Chris Towers highlights names outside the top 400 who could deliver breakout value
By Chris Towers Mar 19, 2026 at 9:58 am ET • 13 min read 
USATSI 7 days until Opening Day ...
Quick programming note before we get to today's FBT Newsletter: I've had a family emergency come up, and I won't be around this weekend. It's the busiest draft weekend of the year, so we'll still have a newsletter for you on Friday morning with our Draft Day Cheat Sheet to make sure you've got what you need to prepare for your draft, but I might not be here on Monday. We'll play it by ear, but make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast to make sure you stay up to date on anything that might happen this weekend of note.
It's always fun to come up with Deep Sleepers. Sleepers tend to be players being overlooked by the Fantasy community writ large, but the deeper you go, the more you get to dream on players. Because we're almost certainly not talking about players you have to draft with the intention of starting for your Fantasy team – we're talking about players to stick on the end of your bench to see what happens.
In all likelihood, a bunch of them won't amount to much. There's a reason they're going so late, after all. But hitting on just a few of your bench players can put you well ahead of the competition, and that's why it makes sense to primarily focus on upside.
That's what we're doing here. Last week, Scott White gave us 40 deep sleepers to target in the late rounds, and now it's my turn. I'm going with one player for every MLB team currently being drafted outside of the top 400 in ADP over the past week in NFBC leagues for my list, and I'm going to focus on what the best-case scenario for all of them is.
Some of them might be IL stash candidates, which is especially valuable in leagues with unlimited IL spots – I like to draft at least a couple in such leagues to give myself a few cost-free bites at the first couple of waiver-wire runs. We'll have a bit more information on who is and isn't making the roster by then, and there will surely be players who see their value improve as a result. You want to have the roster space for at least a few of them.
They won't all be IL stashes, of course. Some are under-the-radar young players still fighting for a roster spot who could see their value skyrocket if they make the team. And some are just plain overlooked or undervalued for other reasons. But they're all worth considering with your final picks, and you should absolutely know each of these names for this season, even if they might not matter right away.
One deep sleeper for each team
Arizona Diamondbacks – Corbin Burnes, SP
Burnes is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and probably still has a few months ahead of him. But he started throwing off a mound last week and is reportedly already hitting 91 mph with his fastball. You'll need an IL spot to stash him in, but Burnes could be ready to make an impact in the second half of the season.
Atlanta Braves – Didier Fuentes, SP
In eight innings this spring, Fuentes has 16 strikeouts to zero walks or hits allowed. The stuff is filthy, obviously, and while it doesn't seem like there is a rotation spot ready for him right now, the Braves have plenty of injury risks in the rotation. There will be an opportunity for him at some point -- and there should be an opportunity for fellow pitching prospect J.R. Ritchie at some point, too.
Baltimore Orioles – Coby Mayo, 1B
I'm surprised Mayo still qualifies for this list when it's pretty clear he's going to play pretty much every day to open the season. It'll be up to him to prove he belongs once the season starts, but he's a recent top prospect having a very strong spring, so I'm happy to take the flier with a bench pick.
Boston Red Sox – Marcelo Mayer, 3B
Mayer's role is less clear than expected coming into spring, but I still expect him to be the starting second baseman here. That's a shallow position, and while Mayer didn't set the world on fire in his first taste of the majors last season, he's still a recent top prospect who had 23 homers and 19 steals in 163 games between Double-A and Triple-A. It's a very cheap bet on pedigree in a talented lineup
Chicago White Sox – Anthony Kay, SP
There probably isn't a huge amount of upside here with Kay, who had just a 21.5% strikeout rate last season in Japan— slightly better than league average, but not exactly impactful stuff. But he was very effective, and his stuff has looked solid this spring, so I'm intrigued in H2H points leagues as a SPaRP, at least.
Chicago Cubs – Ben Brown, SP
There probably isn't a rotation spot for Brown right now, but he's definitely a name to know. The stuff has always been impressive, but it's a limited arsenal that has held him back as a starter. He's mixing in a sinker this spring and finding a lot of success, so maybe there's another level he can unlock here. If an opportunity comes up before Justin Steele is ready, Brown should get the call.
Cincinnati Reds – Rhett Lowder, SP
Lowder is in the rotation. We know that much. Whether he'll be treated like a typical starter or be piggybacked with Brandon Williamson or Chase Burns, which would obviously limit the upside. Still, Lowder is having a nice spring and has some pedigree, so there's a decent chance he just takes a job and runs with it here.
