2026 Fantasy Baseball: Stud or sleeper in the outfield, a strategy guide for how to draft each position

More than at any other hitter position, your approach to the outfield will depend on your format. Standard Head-to-Head lineups require only three. Standard Rotisserie lineups require five. Four would be the sweet spot that best accounts for the distribution of talent at the position, but alas, this isn't slow-pitch softball.

Let's tackle three first because it's easier. I don't just mean more straightforward but easier, like a piece of cake. As with catcher and shortstop, you can hardly mess it up when playing on the shallower end of the pool. I count about 40 outfielders that would be satisfactory starters in such a format, along with a few other pure upside plays, so if you just do the math -- 12 teams needing three outfielders each -- you're covered.

• Position Strategies: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP
• Position Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

Chances are you'll come out of the first round with one of your three outfield spots filled already, given that one-third of the players selected there are outfielders. I'd be reluctant to invest both of those picks in outfielders, but again, I'm speaking for three-outfielder leagues here.

In five-outfielder leagues, there isn't much harm in using your first two picks on outfielders, if that's the way the draft shakes out, because there will come a point when you're picking through the remains either way. What you don't want to do is wait so long to take your first outfielder that you end up on loose footing for all five outfield spots. You will spring a leak or two at this position, almost certainly, but if instead of one or two, it's four or five that you're attempting to plug off the waiver wire, your boat is going down. 

Ideally, you'd make a point to grab one of The Studs in a five-outfielder league and at least one, preferably two, of The Starters that follow.

The Studs

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Aaron Judge NYY RF	2	4.56	.331	53
Juan Soto NYM LF	4	4.13	.263	43
Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL RF	7	3.48	.290	21
Corbin Carroll ARI LF	9	3.86	.259	31
Julio Rodriguez SEA CF	11	3.40	.267	32
Kyle Tucker LAD RF	13	3.60	.266	22
Fernando Tatis Jr. SD RF	14	3.45	.268	25
Jackson Chourio MIL CF	22	3.26	.270	21
Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC CF	29	3.14	.247	31
James Wood WAS OF	32	2.97	.256	31
Wyatt Langford TEX OF	47	2.89	.241	22
Cody Bellinger NYY CF	59	3.34	.272	29
Byron Buxton MIN DH	73	3.74	.292	24
George Springer TOR RF	80	3.75	.309	32

When I say I'd like one of The Studs, particularly in a five-outfielder league, I'm not saying it has to be one of the first- or second-rounders. They're mostly bound by draft position, so if you happen to pick in the right spot, great. Take advantage. In fact, I'd be ahead of the consensus on Kyle Tucker, who I suspect is in for a career performance while batting amid the Dodgers' Hall of Fame trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. He's been a first-rounder in Fantasy since about the time he broke into the league, delivering high home run and stolen base totals and usually with a good batting average. He's gained a reputation for being injury-prone because of a stress fracture in his shin two years ago and a hairline fracture in his hand last year that he actually played through, but those aren't the sort of soft tissue injuries that I'd expect to recur. Meanwhile, his run and RBI production could reach new heights this year. 

I prefer Jose Ramirez to Juan Soto in 5x5 leagues, which means Soto checks in fifth rather than fourth for me in those formats (third in Head-to-Head points, where he's ahead of both Ramirez and Bobby Witt). That's mostly for position scarcity reasons, but I'm also skeptical Soto will come close to the 38 steals he had last year now that the instigator of his success, first base coach Antoan Richardson, has moved on to the Braves. That's a minor disagreement, though. The only one of the first- or second-rounders that I'd deliberately avoid at his going rate is Corbin Carroll, whose recently fractured hamate bone may sideline him into April and could theoretically hinder his production thereafter. His ADP since the injury is closer to 15th, but I have him 21st.

Still, I'm saying your first outfielder doesn't have to be one of the first- or second-rounders. It could be Cody Bellinger, whose point-per-game average really does make the case, particularly since nothing he did last year is beyond what he could sustain at Yankee Stadium. In fact, I made him my top outfielder in a recent 15-team Rotisserie mock draft and was happy with the way that team came out. I trust Bellinger more than Pete Crow-Armstrong and James Wood, both of whom have obvious flaws and cratered in the second half of what was otherwise a breakout season, but their upside earns them the edge on Draft Day. I'm just more focused on first base at the point where they normally go.

