Bryson Stott is among the middle infielders entering 2026 who are good bets to exceed their draft position value.
It’s never too early to start identifying profit pockets in your draft pool. Middle infield remains one of the deepest areas in fantasy baseball, but that doesn’t mean the market gets it right. Injuries, prospect fatigue, lineup context, and recency bias can all create value — or inflate price tags beyond reason.
Below are several middle infielders who look undervalued at their current ADP, followed by a few whose price tags carry more risk than reward heading into 2026 drafts.
Sleepers
Bryson Stott, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies Stott was suggested in this spot as a sleeper last year, and here we are again. While he was unable to fully rebound to his 2023 form, it’s unfair to classify last year’s performance as a disappointment. Stott set a career-high in RBI (66) while hitting all over the batting order, and his batting average also rebounded to a respectable .257. The bulk of Stott’s value comes from stolen bases, and while his production in that area dipped slightly, he still contributed 24 steals.
There are positive signs of momentum heading into 2026, including a strong second half (.294-7-28) and the possibility of a lineup promotion after the team failed to add any major offseason bats. The value at an NFBC ADP near 185 is as much about Stott’s floor as his ceiling. He’s entering his age-28 season, and his worst statistical line over the last three years still amounts to .245-11-57 with 65 runs and 24 stolen bases. That “worst case” would likely still land him inside the top 150 overall players.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies
Tovar entered last season as a young player on the rise after hitting 26 home runs and leading the NL with 45 doubles at age 22. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his follow-up campaign. A lingering hip issue bothered him early in the season and eventually contributed to an oblique strain in June. The result was just 95 games played and nine home runs. We can’t definitively say the injuries are behind him, but Tovar appears to be in better condition this spring and is saying all the right things. He continued to hit in the top half of the lineup when healthy, and there’s little reason to expect that to change on a Rockies club still in rebuild mode. Tovar also showed slight improvement in his contact profile, trimming his strikeout rate to 25% and raising his xBA to .261. A healthy season makes his ADP near 200 look like easy profit.
Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees
Yankees fans and fantasy managers alike have reason to feel frustrated with Volpe’s development. The former first-round pick was once viewed as the franchise’s next Derek Jeter, but his offensive production has stagnated since his 20/20 rookie season in 2023. Volpe has yet to post a .700 OPS, and even his defensive metrics have trended downward.
However, he has a legitimate explanation for last year’s struggles. Postseason surgery revealed a significant labrum injury in his non-throwing shoulder stemming from an early-May issue. That likely impacted his performance more than initially realized. Volpe won’t be ready for Opening Day, but recent reports are encouraging, with a projected return in late April or early May.
There is fair concern that the shoulder could limit his power output, but the fantasy upside remains intriguing. The soon-to-be 25-year-old has averaged .222-17-64 with 23 steals and 72 runs over his first three seasons. There’s opportunity cost in using a bench or IL spot for a month, but if his ADP holds near 400, the risk is minimal compared to the potential category juice.
Luisangel Acuna, 2B, Chicago White Sox
When ADP is established early in the winter, the market can be slow to adjust. That appears to be the case with Acuna, who was traded from the Mets to the White Sox in the Luis Robert Jr. deal in late January. He’s clearly in a better situation for playing time, with Chicago’s front office stating he’ll receive a legitimate opportunity as a regular. Yet his ADP sits at 559 overall and only 435 since February 1.
It’s unfair to compare him to his older brother, Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. The younger Acuna isn’t a power bat — his minor-league career high is 12 home runs, and he stands just 5-foot-7. What he does possess, however, is elite speed. Acuna swiped 40-plus bases four times in the minors and flashed 97th-percentile sprint speed with the Mets last season. Add the likelihood of gaining outfield eligibility with a potential move to center field, and he could be the late-round speed infusion drafters hoped to get from Victor Scott III last year.
Busts
Trevor Story, SS, Boston Red Sox
The cliché of “buy low, sell high” applies as much to fantasy drafts as it does to investing. Story may be this year’s poster child. He entered last season as a discounted post-200 ADP flier not because of talent concerns, but because he couldn’t stay on the field. Over his first three seasons in Boston, he averaged just 54 games played and looked nothing like the fantasy superstar he was in Colorado. A healthy 2025 campaign flipped the narrative, as Story returned to form with 25 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 157 games.
But how confident are you that he repeats that health at age 33? We wish him well, but injury history matters — and Story’s is extensive since leaving Colorado. He did show legitimate skill growth last season, including a career-best 91.4 mph average exit velocity and a strikeout rate that rebounded to 27%. Still, the odds of buyer’s remorse feel higher than profit at an ADP near 100, especially given the age and durability concerns.
Brandon Lowe, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates
The concern with Lowe mirrors the concerns surrounding Story. The longtime Ray is coming off his second All-Star caliber season, hitting .256-31-83, aided in part by a very hitter-friendly home environment. Lowe appeared in 134 games last year — the second-highest total of his eight-year career. Over the previous three seasons, he averaged just 94 games while producing a modest .234-17-50 line.
An ADP near 170 won’t sink your roster if injuries strike again, but there are middle infielders in that range with significantly safer floors, including Dansby Swanson, Xavier Edwards, Jacob Wilson, and the aforementioned Bryson Stott.
Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox
Montgomery presents a complicated evaluation. The 2021 first-round pick has long been one of Chicago’s top prospects, but he struggled in the upper minors. Across two seasons at Triple-A Charlotte, he hit just .215 with a .717 OPS in more than 800 plate appearances. His production showed only modest improvement before his call-up, but MLB pitching surprisingly unlocked something. Montgomery hit .239-21-55 in just 71 games and now carries an ADP near 215 as a popular sleeper.
He wouldn’t be the first player to find his footing after reaching the majors, but that leap is rare. The power is real — his 114.5 mph max exit velocity supports that — but the risk indicators are glaring. A 29% strikeout rate and whiff rates north of 40% against breaking and offspeed pitches point to volatility. Even on a rebuilding club willing to let him develop, Montgomery’s batting-average risk makes him a dangerous investment in 5x5 formats.
Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
Another high-variance young shortstop, Williams fits the boom-or-bust archetype. The Rays’ top shortstop prospect reached 20/20 status three times in the minors, showcasing tantalizing power-speed tools. However, he paired that production with questionable plate discipline and batting-average concerns — traits uncommon in Tampa Bay’s typically polished pipeline.
Those issues surfaced during his 32-game MLB stint, where he hit just .172 with an alarming 6/44 BB/K ratio. The Rays appear willing to give him a chance to win the starting job this spring, but there is legitimate competition. Defensive specialist Taylor Walls remains in the mix, and Tampa Bay spent meaningful trade capital to acquire Ben Williamson from Seattle. Williamson has primarily played third base recently but has shortstop experience and a strong defensive reputation. While his MLB debut was quiet, he posted a .291 average with a .792 OPS across three minor-league seasons. Williams is inexpensive with an ADP beyond 500, but even that price could prove costly if the playing time evaporates in a crowded infield mix.
--Seth Trachtman
