Buy-Low Fantasy Baseball Trade Targets Include Matt Olson and Gunnar Henderson

After looking at a sell-high fantasy baseball player at each position, let's now identify some buy-low targets.

We'll again choose one player from each position.

Use the FantasySP Trade Value Chart and Trade Analyzer all season when assessing fantasy baseball trades. Also be sure to check out the new “Ask Fantasy Expert” tool inside the analyzer.

Catchers

There's several fantasy catchers I'd be interested in buying low on. I think my top target would be William Contreras though.

He's ranked fourth among fantasy catchers in points leagues so far, and hasn't really gotten going at the plate yet. Contreras is hitting .242 and getting on base at a .351 clip. His OBP is still close to his career mark, but his average is over 30 points lower.

Contreras should improve that average as the season moves along, and if he keeps his OBP, he has a chance to catch up to Cal Raleigh and be the top fantasy catcher in the game again.

So even though he's a top-end option still, Contreras is a buy-low fantasy candidate for me.

First Basemen

Matt Olson is the first baseman I'd be targeting. He's the 10th fantasy 1B in points leagues right now, but that means he's underperforming based on his preseason expectations.

He had a down 2024 season, but is performing even worse in 2025. Sure, there's a chance he doesn't bounce back, but he's still providing enough extra-base hits and run production to be a daily starting option.

This is more about getting a daily starting option than hoping he bounces back in a major way. That's also a possibility, which makes Olson even more appealing in fantasy leagues.

Him playing every game is sometimes the best thing for fantasy, and by the end of the season, I still expect him to be inside the top 10. He's cheaper to acquire than he would have been at the start of the season, and he's a guy who can stabilize a fantasy position, so that's why I'd be after Olson.

Second Basemen

It's weird to call the No. 1 fantasy player at a position a buy-low trade candidate, but that's what I'm going to do with Nico Hoerner.

His fantasy value comes in a good average, OBP and run production, with his lack of power numbers being why he's overlooked in fantasy. Want me to show you what I mean? He ranks first in fantasy points leagues so far, but is the fourth-ranked fantasy second baseman on our trade charts (and ranks 105th overall).

Some fantasy owners might want to sell high on him, but he's not going to cost all that much in a trade. See what the asking price is on him and maybe gain yourself a daily starter at second base going forward for relatively cheap.

Shortstops

Gunnar Henderson has to be the buy-low candidate at shortstop. He sits outside the top 20 at the position right now.

Sure, he missed some games at the start of the season, but he's been around for enough games to be near a top-10 spot at least. Henderson is underperforming this season, which makes him the ideal buy-low trade candidate right now.

His .257 average so far is below his career .266 mark, and well below the .281 mark he had last season. His .315 OBP is well below his career mark of .342 and last year's mark of .364.

We expected Henderson to take another step forward in his age-23/24 season this year, but so far, he's regressed. I think he's too talented to struggle all season, and he seems to be trending up a bit of late as well.

I'd buy into Henderson before his value really explodes. He's still going to cost a decent haul, but the trade should be worth it as the season moves along.

Third Basemen

Austin Riley is a buy-low target at third base. He sits outside the top-10 spots among fantasy third basemen in points leagues so far, meaning he's underperformed and been a draft bust so far.

His .270 average is better than his .256 mark he posted last season, and his .328 OBP is also a tough higher. He's right around his career averages, so more of the same should be expected from Riley the rest of the season.

What's holding him back as a fantasy asset so far are his home run and strikeout percentages. His home run percentage is down, while his strikeouts are up so far. It also doesn't help that his walks are down.

Most of his other underlying numbers are similar to past seasons, so in time, I expect things to get better for Riley. Just by staying healthy the rest of the season, I expect Riley to move well up the third base leaderboard, and finish near where he was drafted this season.

Outfielders

Yordan Alvarez is a great buy-low trade candidate amongst outfielders.

He's been out since May 2, and his return timetable isn't known yet after a break was found in his hand. He's still rostered in every fantasy league, but his fantasy owners have to be getting impatient. That's where you can take advantage of the situation.

If your fantasy team is sitting in a good place, or you just want to take a gamble that could pay off big, trading for Alvarez makes a lot of sense to me.

There's risk involved because we don't know when he'll be back, but that also should lower his asking price. He's dropped below No. 100 on our trade chart, which is wild considering he was a top-12 pick on average.

See what kind of trade package it might take to acquire Alvarez, then just stash him on your bench (or IR) until he's back on the field. His production should pick up when he's back, and he could power a fantasy team to greatness after that.

Starting Pitchers

I'd go after another injured star here in Logan Gilbert. He hasn't pitched since late April, but is nearing a return. 

He's making rehab starts now, and had a little velocity concern in his last outing. That makes Gilbert a more risky trade acquisition, but also should lower his trade value a bit more.

Gilbert is one of the top fantasy pitchers in the game when he's healthy, and his long absence has dropped his value way down. He sits 64th on the trade chart right now, and he was drafted around pick 20 on average.

I get the risk involved with taking on an injured pitcher, but the upside offsets that risk, and then some. Gilbert could take your team from a middle-of-the-pack squad to a contender by the end of the season. See what Gilbert might cost and then see if you can put together a trade package to acquire him.

Relief Pitchers

I think Devin Williams is the pretty clear buy-low fantasy reliever to go after.

He lost his closer role for the Yankees earlier this season, but should be the lead guy now after an injury to Luke Weaver. Williams has struggled mightily to begin the season, but if he bounces back, he could be a top-end fantasy option again, like he was drafted to be before the season. 

Williams is still available in about 15% of leagues, so some of you can scoop him up for free. He ranks 161st on the trade chart, so he'd be pretty easy to acquire in a trade in a standard league.

See what the price might cost, because you could end up with an elite fantasy closer for really, really cheap. It's a small-risk move with possible huge positive value in the long run.