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18 hitter fantasy baseball sleepers for all positions (C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF). Rick recommends top-10, midrange, and deeper value picks for 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.
What is a sleeper? The term is league-dependent, and personal preference is often all that distinguishes sleepers from breakouts, must-drafts, and even upside plays. Can boring veterans be sleepers? What about unproven rookies? This article explores three types of sleepers to cover every format.
Top-10 sleepers are taken outside the top-15 at their position in Yahoo! ADP, but have a realistic path to returning high-end top-10 value. Mid-range sleepers generally fall in the mid-to-late round range at their position by ADP and could deliver substantial profit. Finally, deep sleepers are often undrafted but could become fantasy-relevant by season's end.
We're identifying one sleeper of each type for every offensive position, so let's get started!
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Catcher Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals
Midrange: Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros
Deep Sleeper: Harry Ford, Washington Nationals
Jensen only recorded 69 plate appearances (PAs) with the Royals last season, but his performance was loud. He hit .300/.391/.550 with three homers, demonstrated an advanced plate approach with a 13 BB% against a 17.4 K%, and authored an elite Statcast profile:
The knock on Jensen is playing time concerns, but he's clearly one of Kansas City's nine best hitters. Salvador Perez is getting older, so he and Jensen should cycle between catching and DH to keep them both fresh. The Royals won't have a choice if they hope to contend in a wide-open AL Central.
Diaz hit .256/.284/.417 with 20 HR last season, fulfilling the second catcher mantra of "do no harm." His FB% rose from 26.3 in 2024 to 35.1 last season, effectively trading some average for power. Diaz's .268 expected average (xBA) and .465 expected slugging (xSLG) suggest the trade was better than his surface stats, though a 43.8 percent chase rate caps his upside.
Diaz is hovering just outside the top-12 among catchers in Yahoo! ADP but has the potential to finish as a solid No. 1 option.
Ford offers steals upside at a position that generally lacks it, and his only obstacle to everyday PAs is the inconsistent Keibert Ruiz. Washington likes to run, and Ford stole at least 23 bags from 2022 to 2024. He can also hit, as evidenced by his .283/.408/.460 line with 16 HR and seven steals at Triple-A last season (458 PAs).
First Base Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds
Midrange: Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Deep Sleeper: Edouard Julien, Colorado Rockies
Stewart hit a lopsided .255/.293/.545 with five homers in 58 PAs as a Red last season, and his .289 xBA and .626 xSLG suggest he deserved better. Stewart knows how to work a walk and makes excellent contact, with his 16.9 K% at High-A in 2024 representing his MiLB worst. The Reds have a crowded infield, but they should make room for Stewart.
Stewart also offers fantasy juice. He stole 15 bases in 2023, 10 in 2024, and 17 last year, adding a speed element to a position that often lacks it. Stewart possesses middling raw power, but he managed 25 homers across all levels last year, and Cincinnati's homer-happy ballpark should help.
Bohm is boring, and the constant trade rumors are frustrating, but he hit a solid .287/.331/.409 with 11 homers last season. He's just one year removed from back-to-back 97 RBI seasons, and he projects to hit cleanup in Philadelphia's top-heavy lineup again. He doesn't have the power to be an impact bat, but his role should be profitable at his ADP.
Julien was a consensus top-100 prospect, but his .220/.309/.324 line with three homers in 208 PAs didn't move the needle for the Twins or fantasy managers. He still has offensive ability as evidenced by his .276/.415/.464 line with 11 HR over 299 Triple-A PAs last season, and now he'll call Coors Field home. That's an intriguing combination.
Second Base Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals
Midrange: Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds
Deep Sleeper: Luisangel Acuna, Chicago White Sox
Wetherholt doesn't have any standout tools, but he's above-average at everything:
The total package plays up thanks to an advanced plate approach (14.5 BB%, 14.7 K% at Triple-A last year), contributing to a fantasy-friendly line of .306/.421/.510 with 17 HR and 23 SBs in 496 PAs. Given that he is expected to begin the season in St. Louis, the resulting 20/20 season with a solid batting average should crack the top-10 at a position that largely lacks fantasy studs.
McLain struggled last year, but he hit 15 homers and stole 18 bases despite his ugly .220/.300/.343 line after missing the entirety of the 2024 season. He looked like a budding star in 2023, and his underlying 11.2 swinging strike percentage (SwStr%) and 26 percent chase rate offer some hope for his 28.9 K%. If he shakes off the rust, 2026 could be a bounce-back campaign.
