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Jeremy's outfield (OF) fantasy baseball draft sleepers, value picks, and draft targets for 2026. He recommends drafting these upside outfielders based on ADPs.
While outfield typically has the most star power out of all of the positions, it is still important to find value at the position in all stages of the draft. Especially in leagues that require five starting outfielders, it’s just not possible to fill out every one of those spots with stars in the early rounds.
The good news is that there is a lot of depth at the position, with tons of sleepers and breakout candidates who are being drafted later than they deserve. Whether you are looking for power, speed, or a more all-around profile, there are plenty of options that present great value to give your team a leg up on the competition.
Here, we’ll be looking at five outfielders who are priced at a great value at their current average draft position. The specific ADP being referenced is their NFBC ADP.
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Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
Roman Anthony made his debut in June last season after becoming the consensus top prospect in all of baseball. For a 21-year-old in his first taste of the bigs, he certainly didn’t disappoint, slashing .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs, 32 RBI, 48 runs, and four steals in 71 games.
He showcased an elite walk rate of 13.2% and even better batted ball metrics, such as 60.3% hard-hit rate and 94.5 mph average exit velocity. Having a near .400 on-base percentage is what you expect from the sport’s best, such as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Juan Soto, which makes it all the more impressive that Anthony put up a .396 mark as a rookie.
21-year-old Roman Anthony's last 56 games in 2025:
.329 AVG
.419 OBP
.512 SLG
43 R
24 XBH
.931 OPS pic.twitter.com/E8OM02AC6i— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 31, 2026
Entering his first full year in the majors, it would be easy to see a scenario in which he takes another step forward into true superstardom. The one glaring flaw in his profile is his 13.8% pull air rate, which led to the rather lackluster eight home runs despite his overall success at the plate. If he adjusts his approach to increase those pulled flyballs, Anthony could enter 2027 as a clear-cut fantasy first-rounder.
That’s not to say there’s no risk in drafting him. Young players will always be more volatile, and his lack of steals doesn’t help his fantasy value either, especially when compared to other first-round talents. However, his ADP of 56 as the 13th outfielder is a price worth paying for potential league-winning upside.
It’s also worth noting that this is his NFBC ADP, where high upside is usually prioritized more than in the average league. In regular home leagues, you may be able to get even more of a discount.
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
After many years of disappointing seasons due to injuries, Byron Buxton finally stayed on the field enough to deliver on his potential, slashing .264/.327/.551 with 35 home runs, 83 RBI, 97 runs, and 24 stolen bases. He finished as the eighth-best outfielder and 20th-best overall hitter in 5x5 roto.
He didn’t log a completely healthy season, but his 126 games played were the most in a season for him since 2017. That makes the stat line he put up even more impressive, as his 162-game pace was equivalent to 45 home runs and 30 steals. Of course, it wouldn’t be smart to ever predict a full season from one of the most injury-prone hitters in the league, but he does guarantee elite production when healthy.
The 32-year-old is the definition of a freak athlete, posting a 30.2 feet per second sprint speed (100th percentile) to go along with a 53.8% hard-hit rate (96th percentile) and 114 mph max exit velocity (90th percentile). His current ADP of 75th overall as the 17th outfielder off the board is already banking on missed time, and he would end up as one of the best values in the draft if he can repeat his 2025 success.
It's a risky pick, and the hesitation is justified in deep 15-team roto leagues where you start five outfielders. However, the shallower the league, the better pick he becomes. Especially in three-outfielder leagues, the replacement level of waiver wire hitters is good enough to be jumping all over Buxton at this price. Even if it all falls apart and he misses half the season, half a season of Buxton combined with half a season from whoever you pick up to replace him isn’t an outcome that will sink your team.
On the flip side, if he does stay healthy, it could win you the league.
