Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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5.
Ronald Acuna Jr.
RF
Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 2025 was uneven as he worked his way back from knee surgery, flashing his MVP-level ceiling early before fading in the second half. Looking ahead to 2026, fantasy projections still view him as a first-round caliber talent, forecasting roughly 135-145 games with elite across-the-board production in the neighborhood of 30 homers, 90 runs, 90 RBI, and 20-plus steals. Durability remains the clear risk. He has topped 150 games only twice outside of the shortened 2020 season, but the per-game impact is still unmatched when he's on the field. If Acuna slips even slightly in drafts due to health concerns, he's a strong pick under the "anyone can get hurt" philosophy. However, managers who prefer safer volume can justify pivoting to another elite bat.
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38.
Matt Olson
1B
Matt Olson's 2025 results fell short of his peak power standards, but remained consistent in other areas. For the fourth year in a row, the 32-year-old played in all 162 games and flirted with another 30/100/100 season. His 2026 projections still forecast elite home run totals and strong RBI production, supported by consistent barrel rates and everyday cleanup duties in Atlanta. Olson's 2025 batting average (.272) was buoyed by a .333 BABIP, so expect regression to around the .250 mark this year. His power floor is among the safest at the position. Olson profiles as a reliable early-round source of HR and RBI, particularly valuable in formats that de-emphasize average.
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39.
Chris Sale
SP
Chris Sale was absolutely cruising along in 2025, looking like a Cy Young candidate, before a fractured rib injury put him on the shelf from mid-June until the end of August. In 125 2/3 innings, he had a 2.58 ERA with 165 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP. His 32.4% strikeout rate and 5.16 K/BB rate remained elite, even in his age-36 season. It can be hard to trust power pitchers into their late 30s, but his return in August showed no lingering effects of the rib injury or indicated a pitcher on the decline. Sale is worthy of SP1 consideration, and fantasy managers can reasonably expect him to throw around 160+ innings at age 37.
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50.
Austin Riley
3B
If you're looking for candidates for Comeback Player of the Year, Austin Riley should probably be on it. Riley's age-28 season was cut short by an abdominal injury that cost him almost one-third of the season, sapped his power, and caused his strikeout rate to jump to 28.6%. It was his second injury-shortened year in a row, but the underlying metrics suggest the bounceback is coming. Riley still had an elite 15.2% barrel rate and 50.2% HardHit rate, and his xSLG was 30 points higher than actual. Assuming he is able to return to the player he was from 2021-2023, expect another 30 home runs and 90 runs/RBIs. He should be the fourth third baseman off the board, and you can get him much later than the other three, making him a borderline early-round sleeper candidate.
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86.
Michael Harris II
CF
Michael Harris took another step back in 2025, slashing .249/.268/.409 with a career-worst 88 OPS+ despite playing 160 games. His plate discipline eroded further, as his walk rate cratered to 2.5% while his .281 BABIP and .295 rOBA both trended well below his rookie peak. The underlying quality of contact also dipped (43.6% HardHit, 89.4 mph EV), and his once-impactful baserunning regressed, leading to a sharp decline in overall offensive value. While the 2026 projections still forecast a return to 20/20 production, Harris is best viewed as a fantasy faller entering his age-25 season unless he meaningfully rebounds in approach and on-base skills.
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112.
Drake Baldwin
C,DH
Drake Baldwin broke out in 2025, finishing with a .274/.341/.469 slash line, 19 home runs and an .810 OPS (126 OPS+) across 446 plate appearances, good for 3.3 WAR and a runner-up Rookie of the Year finish. Baldwin is a clear riser at a thin catcher position. Catchers who combine above-average power (4.3% HR rate, .195 ISO) with strong contact skills are rare, and his everyday role in Atlanta further boosts counting-stat reliability. If the 2026 projections maintain anything close to his rookie rate production over a fuller workload, Baldwin profiles as a top-tier fantasy catcher with a stable floor and legitimate 20-25 home run upside.
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128.
