Fantasy Baseball Managers May Discover These 5 Mid-Round Picks With High-Upside

Key metrics discover five fantasy baseball prospects in the mid-rounds of ADP that have tremendous, league-winning upside.

Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) watches his two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of game two of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Fantasy baseball has an array of sleepers across the big board. It is up to us to find these sleepers. No reason is the same as the one previous, and the rankings will surely shift as the season goes on. To find these sleepers, we must identify key categories that telegraph a player's upside. That points us to power, scouting reports, on-base percentage, K-rates, exit velocity, and much more. Be sure to target these players with elite upside.

Ben Rice, 1B (NYY)

ADP: 67th Overall

Rice is coming off a massive 2025 season, in which he recorded a +18.7 offensive rating and 26 home runs. Rice is slated to bat 4th in this elite Yankees lineup, and with his power, this may lead to many more home runs and RBI's in a home-run-friendly park. Per Statcast, Rice was above-average in all 13 key hitting metrics, and he was in the 90th percentile or higher in eight of those.

Austin Riley, 3B (ATL)

ADP: 61st Overall

Let's remember how good Riley was from 2021-23. Riley record a +25 or better offensive rating in those seasons. He took a minor step back in 2024, then dealt with a sports hernia in 2025. Riley is listed as fully healthy entering 2026, and the 28-year-old should be primed to knock home runs in a big way with this Braves lineup, which is also mostly healthy.

The RBI's may come by the many for Riley. The Braves are one of the favorites to win the World Series behind the Dodgers. In 2021-23, Riley had no fewer than 33 home runs in a season. Across 478 games in that span, Riley hit 108 home runs, or one every 4.4 games.

Jeremy Pena, SS (HOU)

ADP: 96th Overall

This former 3rd-round pick found his stride last season, and likely, he should maintain that stride. Once a secret is found, the secret is kept. Pena had lingered around league-average in offensive rating, with no clear bad seasons over his first three seasons. In year four (2025), Pena had a +26.8 offensive rating, plus a +10.4 defensive rating.

Pena will be key to the Astros' 2026 season. Most likely, they will succeed as they always do. If Pena matches his +5.7 WAR, he will be phenomenal despite being a fringe top-100 fantasy baseball pick. If he gets even better, then let's dream of the jackpot.

Eury Perez, SP (MIA)

ADP: 101st Overall

Perez is fully back from that 2024 Tommy John surgery. As seen in Spring Training, he is throwing 99 MPH gas. Upon Perez' debut in 2023, he had a 3.15 ERA with a +1.5 WAR and 4 2/3'rds innings pitched per game.

The Sound of Eury Pérez's 99mph Heater. 🔊 pic.twitter.com/YUF2bZlbvs

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 23, 2026

The Statcast rankings show that Perez is in the 94th percentile in Fastball Velocity, and no worse than the 83rd percentile in xERA, xBA, K-Rate, and Whiff Rate. He leads his arsenal with a 98 MPH (and improving) four-seam fastball, then an 86 MPH slider to complement it, and three other off-speed pitches at different velocities to throw off his batter. Perez has the raw ability to be elite.

Nolan McLean, SP (NYM)

ADP: 105th Overall

If McLean repeats his 2025 debut, he will be an elite asset. McLean is an elite ground-ball pitcher, in the 99th percentile. He works in heavy horizontal moement with six pitches at 9% or higher usage. The Sinker (right-to-left movement) and Sweeper (left-to-right movement) top his arsenal. It will be hard for any hitters to guess McLean. As it stands, McLean is one of four starters for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.