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Andy's 2026 fantasy baseball FYPD (First Year Player Draft) sleepers, draft targets and avoids. His favorite FYPD prospects for dynasty fantasy baseball.
The First-Year-Player Draft (or FYPD for short) is one of the most exciting times for dynasty fantasy baseball managers. Similar to dynasty fantasy football leagues, this is when the top rookies enter the player pool, and managers can add them to their teams.
While some FYPDs are not as deep as others, there are several high-end players to target with your first few picks, and more importantly, avoid.
In this piece, we will spotlight my favorite players to draft in the opening round, some Round 2-4 sleepers, and my top fades, including one who is going within the first five picks in current ADP.
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FYPD Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Draft
Seth Hernandez, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 5 (ADP - 7.0)
It is hard to project the career outlook for a 19-year-old pitcher, but Pirates right-hander Seth Hernandez has all the tools to be an impactful fantasy asset for years to come. The Pirates selected the 6-foot-4 right-hander with the sixth-overall selection in last summer's draft out of Corona High School.
However, despite being only 19 years old, Hernandez enters the professionals with a complete arsenal and could take the MiLB by storm early in 2026. Per MLB.com, Hernandez has a 70-grade fastball and strong secondaries, all of which are above average. For those unaware, MLB.com uses the 20-80 scouting grade when analyzing prospects. If a specific pitch receives a grade of 60 or higher, it is above average. This means his four-seamer (70 grade) is borderline elite, an excellent sign for his long-term outlook.
His four-seamer is incredible for his age, as it nearly hits triple digits and typically sits near the mid-90s. His top two secondaries, his curveball, and changeup all hold a 60-scouting grade. Per MLB.com, the 12-to-6 curveball can register 3,000-rpm spin rates.
He also mixes in a 55-scouting grade slider to further complement his fastball.
While dynasty managers will need to wait at least two full seasons before Hernandez even reaches the upper minor leagues, he has the skill set to become the sport's top pitching prospect by the end of the season. Those on rebuilding squads should target Hernandez with confidence if you hold a top-5 pick.
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 18 (ADP - 8.0)
While Okamoto sits lower on our RotoBaller rankings, he is a strong target near the back half of the opening round, especially for competing teams that I would reach for. Okamoto has spent his entire professional career in the NPB and will now join the reigning American League Champions.
In the NPB, Okamoto has been among the league's top power hitters and now joins one of the most potent lineups in the major leagues. Since making his NPB debut back in 201, Okamoto has hit at least 30 long balls in all but one season, in which he played more than 100 games.
In 2025, Okamoto appeared in only 69 games (a career low) but was still effective, hitting 15 home runs in this short stint. He also lowered his K% to 11.3%, which is the lowest mark of his career, and generated an elite 210 wRC+, also the highest of his career.
Looking at his "Statcast" page, the 29-year-old hit the ball very hard and was one of the game's top pure hitters.
The right-handed slugger crushed southpaws, generated a 100th percentile Batting WAR, and ISO. Even against right-handers, Okamoto generated an elite 92nd percentile HR/FB with a 98th percentile ISO.
Okamoto has 30+ HR upside in his debut season with the potential to tally nearly 100 RBIs.
Kade Anderson, SP, Seattle Mariners
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 2 (ADP - 2.0)
My other first-round player to target is my top overall player, Seattle Mariners left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson. Anderson was selected with the third overall pick out of LSU and is expected to be in the mix for a relatively early MLB debut, given his college production.
After logging a modest 3.99 ERA in 2024, the southpaw was named one of the top pitchers in the nation in 2025, posting an elite 3.18 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. Across 119 frames, Anderson racked up 180 punchouts while walking just 2.6 BB/9. He saved his best performances for last, earning College World Series Most Outstanding Player honors and serving as the driving force for LSU's National Championship squad.
Kade Anderson--Shutout!!! 🍾 pic.twitter.com/c1cb9vxYAR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 22, 2025
While he may not have the same raw talent as Hernandez, Anderson is nearly MLB-ready. Per MLB.com, Anderson's fastball has a 60 scouting grade, while his three secondaries, changeup, slider, and curveball, all have a 55 grade or higher. Even though his four-seamer may not reach the triple digits, his breaking ball plays off quite well, with his changeup being the most effective.
Anderson will join a strong Mariners organization that has developed several of the sport's top arms, including Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, putting him in a great system to reach similar heights.
FYPD Fantasy Baseball Prospect Sleepers to Draft
Ike Irish, C, Baltimore Orioles
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 7 (ADP - 22.0)
The young backstop received a brief taste of Low-A following the 2025 Draft but was not overly successful, posting a .230/.296/.297 line, but he is a prime sleeper to target in the second/third round of your FYPDs.
Irish joined the Orioles with the 19th overall pick out of Auburn. Through three seasons as a Tiger, Irish held a .350/.453/.625 line with a strong 1.060 OPS. In his final season, Irish posted a career-high 1.179 OPS with 19 HRs and 11 SBs, showcasing his ability to contribute to all aspects of the game. In addition to his five-category skill set, Irish spent time as a catcher, first baseman, and outfielder at college, which could open up several venues for playing time once he reaches the big leagues.
