Mid-To-Late Round Fantasy Baseball Sleepers and Value Picks - NL Edition

March 21, 2026

Andy's mid-to-late round fantasy baseball sleepers, value picks and draft targets from the NL in 2026. These are upside hitters and pitchers and ADP values.

In the middle-to-late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking for the next breakout. After seeing Junior Caminero, Cristopher Sanchez, and Hunter Brown greatly outperform their ADP, managers are typically swinging for the fences in this part of the draft.

However, while targeting emerging prospects is a wise strategy, older veterans are often overlooked. In this piece, I will discuss five of my top sleeper/value picks (using NFBC ADP since March 1) who are being completely overlooked in drafts, going past pick 120.

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Christian Yelich, UT, Milwaukee Brewers

ADP: 122

Even though Christian Yelich is "utility-only" on most platforms to begin the season, he should gain outfield eligibility relatively early and is being completely overlooked in drafts.

Following a 73-game stint in 2024 when he was limited to back injury, Yelich put together nearly a full season in 2025, appearing in 150 games while holding a .264/.343/.452 line with a .793 OPS. Yelich launched 29 home runs, added 21 doubles, scored 88 runs, brought in 107, and swiped 16 bags. Before seeing his 2024 season cut short, Yelich was on an even more impressive pace, holding a .313 AVG with 11 home runs and 21 stolen bases.

Even though he is entering his age-34 season and has had his fair share of injuries during his career, he is a great value at this price tag. Last season, Yelich generated a .330 xwOBA (61st percentile) with a strong .439 xSLG, 10.3% barrel rate, and a 46.4% hard-hit rate.

While his .245 xBA suggests he may face some regression, his power production should remain stable given how hard he hits the ball.

Additionally, he drew walks at a 9.9% rate, which should continue to boost his run total, and placed in the 71st percentile in sprint speed, suggesting another near 20-SB campaign is in play.

The 34-year-old has 20/20 upside with the ability to tally over 100 RBI batting behind Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. If you opt not to select Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, or Yordan Alvarez in the opening rounds, Yelich should be on your radar past pick 100, as he would carry high-end upside in your utility spot.

Those who play in leagues that only require 10 or fewer in-season appearances at a position to gain eligibility should feel confident reaching for Yelich in drafts. He logged 19 appearances in the outfield last season and could very well hit the 10-game mark before the All-Star break.

Christian Yelich goes oppo for his second homer of the game and the Brewers have taken the lead! pic.twitter.com/cacntQ4pk7

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 16, 2025

Ian Happ, OF, Chicago Cubs

ADP: 172

While Ian Happ may not possess the same ceiling as Yelich, his floor remains quite high, and he is very undervalued in drafts. In 2025, Happ put together another solid season, holding a .243/.342/.420 line with 23 HRs, 87 runs, 79 RBI, and six stolen bases. This is the third straight season in which Happ has scored over 85 runs, hit at least 21 home runs, and tallied at least 79 RBI. However, in his previous two seasons, he eclipsed the 80-RBI mark.

Overall, from 2023 through 2025, Happ has averaged 23 HRs, 87 runs, 83 RBI, 11 SBs, and a .244 AVG during these three total campaigns. He possesses one of the safest "floors" in fantasy and is a rock-solid low-end OF2/high-end OF3 depending on your league size.

In fact, Happ may even see some positive regression in 2026.

Last summer, the Gold Glover generated a .354 xwOBA (84th percentile) and a .256 xBA, nearly 10 points higher than his surface-level batting average. His .457 xSLG (.420 SLG) also suggests he should see his power numbers slightly creep up in 2026.

The 31-year-old also raised his Pull AIR% to 21.0% from 17.9% in the previous seasons, showing that he has begun to hit the ball more effectively. This rate is also the highest mark of his career.

Happ should continue to bat in the heart of the Cubs lineup and provide a near .250 AVG with reliable counting stats with the upside to chip in double-digit stolen bases. If you drafted several "risky" outfielders in the early rounds like James Wood or his teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong, pairing them with a high-floor option is an excellent strategy.

