Nate Miller | Sun, Mar 15th 2026, 7:05am EDT

4 Post-Hype Sleepers (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

As anyone who has ever been a kid knows, shiny, new toys get all the attention. The ones they push aside are not necessarily old news. They just don’t bring as much excitement as they once did, or maybe they did not quite meet expectations in the first place. Well, obviously, the metaphor parallels how many around the fantasy baseball world approach young prospects. We just cannot help ourselves. However, savvy managers know this can present valuable opportunities on draft day.

Fantasy Baseball Post-Hype Sleepers

The following is a group of high-upside, post-hype sleepers who are regularly being selected later than they should be based on average draft position (ADP).

Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM)

A power-hitting catcher regularly being selected late in drafts, Francisco Alvarez possesses top-10, possibly even top-five, upside at the position. Rewind to 2023, the Venezuelan native was a consensus top-10 prospect, reaching all the way to No. 3, per MLB.com. Alvarez popped 25 homers for the Mets that year, but he did so alongside a .209 batting average.

Injuries disrupted Alvarez’s 2024 season, and he ended up finishing with a .710 OPS and 11 home runs over 100 games. More health issues impacted Alvarez last year, as he played 76 games for the Mets and 34 more in the minors. He did mash a combined 24 long balls, however, and he went on the best run of his MLB career in the second half.

Over 139 plate appearances for the Mets after the All-Star break, Alvarez slugged .561 with eight home runs. He’s still just 24 and could be on the cusp of a big breakout.

Bryce Eldridge (1B – SF)

Bryce Eldridge did not really enjoy his September cup of coffee in the Majors. The first-round pick from 2023 got into 10 games over the final two weeks of the regular season, going just 3-for-28 with 13 strikeouts. He did smack a couple of doubles and walk seven times, but it was clear the Giants’ top prospect was overmatched.

Things have been far different for Eldridge in spring training. At the time of writing, he has posted a .967 OPS with five extra-base hits in 34 plate appearances this preseason. That comes after he turned in an .836 OPS with 18 deep drives across 66 games at the Triple-A level in 2025.

Whether he begins the upcoming season back in the minors or with the Giants, Eldridge is going to claim his spot in the starting lineup soon. Last September’s small sample should be taken with a grain of salt, but with his fantasy baseball ADP outside of the top 300, it seems many are indeed sleeping on him. Don’t make that mistake.

Evan Carter (OF – TEX)

Evan Carter debuted in September 2023. He then proceeded to hit .306 with five homers over his first 75 MLB plate appearances. The former second-round pick was even more impressive while helping the Rangers win the World Series, posting a .917 OPS with one round-tripper and nine doubles over 17 playoff games.

Understandably, the hype surrounding Carter going into his first full MLB campaign was off the charts. Two years later, though, he’s yet to meet the lofty expectations many set for him. Injuries have certainly slowed him down, but the production also hasn’t been there for the most part.

In 63 games for the Rangers last season, Carter posted a .728 OPS with five home runs across 220 plate appearances. On the other hand, Carter was excellent in centerfield, didn’t strike out too much (18.6%) and took advantage of his wheels with 14 stolen bases (16 attempts). Only 23, Carter has shown great plate discipline in his career to this point, with a 10.1% walk rate and 19.1% chase rate.

Cade Cavalli (SP – PHI)

Even though he only has 11 MLB starts on his resume, Cade Cavalli has already been announced as the Nationals’ Opening Day starter. That shows his club has high expectations. The fantasy community once did as well. Maybe it’s time to tune back in on the former first-round pick (2020).

After several years of health setbacks that significantly delayed his progression to the top level, Cavalli finally had his first real shot in the Majors last August and September. The 27-year-old righty made 10 starts over the course of those two months, working to a respectable 4.25 ERA across 48.2 innings. His 18.3% strikeout rate was nothing to get excited about, but a 54.8% groundball rate combined with an 87.7 miles per hour (MPH) average exit velocity is notable.

Cavalli sat right around 97 MPH with his four-seamer and sinker last season. A 4.4% barrel rate shows that his stuff can be quite difficult to square up, while a 3.93 xFIP suggests that some positive regression in the ERA column could be on the way. Cavalli’s command is also promising, as he recorded a 6.3% walk rate and a 61.2% first-pitch-strike rate. He may not ever become a fantasy ace, but Cavalli could be a nice, middle-tier option.

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