His scouting report on MiLB.com suggests he is one of the best pure power hitters in this year's class. Prior to the draft, Irish was graded a 60 scouting grade in hitting and a 55 in power. Throughout his time in college, Irish made "hard contact to all fields" while "handling all types of pitches."
Irish possesses 20+ HR upside on a yearly basis and should be in contention to spend most of 2026 with High-A.
Ike Irish goes yard for his first career home run!!!#FlyTogether | #Birdland pic.twitter.com/1kxRhHzDES
— Delmarva Shorebirds (@shorebirds) August 20, 2025
Marek Houston, SS, Minnesota Twins
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 33 (ADP - 42.0)
The other sleeper to target is going in the fourth round of most drafts: Marek Houston, formerly of Wake Forest and now with the Minnesota Twins. Houston joined the Twins with the 16th overall pick in last year's draft and wasted little time making a name for himself in his professional debut.
The Twins moved Houston to Low-A shortly after the draft, and he made a massive impact, posting a strong .370/.424/.444 slash line with four doubles and six stolen bases over a short 12-game stint. This elite play bumped him up to High-A, where he saw some regression over a 12-game stint, holding a modest .152/.220/.239 line.
However, we won't hold that against him, as he should be well-equipped to take the next step when he returns to High-A to open the 2026 regular season following his first full professional offseason.
In his final collegiate season, Houston took a major step forward, especially in his power production. After falling short of the double-digit HR mark in each of his first two, Houston would hit a career-best 15 home runs and swipe 19 bags over a 61-game stint. Houston would also show an elite eye at the plate, posting a 46:46 K:BB.
While he showed solid promise with the bat, Houston's main calling card in college was his defense. Per his MLB.com scouting report, Houston was given a 60-grade in fielding and a 55-grade in Arm and Run. While his 50-socuting grade hitting score is not overly impressive, he took major strides forward as a power hitter in his final season, and that should continue to evolve as he progresses through the Minnesota system.
MLB.com projects Houston to be a "12-15" home run player per season, and given his raw athleticism, he should be a yearly candidate to chip in double-digit stolen bases.
FYPD Fantasy Baseball Prospects to Avoid
Ethan Holliday, SS, Colorado Rockies
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 15 (ADP - 5.0)
The one player to avoid in the opening round is Ethan Holliday of the Colorado Rockies. Holliday, the young brother of former first overall pick Jackson Holliday and son of Matt Holliday, joined the Rockies with the fourth overall pick in last summer's draft.
The 18-year-old entered the class as the top power hitter, especially when looking at left-handed hitters. Per MLB.com, Holliday earned an incredible 65 score grade for power and has "35-homer pop." However, his high swing-and-miss tendencies significantly lower his floor, especially if he sells out for power.
This skill set was already on display shortly after the MLB Draft. With Low-A (across a short 18-game slate), Holliday hit two home runs but struggled at the plate, posting a hefty 39.9 K%. While it was only a short stint, this is a part of his game that dynasty managers should monitor.
Congrats to Ethan Holliday, who hit his first professional home run this week, then hit his 2nd last night. Holliday is playing for the Fresno Grizzlies, who are the Single-A affiliates of the Rockies, which goes to show just how high they are on him for pushing him to affiliated… pic.twitter.com/a0B50sciD9
— OState Daily (@Ostate_Daily) September 7, 2025
His raw power profile is elite and worthy of an early-round selection. However, there are many concerns with his profile that may not outweigh his current post. Instead, I would pivot Hernandez a few picks later or target other hitters like Okamoto or Cubs outfielder Ethan Conrad.
Tyler Bremner, SP, Los Angeles Angels
RotoBaller Ranking - No. 25 (ADP - 16.0)
The other rookie I would suggest fading is Tyler Bremner, who is going in the second round of most drafts. Bremner joined the Angels with the second overall pick in last year's draft, but has serious concerns heading into his first professional season.
Bremner spent all three of his collegiate seasons at UC Santa Barbara. He turned in a career-best 2.74 ERA during his second season in 2024. In 2025, he logged only 77 1/3 innings (a drop from the 88 2/3 innings the year prior) and posted a worse 3.72 ERA and a slightly higher 1.02 WHIP (compared to the 0.88 WHIP).
However, he did see his strikeouts slightly increase, totaling 12.6 per nine innings, up from 10.6 in 2024.
Despite the increase in strikeouts, Bremner's profile was not worthy of the second overall pick, and especially not near the top half of Round 2 of fantasy drafts. While Bremaner has a strong fastball (65 grade) and an elite changeup (65 scoring grade), he has been unable to develop a reliable No. 3 pitch. In college, he deployed a slider, but MLB.com graded it with a 50 score prior to the draft, suggesting it is nowhere near the level of his changeup and four-seamer.
Additionally, given that he was only a "full-time" starter in one college season is concerning. While he will likely see his workload increase as he finds his footing in the Los Angeles pipeline, his current cost is not worth the investment.
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