6 Fantasy Baseball Bounceback Candidates - Infielders To Improve In 2026

March 22, 2026

Andy discusses 6 infielders who can be fantasy baseball bounceback sleepers in 2026. Target these infielders as fantasy hitter values for drafts.

When looking for upside candidates in drafts, managers typically turn to the next wave of up-and-coming prospects. This spring, Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle have made headlines and are emerging as two mid-round breakout picks.

However, savvy managers should target discounted players coming off a disappointing season. This could be due to numerous reasons, such as injuries, inconsistent at-bats, or just plain bad luck. In this piece, I will spotlight six infielders who are poised to bounce back in 2026. All ADP referenced is taken from NFBC drafts (March 1 through March 20).

Be sure to follow RotoBallerMLB on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS, for any questions! Additionally, be sure to use code SMITH at checkout for 30% off on all premium packages. Let's dive in!

Matt McLain, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP - 160

Matt McLain has already seen his ADP skyrocket this spring, but he can still be had at a nice price tag, going right around the top-160. McLain missed the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury and showed significant growing pains and rust in his return to action last summer.

In 2025, the 26-year-old stumbled to a .220/.300/.343 slash line with 15 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He tallied 73 runs and brought in just 50 RBI. While his power and speed upside continued to flash, he was very inconsistent and was hard to trust throughout most of the season. In his rookie campaign back in 2023, McLain immediately emerged as a potent fantasy star, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 14 bases while posting a .290 AVG over a short 89-game stint.

Despite his struggles in 2024, managers should not be overly concerned with selecting him at his current price tag. Even though he missed an entire season, McLain still flashed high-end speed (93rd percentile sprint speed) and maintained a similar Pull AIR% (12.9%), compared to the 13.6% he posted back in 2023.

While his overall power metrics declined, any concern has already begun to dissipate during spring training.

The former 17th overall pick has been among the game's top hitters this spring, carrying a .545/.595/1.045 line with six home runs and two stolen bases over a 15-game stint. McLain has high-end 20/20 upside with the skill set to carry an elite batting average. He is also penciled into the second line in the Reds lineup, which should bolster his counting stats.

He is a viable low-end No. 1 2B and a high-end middle-infielder in drafts.

Matt McLain with his SIXTH homer of the spring.pic.twitter.com/Myd1vHqSuL

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) March 16, 2026

Marcus Semien, 2B, New York Mets

ADP - 242

The 35-year-old is coming off a down season and has seen his fantasy value plummet. After being a consensus top-10 option at either 2B or SS for nearly his entire career, Semien is being drafted as a mid-range middle infielder in all formats in 2026.

Semien was shipped to the Mets this offseason in the deal that sent Brandon Nimmo to Texas. Even though Semien's career appears to be trending in the wrong direction, a change of scenery should provide him with a great opportunity to bounce back, even in his 14th MLB campaign.

In 2025, Semien appeared in just 127 games (lowest since 2017, not counting the shortened 2020 campaign) and held a .230/.305/.364 line with just 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases. While this was a nice boost in speed, compared to the eight he stole in 2024, his batting average and power continued to drop.

He was on pace (over a 162-game slate) to hit only 19 home runs, which would have put him under the 20-HR plateau for the first time since his 2018 campaign.

Even though it may appear that Semien is a "low-floor" option heading into 2026, he has some sneaky upside batting in a new stadium. Semien will join a more favorable park for right-handed hitters, especially when compared to Globe Life Field in Texas. Per Statcast Park Factors, Globe Life Field ranks 24th in Park Factor score (for right-handed hitters) over the last three seasons, while Citi Field sits 18th.

Additionally, Citi Field sits seventh in home runs while Globe Life Field sits 10th. As shown below, several of Semien's flyouts would have resulted in four bases last summer.

Even a return to 20-HRs with double-digit stolen bases will make Semien a great value at this price and set him up for a massive bounce-back season. His counting stats should also be much higher batting alongside Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor in the top half of the lineup.

Mookie Betts, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

ADP - 57

Mookie Betts also had a slow start due to a significant illness early in the 2025 season. However, as the season went on, the multi-time Silver Slugger eventually found his footing.

In the first half, Betts carried a rough .244/.315/.381 line with 11 home runs. However, after the All-Star break, Betts looked much like his former self, posting a .279/.342/.442 line with a .784 OPS. During this 61-game stint, Betts would score 39 runs, tally 37 RBI, swipe two bases, and hit another nine long balls.

