Later-Round Third Base Fantasy Baseball Draft Sleepers, Values: Cheap Hitters With Upside

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Later-round third base (3B) fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts predictions for 2026. These cheap 3B draft values with upside make for great late-round picks.

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The fantasy baseball offseason is heating up, and with that said, we are back with another article on late-round sleepers to help fantasy managers in their upcoming drafts. Today, we take a look at the third base position and provide five later-round third base fantasy baseball sleepers and values. Below you will find our favorite late-round targets for 2026 drafts.

The later rounds are where you can shoot for the moon and select players with league-winning upside, take a chance on an injured star, or even an emerging top prospect. If fantasy managers miss out on taking a top 12 third baseman in their upcoming fantasy drafts, we have some late-round options who could pay off and be a tremendous value. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will these hitters provide a big return on their draft day cost? Read on to see our takes.

The five 3B fantasy baseball outlooks for 2026 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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Later-Round Values: 3B Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Caleb Durbin, 2B/3B, Boston Red Sox

Red Sox infielder Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers in the preseason and will likely be Boston's new third baseman, although Durbin could also fill in at second base if need be. Although the diminutive infielder was not on the Brewers' Opening Day roster last season, he got the call to make his big league debut in mid-April and wound up finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

His final stat line was .256-11-53-60-18 with a .319 wOBA and 105 wRC+, but if you take away a slow first month, Durbin slashed .278/.352/.424 from May 21 through the end of the year, with a .341 wOBA and 120 wRC+ in 106 games (402 plate appearances). With a low average exit velocity (85.2), barrel rate (4.0 percent), and bat speed (sixth percentile), there likely aren't many more home runs in his bat even if he gets closer to 600 PA in 2026.

However, with a high 88.4 percent contact rate and ultra-low 9.9 percent strikeout rate (98th percentile), along with how he performed after May 21, there is solid potential to outperform his .256 season-long batting average. That, and if he can draw a few more walks, should give the 25-year-old a real shot at 25 stolen bases this season.

The right-handed hitter is eligible at both 3B and 2B on Yahoo!, adding to his fantasy appeal. The Illinois native looks like a real value right now, with RotoBaller ranking him at 213 overall, while his NFBC ADP stands at 242 overall.

-- Jarod Rupp - RotoBaller

Munetaka Murakami, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami is famous for slugging 56 homers and winning Japan's Triple Crown in 2022, but his two-year commitment from the White Sox underwhelmed. An oblique injury limited Murakami to 224 plate appearances last season, and he led NPB with a 208 wRC+ and 31.4 percent HR/FB. He also posted an elite 25.8 percent chase rate.

Murakami recorded 610 PAs in 2024 with a 158 wRC+ (92nd percentile in Japan), 20.6 percent HR/FB (100th percentile), and 24 percent chase rate (74th percentile). The issue lies in his strikeout totals, as his 36.7 percent whiff rate and 28.6 K% last year are troubling before you account for MLB's higher strikeout environment.

High-velo concerns are frequently discussed, but Murakami will likely improve with consistent reps against premium velocity. More concerningly, he whiffed at nearly half the offspeed pitches he swung at vs. RHP and two-thirds of breaking pitches vs. LHP last year.

If Murakami makes contact against MLB pitching, he's a 40-HR bat in the middle of the lineup. ATC is on board with Murakami's power and projects him to hit 26 home runs in 2026. The White Sox plan to start him at first base, and he will get some reps at third base this season, making the 25-year-old an intriguing upside play with potential dual eligibility at the corner spots at his 216 ADP.

-- Rick Lucks - RotoBaller

Jordan Lawlar, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks

Let Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jordan Lawlar play has been a common refrain among fantasy managers over the past few years. Once one of baseball's top prospects, Lawlar's star has dimmed over the last couple of seasons as he's struggled to break through to the big leagues.

He got only 74 plate appearances last season, and he hit .182 with a .545 OPS and a 35.1% K rate. That's not good, but he did hit .313 with a .966 OPS at Triple-A last season, along with 11 homers and 20 steals in 300 PA. Still just 23 years old, Lawlar has been taking reps in center field in winter ball, as the minor league shortstop looks to secure a position for himself anywhere on the diamond with the big league club in 2026.

Jordan Lawlar still has intriguing upside, just needs to stay healthy and get a shot at regular PT.

Crushed his first homer of the spring today.pic.twitter.com/Luht09PWsV

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) February 21, 2026

The outfield might be his clearest path to playing time. Corbin Carroll has a job when he's healthy, but with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. recovering from a torn ACL and former top prospect Alek Thomas struggling at the plate over multiple seasons, there could be openings in center and left. The multi-positional flexibility between 3B and OF will be nice, but can Lawlar actually hit?

He's proven he can hit minor league pitching, and of the Diamondbacks outfield mix (Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa, and Thomas), Lawlar probably has the most potential at the plate. He's shown a good mix of power and speed at the minor league level. It would be great to see Lawlar get an extended look this season, and going around pick 404, he's a solid post-hype sleeper late in drafts.

-- Elliott Baas - RotoBaller

Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox

In his first full season as a regular in the lineup, Chicago White Sox first baseman/third baseman Miguel Vargas finally got to show off what he's capable of. While a .234/.316/.401 slash line and 16 home runs in 138 games doesn't jump off the page; it was a step forward. Vargas entered 2025 with a career .175/.273/.312 hitter with 13 homers in 171 MLB games across three seasons.

What was most impressive about Vargas was that he managed to demonstrate decent power while cutting down on strikeouts. His 17.6% K% ranked in the 72nd percentile, while Vargas also maintained his ability to get on base. His 9.8% BB% ranked in the 70th percentile. Vargas' plate discipline lends itself more to points and OBP leagues. But it also helps Vargas to make the most of his modest hit tool.

Miguel Vargas is an intriguing target at ADP this season.

- Notable QoC improvements from 2024
- Good approach (9.8% BB, 17.6% K, 21.6% Chase)
- Above-average contact (83.8% Zone, 79.4% Overall)

February NFBC DC ADP: 272.8 (1B 24, 3B 22)pic.twitter.com/j6TBx3iykT

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) February 22, 2026

Vargas led the White Sox in runs scored (80), which was largely a product of his ability to get on base. Vargas also ranked third on the team for RBI (60), fourth in homers, and fourth in steals (six). While Vargas isn't likely to put up fantasy league-winning numbers in 2026, he could prove to be a draft-day bargain if he can take a further step forward this year.

-- Jamie Steed - RotoBaller

Mark Vientos, 3B, New York Mets

New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos started 2025 as a top 100 fantasy draft pick. He ended the year without a clear role. After the Mets rebuilt their infield this offseason, Vientos has an uncertain outlook this year. He is set to start the season on the weak side of a platoon. However, it might not take much for Vientos to get more at-bats. He has a career 100 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, and 39 of his 54 career homers have been against righties.

Vientos still made plenty of loud contact in 2025. Vientos' 50.5% HardHit% ranked in the 89th percentile and was up from his 2024 breakout season (46.6% HardHit%). While Vientos struck out a lot in 2025, his 24.8% K% was better than in 2024 (29.7% K%). Given his below-average defense, Vientos will need to rely on his bat to get regular playing time.

He may need a very productive Spring to force himself into the lineup more frequently. Vientos still possesses the power that made him such an attractive option in 2025 drafts. If he can get regular at-bats, Vientos has every chance to prove 2024 wasn't a fluke and have a bounce-back season.

-- Jamie Steed - RotoBaller