Welcome to a brand new series at RotoWire which features our favorite sleepers by position. Over the next two weeks, we'll share three sleepers and one deep sleeper at every position on the diamond. For the purposes of this series, here's how we're defining "sleeper" and "deep sleeper":
- Sleeper: a player being drafted between picks 150 and 350 who could significantly outperform his draft price
- Deep Sleeper: a player being drafted after pick 350 who could significantly outperform his draft price
After beginning with the catcher spot and first base, let's take a look at the top sleepers at second base for your 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.
Note: the average draft position in this article is taken from all Draft Champions leagues which have drafted over the past month.
Best 2026 Second Base Sleepers
Jorge Polanco (ADP 229, 2B 16)
Polanco was a key addition to the Mets' infield this offseason, and he looks to be their everyday first baseman heading into spring training. However, he retains second-base eligibility after playing 38 games at the position last year and should be a strong contributor in home runs and RBI without being a significant drain on batting average. Polanco's power is legitimate by any measure – he has a career .179 ISO and posted a .229 mark in 2025 while recording double-digit barrel rates from four of the last five seasons. He's also projected to hit cleanup for the Mets, a prime spot for RBI (and potentially runs) given the
Welcome to a brand new series at RotoWire which features our favorite sleepers by position. Over the next two weeks, we'll share three sleepers and one deep sleeper at every position on the diamond. For the purposes of this series, here's how we're defining "sleeper" and "deep sleeper":
- Sleeper: a player being drafted between picks 150 and 350 who could significantly outperform his draft price
- Deep Sleeper: a player being drafted after pick 350 who could significantly outperform his draft price
After beginning with the catcher spot and first base, let's take a look at the top sleepers at second base for your 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.
Note: the average draft position in this article is taken from all Draft Champions leagues which have drafted over the past month.
Best 2026 Second Base Sleepers
Jorge Polanco (ADP 229, 2B 16)
Polanco was a key addition to the Mets' infield this offseason, and he looks to be their everyday first baseman heading into spring training. However, he retains second-base eligibility after playing 38 games at the position last year and should be a strong contributor in home runs and RBI without being a significant drain on batting average. Polanco's power is legitimate by any measure – he has a career .179 ISO and posted a .229 mark in 2025 while recording double-digit barrel rates from four of the last five seasons. He's also projected to hit cleanup for the Mets, a prime spot for RBI (and potentially runs) given the strength of their lineup and should play nearly every day when healthy.
While there are plenty of positives, it'll be important to build around some of Polanco's shortcomings. His batting average has been volatile the last four seasons as he's hit over .250 twice with .235 or worse during the other two. Polanco's overall track record (.263 career hitter) suggests .250 is more likely, yet he's run some inflated strikeout rates in recent campaigns. The explanation for that downturn could be a balky knee that's followed him around the last several seasons, but his injury history invites increased potential for missed time or poor performance. Put another way, Polanco has only topped 500 plate appearances once since 2021 - though that was last year.
Overall, Polanco's ADP gives leeway for some of these deficiencies. He's currently the 16th second baseman being selected and is arguably the last reliable source of power production without significant problems for other categories.
Brendan Donovan (ADP 285, 2B 21)
Donovan isn't likely to stand out in one statistical area, but he should chip in across all five traditional roto categories. He doesn't boast the same raw power as Polanco, yet makes extremely consistent contact and has shown the bat control to make the most of that having ranked in the 98th and 96th percentiles for squared-up rate the last two seasons alongside 90th and 92nd percentile when it comes to xBA.
It's also reasonable to believe Donovan will set a new career-high in runs scored as he's projected to be Seattle's leadoff hitter against both lefties and righties within the top half of a strong Mariners' lineup. He doesn't forecast particularly well in homers or stolen bases, but should hit double-digits in the former and could benefit if Seattle's aggressive baserunning approach from the last few seasons carries over.
The price is also right for Donovan. Likely because he isn't a splashy contributor with the speed and power stats, his ADP has remained muted even after being dealt from St. Louis. Donovan makes particular sense as a target for those who get plenty of stolen base production on the earlier side of drafts with the potential to provide similar numbers to Luke Keaschall and Ceddanne Rafaela in the other categories at a discount of around 140 picks.
Luis Garcia (ADP 227, 2B 16)
Garcia had some hype entering 2025, yet managed nearly identical skills and production from the previous campaign while becoming a fantasy afterthought. On the surface, it's a reasonable decision by the fantasy community. After all, Garcia's stalled skills progression, struggles against lefties, and subpar defense are all warning signs and potentially red flags.
However, further digging is enough to change some perspective. Garcia's worst 2025 category was batting average, though the underlying metrics suggest his .252 was unlucky. His 16.0 K% was steady relative to his career norm, he offers strong quality of contact (88th percentile squared up rate, 63rd percentile hard-hit rate) and registered a very strong .281 xBA.
There could also be some growth in Garcia's power profile. He's shown signs of learning how to convert his slightly above-average barrel rate into production. Garcia's flyball rate has inched up every season in the Majors and listed a 15.5 percent pull air rate during 2025, up from marks of 8.9 and 9.4 the previous two seasons.
While Garcia may lose out on some at-bats against lefties, he still looks to be a secure part of the Nationals' plans for 2026. RotoWire's current projected batting orders have Garcia cleanup spot against right-handed pitchers to keep him in a solid position to pick up counting stats on a per plate-appearance basis. Garcia also looks likely to be shifting to first base to alleviate any defensive concern for his subpar showing at second last year.
Deep Sleeper
Nolan Gorman (ADP 552, 2B 38)
The Cardinals are in the unfamiliar position of entering what appears to be a true rebuild, yet Gorman should benefit. President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom recently stated Gorman will have plenty of opportunity to play, setting him up to easily set a new career-high in plate appearances (currently at 464). It's tempting to write him off from a skills perspective, but he's only entering his age-26 season and clearly possesses power potential as evidenced by his career 14.2 percent barrel rate.
The combination of playing time and pop should set up Gorman fairly well for all the counting stat categories. He can safely be assumed to produce minimal steals, leaving his batting average as a more significant concern. His strikeout rate has never been below 30 percent while in MLB while having recording a career .218 average.
In traditional roto formats, managers should be careful how they utilize Gorman in fantasy lineups early this season. But at such a deep ADP, he offers a decent chance to take a position that generally lacks any standout power producers. Gorman also notably has a career 10.2 percent walk rate and .300 on-base percentage, making him a far more draftable player in leagues that use that stat.
Who is your top sleeper at second base for 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