By ADP, Byron Buxton and George Springer don't belong with this group. By 2025, performance, they most certainly do. I'm not sure what to make of them exactly. The downside risk is clear -- Buxton with his extensive injury history and Springer with his sudden about-face after years of decline -- but I'm leaning toward seeing the glass half full. The cost is reasonable, and a few of the outfielders who follow are even capable of achieving the numbers they just did. To the degree I can help it, though, I'd want someone more reliable in my top outfield spot.

The Starters, high floor

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Brent Rooker ATH DH	41	2.99	.262	30
Riley Greene DET CF	57	2.83	.258	36
Jarren Duran BOS CF	60	3.02	.257	16
Randy Arozarena SEA LF	75	3.02	.238	27
Seiya Suzuki CHC RF	84	2.97	.245	32
Jose Altuve HOU 2B	97	2.81	.265	26
Teoscar Hernandez LAD RF	112	2.66	.247	25
Brandon Nimmo TEX CF	127	2.84	.262	25
Taylor Ward BAL LF	128	2.94	.228	36
Ian Happ CHC LF	148	2.85	.242	23
Steven Kwan CLE LF	153	2.80	.272	11
Jurickson Profar ATL LF	166	3.46	.245	14
Sal Frelick MIL RF	215	2.81	.288	12

Outfield being as deep as it is, I've had to split The Starters into two groups: Those who stand out most for their floor and those who stand out most for their ceiling. Don't be misled into believing these high-floor outfielders are lacking in ceiling, though. We know Brent Rooker and Jarren Duran are capable of more, for instance, because we saw it in 2024. The point is simply that you can feel more secure in what this group of Starters is going to provide than the next one.

I'm almost certain to grab an outfielder from this group, and I may even take two. That's all more likely in Head-to-Head points leagues, where some of the lower-priced options in particular stand out. Brandon Nimmo, Ian Happ, Steven Kwan, Jurickson Profar, and Sal Frelick add so much just through good plate discipline (you see it in the point-per-game averages) that it's worth going the extra round in that format to fill your third and final outfield spot with one of them. I actually think Nimmo and Happ are two of the most underrated players, regardless of format. Their run and RBI production flies under the radar but is consistently strong.

Do Kwan and Frelick really belong in this group in Rotisserie, given their modest home run and stolen base production? It's debatable. Kwan seems a lot more valuable when he's hitting .292, like two years ago, than .272, like last year, and I imagine Frelick will be the same way. If either winds up as your No. 2 outfielder in such a format, you'll be wishing you had sprung for a Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki.

The Starters, high ceiling

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Roman Anthony BOS OF	48	2.94	.292	8
Jackson Merrill SD SS	64	2.70	.264	16
Tyler Soderstrom ATH C	83	2.77	.276	25
Oneil Cruz PIT SS	87	2.62	.200	20
Michael Harris ATL CF	98	2.38	.249	20
Kyle Stowers MIA RF	110	3.00	.288	25
Jo Adell LAA RF	121	2.58	.236	37
Luis Robert NYM CF	125	2.62	.223	14
Jakob Marsee MIA OF	129	3.33	.292	5
Lawrence Butler ATH CF	132	2.52	.234	21
Andy Pages LAD CF	135	2.68	.272	27
Mike Trout LAA CF	165	2.65	.233	26
Daulton Varsho TOR LF	202	3.06	.238	20

Lesser, but potentially viable, options: Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS; Alec Burleson, STL; Heliot Ramos, SF; TJ Friedl, CIN; Cedric Mullins, TB

The Starters in this subgroup stand out more for their ceiling, but some have a pretty nice floor as well. I suspect that Tyler Soderstrom, for instance, performed closer to his floor than his ceiling in 2025, even though most would call it his breakout season. Meanwhile, Michael Harris still went 20/20 in what was likely a worst-case for him, and Roman Anthony's high exit velocities and on-base ability will make him darn near must-start even if he doesn't optimize his swing for power. If it wasn't clear from the ADP, Anthony has the most admirers of anyone in this group -- understandably, given that he was a No. 1 overall prospect who made a strong first impression -- but because of those pesky launch-angle issues that also plagued him in the minors, he had a 162-game pace of just 18 homers. I would expect a step forward in his first full year, but I'm not sure the ADP accounts enough for what could be an underwhelming combined home run and stolen base total.

To be fair, though, I'm not head-over-heels for most anyone in this group. Jackson Merrill is being given the benefit of the doubt for an injury-plagued sophomore season, but as you can read in my Busts 1.0, his track record is so slim that I don't have a strong read on what exactly we're getting. Oneil Cruz just batted .200 and seems no closer to figuring out his issues at age 27. I like Kyle Stowers, but his breakthrough was interrupted by a strained oblique, which makes it less than definitive. Jo Adell seemed to earn everything he got, and then some, during a breakout 2025, but his long history of futility gives me pause. Luis Robert is coming off a gnarly past couple seasons. Jakob Marsee is another bust pick of mine. Lawrence Butler disappointed so badly last season that he wasn't even playing against lefties by the end. Andy Pages' exit velocity readings don't back up his production, and the Dodgers ended up benching him in the playoffs. Mike Trout finally managed to stay healthy last season, but his strikeout rate jumped by such an enormous degree (landing at 32 percent) that I wouldn't necessarily describe him as a plus hitter anymore, even if he clears the all-too-frequent injury hurdle.

I'm not saying I wouldn't draft them if my need in the outfield was great enough, but I'm not eager to at cost, and wouldn't do so with confidence. You'll notice one name I skipped over, though. Yes, Dauton Varsho is among my favorite breakout picks for 2026. He saw his exit velocities jump by more than 3 mph last year, had a 162-game pace of 46 home runs, and started every single game of the Blue Jays' lengthy postseason run, putting to rest any concerns of a platoon. I'm not saying he's an open-and-shut case, but I am saying the upside is considerable relative to the cost.

The DH-onlys

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 HR
Shohei Ohtani LAD DH	1	4.31	.281	55
Kyle Schwarber PHI LF	20	3.84	.240	56
Yordan Alvarez HOU DH	31	2.66	.273	6
Christian Yelich MIL LF	95	3.08	.264	29
Ivan Herrera STL C	155	3.08	.283	19
Marcell Ozuna PIT DH	302	2.41	.232	21
Bryce Eldridge SF 1B	331	1.15	.260*	25*
Moises Ballesteros CHC C	347	2.65	.316*	13*

*minor-league stats

There's never a convenient place to stick the DH-onlys, who don't number enough to merit their own strategy guide but shouldn't be ignored either. I've double-represented some of them this year, listing Bryce Eldridge at first base and Ivan Herrera and Moises Ballesteros at catcher since I suspect they'll regain eligibility there. Among the others, there isn't much to say about Shohei Ohtani except that I'd prefer Aaron Judge to him outside of daily leagues, where you could take advantage of Ohtani's pitching without losing much in the way of hitting. Some might balk at Kyle Schwarber's price tag because it's never been so high, but now that he's more reliably a .240 hitter, his monstrous production in three categories is well worth the cost. Conversely, Yordan Alvarez's price tag has never been so low, but his health concerns probably aren't going away. I have mixed feelings about taking him where I'm normally looking to grab my first baseman, particularly since doing so preempts me from drafting Christian Yelich and Herrera, whose price tags are even harder for me to resist.

The Sleepers

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 OPS
Noelvi Marte CIN 3B	141	2.68	.263	.748
Chandler Simpson TB CF	154	2.72	.295	.671
Bryan Reynolds PIT LF	179	2.33	.245	.720
Brenton Doyle COL CF	183	2.17	.235	.655
Addison Barger TOR SS	187	2.44	.243	.756
Dylan Crews WAS OF	189	2.27	.208	.631
Giancarlo Stanton NYY DH	210	3.01	.273	.944
Daylen Lile WAS OF	223	2.85	.299	.845
Jac Caglianone KC 1B	224	1.57	.337*	1.025*
Ramon Laureano SD RF	228	2.78	.281	.855
Trent Grisham NYY CF	229	2.88	.235	.811
Wilyer Abreu BOS CF	233	2.57	.247	.786
Adolis Garcia PHI RF	234	2.37	.227	.665
Kerry Carpenter DET RF	237	2.43	.252	.788
Jasson Dominguez NYY CF	238	2.28	.257	.720
Colton Cowser BAL RF	244	2.16	.196	.655

*minor-league stats

I call these "sleepers," but it's less an expression of my own personal enthusiasm for them than a recognition that we don't really know what they'll do in 2026. Maybe "dice throws" would be a more appropriate term, and the same goes for the "sleepers" in all of my other position strategies articles.