Acuna is being treated as a non-factor in the Luis Robert Jr. trade, but the White Sox envision him hitting at the top of the order as their regular center fielder. He won't offer much power, but he went 16-for-17 on SB attempts last season and has four MiLB seasons of 40+ steals. He could be a jackrabbit with runs scored, a workable average, and multipositional eligibility.
Third Base Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
Midrange: Kazuma Okamoto, Toronto Blue Jays
Deep Sleeper: Sung-Mun Song, San Diego Padres
Murakami has serious bust potential considering his underwhelming contact numbers, but he has the profile to hit 30 HRs with upside for 40+ in the middle of the order if he hits the ball. Anyone with 80-grade raw power could crack the top 10 if things break right, and fantasy managers shouldn't sleep on Murakami's potential.
Okamoto isn't a household name, and his tools aren't as loud as Murakami's, but he's pretty good at just about everything:
Okamoto's advanced approach and proven bat-to-ball skills provide a much higher floor than Murakami, and he should be a plus defender to boot. He probably won't exceed 20 homers or so, but a consistent run in Toronto's strong lineup should make him a profitable pick.
Song isn't included in San Diego's projected starting lineup, but the team plans to rest their core players at DH more often this season. Song is getting spring training reps at 2B, SS, 3B, and LF so he can sub in for anyone. He hit 26 HR with 25 SB in Korea last year, so he could offer fantasy juice if he hits enough.
Shortstop Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
Midrange: Konnor Griffin, Pittsburgh Pirates
Deep Sleeper: Carson Williams, Tampa Bay Rays
Montgomery hit .239/.311/.529 with 21 HR in just 284 PAs last season, and his 14.5 percent rate of barrels per batted ball event (Brls/BBE) tied with Corbin Carroll for 31st among hitters with at least 150 batted balls. Montgomery struggled with swing-and-miss throughout his MiLB career, making his 29.2 K% and 15.4 SwStr% more concerning.
However, Montgomery's .263 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was dragged down by a 15.6 LD% that appears primed for positive regression. Montgomery's contact quality supports at least 30 HR over a full season, which should crack the top-10 even at a deep position like shortstop if his average isn't too low.
Griffin is a 19-year-old wunderkind who projects as a true five-tool threat at maturity. His upside is virtually limitless, but he's here instead of top-10 because his 26.2 FB% last season was too low to expect immediate power. He stole 65 bases, though, so he can make an immediate impact without power. Additionally, he is not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster, which will limit his overall upside.
Dynasty leaguers can gush over Griffin's scouting report:
Top prospect Williams struggled in his MLB debut, slashing .172/.219/.354 with five homers in 106 PAs. He was completely overmatched with a 5.7 BB% against a 41.5 K%, and his 18.1 SwStr% suggests he deserved every strikeout.
On the bright side, Taylor Walls has yet to produce much in the majors, and Williams stole at least 20 bases in every season since 2022 and hit 20 HR each season from 2023 on the farm. The young shortstop should not have to wait long to carve out a role in this offense.
Outfield Fantasy Baseball Sleepers
Top 10: Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins
Midrange: Chandler Simpson, Tampa Bay Rays
Deep Sleeper: Carson Benge, New York Mets
Marsee turned heads last season, slashing .292/.363/.478 with five homers and 14 steals across 234 PAs. The .478 slug was probably a small sample fluke, but he should produce a HR total in the teens. Marsee should make up for that with more steals, as he had 46 in 2023, 51 in 2024, and 61 last season (including 47 at Triple-A).
Marsee's hit tool was the biggest question as a prospect, but he posted an elite chase rate (19.4 percent) and zone contact% (90) rates as a Marlin. His 7.3 SwStr% was also good, suggesting that Marsee will crush his projections and push the game's best at the outfield position.
Simpson answers the longstanding question: What if Billy Hamilton could actually hit? He stole 44 bases in just 441 PAs as a Ray last year with a .295 average. Simpson swiped 94 bases in 2023 and 104 in 2024, so he could steal a massive number if he plays every day. Simpson offers zero power, but his game-changing steals with a plus-plus average and runs scored still make him very valuable in category formats.
Benge hit .281/.385/.472 with 15 HR and 22 SB in 519 PAs at Triple-A last season, giving Benge a chance to contribute a little of everything. New York's outfield outside of Juan Soto is not deep, so Benge should get an opportunity. A 32.8 FB% might limit his immediate power upside, but his advanced approach (13.1 BB%, 17.7 K%, 8.1 SwStr%) should provide a stable floor. The scouting report concurs:
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