3 Fantasy Baseball Draft Values (2026)

Similar to past seasons, CBS fantasy baseball keeps its trend alive by undervaluing veteran starting pitchers. Players like Blake Snell, Luis Castillo, MacKenzie Gore, Drew Rasmussen, Tanner Bibee and Jack Flaherty are all going two to three rounds later than they should. For some reason, CBS drafters insist on waiting on starting pitching while moving up their closers and catchers.

Two-catcher leagues were once a popular setting among the CBS crowd, so that overvaluation tends to make sense. Still, letting so many quality arms fall seems a bit unwarranted. When targeting those types of pitchers, you can probably wait a round or two longer, creating even better value.

Best Fantasy Baseball Draft Values: CBS Leagues

Since starting pitchers falling is the norm in CBS leagues, I’ve decided to focus more on the random outliers that have fallen through the cracks. After combing through the rankings, I’ve found a few drastic standouts. There’s still one pitcher highlighted, but these players have dramatically dropped in CBS drafts.

Sonny Gray (SP – BOS) | Consensus ADP: 106/CBS ADP: 154

Sonny Gray stands out as the player with the biggest discrepancy within the top 150 of average draft position (ADP). While CBS always seems to devalue veteran pitchers, they’re going especially hard on Mr. Gray this year. With an expert consensus ranking (ECR) of 107 and a consensus ADP of 106, it’s surprising to see him lasting until the 16th round in CBS leagues.

Gray is now 36 and finished with an inflated 4.20 ERA last season, but his FIP (3.39) and xFIP (3.06) suggest he was the victim of some bad luck. He was also a workhorse of sorts, topping 180 innings while striking out 201 batters and walking just 38. His 1.23 WHIP should come down if his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) normalizes. The move to Boston likely won’t help, but beyond pick 125, he represents massive value.

Alejandro Kirk (C – TOR) | Consensus ADP: 174/CBS ADP: 215

While a few catchers in CBS leagues are on the rise, Alejandro Kirk seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Kirk had a career year last season, but the CBS folks don’t seem to care. His .282/.348/.421 triple slash line, 15 home runs and 76 RBI apparently wasn’t enough. Granted, he hasn’t always been this productive, but the batting profile has always been there.

Kirk went off in the playoffs, blasting five home runs over 18 games. He also scored 11 runs and knocked in 13. The Jays backstop should continue to hit near the middle of the order, where he’ll likely produce as a top-five catcher in RBI. He’s got a great shot at reaching 15 homers again, and his average — with so few strikeouts (11.7%) — should surpass .270. He’s also extremely durable and rarely takes a day off. Kirk should be considered a borderline No. 1 catcher in 12+ team leagues.

Christian Walker (1B – HOU) | Consensus ADP: 176/CBS ADP: 217

Christian Walker didn’t exactly set the world on fire in Houston last year, and CBS managers are ready to move on. Walker is lasting well into the 200s in most CBS leagues, likely because of his low batting average and long cold streaks. However, going 41 selections later than his consensus makes Walker a hot commodity.

While his batting average may not surpass .250, Walker can still be counted on for at least 25 home runs and 80 RBI. The 34-year-old hasn’t fallen short of those numbers in any full season since he was a rookie in 2018. His 2020 season is obviously the outlier, as was 2021, when Walker was hurt most of the year and played in just 115 games. Every other season, however, Walker has surpassed those marks.

With his strikeout rate reaching a career-high 27% last year, Walker could be on the downslope of his career. That said, Yordan Alvarez was absent for most of the season, which hurt Walker’s overall numbers. With a better supporting cast around him, I still like the slugging first baseman for 27 homers and 90 RBI. Even without steals or a strong batting average, he’s worth selecting before pick 200.