Ozzie Albies
2B
Ozzie Albies took a clear step back in 2025, slashing .240/.306/.365 with 16 homers. His ISO cratered to .124 (down from .233 in 2023), with a dip in average exit velocity (87.5 mph) and hard-hit rate (30.7%) driving the power regression. While he rebounded to 157 games and chipped in 14 steals, his declining run production reflected a more contact-oriented, lower-impact profile. The 2026 projections forecast a modest power rebound with improved run totals, but not a full return to peak production. Albies now profiles as a lower-end top-10 second baseman who can still be helpful in the right roster build.
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134.
Raisel Iglesias
RP
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139.
Spencer Strider
SP
Spencer Strider's 2025 was a clear step back from his 2022-23 dominance, with sharp declines in strikeout rate (24.3% from elite 36%+ levels), rising hard-hit rate (42.6%), and a career-worst 4.45 ERA that mirrored weaker underlying command. While velocity and bat-missing ability weren't lost entirely, his reduced K/BB profile and elevated damage on contact capped his fantasy ceiling. The 2026 projections still view Strider as a high-strikeout arm, but no longer in a tier of his own, reflecting durability concerns and a thinner margin for error. A partial rebound in strikeouts could still make him a strong SP2 rather than the automatic ace he once was.
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272.
Robert Suarez
RP
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320.
Reynaldo Lopez
SP
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339.
Grant Holmes
SP
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378.
Mike Yastrzemski
LF,CF,RF
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418.
Spencer Schwellenbach
SP
Spencer Schwellenbach quietly took another step forward in 2025, pairing a 3.09 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with elite control (4.1% BB%) and strong contact suppression (.217 BAA, .618 OPS against). His batted-ball profile improved year over year, featuring a higher ground-ball rate (47.1%) and a sub-3% HR rate, helping him outperform league averages despite only modest strikeout totals. He missed time with an elbow fracture, and he will start the season on the 60-day IL with elbow inflammation. He is a risky draft pick who could pay off if the injuries don't derail his entire season, but I wouldn't count on it.
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432.
Didier Fuentes
SP
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471.
Hurston Waldrep
SP
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490.
Ha-Seong Kim
2B,SS
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500.
JR Ritchie
SP
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530.
Dylan Lee
RP
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531.
Sean Murphy
C
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549.
Mauricio Dubon
2B,3B,SS,LF,CF
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562.
Bryce Elder
SP
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579.
Jonah Heim
C,DH
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602.
Aaron Bummer
RP
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631.
Tyler Kinley
RP
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740.
Joel Payamps
RP
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752.
Jose Suarez
RP
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770.
Hayden Harris
RP
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789.
Jorge Mateo
2B,SS,CF
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837.
Ian Hamilton
RP
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853.
Dominic Smith
1B,DH
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908.
Joe Jimenez
RP
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911.
Dylan Dodd
RP
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935.
Eli White
LF,CF,RF
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964.
Rowdy Tellez
1B
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1003.
Hunter Stratton
RP
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1030.
Daysbel Hernandez
RP
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1078.
Lucas Braun
SP
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1080.
Danny Young
RP
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1084.
Jhancarlos Lara
SP,RP
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1102.
James Karinchak
RP
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1125.
AJ Smith-Shawver
SP
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1132.
Osvaldo Bido
SP,RP
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1133.
Nacho Alvarez Jr.
3B
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1281.
Rolddy Munoz
RP
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1326.
Martin Perez
SP
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1343.
Anthony Molina
RP
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1347.
Victor Mederos
SP,RP
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1416.
Chadwick Tromp
C
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1448.
Sandy Leon
C
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1469.
Kyle Farmer
1B,2B,3B,SS,DH
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1505.
Ben Gamel
LF,RF
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1524.
DaShawn Keirsey
LF,CF,RF
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1536.
Brett Wisely
2B
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1555.
Luke Williams
2B,SS
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1561.
Jose Azocar
LF,CF,RF
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1583.
Aaron Schunk
2B,3B,SS
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1604.
Tristin English
1B,3B,RF
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