Overall, his underlying metrics did not decline much compared to 2024, despite his slow first half. He would finish the 2025 campaign, holding a .267 xBA with a 5.5% barrel rate, a mere 0.5% drop from 2024. His average exit velocity (89.1 mph) dropped only 0.8 mph, and his max exit velocity (108.4 mph) was only a one-point drop from the previous season.

Additionally, he even lowered his K% by 0.7% (10.3%), which placed him in the 98th percentile among qualified hitters.

While Betts is unlikely to return to his 35+-HR caliber of play he showed earlier in his career, he has the upside to tally 100+ runs, nearly 90-RBI, while going 20/10 batting in the game's most dangerous lineup. If you choose to fade the high-end shortstops, Betts is a great consolation price that could be had at a major discount.

William Contreras, C, Milwaukee Brewers

ADP - 54 (two-catcher league ADP)

Like Betts, Contreras battled through some early-season ailments that hindered his overall output, and as a result, had a lower draft cost. In the first half, Contreras worked through a finger fracture and posted a .245/.351/.347 line with a modest .698 OPS. During this stretch, the backstop would go deep just six times and was likely benched in most shallow formats.

However, the early-season fantasy bust would flip the script down the stretch.

Over his last 61 games. Contreras would carry an elite .281/.361/.472 slash line with 12 doubles, 11 home runs, and a strong .833 OPS. This production was nearly right in line with his strong 2024 line of .281/.365/.466 slash with 23 home runs.

Even though he was clearly limited throughout the entire first half, the 28-year-old generated an 81st percentile 48.5% hard-hit rate, a mere 1.0% drop from his 2024 projection. He also maintained his elite eye at the plate (12.7% BB%) and above-average 18.2% K%.

After being viewed as the consensus No. 1 catcher for a few seasons, Contreras is now going off the board as the No. 4 catcher since March 1, making him a great value pick at the position.

Jake Burger, 1B, Texas Rangers

ADP - 237

Let's round this out with two prime bounce-back players going out of the top-200. Jake Burger has been a reliable source of high-end power but had an ineffective showing in 2025. The veteran infielder dealt with several injuries and was even demoted to Triple-A for a portion of the campaign. Overall, he would finish the 2025 campaign with only 16 long balls with a low .236 AVG.

However, over his last 28 games, Burger began to find his footing, launching five home runs with a .776 OPS.

During 2023 and 2024, Burger averaged 31.5 home runs per season with 69.5 runs, 78 RBI, and an overall .250/.305/.488 line.

While his base statistics do not reflect it, Burger still continued to impact the ball very hard, generating a strong .478 xSLG, 13.9% barrel rate, 48.5% hard-hit rate, and a 74,6 mph average bat speed, all of which were well above the average marks.

While he is tougher to trust for a consistent batting average, Burger has 75+ RBI, 20+ HR upside following a healthy offseason. He should see an everyday role in the Texas lineup this summer.

BALLGAME!

Jake Burger completes the comeback for the @Rangers with a walk-off single 😤 pic.twitter.com/l1wj8eUERf

— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2025

Alec Bohm, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies

ADP - 230

Alec Bohm has been a consistent target for solid RBI totals and batting average, but his productivity declined in 2025. Last summer, Bohm was moved around the lineup throughout the season (which hindered his counting stats), and he only played in 120 games due to several injuries.

He would finish his campaign with a mere 59 RBI, 53 runs, 11 home runs, and a .287 AVG. While the average was high (and even higher than his .280 AVG in 2024), his runs and RBI dropped considerably from the 62 and 97 he tallied a year ago, respectively.

However, managers looking for a stable batting-average and counting-stats source in the later rounds should target Bohm with confidence. Earlier this winter, the Phillies named Bohm as the leading candidate to bat in the cleanup spot in the lineup, which should significantly boost his output.

Bohom put together back-to-back 97 RBI campaigns in 2023 and 2024 while carrying a .277 AVG. That production is not easy to find at this point in the draft.

The 29-year-old's underlying metrics remained strong as he generated a .275 xBA, a 46.4% hard-hit rate, and a 32.5% squared-up rate. Bohm, the prefect "high-floor" option at the top of the draft, should greatly outperform his draft cost.

More Fantasy Baseball Advice