Austin Lowell | Wed, Feb 18th 2026, 7:20am EST

10 Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets: Home Runs (2026)

Home runs are always in high demand throughout the fantasy baseball draft process. Everyone wants to load up on power because it usually boosts more than just one category. That said, home run totals don’t always have to come at a premium. Outside of the obvious early-round sluggers, there are a few players slipping in drafts despite highly projected power numbers. With that in mind, today’s piece focuses on home run hitters you should target outside the first five rounds.

While pairing power with speed is ideal, this next group of mashers do more than enough with the bat to make it worth your while. Let’s get right to it. Here are 10 value picks to target when you’re hunting for home runs.

Fantasy Baseball Targets for Home Runs

Eugenio Suarez (3B – CIN)

Suarez rewarded fantasy managers with a whopping 49 home runs last year, tying his career best despite splitting time between home parks not exactly known for boosting power. Now he’s moving to the field that has seen more home runs than any other since 2020. According to Statcast, his expected home run total would have been 54 had he played all his games in Cincinnati.

Suarez spent seven years earlier in his career with the Big Red Machine, so he should feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. Another 40+ homer, 100-RBI season is well within reach, making him an excellent value as drafts move past pick 100.

Salvador Perez (C – KC)

Perez was terrific in two categories last year, and with fewer projected innings behind the plate in 2026—plus the fences moved in at Kauffman Stadium—he belongs on this list. The dimension changes could add roughly four extra home runs, and if he builds on last year’s 30, he’s right back among the elite catchers.

At 35, he’s in the twilight of his career and some metrics are trending down. Still, with a friendlier home park and lighter catching workload, I don’t expect much drop-off. Thirty homers and 100 RBIs from a catcher after Round 10 is a massive value.

Daulton Varsho (OF – TOR)

Daulton Varsho was a launch-angle and barrel machine last year, posting a 16% barrel rate with a 24-degree launch angle. Pair that with one of the faster swing speeds in the league (76 mph), and the Gold Glove outfielder produced a home run every 13.55 plate appearances. That’s right in line with some of the game’s biggest sluggers.

For reference, here’s how often other bombers went deep: Aaron Judge (12.8 PA/HR), Kyle Schwarber (12.9), Cal Raleigh (11.75), and Giancarlo Stanton (11.66).

Varsho was also dominant with runners on, slugging .621 with men aboard and driving in 55 RBIs in just 248 at-bats. Over 600 at-bats, that pace projects to roughly 50 homers and 135 RBIs. Varsh won’t reach those numbers, but it shows the upside.

He does sit occasionally against lefties, though Toronto may elect to keep his elite defense on the field consistently. Varsho also held his own versus southpaws helping his cause with an OPS north of .700. He did even better against lefty starters albeit in a small sample size (.354/.436/.588 over 39 plate appearances).

A slight regression is likely, but even so, Varsho could easily eclipse 30 homers for the first time in his career. He may struggle to hit above .240, but the counting stats and a handful of steals should more than compensate. With an ADP around 215, I’d take him a round or two earlier if you’re chasing power.

Giancarlo Stanton (OF – NYY)

Health is always the concern, but once Stanton returned to the field, he mashed. He delivered his strongest per-plate-appearance output in pinstripes and was a second-half difference-maker for many fantasy teams.

Stanton launched 24 dingers over 281 plate appearances, which was good for a league-best 11.84 plate appearance per home run. Stanton also hit for a solid .273 average as he sprayed line drives all over the field. He finished with a .944 OPS showing the neigh sayers he’s still got plenty left in the tank. As always Stanton ranked in the top of most categories and because of all the missed time you can now get him in round 22.

Trent Grisham (OF – NYY)

Trent Grisham was a pleasant surprise last year for Yankee fans and fantasy managers alike. After hitting the ground running with eight bombs and a 1.009 OPS in April, doubters kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as the season wore on. While he was around league average over the summer months, Grisham came to life again late in the season, launching 10 long balls in August and another six in September.

