Opening Day in Major League Baseball is upon us and with that comes a new season of fantasy sports.  

Fantasy baseball is a little bit different from other sports. With most teams only having one day off a week, you need to be sure you are drafting the right players for your lineup. One wrong draft pick and it could cost you the season. 

Roman Anthony, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Anthony debuted for the Boston Red Sox in June of 2025. Photo courtesy of @romannanthony on Instagram

There are players like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh who will deservedly be top picks because of their outstanding seasons in 2025. However, what you do after the first round is even more important than your first selection.  

Here are five players to keep an eye on when you are drafting. 

Junior Caminero  

Expect the star third baseman to pick up right where he left off in the World Baseball Classic. Caminero had 7 hits and 3 home runs in 6 games for the Dominican Republic. He will be the focal point of Tampa Bay’s offense this season and will try to live up to the massive expectations that he set last year. In his first full MLB season, the 22-year-old slugged 45 home runs along with 159 hits and 110 RBIs. The only issue is his strikeout rate. Caminero struck out 125 times and only walked 41 times. Despite that, his home runs and other hits should make him a first or second round pick this fantasy season. 

Roman Anthony 

Speaking of WBC success, Roman Anthony was a last-minute replacement for Corbin Carroll and made an instant impact for Team USA. Anthony had 7 hits, including a game winning homer against the DR in the semifinals. It will be his first full season in the majors after playing 71 games last season. Anthony had an on-base percentage of .396 and his ability to get on base gives his fantasy owners a few easy points every game. He had more hits than games played, a feat he could repeat in a full 162 game season.  

Jacob Wilson 

Wilson is another promising second year player who will try to build off his successful 2025 campaign. He had 151 hits and only struck out 39 times last year. His .311 average was tied for second best in the league. Wilson is a low risk, high reward player who will be available in the middle of most drafts. With the young Athletics core trying to make a playoff push, Wilson will be a key player and his fantasy value will continue to rise in 2026.  

Framber Valdez 

Starting pitchers are the name of the game in fantasy baseball. They rack up the most points and can pitch once or twice a week depending on the schedule. The obvious top picks are Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet, but the rest of the field is up for debate. Framber Valdez departed from the Astros in the offseason to team up with Skubal in Detroit, something that will benefit him. Valdez had a rough year last season, but has some pressure taken off him starting after Skubal. He does not have to be the number one guy and carry the load for a pitching staff like he had to do in Houston for some years. Valdez had a sub 3 ERA in 2022 and 2024 and his strikeout numbers usually are near 200 per season. He has pitched over 175 innings in each of the last four seasons, making him a reliable option for fantasy. The native of the Dominican Republic should have a bounce back year in the Motor City.  

Pete Fairbanks 

Even though you should have as many starting pitchers as possible, it is always nice to have a reliable reliever on your roster. Aroldis Chapman was putting up championship winning numbers down the stretch in his first year in Boston. So, in Pete Fairbanks’ first year in Miami, expect similar results. Fairbanks is averaging 25 saves per season the past three seasons and his strikeout numbers are also solid. He appeared in a career-high 61 games last season for a fourth-place Tampa Bay Rays team. If the young Marlins want to contend this season, they need Fairbanks to deliver in clutch situations. Expect him to be the closer for a Marlins team that won 79 games last season.