The 2026 MLB season is on the horizon, which means fantasy baseball drafts are the craze. It’s fairly easy to make decisions on who to draft in the earlier rounds, but it’s also vital to find ‘sleepers’ who can make a difference later on.
Within this article, we’ll discuss starting pitchers you should target who possess an average draft position (ADP) of 150 or higher in FantasyPros’ Consensus ADP rankings. Five specific 2026 fantasy baseball sleepers manage to stand out.
Once you’re done drafting your fantasy baseball teams, head on over to PrizePicks’ MLBSZN board. MLBSZN is a season-long fantasy game where you can earn real money by predicting More or Less on player stats in the 2026 season, like home runs or strikeouts.
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2026 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Pitchers to Draft
Without further ado, let's jump in and highlight five pitchers you should select in upcoming fantasy baseball drafts.
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Drew Rasmussen (SP, Tampa Bay Rays)
FantasyPros Consensus ADP: 155.8 (SP49)
During the 2025 season, Drew Rasmussen produced career-best marks in starts (31), innings pitched (150.0), and BABIP (.246). Although he produced just a 43rd-percentile strikeout rate (21.7%), he was also in the 73rd percentile in xERA (3.48), 79th percentile in walk rate (6.3%), and 82nd percentile in groundball rate (49.5%).
After having to pitch at George M. Steinbrenner Field (ninth in park factor last season), Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays will return to Tropicana Field (29th in park factor from 2022-2024) in 2026.
With Rasmussen posting good ratios and having a 2.86 ERA or better in six consecutive seasons, it’s worth noting his ERA projection on PrizePicks’ MLBSZN board is set at 3.73.
Tatsuya Imai (SP, Houston Astros)
FantasyPros Consensus ADP: 170.2 (SP53)
Tatsuya Imai hasn’t made a pitch in the majors yet, but there’s reason to be optimistic for his arrival with the Houston Astros from Japan. The Astros currently have a win total projection of 80+ wins, set at a 1.28x payout in PrizePicks Team Picks.
In his final season pitching for the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2025, Imai accrued an impressive 27.8% strikeout rate, 7.0% walk rate, and 0.89 WHIP, per FanGraphs.
With the Astros only having SP Hunter Brown as a reliable arm in their new-look rotation, Imai could be a workhorse in his debut campaign.
Cade Horton (SP, Chicago Cubs)
FantasyPros Consensus ADP: 185.8 (SP56)
Upon being called up to make his debut last season, Cade Horton tallied a 4.27 xFIP and 3.88 xERA across 118.0 IP. Even though he had just a 20.4% strikeout rate (33rd percentile) with the Chicago Cubs in 2025, he had a 27.2% strikeout rate or higher in his 47.0 IP at the Triple-A level from 2024-25.
At the very least, Horton already displayed fantastic command with a 6.9% walk rate (69th percentile) in his first year in the majors. Horton also registered the 28th-best CSW rate (called + swinging strike rate; 28.3%) among starters with 100+ innings in 2025.
The Cubs are currently the favorites to win the NL Central with a 2x payout in PrizePicks Team Picks, potentially leaving the door open for Horton to build on his 11-4 record as a starter a season ago.
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Shane Baz (SP, Baltimore Orioles)
FantasyPros Consensus ADP: 203.2 (SP60)
If we’re looking for starting pitchers who could produce a ceiling outcome in the later rounds, Shane Baz seems to fit the description. Baz was traded to the Baltimore Orioles from the Rays this offseason, following a 2025 campaign where he notched a solid 3.86 xERA and 3.99 xFIP in a career-high 166.1 IP.
While Baz has gotten hit hard at times, he had a 67th-percentile strikeout rate (24.8%) in 2025 to go along with the 43rd-best whiff rate (25.8%) among SPs with 100+ innings.
Maybe joining an Orioles squad that was aggressive in adding 1B Pete Alonso and OF Taylor Ward to their lineup — and has a 2.38x payout for 90+ wins on PrizePicks Team Picks — leads to Baz having the best season of his career?
Ryan Weathers (SP, New York Yankees)
FantasyPros Consensus ADP: 274.2 (SP80)
Ryan Weathers was acquired via trade by the New York Yankees from the Miami Marlins this offseason, and he’ll have an opportunity to earn a long-term spot in the rotation with SP Carlos Rodon and SP Gerrit Cole missing time to begin the year. The Yankees have the third-highest payout (9.09x) to win the World Series on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Despite Weathers failing to record more than 94.1 IP in a season, all indications are that he may set a new career-best mark if he remains healthy.
While Weathers posted just a 22.3% strikeout rate and an 18.8% whiff rate with his four-seam fastball in 2025, he had a 39.0% whiff rate or better with his changeup and sweeper. Deploying those two off-speed pitches a bit more could lead to more fruitful results in pinstripes.
Make 2026 MLB Season Predictions on PrizePicks
Fantasy baseball drafts are taking place at a rapid rate ahead of the 2026 MLB season, and targeting starting pitcher sleepers can help round out a league-winning roster.
Ahead of the 2026 MLB season, check out PrizePicks MLBSZN board and PrizePicks Team Picks to make predictions on player and team season-long outcomes.
Remember to stick around on the Playbook for continued fantasy baseball advice and other baseball predictions, picks, and news.
