Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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49.
Byron Buxton
CF
Byron Buxton appeared in 126 games in 2025 — his highest total since logging 140 contests in 2017 — and delivered one of the best seasons of his career. He earned an All-Star selection, picked up MVP consideration and took home a Silver Slugger after posting career highs with 35 home runs, 83 RBI and 97 runs scored. Buxton also swiped 24 bases without being caught and ranked fourth in the American League with a .878 OPS. The underlying metrics back it up, too, as he produced a 53.8% hard-hit rate and a 17.6% barrel rate. Even in a relative best-case scenario, he still missed nearly a quarter of the season due to various injuries. Buxton will be 32 on Opening Day in 2026, and his track record suggests IL stints are more expectation than exception. While any player can get hurt, some carry more baked-in risk than others. If he comes close to repeating his 2025 output, he has league-winning upside — just be careful about drafting him as if that outcome is the baseline.
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76.
Luke Keaschall
2B
Luke Keaschall was highly productive in his 49-game debut in 2025, slashing .302/.382/.445 with an elite 14% strikeout rate that underscores his advanced bat-to-ball skills. He also went 14-for-17 on stolen base attempts (82.4% success rate), adding category juice that plays up in roto formats. Keaschall profiles as a batting-average stabilizer with 20+ SB upside and emerging run-production value in deeper mixed leagues.
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117.
Royce Lewis
3B
Royce Lewis's elite upside remains undeniable, but his 2025 season underscored the growing gap between talent and fantasy reliability, as he posted a .237/.283/.388 line with diminished power and run production over 106 games. While his athleticism still shows up with occasional steals and defensive flexibility, the overall offensive profile has slipped closer to below league average. FantasyPros 2026 projections remain cautiously optimistic, but until Lewis can stay on the field and sustain his early-career power, he profiles as a high-variance pick whose draft cost may outweigh the floor in standard formats.
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177.
Matt Wallner
RF
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181.
Josh Bell
1B,DH
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190.
Brooks Lee
2B,3B,SS
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197.
Ryan Jeffers
C,DH
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238.
Trevor Larnach
RF,DH
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255.
Victor Caratini
C,DH
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265.
Kody Clemens
1B,2B
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345.
Austin Martin
LF
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346.
Walker Jenkins
CF
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368.
Emmanuel Rodriguez
CF
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386.
James Outman
CF,RF
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427.
Eric Wagaman
1B,LF
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435.
Alan Roden
LF
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441.
Kaelen Culpepper
SS
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464.
Orlando Arcia
2B,3B,SS
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504.
Alex Jackson
C
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592.
Tristan Gray
2B,SS
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597.
Gabriel Gonzalez
LF,RF,DH
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621.
Ryan Kreidler
CF
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