workhorse you can rely on.

While the casual fan is scared off by the unsightly ERA, the savvy manager can see past it and focus on what’s more likely to come. Set your sites on Pfaadt right after Rafaela.

Jose Berrios (SP – TOR) | ADP: CBS – 231 / Consensus – 196

I’m not sure what CBS drafters have against Toronto, but Jose Berrios is another starter for the Blue Jays you can get cheap on their platform. Berrios started the year hot, forgot how to pitch in the middle of the year, and then closed out 2024 with a solid final month and a half.

Berrios doesn’t strike out many hitters and he tends to get lucky in his low-scoring outings, but when he’s locked in, he’s still one of the best out-getters in the game. Surprisingly, he is just 30 years old and his velocity hasn’t dipped his entire career. Berrios is a bit homer-prone, but the 10-year vet is a workhorse who hasn’t missed a game in over five years. I wouldn’t start him against the juggernauts but he is a great candidate to rack up wins for you as he pitches deep into games.

Berrios is worth a shot around pick 200 overall. But since he’s going over 30 picks later in CBS drafts you can probably wait until around pick 215, where he’s still a great fantasy baseball ADP value.

Heliot Ramos (OF – SF) | ADP: CBS – 215 / Consensus – 197

Heliot Ramos isn’t that far off from his consensus ADP but I like him as an underrated asset on all platforms. Ramos developed at a snail’s pace in the Minors but finally put it all together at 25 years old. After his promotion, the former first-rounder swatted 22 home runs while maintaining a nice batting average. He also drove in 72 runs and stole six bases in just 121 games.

Ramos will always have to deal with the thick air at Oracle Park, but the skills are there to fill up the stat sheet. I love Ramos at 170th overall, but on CBS, you can probably get him after pick 200.

Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.

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