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Frank's top sleeper hitters and pitchers for fantasy baseball drafts in 2026. His 10 favorite fantasy baseball sleepers that are undervalued based on ADPs.
The term "sleeper" has become a bit overused in fantasy sports, and baseball is no different. Too often, I see players who go earlier in drafts classified as a sleeper, but you won't find that in this article. I'm digging deeper to bring you my fantasy baseball sleepers.
In this article, you will find a mix of hitters and pitchers, each with an ADP past pick 300 on NFBC drafts since January 1. I've dug up some legitimate gems to help round out your fantasy baseball rosters. These players have high upside and low costs.
The ADP will come from NFBC, as it is the most active fantasy baseball platform right now. There have been hundreds of drafts in these high-stakes leagues, so we're getting a more informed look at the market by using this data. One more note: sleepers do not include prospects. I've outlined my favorite hitter and pitcher prospects elsewhere; check out those articles. With that in mind, let's dive into my 10 fantasy baseball sleepers for the 2026 MLB season.
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Cedric Mullins, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
NFBC ADP: 328.32
Cedric Mullins enters his age-31 season with the Rays after signing a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. We all know how the Rays rarely make free agent signings, so this move signals their intentions of making Mullins their everyday center fielder, or at least against righties.
That's a bit intriguing to round out your outfield when you consider the power-speed profile that Mullins brings to the table:
- 17 HR, 22 SB in 498 PA in 2025
- 18 HR, 32 SB in 499 PA in 2024
- 15 HR, 19 SB in 455 PA in 2023
I'm not going to mention Mullins' 2021-2022 seasons even though they were excellent because he's no longer that guy. However, there's a chance he can return to 2024 form.
The problem is that Mullins is a drain on your batting average, projected by Steamer to hit .232 this season. So make sure you've built a strong enough base to withstand that damage.
Andres Gimenez, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
NFBC ADP: 331.40
Andres Gimenez isn't going to come out of the lineup.
His glove is too good and even more important now that he's the everyday SS.
Each projection system ranges from 526 to 595 PAs.
600+ feels likely.
Gimenez is a nice value pick in DCs.
.240/10/20 is helpful in these deep…
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) January 22, 2026
Andres Gimenez is coming off a disappointing debut season with the Blue Jays, but he dealt with an ankle injury and was limited to only 369 plate appearances. Now moving from second base to shortstop with Bo Bichette gone, Gimenez has safe playing time due to his elite defensive skills.
Shortstops are less likely to come out of the lineup than second basemen because it's a much more important position. Currently, Ernie Clement is the main backup shortstop for Gimenez. However, Clement will be playing second and perhaps some third, so asking him to also play shortstop seems like a lot.
With that in mind, we can pencil in Gimenez for 600+ plate appearances this year, which should allow him to get back to that 10-12 homer, 22-25 stolen base type of player. As a 2B/SS, that's valuable in deeper leagues.
Chad Patrick, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
NFBC ADP: 349.69
Chad Patrick put up impressive numbers for the Brewers last season, with a 3.90 SIERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, and 8.0% walk rate. With Freddy Peralta traded to the Mets, Patrick is entrenched in the Brewers' rotation.
Milwaukee has established itself as one of the premier organizations for developing pitchers. With that in mind, there's a legitimate chance that Patrick can build on his 2025 numbers with an even better season.
While Logan Henderson is the flashier Brewers' pitcher, Patrick is another intriguing asset worth targeting at the end of your drafts. In shallower leagues, make note of him as a streamer.
Jordan Walker, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
NFBC ADP: 353.60
Jordan Walker had the third-highest average bat speed in MLB last year.
Went to Driveline this offseason.
Reportedly found something in his swing.
Cardinals are rebuilding, so Walker should get everyday at-bats.
Still only 23 years old.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) January 11, 2026
Jordan Walker was once considered one of the best prospects in baseball, but he's been quite disappointing throughout his big league career so far. With that said, Walker is still only entering his age-24 season (turns 24 on May 22).
This is a hitter who already has tremendous bat speed, so perhaps his trip to Driveline could help unlock more power. If Walker can get to 20+ homers, you have a 20/10 outfielder towards the end of your draft.
It also helps that the Cardinals have embraced the youth movement, so Walker has a chance to prove his worth while playing every day.
Reid Detmers, SP, Los Angeles Angels
NFBC ADP: 374.33
Reid Detmers was terrific out of the bullpen last year, putting up a 30.1% strikeout rate in 63 2/3 innings. What if he finally figured it out with this one-year shift to relief pitching?
