Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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59.
Joe Ryan
SP
Joe Ryan took a clear step forward in 2025, pairing a career-high workload (171 IP) with a 28.2% strikeout rate and his best ERA+ (125), supported by strong underlying indicators like a .218 opponent AVG and elite command (5.7% BB%). His four-seam-heavy profile still carries home run risk, but improved batted-ball suppression and a near-5.0 K/BB ratio helped stabilize his ratios year over year. The 2026 projections continue to view Ryan as a reliable mid-rotation fantasy anchor with above-average strikeouts and solid WHIP, even if he doesn't quite reach ace-level ceilings. At age 30 with a stable role and skills trending positively, Ryan profiles as a dependable SP2 who's safer than his draft cost suggests.
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79.
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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123.
Luke Keaschall
2B
Luke Keaschall was highly productive in his 49-game debut in 2025, slashing .302/.382/.445 with a 135 Rbat+ and an elite 14% strikeout rate that underscores his advanced bat-to-ball skills. While his below-average 85.9 mph EV and modest 1.9% HR rate cap his power ceiling, his 26% line-drive rate and .340 BABIP support a high-contact, table-setting profile. He also went 14-for-17 on stolen base attempts (82.4% success rate), adding category juice that plays up in roto formats. With 2026 projections forecasting a significant increase in plate appearances and steady growth across the board, Keaschall profiles as a batting-average stabilizer with 20+ SB upside and emerging run-production value in deeper mixed leagues.
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189.
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. After a dominant 2023 breakout, his OPS and quality-of-contact metrics have trended downward for two straight seasons, largely tied to health interruptions and inconsistent timing at the plate. 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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280.
Josh Bell
1B,DH
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301.
Zebby Matthews
SP
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315.
Matt Wallner
RF
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323.
Bailey Ober
SP
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325.
Brooks Lee
2B,3B,SS
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348.
Ryan Jeffers
C,DH
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395.
Taylor Rogers
RP
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396.
Simeon Woods Richardson
SP
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409.
Trevor Larnach
RF,DH
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425.
Cole Sands
RP
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428.
Taj Bradley
SP
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446.
Victor Caratini
C,DH
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478.
Kody Clemens
1B,2B
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515.
Mick Abel
SP
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552.
Walker Jenkins
CF
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567.
Kody Funderburk
RP
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581.
Justin Topa
RP
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590.
Austin Martin
LF
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632.
David Festa
SP
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692.
Eric Wagaman
1B,LF
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709.
Emmanuel Rodriguez
CF
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726.
Connor Prielipp
SP
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758.
Kaelen Culpepper
SS
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832.
Andrew Chafin
RP
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833.
Anthony Banda
RP
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850.
Eric Orze
RP
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865.
James Outman
CF,RF
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870.
Kendry Rojas
SP
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887.
Andrew Morris
SP
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910.
Liam Hendriks
RP
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926.
Alan Roden
LF
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976.
Orlando Arcia
2B,3B,SS
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977.
John Klein
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1053.
Cody Laweryson
RP
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1149.
Christian MacLeod
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1169.
Marco Raya
SP,RP
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1217.
Gabriel Gonzalez
LF,RF,DH
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1242.
Alex Jackson
C
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1276.
Tristan Gray
2B,SS
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1350.
Travis Adams
RP
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1424.
Dan Altavilla
RP
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1479.
Gio Urshela
3B
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1544.
Ryan Kreidler
CF
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