4 Infielders to Fade (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

Every year, we make our fantasy baseball picks and fade the players we think may bust. However, we often don’t think about the players that we could have taken instead, with virtually the same profiles going much later.

Below is a list of players to fade and who to draft instead with similar profiles but with a lower average draft position (ADP).

Fantasy Baseball Players to Draft & Fade

Fade Matt Chapman (3B – SF)/Draft Max Muncy (3B – LAD)

Do you like older players who can hit 25-ish home runs and walk? Well, Matt Chapman is one such popular player. However, he’s going at pick 164. Why not draft Max Muncy at pick 251 instead?

Muncy missed time with an injury last year, but his ADP is criminally low. He is a good bet for 25-30 home runs and is elite at taking walks. Not to mention that he plays on a much better team.

Fade Jonathan Aranda (1B – TB)/Draft Andrew Vaughn (1B – MIL)

Jonathan Aranda is an industry favorite as a former top prospect with middling power and a good hit tool who finally broke out. Unfortunately, with the Rays moving back to Tropicana Field, the power probably regresses some. He is being drafted at pick 182, which is not super enticing when there are a lot of interesting first basemen.

You know what price is more enticing? Pick 303, which is the price of Andrew Vaughn, who was amazing after coming over from the White Sox. After joining the Brewers, Vaughn hit nine home runs and knocked in 46 RBI with a .308/.375/.493 triple slash in 254 plate appearances. He should be the everyday first baseman in Milwaukee.

Fade Brandon Lowe (2B – PIT)/Draft Nolan Gorman (2B, 3B, DH – STL)

Want a powerful second baseman in a bad lineup for a low price? Well, Brandon Lowe is a player you could take at pick 172. Not a terrible draft day cost, but he is always hurt and goes through prolonged slumps.

You can get the same profile way cheaper. Nolan Gorman has a good amount of pop and should play every day in St. Louis as they rebuild. He is currently going at pick 521.

Fade Xavier Edwards (2B, SS – MIA)/Draft Nasim Nunez (2B, SS – WSH)

Xavier Edwards is a speedy second baseman with a reasonable draft cost (pick 176). However, you can get a very similar player on a better offense and in a better park way later. One of my favorite sleeper picks this year is Nasim Nunez at pick 546.

Nunez has a ton of speed and stole 45 bases between AAA and the Majors last season in just 324 plate appearances. There isn’t much power to speak of, but he will play regularly and steal a ton of bases.