Cleveland Guardians – Travis Bazzana, 2B
Bazzana won't be on the Opening Day roster, but I don't really think it's going to take very long. He's "blocked" by Brayan Rocchio, which isn't much of a hurdle to clear. He's having a strong spring, and if he hits well in Triple-A, I think there's a decent chance we see the former No. 1 overall pick in April.
Colorado Rockies – Jake McCarthy, OF
McCarthy is only a year removed from hitting .285 with 25 steals, and now he's playing half his games in Coors Field. He's going to hit for a good batting average and steal a bunch of bases, I think.
Detroit Tigers – Will Vest, RP
I think Kenley Jansen is going to be the closer for the Tigers, but they've surprised us in years past. Vest is good enough to get the job done if they turn to him. On a team without a ton of great options for this exercise, Vest (and possibly Kyle Finnegan for the same reasons) is probably the best choice.
Houston Astros – Ryan Weiss, RP
Weiss is another one who probably matters more in a H2H points format thanks to his RP eligibility, but I think there's a chance he could be a useful streamer for Roto, too. The Astros aren't the development factory they used to be, but I still think they have the goods to elevate fringe-y talents like Weiss to at least relevance.
Kansas City Royals – Matt Strahm, RP
If we're all going to panic about Carlos Estevez's velocity being down 5 mph this spring -- and we should -- then we should also be preparing for his downfall. The default choice has been Lucas Erceg, but he took a step back in 2025, so I'm pivoting to the guy I think is just the best pitcher in this bullpen. He has a 2.71 ERA with 10.9 K/9 over the past three years and might be a top-12 if he gets that opportunity.
Los Angeles Angels – Jorge Soler, OF
The Angels have plenty of options for this exercise, but none are sure things. I'll go with the guy who seems all but certain to have at least one month when he locks in, clubs seven homers, and helps carry your offense for a while. Such are the meager joys in Anaheim.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Dalton Rushing, C
On a team as loaded with star talent as the Dodgers, there just aren't many options. Maybe someone like Justin Wrobleski, River Ryan, Ben Casparius can emerge as a rotation option, though none seem likely to get that chance to start the season. So I'll go with one of the more overqualified backups in the league. He has some experience in the outfield and at first base, so he could be the primary alternative at multiple spots. All he needs is a chance, and I think he'll be at least a viable No. 2 catcher.
Miami Marlins – Owen Caissie, OF
I don't know if there is some concern about whether Caissie is going to make the Opening Day roster, or if he'll be in a platoon when he does. Those concerns aren't totally unfounded, but for a top prospect with a job and 30-plus homer potential, Caissie remains remarkably cheap. I think there's a pretty good chance he ends up one of the most hyped waiver-wire adds early in the season.
Milwaukee Brewers – Brandon Sproat, SP
I'm not the biggest believer in Sproat's, but he clearly has pretty good stuff, at least. And the Brewers have a very well-earned reputation for maximizing young pitchers, so this ended up being a good landing spot after he was moved as part of the Freddy Peralta trade. He probably begins the season at Triple-A, but that hasn't been confirmed yet; given injuries in the Brewers rotation, his chances are still very much alive, too.
Minnesota Twins – Victor Caratini, C
The Twins are seemingly planning to use Caratini as their primary DH, and while that might not be the best usage of a DH spot for an MLB team, it's a pretty neat trick for Fantasy. Caratini isn't a special hitter, but he's a pretty good one for a catcher (.263/.329/.406 over his past two seasons), and he might have a playing time edge on most at the position. There might be a 20-homer upside here.
New York Yankees – Carlos Lagrange, SP
Lagrange has been outrageously good this spring, and there are ongoing debates about whether they should just stick him in the bullpen, where his 102-mph fastball could dominate right now. But I think you have to give him a chance to start with the stuff and success he has right now, and he might be first in line if an opportunity arises early on after this spring, where he has allowed just one run in 9.2 innings of work.
New York Mets – Jonah Tong, SP
Tong probably needs an injury to get a chance, but I still believe in the talent. He struggled after his promotion to the majors last season, but before that, he was arguably the best pitcher in the minors, putting up a 1.43 ERA across the top two levels with a massive 29.9% K-BB rate. Whether it'll work against major-league hitters remains to be seen, but I'll keep betting on the upside this 22-year-old showed last season.
In 81 career games at Triple-A, Muncy has 11 homers and five steals. It's not superstar upside, but he's a talented young player with some Fantasy-friendly skills who will be playing half his games in a very favorable offensive environment. This seems like a lineup you want some exposure to, and after his big spring (four homers in 17 games with an 18.4% strikeout rate), it looks like Muncy is the cheapest piece of the A's lineup you can buy.
