2026 Fantasy Baseball: Undervalued Breakout Players Who Could Win Your League

Winning in fantasy baseball requires investing in players who outperform their ADPs in all areas of the draft. The goal is to find as many edges as possible on draft day, and they come in a variety of ways - foundation piece, category builders, and winning back end at-bats or innings pitched.

Undervalued Breakout Players | Shawn Childs

These three players will get plenty of respect in drafts, but I expect them to be drafted even higher in the 2027 draft season.

1 - Nick Kurtz, Athletics (NFBC ADP - 20)

Sep 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) hits a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

There are a lot of moving parts in Kurtz's short trip to stardom. His minor league resume paints an elite batting average bat and some underlying speed. He will get better at the plate in the majors with more experience. Kurtz is a player to fight for in drafts. He brings foundation power while on a path to be a perennial 100/40/120/10 player with plenty of help in batting average. Let’s go with the new Todd Helton with much more power.

I have him hitting .283 this year with 112 runs, 42 home runs, 113 RBIs, and six steals. He is a foundation player that can be had in the second round of many drafts.

2 - Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins (NFBC ADP - 84)

Feb 21, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez (50) throws the ball back to the pitcher against the New York Mets during the second inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Ramirez ranked 89th for hitters in FPGscore (-0.67) in 2025. His approach (strikeout rate – 19.3% and walk rate – 6.2%) wasn’t that far off from his minor league career. I expect him to take more free passes this year, suggesting a push to the league average in batting average. Ramirez projects as a four-category asset, giving him potentially more fantasy value than Ben Rice, William Contreras, Shea Langeliers, and Hunter Goodman.

In the end, his value comes down to team structure, with an edge in at-bats for a catcher. Next step: .260/80/25/80/20, and that could be the low end of his range in multiple categories.

3 - Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins (NFBC ADP - 141)

Feb 23, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) bats during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Keaschall is being treated by a proven asset this draft season. The Twins gave him 148 of his 182 at-bats between third and fourth in the batting order in his rookie campaign. His metrics suggest he’ll underachieve expectations in power while bringing a leadoff profile. I’ll put him in the range of a 10/35 player, whose instincts on base paths are better than his speed. Intriguing player, but Keaschall must prove that he can stay healthy for a full season.

In my first run of my projections, I have Keachall batting leadoff for 132 games, leaidng to 89 runs, 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 43 steals with a favorable batting average (.290). I left plenty of wiggle room in his profile. He could underperform my outlook, but make up for it by playing more games.