OOPSY, one of my favorite projection systems, because it bakes in Stuff+, has Detmers down for a 3.63 ERA and a 27.2% strikeout rate over 151 innings. Clearly, Detmers improved his stuff last year.
Still only 26 years old, you can never count out a pitcher who can rack up strikeouts, making Detmers a worthy sleeper.
Johan Oviedo, SP, Boston Red Sox
NFBC ADP: 459.08
In the last two seasons, the Red Sox have established themselves as an organization that can extract more value out of their pitchers. That's why it was so intriguing to see them trade for Johan Oviedo from the Pirates. Clearly, they saw something in him.
Oviedo has the tools to succeed, increasing his strikeout rate from 20.2% to 24.7% last season. He just has to get his command in check, as highlighted by a ghastly 13.5 BB% last year.
The 27-year-old will have prospects like Connelly Early and Payton Tolle breathing down his neck for the No. 5 rotation spot, so Oviedo will have a fire under him to perform well to keep his job. Perhaps the Red Sox can unlock him.
Luisangel Acuna, 2B, Chicago White Sox
NFBC ADP: 524.84
Luisangel Acuna was traded to the White Sox in the Luis Robert trade. This was huge for his fantasy value because he was blocked in the Mets' lineup. The White Sox plan to play Acuña in the outfield, so he'll have dual eligibility.
There's a ton of speed in Acuna's profile, as he stole 40 bases in Triple-A back in 2024. He also swiped 16 bags in only 193 plate appearances for the Mets last year.
Playing for a rebuilding White Sox team, there's a path to 40+ steals from Acuna this season. That's the kind of late-round speed worth targeting in drafts.
Foster Griffin, SP, Washington Nationals
NFBC ADP: 559.89
Foster Griffin looks like a nice sleeper.
Three nice seasons in Japan:
121.0 IP, 23.3 K%, 5.9 BB%, 2.44 xFIP
116.2 IP, 26.9 K%, 4.9 BB%, 1.93 xFIP
78.0 IP, 25.1 BB%, 5.9 BB%, 2.35 xFIPOOPSY:
157 IP, 3.94 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 20.3 K%, 6.9 BB%— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) January 23, 2026
The seemingly forever rebuilding Nationals, in the post-Juan Soto era, signed Foster Griffin to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million. Their current rotation includes Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, Jake Irvin, and Brad Lord. Needless to say, there's plenty of opportunity for Griffin to eat innings.
What makes Griffin intriguing is that he left MLB for NPB in 2023 and reinvented himself. Griffin has a five-pitch arsenal that could make him a quality backend starter in the big leagues.
If you're in a draft-and-hold, this is exactly the type of arm you want to round out your rotation. In traditional formats, Griffin is merely a streamer, but there's a path to a quality season where he ends up dealt to a contender at the deadline, similar to Erick Fedde a couple of years ago.
Yoan Moncada, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
NFBC ADP: 604.41
It seems like ages ago that Yoan Moncada was considered the best prospect in MLB. Now entering his age-31 season, there's some upside here. For one, Moncada quietly showed solid batted ball metrics last year, including a 14.3% barrel rate.
We saw him homer 12 times in only 289 plate appearances. Moncada decided to re-up with the Angels, who have a wide-open lineup, meaning he could hit as high as cleanup. We also saw Moncada bat second and third at times last year.
If he stays healthy, there's a chance we see a career year while playing for this rebuilding team. Don't sleep on Moncada as a late source of power at the hot corner. As with other sleepers on this list, Moncada is best in draft-and-hold leagues.
Drey Jameson, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
NFBC ADP: 707.63
Another saves spec for you:
Drey Jameson
Came back from injury hitting 99 MPH for the D-Backs.
The backend of that bullpen is extremely weak with A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez injured.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) January 23, 2026
My final sleeper is a potential closer. When you look at the backend of the Arizona bullpen, you currently see lefty Andrew Saalfrank and veteran Kevin Ginkel. These aren't closers for a potential wild-card team. The Diamondbacks have to be more serious than that.
Why not give a shot to former pitching prospect Drey Jameson, who showed high velo last season, hitting 99 MPH at times. Jameson has dealt with injuries, which is why he was moved to the bullpen, but he's fully healthy right now.
In a recent podcast interview, Jameson spoke about wanting to win the closer job. He's got the makeup for the role, making him exactly the type of saves spec to target in deep formats.
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