5 Outfield Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates (2026)

March 15, 2026

Jamie Steed's outfield fantasy baseball sleepers and 2026 breakout candidates. His favorite undervalued outfielders to target for fantasy baseball drafts based on ADP.

If you have already done a fantasy draft, you may have noticed that outfield isn't the position of depth it once was. The talent pool thins out quickly, so finding some later-round gems will go a long way to helping you have a successful fantasy season.

Here, we will be looking at five outfielders currently being taken in the second half of fantasy drafts. Each of them has the potential to have a breakout campaign. They will, at the very least, have a great chance to provide value on their current ADP (Average Draft Position).

ADP is taken from NFBC drafts as of February 15, and all of these outfielders are currently being taken after pick 125. Don't forget to download our free mobile app with alerts and to follow the RotoBaller team on X for all your offseason news and articles.

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Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins

ADP 140

If you went power heavy in the early rounds and need to find some stolen bases from somewhere, Marsee could be your saving grace. He debuted for the Marlins last year and tallied 14 stolen bases in 55 games. He also hit .292/.363/.478 with five home runs.

Marsee's slash line was no fluke. He had a .275 xBA (expected batting average) and .442 xSLG. His actual numbers were slightly better, but not enough to be considered a mirage. So it may come as a surprise that Marsee's ATC projected slash line is .237/.330/.375.

That's largely due to Marsee's uninspiring minor league numbers prior to his promotion. Marsee hit .246/.379/.438 in 98 games at Triple-A last year, which was actually better than his .200/.345/.315 slash line in 137 games across Double-A and Triple-A in 2024.

Across all minor league levels, Marsee only has a .239/.382/.390 slash line (395 games). His best power numbers came at Triple-A, so we shouldn't expect him to have a .292 batting average in the majors over a full season. I do think he'll hit better than his projection, but a .250 batting average is more realistic.

Even if he does hit .250, you're drafting Marsee for the steals. He stole 159 bases in those 395 minor league games, and the stolen bases are his calling card. But Marsee should still chip in with double-digit home runs, with ATC projections having him hit 12 homers.

Marsee spent most of his time hitting in the top three spots of the Marlins' lineup. He is more than likely going to be hitting first or second and should be able to score a good number of runs as well. While RBI might be lacking, Marsee did have 33 RBI in 55 games, moving around the lineup.

He should score more runs than he drives in. Regardless of that, Marsee isn't going to hurt you in any category. What he will do is massively help you with stolen bases. Marsee should be better for last year's major league cup of coffee and might even enter next year's drafts as a top 20 outfielder.

Addison Barger, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP 188

Barger entered the 2025 season as one of the Blue Jays' best prospects. He finished it as one of Toronto's best hitters in their run to the World Series. Barger hit .367/.441/.583 with a 188 wRC+ in the playoffs. Normally, we see stellar playoff performances drive up a player's draft cost. Not in this case.

It's not like Barger didn't have a productive regular season, too. In 135 games, he hit .243/.301/.454 with 21 homers, 74 RBI, 61 runs, and four steals. If we look at Barger's Statcast Profile, we can see there's room for more in 2026.

Barger's expected numbers were slightly better than his actual numbers. Along with his quality of contact, Barger should have no problem outperforming his projections. ATC project Barger to hit .239/.305/.422 with 17 homers, 60 RBI, 56 runs, and four steals.

The somewhat low numbers are due to Barger being projected to play just 115 games. It's understandable to believe Barger will be in a platoon, given he hit .217/.270/.337 with a not-so-nice 69 wRC+ against left-handed pitching (LHP) last year. In reality, Barger should play more often than he's projected to.

Barger spent more time playing third base than right field in 2025. And the Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to play third base for them this year. However, Barger should be Toronto's everyday right fielder with Anthony Santander (shoulder) on the 60-day IL. Daulton Varsho will be the center fielder, and Jesus Sanchez will likely play left field.

That would leave the Blue Jays with an all left-handed hitting (LHH) outfield. But given that Andres Gimenez is the only LHH infielder, that isn't an issue. With Davis Schneider and Myles Straw as the RHH options in the outfield, Barger should still see some playing time against southpaws.

Even if Barger plays the same amount he did last year, his numbers are set to improve. It wouldn't be a surprise if Barger cements himself as a key part of one of the most potent lineups in the majors. He's a post-hype prospect who went under the radar in 2025 but is set to really make his mark in 2026.

Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians

ADP 290

DeLauter is one of those rare players who made their MLB debut in the playoffs. The Guardians wanted a spark after losing Game 1 of their Wild Card Series. Although they won Game 2, the experiment didn't work. DeLauter went 1-for-6 with a walk, and Cleveland was eliminated by Detroit.

The Guardians are set to open the 2026 season with DeLauter forming part of their lineup. His minor league numbers suggest he is ready to make his mark in the Majors. DeLauter had a .302/.384/.504 slash line across all minor league levels, along with 20 homers, 87 RBI, 88 runs, and eight steals.

The problem is, DeLauter only played 138 games in the minors over three seasons. Injuries have plagued the young outfielder, and it remains to be seen if he can withstand the rigours of a full major league season. Given where DeLauter is being drafted, that risk is already baked into his ADP, sitting just outside the top-300.

When healthy, DeLauter is capable of hitting for a high batting average and good power. His projections don't tell that story. DeLauter's ATC projections have him hitting .244/.313/.390 with 12 homers, 50 RBI, 52 runs, and three steals (106 games). Understandable given he's an injury risk and a rookie.

But if DeLauter were to stay healthy, there's no reason to believe he can't outperform those numbers. Comfortably. I'm not expecting DeLauter to replicate his minor league numbers. Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if he did. DeLauter just needs to stay off the IL (Injured List) to provide fantasy value.

Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals

ADP 199

Nick Kurtz's rookie season took all the headlines in 2025 among the 2024 draft class, and justifiably so. That shouldn't detract from Caglianone. He tore up the minor leagues last year, hitting .337/.408/.617 with 20 homers, 72 RBI, 58 runs, and three steals in 66 games at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

That earned Caglianone the call to The Show, but he couldn't replicate his minor league numbers. Caglianone hit .157/.237/.295 with seven home runs, 18 RBI, 19 runs, and one stolen base. What Caglianone did was showcase the power he possesses, which is why the Royals chose to use the sixth overall pick to take him.

Caglianone missed August due to a hamstring injury, which didn't help his early development. While not ideal, Caglianone should still be better for last season's MLB experience. A full spring preparing for a season in the majors should also put Caglianone in good standing for 2026.

Obviously, growing pains are normal for rookies, especially ones as green as Caglianone. Kurtz is more of an outlier than the norm. That still shouldn't detract you from taking Caglianone as your fifth, or even fourth, outfielder in standard leagues.

Caglianone has 40 home run potential. While I'm not going to say he'll achieve that this year, I'd back him hitting 25 homers. The more hitter-friendly outfield dimensions of Kauffman Stadium will only help, and 30 home runs isn't out of the question. The power upside alone is worth betting on, especially near his cost outside the top-200 picks.

Daylen Lile, Washington Nationals

ADP 204

You could argue that Lile has already had a breakout. Last year, the rookie played 91 games for the Nationals, and hit .299/.347/.498 with nine homers, 41 RBI, 51 runs, and eight steals. This wasn't a case of a struggling team calling up a random prospect and hoping for the best.

While James Wood and Dylan Crews have been their headline outfield prospects in recent times, Lile was still regarded as a top-5 prospect in Washington's farm system. Before getting called up to the majors, Lile was hitting .328/.377/.503 in the minor leagues last year (47 games).

In 2024, Lile hit .262/.347/.388 as a 21-year-old across 130 games at High-A and Double-A. He also had 25 stolen bases and a 116 wRC+. In 2023, in his first full season in the minors, Lile hit .269/.355/.452 (106 games) with a 125 wRC+. He's been a productive hitter throughout his young career.

What really caught the eye last season was Lile's improvement as the season went on. As we can see from the graph below, Lile's slash line improved as the season wore on.

That gives me confidence that he can carry that form into 2026. His numbers don't look like he's a 'flash in the pan'. There are more than enough positives in his underlying numbers to be bullish on Lile repeating his 2025 over a full season.

Lile's .302 xBA was in the 100th percentile, as was his 44.2% Launch Angle Sweet-Spot%. Lile's 16.0% K% ranked in the 82nd percentile, suggesting he wasn't overpowered by major league pitching. He had similar strikeout numbers in Double-A (17.3% K%) and Triple-A (16.9% K%).

Lile has more speed than power, but can still hit double-digit home runs. Add in 15-20 stolen bases and a ~.280 batting average, and Lile could easily find himself hitting at the top or heart of the Nationals lineup. That would make Lile a five-category contributor, even if he's only a modest one.

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