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Fantasy baseball auction draft sleepers and $1 later-round sleepers for 2026. Jeremy's cheap auction value picks include Noah Cameron, Cade Cavalli, and more.
Fantasy baseball auction drafts can be one of the most rewarding draft experiences if you’re properly prepared. Whether it’s general strategy, mid-range values, or $1 bargains, check out our fantasy baseball auction draft series for all the advice you need.
While one strategy for auctions is to build an all-around team with your money spread evenly, another popular approach is the stars-and-scrubs strategy. This means loading up on multiple high-end elite players, and filling out the rest of your team with “scrubs”, or cheap players. That doesn’t mean all of those players need to be bad, and nailing a couple of $1 values could really round out your squad.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at five $1 draft-day steals. Even if you don’t play in an auction, all of these players would make great late-round picks in snake drafts. For reference, the auction values being used are from NFBC auction data.
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Cade Cavalli, SP, Washington Nationals
$1 AAV (Average Auction Value) - began to rise to $2 in recent drafts this past week
Cade Cavalli was called up on August 6 last year and went on to make 10 starts, posting a 4.25 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with 40 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. While that doesn’t look all too impressive, his underlying metrics tell a different story.
The 27-year-old posted a 55.1% ground-ball rate, which ranked in the 93rd percentile, and a barrel rate of 4.4%, which ranked in the 95th percentile. The biggest downside of his season was a poor 18.3% strikeout rate, but that number seems almost unbelievable given the fact that he posted a great 27.9% whiff rate and an elite 33.9% chase rate, two things that usually contribute heavily to strikeouts.
It’s obviously an extremely small sample, but the righty has looked great throughout three appearances this spring, striking out nine over nine innings while allowing just one hit and two walks. The Nationals certainly believe in him, as they've already named Cavalli as their opening day starter.
While it has taken him a while to put it all together and reach the majors, the flamethrower doesn’t lack pedigree, either. Drafted in the first round of the 2020 draft, he was considered the best prospect in Washington’s system before a 2023 Tommy John surgery essentially knocked him out for two seasons. Now back at full health, Cavalli possesses unusually high upside for a $1 player, and unlike many other young pitchers, there’s no risk of him losing his rotation spot.
Noah Cameron, SP, Kansas City Royals
$1 AAV (Average Auction Value)
Noah Cameron had a very impressive rookie campaign in 2025, posting a 2.99 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 114 strikeouts in 138 1/3 innings, which earned him the honor of fourth place in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. The strikeouts are a weakness, especially for fantasy, but he was ultimately effective nearly every time he took the mound.
Noah Cameron is at it again with 7 K's across 5 scoreless 🔥
The @Royals' No. 5 prospect has held opponents to 1 or 0 runs in 6 of his 7 big league starts: pic.twitter.com/mMz1C4jcm6
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 15, 2025
He was able to succeed with a 20.5% strikeout rate by avoiding hard contact, posting a 6.3% barrel rate (81st percentile) and 37.4% hard-hit rate (73rd percentile). It’s not wise to expect a 2.99 ERA again, and his 4.33 SIERA suggests definite regression is coming, but I still think a $1 auction value isn’t giving Cameron nearly enough credit.
It may be easy to chalk up his 2025 to good luck, but this is exactly who he’s been in the minors, too. The 26-year-old pitched to a 3.08 ERA in the minors in 2024, including a 2.32 mark in nine starts at Triple-A. His minor-league strikeout rates typically fell in the 27 to 29 percent range, which shows there is some more strikeout upside there if he can take another step forward in the majors.
It’s not unheard of for left-handed pitchers to find consistent success despite lackluster underlying metrics, just look at Andrew Abbott. It’s worth giving Cameron the benefit of the doubt until he shows otherwise, and there’s no risk to take on with his extremely low price tag. Especially in deep leagues where “boring” innings-eaters can be more valuable, the lefty could be a steal on draft day.
Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets
$1 AAV (Average Auction Value)
Carson Benge is a sneaky rookie to draft late or take for $1 in auctions, who isn’t getting as much hype as some other prospects. The 19th-overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft, he managed to ascend through all levels of the minors in 2025, slashing .281/.385/.472 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases along the way. He did struggle at his final destination in 24 games at Triple-A, batting just .178.
However, that’s a small sample, and with a BABIP of only .188, it seems like bad luck more than anything else.
Just as impressive as his power and speed was his plate discipline, as he struck out only 17.7% of the time and walked at a 13.1% clip. The 23-year-old is just a great all-around hitter, and he’s currently projected to be the strong side of a platoon in right field for the Mets. Benge is a surprisingly close comp to the player he is replacing in the outfield, Brandon Nimmo, who was shipped to Texas this offseason.
A budget $1 version of Nimmo sounds like a pretty good player to take a chance on in five-outfielder leagues.
Isaac Collins, OF, Kansas City Royals
$1 AAV (Average Auction Value)
Isaac Collins quietly had a solid first full year in the majors, slashing .263/.368/.411 with nine home runs and 16 steals in 130 games for the Brewers. He’d be more valuable in OBP leagues thanks to his 12.9% walk rate, and the 16 steals were certainly valuable in deep roto leagues.
The 28-year-old was traded to the Royals this offseason, where he’s currently projected to be the everyday left fielder, but there is potential for him to lose playing time to Lane Thomas or Starling Marte if he falls into a slump.
The switch-hitter didn’t impact the ball particularly hard overall in 2025, posting a 38.9% hard-hit rate and 88.8 mph average exit velocity, but his 20.4% pull-air rate should help compensate. That’s especially true with Kansas City moving in their left and right field walls by 10 feet, which is perfect for hitters like Collins who get their homers from pulling the ball, rather than hitting it hard consistently.
Isaac Collins leaves the yard and the Brewers take the lead right back! pic.twitter.com/wDOnYGJPI7
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 20, 2025
Don’t expect him to become an All-Star, but double-digit home runs and 15-20 steals would be a great value at this cost. Not only that, but his path to consistent playing time and a batting average and OBP on the higher side give him a high floor that makes him a great pick in five-outfielder leagues.
Tyler Mahle, SP, San Francisco Giants
$1 AAV (Average Auction Value)
Tyler Mahle was great in 2025 when healthy, posting a 2.18 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 66 strikeouts and 29 walks in 86 2/3 innings. He unfortunately missed three months of the year with a shoulder injury, but looked good in the two starts he was able to make at the end of the year, allowing one run on nine hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings.
Many of his metrics were close to career-worst marks, such as a 19.1% strikeout rate and .253 xBA, and the best days for the 31-year-old are clearly behind him. While he most likely got lucky to some extent last season, he has a track record of MLB success, being a very effective starter from 2020 to 2023.
The righty also signed with the Giants this offseason, so he’ll have a very spacious home park to pitch in. With an average auction value of $1 and an ADP in the mid-300’s, there’s no risk in taking a chance on him. The best-case scenario is that he provides solid ratios when healthy again in 2026, and the worst-case scenario is that you drop him for a better-looking option a week or two into the season if his early starts don’t look promising.
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