Corey Pieper | Fri, Mar 13th 2026, 7:32am EDT

5 Mid-Round Hitters to Target (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

The mid-rounds of fantasy baseball drafts are like the middle child in a family, often overlooked and neglected compared to their siblings.

The first 10 rounds of fantasy baseball drafts are like the oldest child in a family. The players drafted in the early rounds get a lot of attention in fantasy baseball draft coverage. Makes sense as they are the leaders of your team and the ones that get blamed when something doesn’t go according to plan.

Mid-Round Hitters to Target in Fantasy Baseball Drafts

The last few rounds of fantasy baseball drafts would be the equivalent of the youngest child. You already have an established base of talent from your earlier picks, so you can take some chances on upside picks late. Youngest children tend to be risk-takers, too.

That leaves the mid-rounds to be the middle child. Middle children often feel overlooked because they are neither the youngest nor the oldest. It’s easy to overlook middle-round fantasy baseball players, too. That’s a mistake, though, as they are the players who give you a steady floor with a bit of upside for more. Hitting on some mid-round selections is imperative to winning fantasy baseball titles.

Dansby Swanson (SS – CHC)

While Dansby Swanson’s batting average is a bit low, the counting statistics are remarkably consistent. Swanson has only batted over .250 once in the past five years, but has batted over .240 in each of those seasons. While he doesn’t necessarily help you in batting average, his .240 range isn’t overly damaging either.

What he has helped you with is home runs from the shortstop position, having hit at least 22 in four of the past five seasons. While last year was his first season hitting the notable 20/20 mark of home runs and stolen bases, he has stolen at least nine bases in his last seven seasons, excluding the COVID-19-shortened season. Don’t underestimate the reliability of his contributions.

Willson Contreras (1B – BOS)

Willson Contreras is going to play his first season in the American League. Let’s start with Contreras’s updated position eligibility. For the first time in his career, he won’t have catcher eligibility and will be limited to first base.

Don’t let that discourage you from drafting him. After playing his entire career in average or even challenging home hitting environments, Contreras will be playing half his games in a plus-hitting environment. Don’t be surprised if he can deliver new career-best marks in the power stats in 2026.

Bryan Reynolds (OF – PIT)

An uncharacteristic stat line has significantly reduced the price tag we have to pay at the draft table for Bryan Reynolds. Last season saw Reynolds post his lowest marks in runs (68), home runs (16), stolen bases (three) and batting average (.245) in his career in a normal-length season.

It was a big surprise for a player who had been as reliable as could be the previous four seasons. Oddly, he hit the ball harder than ever with a 91.2 miles per hour (MPH) average exit velocity. The issue was that he wasn’t elevating the ball at his usual rate with a launch angle of seven degrees. A slight correction to the mean, and he could go right back to the player we’ve come to expect.

Kazuma Okamoto (1B, 3B – TOR)

While technically a rookie, Kazuma Okamoto has a history of production in Japan. Even though Okamoto is only 29 years old, he has been a professional baseball player in Japan for eight seasons. He hit over 30 home runs in six of those seasons.

It’s somewhat notable that the last two seasons are the two seasons he missed 30 home runs, but last season was cut short by an elbow injury. Playing in North America can be a challenge for Asian players, but he has shown exit velocities in spring training that indicate the power will translate.

Daylen Lile (OF – WSH)

Unlike the other names on this list, Daylen Lile doesn’t have an extensive track record. He finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season despite playing only 91 games. In those games, he showed the five-category upside that fantasy managers are looking for.

Lile finished with 51 runs, nine home runs, 41 RBI and a .299 batting average. While 91 games is still a relatively small sample size, his underlying data largely support his production, including a .302 expected batting average, which was the highest of any qualified batter.

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