Ryan Kirksey | Tue, Feb 17th 2026, 7:09am EST

Must-Have Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets (2026)

Every fantasy baseball draft is going to be different, but managers should know who they are targeting at certain points. Based on current average draft position (ADP) and production from previous years, players are getting a certain value in early drafts. Are those values good or bad at this point in the season? Considering where players are going right now, I have identified some of my must-have targets at different points of the draft.

Heading into the 2026 season, fantasy baseball managers tend to find the players they keep seeking out during their mock drafts and and make sure they fit whatever strategy they plan to use. Be sure you sync your leagues to take advantage of our fantasy baseball tools.

Here are my must-have fantasy baseball draft targets for 2026.

Ryan Kirksey’s Top Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets

Hunter Brown (SP – HOU): ADP 33

With Framber Valdez no longer in Houston, fireballer Hunter Brown is the clear ace on a squad looking to return to the playoffs after missing in 2025 for the first time in nine seasons. Last season, Brown improved in every pitching category. He threw 185 innings with a 2.43 ERA and a 28.3 K%. He also set career-bests in walk rate, home runs allowed, and left-on-base percentage. A blazing 97 mph fastball and a 96 mph sinker anchor his four-pitch mix. Brown will not turn 28 until late August, so there is still room to improve.

Brown’s excellence in 2025 has pushed his ADP into the mid-30s for 2026, but there is still upside if he stays healthy. More than 200 innings and 225 strikeouts are within reach. If you miss out on one of the top five starting pitchers, Brown can anchor your staff in 2026.

Andres Munoz (RP – SEA): ADP 52

Most drafts see two relief pitchers — Edwin Diaz and Mason Miller — go before Andres Munoz. However, you can wait a round or two for Munoz in 2026 and still be happy with him as the anchor of your relief corps. In 2025, Munoz set career-bests with 38 saves, a 1.73 ERA, and just 0.29 home runs per nine innings. He was the set-it-and-forget-it closer for one of the best teams in baseball, which also had the best pitching staff in the majors.

Munoz is just 27 years old and has four straight seasons with a strikeout rate over 30%. Those are Diaz and Miller numbers, but Munoz does not carry Diaz’s injury risk or Miller’s occasional home run issues. If I draft a closer early in 2026, I am prioritizing Andres Munoz anytime after the fourth round.

Jackson Merrill (OF – SDP): ADP 61

In 2024, Jackson Merrill finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He led rookies in hits, batting average, and RBI. He also added 16 stolen bases and won a Silver Slugger award. By 2025, he was a first-three-round pick, even though he was just 21 when the season began. However, injuries struck before the season started. Merrill missed 47 games in 2025 with hamstring, ankle, illness, and concussion issues. His batting average dropped from .292 to .264. His home runs fell from 24 to 16. His steals dropped to just one.

Under the hood, there were encouraging signs for 2026. His hard-hit rate stayed mostly the same, and his barrel rate improved. His walk rate rose, and he showed better plate discipline despite the injuries. Now coming at a discount (ADP of 68 on NFBC), Merrill is a bargain. He has age, upside, skills, and lineup protection that point to a big 2026 season.

Vinnie Pasquantino (1B – KC): ADP 84

Vinnie Pasquantino made a huge leap in his second full MLB season. He played 160 games for the first time and hit 32 home runs with 113 RBI. He slashed .264/.323/.475. Every part of that line improved from 2024. His walk rate stayed at 7.2%, but his strikeout rate (15.7%) and swinging strike rate (7.9%) remain elite for a power hitter.

Pasquantino should stay in the lineup behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia. That makes him a strong target for counting stats. The icing on the cake is that the Royals are moving in the fences at Kauffman Stadium in 2026. What has long been a pitcher’s park could become more home run-friendly. Pasquantino could be the biggest beneficiary.

Eugenio Suarez (3B – CIN): ADP 95

As if 49 home runs and 114 RBI in 2025 were not enough, Eugenio Suarez now moves from one of the worst hitters’ parks to the best for home run power. He signed a one-year deal to return to the Cincinnati Reds and will play 81 games at Great American Ball Park. There, he has slashed .260/.347/.504 for his career. The potential for another 40 home runs and 100 RBI in a strong Reds lineup gives him a real chance to beat his ADP around pick 100.

Suarez has a 14.3% barrel rate, around the 90th percentile of hitters. His power is not fading in his age-34 season. With the Reds, he can play third base most days and shift to DH when needed. Assuming good health, he should play every day. He has appeared in at least 150 games in each of the last four seasons.

Taylor Ward (OF – BAL): ADP 124

At age 31, Taylor Ward was a surprise fantasy star in 2025, but repeating that season will be tough. In his final year with the Los Angeles Angels, Ward hit a career-high 36 home runs. He also set career-bests in runs (86) and RBI (103). All of it came with a .228 batting average, the lowest of his career in a full season. Now with the Baltimore Orioles, his power may regress toward his norm, but his average should rise. The .228 mark was driven by a low .257 BABIP, his lowest since 2018. His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity matched career norms, suggesting bad luck rather than declining skills.

Still, Ward posted a career-high HR/FB rate and a 26.5% strikeout rate. Those numbers rarely support a repeat of 36 home runs. Ward benefits early from the Jackson Holliday injury, which likely places him near the top of the lineup. By late April, he should settle into the middle. The improved lineup around him should boost runs and RBI, but expect the power to dip in 2026. With that said, Camden Yards is one of the best parks for right-handed power, so that should help keep his home runs in the high-20s range.

Ezequiel Tovar (SS – COL): ADP 233

The 2025 season for Ezequiel Tovar was puzzling. Compared to 2024, his strikeout rate fell, his walk rate rose, and his hard-hit rate stayed steady. His exit velocity and barrel rate both increased. Yet his slash line dropped from .269/.295/.469 with 26 home runs to .253/.294/.400 with just nine home runs. Much of it came down to luck. His home run-to-fly ball rate fell 3.5 percentage points, and more fly balls went to the opposite field. With his ADP now below 225, this is the time to buy the dip.

Tovar is just 24 years old and still plays half his games at Coors Field. No one is pushing him for playing time, and the Rockies need his offense. Projection systems see around 20 home runs, 10 steals, and a .260 average. With the league average at .245 last season, those numbers at pick 233 are an auto-click for me.

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