On the year, Grisham was a Statcast darling, ranking in the top 11% of six major batting categories. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that he ranked in the top 1% of the league in chase rate. Grisham only chased 17% of balls outside of the strike zone last year. That helped lead to a healthy 14.1% walk percentage, which kept him atop Aaron Boone’s lineup for nearly the entire season. The Yankees center fielder did hit below .200 against lefties but was still able to blast seven homers and register an OBP above .300.

Grisham sent 34 balls into the seats last season while scoring 87 runs. I expect similar numbers again this year as the Bronx Bombers continue to take advantage of the short porch in right field.

Adolis Garcia (OF – PHI)

Adolis Garcia stunk last year. There’s no getting around it. His average tanked, as did his power numbers, which eventually led to diminished playing time. However, I’m not ready to write off the former slugger. Still just 32 years old, it wasn’t that long ago that Garcia was one of the most feared hitters in the American League. The Dominican outfielder still registered an elite 92.1 mph exit velocity, and moving out of that monstrous stadium in Arlington should do wonders.

Hitting is contagious, and Texas could not hit last year. He was a little closer to his career numbers in the late summer months (before a dismal September), but a 25/15 season could still be in the cards. As a part of the Phillies, Garcia is not worth reaching for, but with an average draft value of 236, the risk is low and the ceiling is high.

Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM)

Could this be the year everyone’s been expecting out of Francisco Alvarez since his impressive rookie campaign? Alvarez has all the tools to put together a massive home run season. He swings hard (74 mph), hits barrels (12%), has a massive hard-hit rate (54.3%), and averages over 93 miles per hour on balls put in play. Those metrics are near the top of the league.

If he can learn to lift the ball a bit more, the sky is the limit for the young backstop. He’ll need to stay healthy, but at just 24 years old, I’m banking on a career year. Target Alvarez a round or two before his Round 23 price tag, as he’s ready to embark on a career year.

Jac Caglianone (OF – KC)

Jac Caglianone had a rough start to his Major League career. He batted .157 with just seven home runs over 232 plate appearances. The good news is the sixth overall draft pick in the 2024 draft only struck out 22% of the time while connecting for a fine 12% barrel rate. He also got extremely unlucky with a .172 BABIP after registering nearly .360 in the upper minors.

KC moved their fences in to help hitters like Caglianone, and with a little experience under his belt and his reputation as a tireless worker, I expect Jac to make enough of an adjustment to reach the mid-20s in homers, if not more. He’s a bit rich for my blood in deeper formats, but in standard leagues he’s worth taking a shot toward the end of the draft based on upside alone.

Jake Burger (1B – TEX)

Jake Burger is a prime bounce-back candidate. While Texas isn’t the easiest place to hit dingers, Burger has the build and swing to do it. A forgotten man in fantasy drafts, you can snag the Rangers first baseman near the end in standard drafts. If his health holds up, the big man could easily surpass 30 home runs, as he did in 2023. Burger hit 29 bombs in 2024 over 137 games and reached 16 homers last year in 103 games. The expert consensus loves him, ranking him 36 places better than his ADP.

Marcell Ozuna (UTL – PIT)

Everyone is off Marcell Ozuna, but I’ll happily take 25 home runs and 75 RBIs in the final round of the draft. Ozuna is looking for one final hoorah in Pittsburgh, and while it’s a tough ballpark for right-handers, Ozuna has the power to reach the seats in any park. Despite Pittsburgh’s reputation, the lineup has been revamped, and along with power, Ozuna walks a ton as well. He should be able to score a decent amount of runs while driving in a hearty dose batting in the middle of the order. If he starts slow, he’s an easy drop candidate, but I have a feeling he’s going to come into Pittsburgh with a chip on his shoulder and is going to surprise some folks.

Austin Lowell is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Austin, check out his archive.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL