2026 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Deep Outfield Breakouts Featuring Evan Carter

Evan Carter and Jordan Walker headline the best deep breakout outfielders for 2026 fantasy baseball, offering 20/20 upside at a bargain NFBC draft cost.

Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter (32) in the dugout after scoring a run in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Late-round outfield is where fantasy baseball championships are often won, and 2026 drafts are loaded with post-hype talents ready to explode. Evan Carter and Jordan Walker both come at a steep discount in NFBC ADP but possess the underlying skills and opportunity to deliver massive profit if things finally click.

OF63 – Evan Carter, Texas Rangers (NFBC ADP – 318)

Carter comes off two consecutive injury seasons for the Rangers. He battled back stiffness in mid-May 2024 (117 missed games), which required a cortisone shot and no surgery, but he didn’t play in any games after May 26th.

Last season, the Rangers started him off at AAA (17-for-77 with 17 runs, three home runs, nine RBIs, and six steals). His bat was quiet over 12 games in Texas (.182/5/1/3/3 over 33 at-bats), followed by two weeks on the injured list with a quad injury. Carter hit .297 over his next 101 at-bats with 19 runs, three home runs, 15 RBIs, and nine steals while showing a favorable approach (strikeout rate – 19.3% and walk rate – 9.6%).

His back flared up again in early August, leading to another trip to the injured list. The Rangers lost him for the year on August 21st due to a fractured right wrist after getting hit by a pitch. Carter went 4-for-34 over his final 13 games with three runs and three RBIs.

His exit velocity (86.7), hard-hit rate (34.6%), and barrel rate (5.9%) don’t paint an impactful picture so far in his major league career. He has 19 career barrels in the majors with 15 home runs.

Evan Carter 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Based on the Rangers’ roster in mid-February, Carter looks poised to bat leadoff this season despite only having 23 career at-bats in the first and second spots in Texas’s batting order. He has struggled so far against lefties (.083/8/0/3 over 60 at-bats) while striking out 30.9% of the time, suggesting a potential platoon role. Carter has gone homerless over his last 178 at-bats vs. left-handed pitching.

If health concerned was removed from his outlook, Carter has the talent to be a 20/30 player with a chance to score over 100 runs and drive in 70 RBIs. His batting average should also be an asset. His lower price point takes out much of the investment cost and injury risk. There are many hurdles to clear, but he has the talent to difference-maker this year if Carter stays upright for 500 at-bats.

OF72 – Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals (NFBC ADP – 341)

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) runs sprints during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Three seasons into his career with the Cardinals, Walker has underachieved expectations by a wide margin. He came into majors with a winning AA resume (.295/105/21/72/23 over 499 at-bats), where his approach (strikeout rate – 22.1% and walk rate – 10.9%) was slightly better than the league average. His bat backed up at AAA (.257/53/13/58/8 over 471 at-bats).

Walker has 947 at-bats of experience with St. Louis, leading to a .240 batting average with 107 runs, 27 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 18 steals. His stats, prorated to 550 at-bats, came to 62 runs, 16 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 10 steals. His strikeout rate regressed each year in the majors (22.4%, 28.1%, and 31.8%) while having a below-par walk rate (7.3%).

His average hit rate (1.423) moved to a much weaker level last season. Walker pushed his exit velocity (92.3) and hard-hit rate (50.0%) to a much better area. His quest for more loft led to more flyballs over the past two seasons (42.2% and 38.2%), but weakness in his line drive rate (6.9% and 13.9%). Walker comes off a three-year low with his HR/FB rate (6.6% - 10.7% in his career.

Jordan Walker 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Over the winter, Walker went to Driveline to work on regaining his approach. With more line drives, his batting average should improve to a neutral floor at a minimum. His stats in the majors aren’t far off the league average for a fantasy player, especially with a better approach.

Based on his talent and work over the winter, Walker looks poised to have a breakout season. I expect him to move to third in the Cardinals’ batting order, putting him on a path for a .270/80/20/80/15 season.

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Carter brings elite speed, on-base ability, and leadoff run-scoring upside if he can finally stay healthy, while Walker’s offseason swing adjustments and power metrics point toward a long-awaited surge. At their current draft prices, you’re paying for the floor and getting legitimate difference-making ceilings that can swing fantasy leagues in 2026.