Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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6.
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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34.
Matt Olson
1B
Matt Olson's 2025 results fell short of his peak power standards, but remained consistent year over year. 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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37.
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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52.
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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89.
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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107.
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. He's a fantasy faller priced below his peak, though a partial rebound in strikeouts could still make him a strong SP2 rather than the automatic ace he once was.
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113.
Drake Baldwin
C
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. His underlying profile supports the production: a .358 rOBA (130 Rbat+), 91.7 mph average exit velocity and 49.6% hard-hit rate all comfortably cleared league norms, while his 15.2% strikeout rate was elite for a power-hitting catcher. Baldwin's balanced batted-ball distribution (23.1% LD, 48.7% GB, 24.9% FB) and strong situational metrics (26.68 RE24) point to a polished, sustainable offensive skill set rather than a fluky debut. For fantasy purposes, 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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120.
Ozzie Albies
2B
Ozzie Albies took a clear step back in 2025, slashing .240/.306/.365 with 16 homers after posting a 33-HR, .849 OPS campaign as recently as 2023. 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 92 Rbat+ and 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 fantasy faller relative to his prime, settling in as a lower-end top-10 second baseman rather than a difference-making middle infield anchor.
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148.
Raisel Iglesias
RP
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280.
Robert Suarez
RP
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319.
Reynaldo Lopez
SP
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340.
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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357.
Hurston Waldrep
SP
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371.
Ha-Seong Kim
2B,SS
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385.
Grant Holmes
SP
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420.
Mike Yastrzemski
LF,CF,RF
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468.
Dylan Lee
RP
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494.
Sean Murphy
C
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510.
Mauricio Dubon
2B,3B,SS,LF,CF
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534.
Jonah Heim
C
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572.
Aaron Bummer
RP
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588.
JR Ritchie
SP
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595.
Tyler Kinley
RP
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630.
Bryce Elder
SP
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721.
Joel Payamps
RP
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739.
Ian Hamilton
RP
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809.
Jorge Mateo
2B,SS,CF
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835.
Dylan Dodd
RP
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839.
Joey Wentz
SP,RP
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842.
Joe Jimenez
RP
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845.
Hayden Harris
RP
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961.
Hunter Stratton
RP
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966.
Danny Young
RP
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978.
Daysbel Hernandez
RP
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987.
Jose Suarez
RP
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997.
Jhancarlos Lara
SP,RP
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1024.
AJ Smith-Shawver
SP
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1055.
James Karinchak
RP
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1168.
Martin Perez
SP
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1179.
Didier Fuentes
SP
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1230.
Tayler Scott
RP
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1236.
Rolddy Munoz
RP
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1275.
Anthony Molina
RP
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1342.
Kyle Farmer
1B,2B,3B,SS
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1374.
Chadwick Tromp
C
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1383.
Eli White
LF,CF,RF
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1387.
Brett Wisely
2B
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1400.
Sandy Leon
C
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1413.
Dominic Smith
1B
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1414.
Luke Williams
2B,SS
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1427.
Aaron Schunk
2B,3B,SS
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1457.
Nacho Alvarez Jr.
3B
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1505.
DaShawn Keirsey
LF,CF,RF
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1533.
Jose Azocar
LF,CF,RF
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1556.
Tristin English
1B,3B,RF
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