15 Late-Round Picks the Experts Love (2026 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
167	Jonathan Aranda	TB	1B16	128	214	169.3	14.4	31
177	Edward Cabrera	CHC	SP57	140	200	179	15.1	31
186	Ezequiel Tovar	COL	SS19	111	279	188.7	37.9	41
188	Shane Baz	BAL	SP60	152	242	191.3	19.7	47
189	Merrill Kelly	ARI	SP61	119	253	191.6	16.4	40
197	Shane McClanahan	TB	SP64	149	250	200.8	16.8	52
201	Connelly Early	BOS	SP65	146	245	208.1	15.6	47
202	Luis Garcia	WSH	2B14	123	252	209.7	8.6	70
206	Jasson Dominguez	NYY	OF43	144	266	212.8	24.2	32
207	Kyle Manzardo	CLE	1B18	167	247	213.3	19.3	48
211	Masyn Winn	STL	SS20	108	296	215.2	41.1	70
223	Bryce Miller	SEA	SP68	113	274	231.4	29.2	41
225	Andrew Vaughn	MIL	1B20	155	281	232.6	18.1	89
240	TJ Friedl	CIN	OF51	192	297	247.4	24.2	37
250	David Peterson	NYM	SP75	96	304	212.3	40.5	69

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.