Before the 2026 MLB season began, I made a list of five players who fantasy baseball owners should target for their draft. Today, I am here to grade my picks.
Junior Caminero – A
Caminero is a lock to be a finalist in the American League MVP voting race. The slugger hit 42 home runs and added 101 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays en route to helping his team win the American League East. He finished as the highest-ranked third baseman in all of fantasy baseball and was solid during the championship weeks. His 10 points on the second-to-last day of the season could have won the league for owners.
Roman Anthony – C-
This is a hard grade because Anthony was out with a wrist injury for the majority of the season. However, he returned on Aug. 30 and provided an impact in the fantasy playoffs. The outfielder had 11 points on Sept. 25 as part of a three-hit game, during which he also scored three runs.
Jacob Wilson – C-
To be fully transparent, I dropped Wilson in May after his first injury of the season. Wilson played 80 games in 2026 and played his last game on Aug. 16. He finished ranked No. 30 out of all the shortstops in fantasy but was not projected as a starter in most leagues. Wilson was a decent depth piece for owners while starting for the Athletics but if you had him in your starting lineup every day, you might not have been a happy camper.
Framber Valdez – B-
Besides a few rough starts, Valdez was solid in his first season in Detroit. Valdez went 10-12 while striking out 135 batters in 31 starts. The righty averaged 8.4 fantasy points per start and finished as a top 60 starter in fantasy baseball. He was solid in September as he posted an average of 8.5 points per start during the playoffs. A few bad starts tanked his ranking a bit but he was a reliable option on your fantasy team from the end of July onward.
Pete Fairbanks – F
This one is on me. Closers are hit or miss in fantasy baseball and Fairbanks was a miss for the 2026 Marlins. Fairbanks racked up 19 saves but his 6.31 ERA is not something fantasy owners were happy about. He appeared in 46 games and if for some reason you still had him by the time playoffs rolled around, he was inactive due to surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. His time with the Rays was dominant and memorable but his tenure with his second Florida team is a year him and his fantasy owners would like to forget.
Overall Grade – C
Caminero was a hit— but he was an obvious hit. Anthony, Wilson and Valdez were decent for their roles, and Fairbanks was a complete flop. If you drafted all five, I’m not sure you made the playoffs, but I hope Caminero brought some life to your team and the rest of your team helped lift you into the playoffs or a championship.