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
Heading into 2025, Bryan Reynolds was the definition of safety and consistency. In four seasons from 2021 to 2024, he batted .276 while averaging 25 home runs, 81 RBI, 81 runs, and nine stolen bases. That unfortunately came crashing down in 2025, where he slashed just .245/.318/.402 with 16 home runs, 73 RBI, 68 runs, and three steals.
While it was certainly a step down for the 31-year-old, the underlying metrics suggest that he didn’t decline as much as his stats would leave you to believe. He posted an xBA of .259 and an xSLG of .447, which were still bad for his standards but noticeably better than his actual stats. Reynolds already showed signs of correction in the second half of the season, where he slashed .276/.364/.453.
The switch-hitter’s strikeout rate rose from 22.5% to 26.5%, which is a concern that definitely contributed to the down year, but he should still have a lot more left in the tank.
That’s especially true now that his supporting cast is better than it’s been in a very long time. The Pirates added Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and Jake Mangum this offseason to add some juice to the lineup to support Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. They also have a potential generational prospect, Konnor Griffin, waiting in the wings to hopefully make his debut at some point in 2026.
With an ADP of 197 as the 47th outfielder off the board, that leaves an easy path for Reynolds to return value at that cost. It’s a safe bet for the king of consistency to rebound back closer to his career norms, and at the very least to a point of matching his expected stats.
Trent Grisham, New York Yankees
Trent Grisham had one of the biggest out-of-nowhere breakouts of 2025, slashing .235/.348/.464 with 34 home runs, 74 RBI, and 87 runs in 143 games. He doubled his previous career high in home runs and became a crucial piece of the Yankees' lineup, often serving as the leadoff hitter. The 29-year-old re-signed with New York this offseason after accepting the qualifying offer, and he’ll be hoping to carry this momentum into 2026.
It definitely seems fluky to see this big of a step up out of nowhere in his seventh year in the league, but the underlying metrics back it up. He showed elite plate discipline and batted ball metrics that you’d expect from an excellent hitter. His xBA of .248 and xSLG of .498 were actually even significant improvements over his actual stats.
Yet, for whatever reason, fantasy baseball managers are seemingly wiping this season from their minds. It was so unexpected that they just refused to believe it, with Grisham having an ADP of 249 as the 61st outfielder drafted. After finishing as the 26th best outfielder in 2025, that’s way too big a gap, no matter how lucky you think he may have gotten.
Especially considering he is back in the same lineup and environment as last season, Grisham should have a great chance to repeat as a top-40 outfielder, at least.
Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies
Justin Crawford was recently ranked as the 53rd best prospect by MLB.com and is heading into spring as the favorite for everyday center field duties for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is known for game-breaking speed and elite contact skills, which is no surprise considering he is the son of former MLB great Carl Crawford.
In 112 games in Triple-A in 2025, he slashed .334/.411/.452 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 88 runs, and 46 stolen bases. For a current player comparison, think of him as Chandler Simpson with a little less speed and more pop.
Justin Crawford has the skills to be an impact player for #FantasyBaseball right away.
.322 AVG in 325 MiLB games
89.3% Z-Contact, 81.6% Contact
11.5% BB, 18% KElite speed
40+ SB in 2023, 2024, 202545.3% HH, 89.8 mph AVG EV
High GB% limits the power.pic.twitter.com/VexwbI39xe— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) December 27, 2025
He will likely hit at the bottom of the Phillies’ lineup to start the year, but when he does get on base, he should have the chance to rack up plenty of runs with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper ready to drive him in. While the power is limited, playing in Citizens Bank Park should help, and he still has time to optimize his swing for some more power at only 22 years old.
The good news is that, even with limited power, his elite speed and solid average can make him a very valuable fantasy player. Crawford’s ADP has been rising as we get closer to the season, and it currently sits at 299 as the 68th outfielder since January 1st. Compare that to Simpson, who is going over 100 picks earlier at 168 as the 40th outfielder.
There's no guarantee that the speedster will adjust to MLB pitching, so the discount from Crawford is justified. However, the reward massively outweighs the risk at his current price.
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