Philadelphia Phillies – Aidan Miller, SS
A back injury has held Miller out of spring action, and he'll open the season at Triple-A as a result. But he probably didn't have a real path to playing time on Opening Day anyway, so that isn't much of a loss. But he could still be a big part of the Phillies season, as likely the primary alternative if any of Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, or Alec Bohm gets hurt. That kind of flexibility means Miller should get a chance at some point, and he's a top prospect coming off a 14-homer, 59-steal season across the two highest levels of the minors. That's a pretty impactful profile for Fantasy if it works out.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Jared Jones, SP
Your skepticism levels should be high. Jones was an inconsistent young pitcher even before he had Internal Brace surgery on his right elbow, a procedure that has had mixed results among pitchers. Just look at what has happened to Spencer Strider since his surgery. But Jones had premium stuff before the injury, so I remain intrigued at a distance. At a very cheap cost, in leagues with unlimited IL spots, I'm willing to throw a pick at him to see what sticks.
San Diego Padres – Randy Vasquez, SP
The Padres rotation is the Island of Misfit toys, made up of former aces and flamed-out prospects, a group Vasquez mostly fits in. But his velocity has been up 2-3 mph all spring across his entire arsenal, which makes Vasquez slightly more interesting. It's a decent supporting cast (especially on defense), and the home park has already helped Vasquez outperform his peripherals en route to a 3.84 ERA last season. If the skill set is a little better thanks to a velocity jump, it could at least make last season's ERA a bit more sustainable.
San Francisco Giants – Bryce Eldridge, Giants
Eldridge is Util only, which hurts his value. He's also an unproven power hitter in the worst park in baseball for left-handed hitters. Even acknowledging those limitations, I think the fact that he even qualifies for this exercise is a huge oversight. This is one of the top power prospects in baseball, a guy who some prospect analysts ranked ahead of Nick Kurtz this time last season.
Seattle Mariners – Colt Emerson, SS
It looks like Cole Young will be the Opening Day second baseman for the Mariners, but there could still be an opportunity for Emerson at his natural position if J.P. Crawford's shoulder injury proves serious. Right now, we have no real sense of how much time he's likely to miss, and if it's only a few weeks of the regular season, I imagine the Mariners might be content to just have Leo Rivas hold down the fort. But if it looks like Crawford will miss significant time, that could open the door for Emerson, who has an .854 OPS as a 20-year-old in 16 Cactus League games. And once his foot is in the door, it's just on the super talented young player to stick. He's capable of it.
St. Louis Cardinals – Quinn Mathews, SP
Mathews struggled with shoulder issues last season, but before that, he had the look of a potential front-of-rotation starter with the ability to pitch deep into games. It looks like he won't be in the rotation on Opening Day, but his velocity is back to pre-2025 levels, so I still think this is very much an arm worth getting excited for. He just needs to throw strikes.
Tampa Bay Rays – Carson Williams, SS
After his 41.5% strikeout rate in his first taste of the majors, Williams never really seemed to have a chance to make the Opening Day roster this spring. That's a bummer, but I'm not giving up on him just yet. His defense should eventually be a valuable tool for the Rays, and his minor-league track record suggests there could be some Willy Adames-esque upside here if he can keep the strikeout rate more in the high-20s range.
Texas Rangers – Jacob Latz, SP
I wish I had a more exciting option here – Sebastian Walcott is one option, but he just turned 20 five days ago, so they might prefer a full season at Triple-A before calling him up. So we'll go with Latz, who had a 2.84 ERA and 3.72 FIP last season and will be surrounded by a solid supporting cast in a good home ballpark. Don't be surprised if he's a useful end-of-rotation option.
Toronto Blue Jays – Louis Varland, RP
Jeff Hoffman will open the season as the Blue Jays closer, but he was shaky enough in 2025 that he probably doesn't have an especially long leash. Varland was a key part of the Blue Jays' high-leverage relief rotation down the stretch and could be next in line if Hoffman fails before Yimi Garcia is ready to return from his elbow surgery.
Washington Nationals – Nasim Nunez, Nationals
If Nunez can just hold his own as a hitter, he could be a pretty exciting player for Fantasy. In just 99 games between the majors and minors last season, he managed 45 steals; in 2023, he had 52 in 125 games. Even his 93 wRC+ in 90 career games would probably be enough to make him Fantasy relevant as a steals specialist.
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