Los Angeles Dodgers prized outfield signing Kyle Tucker remains a top-tier fantasy baseball option heading into the 2026 season. Tucker inked a four-year deal with the Dodgers after a season in Chicago, bringing even more firepower to a World Series-winning roster. The 29-year-old had a "down" year by his standards in 2025, but he still slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs, 22 stolen bases, a 14.6% walk rate, and a 14.7% strikeout rate. His ISO dipped below .200 for the first time since his rookie season, but he still contributed a whopping 136 wRC+. Meanwhile, he posted at least 4.2 fWAR for the fifth year in a row. As a Dodger, Tucker will have extreme protection in the lineup with less weight on his shoulders. He projects to bat second or third, and he will play right field on an everyday basis. As it stands, he ranks as the #5 outfielder and #8 hitter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried had a spectacular 2025 season, his first in the Bronx. He maintained an impressive 2.86 ERA and 3.07 FIP across 32 starts (195.1 innings), going 19-5 with 4.8 fWAR. He posted 8.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, and 0.7 HR/9, offering effectiveness atop the Yankees' rotation. He'll remain their No. 1 option as the 2026 regular season gets underway, and his health should not go underappreciated with Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) sidelined for Opening Day. FanGraphs has projected that Fried will finish the 2026 season with a 3.35 ERA and 3.9 fWAR. As it currently stands, he ranks as the overall #13 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith has produced positive fWAR as a hitter and fielder every season throughout his career, and he remains a top fantasy baseball threat in 2026. Smith is coming off the best year of his career, slashing .296/.404/.497 with 17 home runs and a career-high 153 wRC+. His strikeout rate jumped to 20.4%, but he also posted a career-best 14.7% walk rate. Behind the dish, he contributed -8 FRV but 1.6 fWAR. Between hitting and fielding combined, he produced 4.1 fWAR. That ranked third-highest on the Dodgers, trailing only Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Now that the Dodgers are armed with Kyle Tucker, and Smith is a prime candidate for slight regression, FanGraphs is projecting the veteran backstop for 3.3 fWAR in 2026. That ranks sixth-highest on the team but is still an incredible mark, especially for a catcher. He is the #8 backstop in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings for 2026.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward is coming off the best power surge of his career, and he'll look to keep the home runs coming at a new home ballpark. Ward was dealt from the Angels to the Orioles during the offseason, and he'll now get to play half of his games at Camden Yards, one of the friendliest environments for power-hitting right-handers. 33 of Ward's 36 home runs last season would have left Oriole Park; only five other ballparks in MLB would have produced more favorable results for the veteran left fielder. While he did drop closer to the Mendoza line with a .228/.317/.475 slash line, Ward solidified himself as a very strong power threat while still posting an 11.3% walk rate and 117 wRC+. The biggest concern about Ward's game was his strikeout rate (26.4%), but that's a natural side effect of tapping into more power. He currently ranks as the #40 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.