Pittsburgh Pirates players could be the key to fantasy baseball glory in 2026.

A revamped offense gives drafters plenty of buying opportunities. Bryan Reynolds could return value in a bounce-back year. Oneil Cruz still wields massive upside, and Konnor Griffin represents the ultimate lottery ticket while competing for an Opening Day spot.

However, Jeff Passan advised managers to target Pittsburgh’s young starting rotation. Offering a fantasy recommendation for each MLB team in a wide-ranging preseason column, the ESPN insider told drafters to “get a Pittsburgh arm.”

“Paul Skenes would be great,” Passan said. “Braxton Ashcraft is a sneaky choice. Jared Jones is a pick-and-stash. But Bubba Chandler is an excellent now choice.”

Drafting Skenes won’t be easy. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner is typically a late first or early second-round pick as the second starting pitcher off the board behind Tarik Skubal. The rest of Pittsburgh’s staff, on the other hand, is available much later.

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Passan focused on Chandler, who according to FantasyPros has a consensus average draft position (ADP) of pick No. 154 across six sites. He’s going the latest in ESPN leagues (No. 204), but maybe Passan’s endorsement will wake drafters up to the 23-year-old.

“His fastball sits at 99 mph. His slider is filthy. His changeup is nasty,” Passan wrote of Chandler. “He’s not Skenes — no one is — but Chandler is going to make one hell of a No. 2 starter when he settles into the big leagues and helps round out the cannons in the Pirates’ brigade.”

Taken at a No. 290 average ADP, Ashcraft’s late success didn’t draw nearly as much attention as Chander’s arrival. The rookie registered a 2.71 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings and should get stretched out as a full-time starter in 2026.

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Drafting Jones will require some patience, as he’ll open the season on the 60-day injured list after missing all of 2025 with a UCL injury. The 24-year-old may prove worth the wait considering his 26.2 strikeout percentage as a rookie.

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