Marcus Semien, 2B, New York Mets

ADP: 245

Even though Marcus Semien has seen his productivity gradually decline as he enters the final stages of his career, he remains a valuable asset and is very underrated in drafts. If you choose to fade the second base position, Semien has enough upside to become a top-12 starting option.

In the offseason, the Rangers traded Semien ot the Mets in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Semien will now join a top-heavy Mets lineup that features Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr.

Last season, Semien had a down year to his standards, hitting for a .230/.305/.364 line with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases over a 127-game stint. While he hit the 20-HR mark in each of his last four seasons (including an outlier 45-HR campaign back in 2021), Semien was on pace to fall short of this mark as he was on track to hit 19 long balls.

While his power numbers dropped, his speed increased; he had 11 stolen bases, a nice return to form, as he stole only eight in 2024. However, there is room for improvement even as he enters his 14th MLB campaign.

Under the hood, the veteran infieler geneated a .243 xBA, nearly 14 points higher than his actual average. While he may not be a +.250 hitter, even a slight bump in average will raise his fantasy value. Even though his power numbers are declining, he maintained a similar barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and pull AIR% compared to 2024, suggesting he got a bit unlucky in Texas.

Fortunately, his new home at Citi Field should help raise his power ceiling. Per StatCast, Semien could see some positive regression in his HR totals in 2026. As shown below, Semien had several flyouts end at the wall in Texas, but would have left the yard in Queens.

Even if his hard-hit and barrel rates drop slightly, Semien is poised to return to his 20-HR pace and have the upside to see some positive gains in his batting average and counting stats.

Semien is a high-end middle infielder to target and could even be trusted to slide in as a starting second baseman in all leagues.

Ramon Laureano, OF, San Diego Padres

ADP: 217

The 31-year-old is coming off one of the best years of his career, but is not getting the respect in the draft rooms. In 2025, (132 games shared with the Orioles and Padres), Laureano would hold a .281/.342/.512 slash line with 24 home runs and seven stolen bases. He scored  72 runs and brought in another 76.

While his production declined slightly in his move to San Diego, he still held a solid .269/.323/.489 line over this stint.

Overall, the veteran outfielder would finish the campaign with a .362 xwOBA (89th percentile), .20 xBA (82nd percentile), and a .518 xSLG (93rd percentile). He impacted the ball, generating a 13.8% barrel rate and a 49.1% hard-hit rate, both of which placed him in the 84th percentile or higher among qualified hitters. Two seasons ago, his barrel rate sat at a slightly lower 12.6% rate while his hard-ht rate was 40.8%, nearly 10 points lower.

Laureano also raised his Pull AIR% by two points (to 21.8%), setting a career high.

Going part pick 200 in standard NFC drafts, Laureano is the perfect high-floor OF4/OF5 as he should carry 20-HR upside with reliable counting stats given that he will continue to bat in the heart of the San Diego starting nine.

Max Muncy, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

ADP: 230

Rounding out our list will be another discounted veteran going past pick 200. Max Muncy has always been a left-handed power bat, but is often overlooked in standard leagues due to his low batting average.

In 2025, Muncy began the season in a rough skid, holding a .180/.295/.236 line with five doubles, no home runs, and a heavy 32.4% K%. However, following this rough 28-game start, Muncy opted to wear prescription glasses, which may have saved his professional career.

From April 30 (and on), Muncy would carry a much-improved .268/.406/.563 slash line with five doubles, 19 home runs, and a 17.7% K%. During these 73 games, Muncy was a must-start option at third base. While he missed time due to several injuries during this period, Muncy was on pace to have one of the best seasons of his career.

He would launch another three home runs over 17 postseason games en route to claiming his second straight World Series victory.

The 35-year-old took major strides forward as shown in his underlying profile, and new eyewear played a significant role in this. Muncy generated an elite .374 xwOBA, his highest since the 2021 season, and a 90th percentile xSLG (.497). He also boasted a 51.5% hard-hit rate and drew walks at a 16.5% rate, both the highest marks of his career.

However, what could make him a top value pick in drafts this year is his rise in batting average. Over his last 73 games (with glasses), Muncy would hold a .268 AVG, which was on pace to be the best of his career by a wide margin. If Muncy can become a .250 hitter with nearly 30-HR upside, he could win leagues at this ADP.

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