10 Late-Round Pitchers Experts Love to Draft (Fantasy Baseball)

When preparing for your fantasy baseball drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy baseball rankings compared to average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable players below.

2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice

RK	PLAYER NAME	TEAM	POS	BEST	WORST	AVG.	STD.DEV	ECR VS. ADP
150	Shota Imanaga	CHC	SP49	104	212	154.1	22	24
152	Tanner Bibee	CLE	SP50	100	193	155.9	18.8	25
159	Edward Cabrera	CHC	SP51	142	195	168.3	16.9	38
162	Cade Horton	CHC	SP52	109	261	169.2	19.5	30
166	Carlos Rodon	NYY	SP53	126	217	171.7	18.7	21
175	Jack Flaherty	DET	SP56	99	266	180.4	24	40
182	Shane Baz	BAL	SP57	98	239	186.3	24.3	31
188	Zac Gallen	ARI	SP60	113	363	193.1	30.1	24
190	Merrill Kelly	ARI	SP61	120	264	194.4	17.2	26
192	Shane McClanahan	TB	SP62	119	248	195.9	30.1	38

Shota Imanaga followed up a brilliant 2024 debut (2.91 ERA, 25.1% K rate, 4.0% BB rate) with a more volatile 2025 campaign, as his ERA climbed to 3.73 and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.6%. While he continued to limit walks at an elite clip (4.6% BB%) and suppress batting average (.218 BAA), a spike in home run rate (5.5% HR%) and hard-hit contact (43.9%) led to a sharp jump in FIP (4.86). The batted-ball profile shift — fewer ground balls (29.1%) and more fly balls (39.7%) — suggests his margin for error narrowed considerably compared to 2024. Fantasy managers should view Imanaga as a mild faller entering 2026 drafts, though his strong command and projected workload stability keep him firmly in SP2 territory if the homer regression stabilizes.

Tanner Bibee took a noticeable step back in 2025, posting a 4.24 ERA and 4.34 FIP across a career-high 182.1 innings after delivering sub-3.50 ERAs in each of his first two seasons. The biggest red flag was a sharp dip in strikeout rate (21.3% K%) paired with a career-worst 3.5% HR rate, as his four-seam/slider combo generated fewer whiffs and more damaging contact despite a heavier ground-ball lean (44.6% GB%). While his walk rate remained solid and his BABIP (.283) suggests little bad luck, the decline in swing-and-miss ability and negative WPA underscore the regression. With 2026 projections forecasting stabilization rather than a full rebound, Bibee profiles as a mild fantasy faller entering draft season — more SP3 than frontline anchor unless the strikeout rate bounces back.

What is Fantasy Baseball?

Fantasy baseball is an online game where participants act as managers of virtual baseball teams based on real-life Major League Baseball (MLB) players. The performance of these players in actual games determines the results in the fantasy league. It’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, akin to the real-world decisions team managers must make.

Basic Strategy for Fantasy Baseball Success

1. Understand Your League’s Format and Scoring

Before drafting your team, it’s essential to understand the scoring system and rules of your specific league, as this will influence your drafting and management strategy. Knowing whether you’re in a points-based, category-based, or head-to-head league will guide you in selecting players whose strengths align with the scoring system.

2. Drafting Your Team Wisely

A solid draft is the foundation of a successful season. Here are a few tips for the drafting phase:

Balanced Team: Ensure you have a balanced team with a mix of power hitters, average hitters, speedsters, starting pitchers, and relievers.
Position Scarcity: Be aware of the depth of talent at each position. Some positions, like shortstop, may have fewer high-quality players, making it beneficial to draft a top player at that position early.
High-Floor Players: Early in the draft, focus on players with a proven track record of consistency.
Upside Picks: In the later rounds, look for “upside” players. These are athletes who have the potential to outperform their draft position.

3. In-Season Management

Stay Active: Constantly look for ways to improve your team through waivers, trades, and free-agent pickups.
Mind the Matchups: Pay attention to player matchups, platoon splits, and ballparks. Starting a pitcher in a hitter-friendly park, for example, can be risky.
Injury Management: Stay on top of player injuries and have backups ready for your key players.