First Base Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers, Values: Middle-Round Discounts With Upside

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Jac Caglianone - Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

February 19, 2026

First base fantasy baseball sleepers, targets to draft in the mid rounds. Potential 2026 fantasy baseball sleepers and undervalued 1B to target in drafts.

The countdown to Opening Day is on. At RotoBaller we have been providing 2026 draft targets by position, as part of our mid-round fantasy baseball values and sleepers series, to help guide you through your upcoming fantasy baseball drafts. Today we're here to discuss some of our favorite middle-round first base fantasy baseball sleepers, values, and targets for 2026 drafts.

The middle rounds are essential in the draft, and it's where you can really find value at ADP or take a gamble on an upcoming player. First base, especially, can tater off once the elite options are off the board. But not to worry -- we have a few 1Bs to target if you miss out on the top three tiers. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority mid-round draft target? Read on to see our takes.

The five 1B fantasy baseball outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. Be sure to save 30% on any MLB Package today to start reading all of our in-depth 2026 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more. Let's win some leagues in 2026!

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First Base Fantasy Baseball Draft Values

Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics

After a lackluster first two seasons in the majors, Athletics first baseman/outfielder Tyler Soderstrom found his footing in 2026. In 624 plate appearances, he slashed .276/.346/.474 with 25 home runs, 93 RBI, eight steals, and 75 runs scored. Soderstrom started the season at first base, but shifted to left field once Nick Kurtz arrived.

Tyler Soderstrom this past season:

✅Broke out for a career offensive season: 4.3 bWAR, 125 wrc+, 25 HR
✅Successfully changed positions to LF and finished as a finalist for a Gold Glove
✅Inked the longest guaranteed contract in franchise history

Only 24 years old! #Athletics pic.twitter.com/rXx8hwhe8o

— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) December 25, 2025

That dual eligibility will be a nice added bonus in 2026 for a player who has legitimate .275/30/100 upside thanks to above-average power, above-average contact rates, a decent approach, and a hitter-friendly home ballpark. For the second straight season, Soderstrom had a barrel rate above 11%, an AVG EV above 91 mph, and a hard-hit rate north of 49%, all while improving his zone and overall contact rates to 83.8% and 74.6%, respectively.

You'll need to use a back-end top-100 pick to secure Soderstrom's services this season, but that's a fair price to pay. Soderstrom currently has an NFBC ADP of 91.1, which aligns with his RotoBaller ranking of 88 heading into upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.

-- Eric Cross - RotoBaller

Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone was one of the most hyped hitting prospects in baseball last season. He earned the hype, too, hitting .337 with 20 home runs and a .617 SLG in 66 games at Triple-A last season. That got him promoted to the majors, where he promptly fell on his face. Caglianone hit .157 with a .237 OBP and .138 ISO in 232 major league PA last season. It was a brutal showing, and Caglianone also missed over a month with a strained hamstring, making it difficult for him to find a rhythm.

Still, the Royals believe in him enough to make him their everyday right fielder heading into 2026. He's currently going as the 218th player off the board in NFBC leagues. Is he worth the late-round stab? It's worth noting that Caglianone was incredibly unlucky on batted balls last season. He has just a .172 BABIP, the lowest by over 30 points for any player with at least 200 PA last season.

His quality of contact wasn't bad enough to warrant such a low BABIP, as he had a 12% barrel rate and a 114.1 max exit velocity. His .237 xBA and .431 xSLG aren't great, but they suggest that Caglianone should've had better results than he wound up with in 2025.

It's encouraging that he only struck out 22.4% of the time, and he's shown great plate discipline in the minors. The Royals have a sneaky good lineup, and Caglianone could be hitting in the meat of it this season. He's only 23 years old, making him a great post-hype sleeper to take a chance on at a cost.

-- Elliott Baas - RotoBaller

Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays

If fantasy points were awarded for hitting the ball hard, then Yandy Diaz would be a top 20 hitter. For the third time in four years, Diaz ranked in the 90th percentile or better for hard hit rate. And last year, it led to a career-high 25 home runs. Diaz also had a career-high 83 RBI along with an impressive .300/.366/.482 slash line.

Diaz's long-awaited "breakout" wasn't down to finally elevating the ball more. He hit ground balls (53.6% GB%) and fly balls (27.6% FB%) at a similar rate in 2025 as his career marks. The reason for Diaz's career-high 25 home runs can be attributed to his home ballpark. Last year, the Rays played home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which ranked sixth in 2025 for home runs.

Compare that to Tropicana Field, which ranked 16th best for home runs in 2024, according to Statcast. The Rays are returning to Tropicana Field in 2026. Given that 18 of Diaz's 25 homers last year came at home, it's fair to say that Diaz's home run total won't be repeated. Diaz does have a career .290 batting average, and he should still hit around that mark this year. Just don't draft Diaz expecting a repeat of last year.

-- Jamie Steed - RotoBaller

Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs

In his second season with the Chicago Cubs, infielder Michael Busch put together the best season of his career. In 592 plate appearances, Busch set new career-best marks with 78 runs, 34 home runs, 90 RBI, and a .261/.328/.523 slash line.

A big reason for the production jump can be attributed to Busch's quality of contact metrics, ticking up to a 17.1% barrel rate, 92.2 mph AVG EV, and 47.3% hard-hit rate. At the same time, he trimmed his strikeout rate from 28.6% to 23.5% while increasing his zone and overall contact rates by 4.2% and 3.3%, respectively.

Michael Busch clubbed 34 HR in 592 PA while cutting his K% by 5.1% & lowering his Whiff% by 3.3% from 2024, showing better swing decisions. He also ranked in the 90th percentile or higher in Barrel% (17.1%) & Avg Exit Velocity (92.2 MPH) w/ a more optimized batted ball profile. pic.twitter.com/NrippcdupY

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) February 11, 2026

The 28-year-old currently has an NFBC ADP of 107.7, which is on target with his RotoBaller ranking of 112. If all the improvements from 2025 stick in 2026, Busch should cement his status as a top-10 first baseman while pushing top-75 overall value for fantasy, making him a tremendous value heading into fantasy baseball drafts.

-- Eric Cross - RotoBaller

Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino had a career year in 2025, hitting .264 with 32 home runs, 113 RBI, and 72 runs scored, good for a .340 wOBA and 116 wRC+. He was able to amass these totals thanks to staying healthy for the entirety of the campaign, playing in 160 games after injuries cut short his 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The RBI total was the sixth-most in all of baseball and just one behind AL MVP Aaron Judge. The left-handed slugger continued to put the bat on the ball at a solid rate as he's done throughout his career, with an 83.4 percent contact rate and better-than-average 15.7 percent strikeout rate, while improving his barrel rate almost four percent, up to 10.8 percent for the season.

If there are some things to critique, the 28-year-old chases a lot of pitches and walks at a below-average rate, while also displaying middle-of-the-road bat speed and hard-hit rates. Even his improved barrel rate is just 65th percentile, so a repeat of last year's power numbers could be a challenge.

Even so, producing something like a .265-28-90-80-1 line is plenty productive, especially for someone with an NFBC ADP around 88 overall. RotoBaller ranks the Old Dominion product at 78 overall, so he still looks like a value pick in 2026.

-- Jarod Rupp - RotoBaller