6 League-Winning Fantasy Baseball Pitchers: Joey Pollizze's High-Upside Draft Targets

March 21, 2026

Joey's 6 league-winning pitchers, fantasy baseball breakouts, values, studs to provide massive return on value in 2026 including Dylan Cease, Kyle Bradish more.

After going through countless hours of research for many months leading up to fantasy baseball drafts, there are a select few pitchers whom I am targeting in every single fantasy draft. These pitchers are my league winners, and fantasy managers should not leave their draft without these pitchers.

In this article, I will dive into my six must-have pitcher targets in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. These league-winning pitchers will outperform their average draft position and will deliver tremendous value at their current draft cost. The six pitchers featured on this list range from a couple of veterans to a few up-and-coming stars. All ADP referenced is from NFBC drafts from March 1 and on.

So, let's dive into my six league-winning pitchers this season.

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Dylan Cease, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP: 78

Some fantasy managers might stay away from Dylan Cease in drafts after his struggles in 2025. Cease finished with a 4.55 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 215 strikeouts across 168 innings pitched. That 4.55 ERA marked the second time in three seasons that the right-hander has finished with above a 4.50 ERA, and his 168 innings pitched were his fewest in a season since 2021.

However, Cease is due for some massive positive regression this year. For starters, his expected ERA (3.46) was 109 points lower than his actual ERA (4.55) last season. That means the right-hander was a bit unlucky on the mound in 2025. He also ranked in the 80th percentile or better in expected batting average against (.214), chase rate (31%), whiff rate (33.4%), and strikeout rate (29.8%).

Here's Dylan Cease striking out Bryce Harper with a 97.5-mph fastball, right on the top edge of the zone. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/IO0j5cvcjq

— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 28, 2026

That's why Cease is such a value pick at his 78.0 ADP. He has been a Cy Young-caliber pitcher in the past and could easily return to that form in 2026. His strikeout numbers are always elite, and he will now be pitching in front of one of the best defenses in baseball. The Blue Jays ranked fourth in defensive runs saved last year.

So, look for Cease to return to Cy Young form this year with some positive regression headed his way.

Kyle Bradish, SP, Baltimore Orioles

ADP: 83

The number one rule in fantasy baseball is not to draft scared. While there are some injury concerns with Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish, he is one of the best upside picks in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts. In his last full season in 2023, Bradish finished with a 2.83 ERA and 168 strikeouts across 168 2/3 innings pitched.

Then, Bradish underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2024 season, which limited both his 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Although the 29-year-old only threw 32 innings with the Orioles last season, he showed a ton of promise in his first year removed from that elbow surgery. He had a 2.53 ERA across eight starts to go with an impressive 34.8% whiff rate, a 31.2% chase rate, and a 37.3% strikeout rate.

Kyle Bradish's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/xQ83IPoKfI

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 28, 2026

As a result, Bradish is worth selecting just outside the top 80 picks. He is now almost two years removed from Tommy John surgery and should post elite numbers across the board. Even though the Orioles pitcher is expected to be on somewhat of an innings limit this season, the potential is still there to be a fantasy star in 2026.

Zack Wheeler, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

ADP: 128

Sometimes, taking the discount on injured players turns out to be a massive advantage for fantasy managers. That's why Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is an easy league-winner at his current price tag. Wheeler has simply been a top fantasy pitcher in each of the past five seasons and would have been a top-40 pick in drafts this year if he weren't going to miss the start of the season.

Wheeler underwent shoulder surgery in August of 2025 to remove a blood clot. He wound up missing the rest of the 2025 season and is set to begin the 2026 campaign on the injured list. However, manager Rob Thomson sounded fairly confident a few weeks ago that the right-hander would only miss a few weeks. That could put him on track to make his season debut sometime in late April.

With Wheeler set to miss just a couple of weeks, he is such a high-upside selection in the middle rounds of drafts. The three-time All-Star has a combined 2.91 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and 1,094 strikeouts over his last six seasons. Championships aren't won on Opening Day; they are won throughout the season. Wheeler's all-around contributions make him a smash pick.

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

ADP: 166

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler has the makings to be a dominant pitcher in the league. Although he posted a 5.12 ERA across his four major league starts last year, that ERA is extremely flawed by one poor outing. That performance came against the Milwaukee Brewers when he gave up nine earned runs on nine hits across 2 2/3 innings.

In his other three outings, though, Chandler was electric. He threw six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts against the Nationals, delivered five shutout innings with six strikeouts against the Athletics, and allowed one run across 5 2/3 innings against the Braves. During this three-start stretch to end the year, the 23-year-old allowed just two runs across 16 2/3 innings (1.08 ERA) to go with zero walks and 19 strikeouts.

Bubba Chandler. 99.6 MPH. Sit down.

4-seam, 2631 RPM, 18 IVB, 10 inVB, 6 inHB pic.twitter.com/l0T2pJtn1q

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) March 6, 2026

Given that Chandler is now entering his first full year with the Pirates, the sky is the limit for MLB Pipeline's No. 11 overall prospect. He had a 30.2% chase rate, a 30.3% whiff rate, a 25% strikeout rate, and a 3.2% walk rate in his first season in the big leagues and looked sharp to end the regular season. Look for him to continue to grow on the mound, making him a must-target at his 166 ADP.

Edward Cabrera, SP, Chicago Cubs

ADP: 189

New Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera is coming off his best season in his professional career. He finished with a 3.53 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts across 137 2/3 innings. Both those 150 strikeouts and 137 2/3 innings pitched were personal bests for the right-hander. Now, Cabrera joins a much better situation with the Cubs.

The 27-year-old will be pitching in front of one of the best defenses in baseball. The Cubs' defensive grouping of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Ian Happ ranked second in defensive runs saved last year. For context, the Marlins ranked 17th in that same category. Additionally, Cabrera will start half his games at Wrigley Field, which has become a more pitcher-friendly ballpark in recent seasons.

All that makes Cabrera a top late-round target in fantasy drafts. He posted the best numbers of his career in 2025 and has the stuff to take his game to the next level. The right-hander ranked in the 70th percentile or better in chase rate (30.3%), whiff rate (29.4%), and strikeout rate (25.8%) last year. So, take him with confidence at his current price tag.

Braxton Ashcraft, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

ADP: 260

There is a lot to love about Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft heading into the 2026 season. He had a 2.16 ERA across his eight major league starts last season, and his metrics suggest that a breakout campaign is there for the taking this year. Ashcraft ranked in the upper half of the league in chase rate (29.4%), whiff rate (26.2%), strikeout rate (23.4%), and barrel rate (4.6%) across his 69 2/3 innings pitched in 2025.

The 26-year-old spent most of his rookie season in Pittsburgh's bullpen, but he slowly transitioned to the rotation toward the end of the year. His best start came against the Colorado Rockies on August 22 when he threw five shutout innings with one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts. In his eight starts with the Pirates, Ashcraft showcased his plus stuff on the mound.

His Breaking Run Value ranked in the 87th percentile, and his average fastball velocity ranked in the 86th percentile (96.8 mph). With a lethal slider/curveball combination, Ashcraft has the tools to fully breakout in 2026. He had a 32.4% whiff rate on his slider and a 36.6% whiff rate on his curveball last year.

Therefore, fantasy managers should be taking a chance on Ashcraft at his current ADP in the later rounds. He is practically free in drafts and has the upside to be one of the best value picks in fantasy drafts.

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