I do have a couple favorites, though, with Bryan Reynolds being one. We're used to drafting him about 100 picks earlier, and I don't think his disappointing season should have damaged his stock so much. The strikeout rate crept up a little, but he impacted the ball the same as usual and made some mechanical tweaks in the second half that seemed to put him back on proper footing. Ramon Laureano is also a prime target of mine. Would you believe he has the 19th-best wRC+ since joining the Braves midway through 2024 (playing a total of 199 games during that time), which places him ahead of Freddie Freeman, Fernando Tatis, Rafael Devers, and Julio Rodriguez, to name a few. It's to his credit that he's sustained that level of production for three different teams.

Jac Caglianone was basically useless after getting the call in June, but strikeouts weren't really the issue. For as well as he impacts the ball, the breakthrough should come in short order. Daylen Lile was unknown to me, and most everyone else until the Nationals began giving him at-bats in the middle of last season, and it culminated with a ridiculous September in which he hit  .391 with six homers and seven triples. His exit velocities are suspect, and he hasn't learned to optimize his speed yet, but there's enough here for me to speculate on him as my fourth outfielder.

The Deep Sleepers

	2026 ADP	2025 PPG	2025 BA	2025 OPS
Chase DeLauter CLE OF	277	-----	.264*	.852*
Mickey Moniak COL CF	287	2.51	.270	.824
Jordan Beck COL OF	293	2.22	.258	.732
Joshua Lowe LAA RF	308	2.36	.220	.650
Justin Crawford PHI CF	320	-----	.334*	.863*
Carson Benge NYM RF	337	-----	.281*	.857*
Evan Carter TEX LF	339	2.60	.247	.728
Dylan Beavers BAL OF	341	2.40	.304*	.934*
Dominic Canzone SEA LF	363	2.17	.300	.840
Owen Caissie MIA OF	376	1.04	.286*	.937*
Isaac Collins KC LF	393	2.34	.263	.779
Victor Robles SEA CF	402	2.79†	.307†	.814†
Zach Cole HOU OF	478	3.13	.255	.880

*minor-league stats
†2024 stats

The headliners here are the prospects (surprise, surprise), with three in particular piquing my interest: Carson Benge, Justin Crawford, and Owen Caissie, in that order. All three have the inside track on a starting job for their respective teams, and all three have the potential to be Fantasy gold. Benge is the best all-around threat, standing out most for his hit tool and on-base skills while also contributing power and speed. An outcome between Christian Yelich and Kyle Tucker is plausible. Crawford has the most specialized skill set, excelling in batting average and stolen bases (much like his dad and former Fantasy first-rounder, Carl Crawford). It's a profile that doesn't click as often in the modern game, but Crawford is perfectly molded for it and has little competition for his role with the Phillies. Finally, Caissie, who the Marlins acquired from the Cubs in the Edward Cabrera trade, is a three-true-outcomes guy who grew into his power potential last year and is overdue for this opportunity.

I don't know if their cost will remain so low as spring training starts up and their trajectories become clearer, but at the cost of a late-round pick, the downside isn't even worth expressing. What gives me some hope that they'll remain legitimate sleeper picks is that Chase DeLauter and Dylan Beavers, two prospects who happened to get some major league action last year, seem all the more likely to claim a roster spot, and yet their cost is restrained as well. I like them, too, just not as much as those other three.

Mickey Moniak and Dominic Canzone made a strong enough impression in part-time duty last year -- Canzone especially with his premium exit velocities -- that I'd be happy to take a late-round flier on either of them, but seeing as they're in their late 20s and still haven't broken free of a platoon role yet, I'm doubtful they ever will. 

The Base-Stealers

Here's where I'd normally provide a wealth of information about all the viable base-stealers at the position in question, but there are so many in the outfield that I have to limit that information to how many bases each of them stole last year. It may not fully express the potential for everybody, particularly those who stole only a handful because of time missed, but it'll give you a close enough approximation. If nothing else, I would say that 20 steals isn't out of reach for any of these players.

*minor-league stats 
†2024 stats