2026 Fantasy on SI Fantasy Baseball Cheat Sheet, Projections, ADPs, and More

Over the past two months, I've researched and documented over 375 players for the upcoming 2026 fantasy baseball season. The first cut of my projections is done (second update this weekend). I added overall and position sorts to my Cheat Sheet (Google Doc), along with showing all player values from last year via FPGscores.

2026 Top 15 Catchers and First Baseball (early ADPs) | Shawn Childs

Here's an image of the color codes for all players:

2026 Player Highlight Codes | Shawn Childs

Note: The ADPs I used were from the National Fantasy Baseball Championship. Over the past two months, they have changed a lot. Due to my writing order, I did not adjust their ADPs in that section of my cheat sheet. I will update them a couple of times in my projection cheat sheet (different tab), were the players are ranked by ADPs while also having a visual of their FPGscores.

Breakout Players

C Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins

Fantasy Outlook: Ramirez ranked 89th for hitters in FPGscore (-0.67). 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 walks 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. Next step: .260/80/25/80/20, and that could be the low end of his range in multiple categories.

1B Nick Kurtz, Athletics

Fantasy Outlook: 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.

Studs

C Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

Fantasy Outlook: As is the nature of fantasy baseball, a career-best season leads to much more interest in drafts. Raleigh was the fourth-most valuable hitter by FPGscore (10.2), giving him an ADP of 20 in the early draft season in the high-stakes market. A drafter can trust his power, his middle of the batting order opportunity, and plenty of at-bats. His batting average is real, and he is getting better. Let’s go .235 with 90 runs, 40 home runs, and 100 RBIs, with an unknown destination in steals.

1B Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles

Fantasy Outlook: The Baltimore Orioles signed Alonso for $155 million for five seasons in early December. Baltimore has developing offensive talent at second base (Jackson Holliday) and shortstop (Gunnar Henderson), giving the Orioles two players who should get on base at least 425 times this year. I expect a pullback in RBI chances for Alonso unless Adley Rutschman regains his 2023 form at the plate.

Last season, Baltimore ranked 24th in runs scored (677). Alonso will certainly upgrade the Orioles’ offense, but I sense a regression in batting average and RBIs. I’ll set the bar at .250 with 90 runs, 35 home runs, and 100 RBIs. I prefer him as a third player in my team builds, which means Alonso is overpriced for me in the 2026 draft season.

1B Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves

Fantasy Outlook: Olson has one of the better RBI opportunities in baseball. The Braves have the nucleus to be a top offensive team in 2026 if their star players stay healthy. I see value in multiple Braves bats this year. Olson hasn’t missed a game in four seasons while offering the skill set to deliver a 100/35/100 floor. His batting average should fall in a neutral to slightly positive range. I don’t believe he’s a player I want to finesse in drafts.

Upside Based on Their ADPs

C Ben Rice, New York Yankees

Fantasy Outlook: Rice has a clear path to starting at-bats at first base for New York in early January, but that could change if the Yankees sign another bat over the next two months. His upside potential is real, suggesting a neutral floor in batting average with some underlying steals on his minor league stat sheet. With 550 at-bats, Rice looks poised to smash over 30 home runs with about 90 runs and 90 RBIs. New York should hit him in a favorable part of the batting order.

C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

Fantasy Outlook: It’s been a while since the Rockies developed a home-edge bat, ala Nolan Arenado or even Todd Helton. Goodman isn’t where he needs to be with his approach, but there are plenty of signs that last year wasn’t a fluke. Any improvement in runs and RBIs starts with Colorado playing better as a team offensively. I expect him to be a three-category advantage at catcher, with an intriguing ceiling.

C Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

Fantasy Outlook: Between the minors and majors last season, Alvarez had winning production in his counting stats (55 runs, 24 home runs, and 63 RBIs) for his low number of at-bats (371). If you can stay healthy, his fantasy value will outperform his draft slot.

I’d sold him over previous previews, but I’m a beaten-down Alvarez salesman this year. I can’t say I’ll avoid him, but I won’t overpay for his injury risk. He has a 25-home run profile if he stays upright for 500 at-bats.

1B Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants

Fantasy Outlook: The switch in ballparks, a second-half fade in batting average, and a massive rise in strikeouts have led to Devers being discounted this year. He has a long resume of offering a foundation four-category skill set, which outweighs his negatives from last year. I’ll set his bar at .260 with 90 runs, 30 home runs, and 90 RBIs while understanding Devers has more upside than downside in my outlook. I view him as a value target in 2026, primarily for fantasy teams with early pitching strength.

1B Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics

Fantasy Outlook: The A’s have a developing offense, and Soderstrom brings a cleanup bat that should hit one slot behind a developing stud (Nick Kurtz). His RBI chances should remain favorable, and he has the bat to jump up a step in home runs. His dual eligibility also gives Soderstrom extra fantasy value. I fully expect a push over 30 bombs, with a chance at 100+ RBIs and 80+ runs. His batting average should have a neutral floor, while any speed is a bonus.