March 22, 2026
Kipp looks at 6 late-round fantasy baseball sleepers, cheap value picks with upside for 2026 drafts. His favorite undervalued picks to target late in drafts.
Spring training is officially underway, and that means that fantasy baseball draft season is in full effect. We here at RotoBaller could not be more excited to bring you some of the best preseason fantasy baseball material out there, and we are here to get you ready for your drafts.
This article will take a look at six different hitters who are currently undervalued based on their ADP. These are guys that can provide immense value to your fantasy rosters, yet are being drafted much later than that value would suggest. These types of hitters are crucial to building a roster that can sustain the rigors of a long fantasy season.
ADP is taken from NFBC drafts as of February 15. All updated ADP from various platforms can be found here. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Lenyn Sosa, 1B/2B, Chicago White Sox
NFBC ADP: 343
Lenyn Sosa was largely unknown heading into 2025, but he quietly put together a solid season, which saw him slash .264/.293/.434 with 22 HR, 75 RBI, and 57 R. The 22 home runs were what really stood out across his 518 at-bats, as he had previously never hit more than eight home runs across his first two-plus seasons.
The power metrics behind these home runs also stood out. Most notably, he posted an average exit velocity of 90.7 mph, ranking him in the top 26% of the league. Additionally, he posted a 7.5% Barrels/PA mark, ranking him in the top 23% of the league. These metrics are nothing to turn your nose up at, and could certainly be repeated in 2026, making him a very valuable late draft target.
He also posted an OPS north of .700 against both left-handed pitching and right-handed pitching, so you would not necessarily need to platoon him if he is on your roster. His home and away splits also looked solid, as noted by his .700+ OPS in both arenas.
With his current ADP near 350, you could do a lot worse than Sosa on your bench this season, and he makes for a solid depth selection.
Lenyn Sosa puts the @WhiteSox ahead in the bottom of the 8th! pic.twitter.com/q8SXunGAxH
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2025
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Ernie Clement, 2B/3B/SS, Toronto Blue Jays
NFBC ADP: 306
Ernie Clement burst onto the scene last postseason, but he also put together a solid regular season in which he slashed .277/.313/.398 with nine HRs, 50 RBI, 83 R, and six SB. He is not truly known for his power; however, his bat-to-ball skills and ability to get on base will immensely help his value to fantasy managers.
In 2025, Clement posted a K rate of just 10.4%, which ranked him in the 97th percentile among qualified hitters. He also posted a very respectable .55 B/K mark, ranking him in the top 39% of the league. This ability to get on base will serve him well in 2026, in what should be a rather potent Blue Jays lineup.
Clement is also especially dominant against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he posted an OPS of .900 against southpaws and managed to hit six of his nine home runs against them. This also came across 187 PA, so he could certainly work well as a platoon on your roster if you chose to go that route this season.
Overall, he has an ADP of 312, which puts him near the end of the 26th round in 12-team leagues. He makes for a great selection at the end of drafts and could provide a ton of upside to fantasy managers, again, especially if used in a platoon role. His eligibility at multiple positions is also enticing and worth noting, especially in daily lineup formats.
HISTORY: Ernie Clement now has the most hits in a single #Postseason in baseball history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Iq749bGEu2
— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2025
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NFBC ADP: 446
Carson Kelly plays a premium position within the catcher role, which is why he finds himself on this list. In 2025, he slashed a very respectable .249/.333/.428 with 17 HR, 50 RBI, and 48 R. The 17 home runs were especially impressive and are the second-most he has hit in any season.
While the power metrics in totality did not jump off the page, he did manage to post a 6.7% Barrels/PA mark, which ranked him in the top 35% of the league. Additionally, he posted an OPS north of .740 versus both left-handed and right-handed pitching. He was especially strong against lefties, as noted by his .809 OPS.
While he is not a premier hitter, the catcher position is often one that is difficult to fill unless you grab a stud early, especially in two-catcher leagues. Kelly is someone you can wait on until late in your draft and still find meaningful at-bats. The 31-year-old is a prime sleeper target in deeper two-catcher formats.
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NFBC ADP: 315
Parker Messick is drastically undervalued here. He made his debut with the Guardians last season and promptly posted a 2.72 ERA with 38 strikeouts across 39 2/3 innings pitched over his seven starts. He is someone that the Guardians are looking at to make a big impact in 2026, and that is saying a lot given their pedigree for developing pitchers.
Messick also excelled at limiting hard contact last season. This was evident in the fact that he allowed just 29.8% of baseballs to be hit at 95+ mph, which would have placed him well above the average marks if he logged enough innings to qualify. He also allowed just a 5.8% barrel rate. These metrics equated to him allowing just four home runs across his seven starts, three of which came in a single game against Detroit on September 25.
His .9 HR/9 mark also ranked him in the top 23% at his position, and his 3.6% BB% was borderline elite. He has immense potential heading into 2026, and the fact that his ADP is hovering around 320 is a bridge too far. It would be worth your while to grab him a full round sooner than he is currently being drafted, if not earlier.
Once Messick officially claims a role in the starting rotation, expect his ADP to skyrocket.
7 scoreless innings for Parker Messick in just his second Major League start! pic.twitter.com/4gif5dxPyr
— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2025
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NFBC ADP: 331
I know Marcell Ozuna is getting up there in age, but he can still produce for fantasy managers in 2026, and given that he has an ADP around 325, you will not have to risk much, if any, draft capital to acquire him.
In 2025, Ozuna posted a .232/.355/.400 slash line with 21 HRs, 68 RBIs, and 94 BB. He clearly showed a solid power and on-base combination with his home run and walk totals, which is where he derives much of his value to fantasy managers.
The power metrics have started to drop off a bit, but they are still very respectable. In 2025, he posted an average exit velocity of 89.9 mph, which placed him just below the average marks, in the 48th percentile. Additionally, he posted a hard-hit rate of 44.6% and a 11.4% barrel rate, both of which were above the average marks.
While he will not be in as potent a lineup in Pittsburgh, the metrics still tell us he has some raw power left in the tank and will be able to produce at a level that shows he is worth the $12 million the Pirates paid him. This is also a guy who has posted an OPS north of .800 vs. left-handed pitching and right-handed pitching alike in 2023 and 2024, so getting him at this ADP is a great discount.
The main drawback here will be his position eligibility, as he is likely only going to DH for the Pirates, so keep this in mind when constructing your roster.
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NFBC ADP: 350
Logan Henderson made his debut for the Brewers last season and promptly delivered to the tune of posting a 1.78 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 25 1/3 innings pitched. He looks to begin the 2026 campaign fully healthy and will be a big part of the Brewers’ rotation this season, which is good news for the club.
Henderson was superb at limiting hard contact across his first five MLB starts, as noted by the fact that he posted an 80.6 mph average exit velocity allowed, which ranked him in the top 10% of the league. He also allowed just 20.5% of his pitches to be hit at 95+ mph, ranking him in the top 11% of the league.
Henderson is also solid in terms of strikeouts, as he posted a SwStr% of 13.2%, which ranked him in the top 19% of the league. Additionally, his mark of 4.13 K/BB had him ranked in the top 22% of the league.
Even though Henderson is slated to begin the regular season at Triple-A, he is a top stash target at the pitcher position as he should carry high-end upside as soon as he earns the call. He is worth drifting with your final selection in larger formats with extra bench or “N/A” stash spots. Given Brandon Woodruff‘s injury history and with Quinn Priester (wrist) opening the year on the IL, Henderson’s name will be called sooner, rather than later.
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