15 Players the 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 Kit
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2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice

Fantasy Baseball Players Experts Love to Draft

Kelly Kirby breaks down three players fantasy baseball experts love to draft based on our consensus fantasy baseball draft rankings.

Austin Riley (3B – ATL)

If you’re looking for candidates for Comeback Player of the Year, Austin Riley should probably be on it. Riley’s age-28 season was cut short by an abdominal injury that cost him almost one-third of the season, sapped his power, and caused his strikeout rate to jump to 28.6%. It was his second injury-shortened year in a row, but the underlying metrics suggest the bounceback is coming. Riley still had an elite 15.2% barrel rate and 50.2% HardHit rate, and his xSLG was 30 points higher than actual. Assuming he is able to return to the player he was from 2021-2023, expect another 30 home runs and 90 runs/RBIs. He should be the fourth third baseman off the board, and you can get him much later than the other three, making him a borderline early-round sleeper candidate.

Corey Seager (SS – TEX)

Corey Seager followed up his MVP-caliber 2023-24 run with another elite per-game season in 2025, posting a .271/.373/.487 slash with a 151 OPS+ despite being limited to 102 games. His plate discipline continued to improve, as he set a career high in walk rate while maintaining plus power and run production when healthy. Durability remains the lone concern, but his underlying offensive skills show no signs of erosion entering his age-32 season. In formats that can absorb some missed time, Seager remains one of the safest high-end fantasy bats at shortstop with league-winning upside on a per-plate-appearance basis.

Nolan McLean (SP – NYM)

Nolan McLean’s brief 2025 MLB sample showcased frontline skills beneath the surface, highlighted by a 30.3% strikeout rate, elite 60.2% ground-ball rate, and a microscopic 2.1% HR rate, all of which supported his strong ERA despite modest volume. His ability to suppress quality contact (89.5 mph average EV, .571 OPS against) paired with above-average command (8.5% BB%) suggests the performance wasn’t fluky, even if some ERA regression is likely as innings scale. The 2026 projections point to a heavier workload with solid strikeout totals, making durability and role security the main remaining questions rather than skill. Given the bat-missing profile and batted-ball dominance, McLean profiles as a high-upside fantasy sleeper who can outperform his draft cost if he holds a regular rotation spot.

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.

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