Everyone knows the stars. Savvy fantasy managers separate themselves by finding value where others don't, pinpointing players who can exceed expectations and provide premium production at a discount.
With this in mind, Yahoo experts Scott Pianowski, Fred Zinkie and Corbin Young have compiled a list of breakouts and sleepers to target this year. Here's a look at one breakout and sleeper pick from each category they covered: infielders, outfielders and pitchers.
INFIELDERS
Breakouts
Shea Langeliers, Athletics
Coming off a pair of productive seasons, Langeliers is a step away from a Cal Raleigh-esque campaign. The slugger was dominant in the second half of 2025, when he used improvements in fly ball rate and pull rate to hit .328 with 19 homers and 45 RBI in 57 games. He boosted his year-over-year batting average by more than 50 points, thanks to a vastly improved 19.7% strikeout rate. Langeliers barrels up the ball often, is part of a rapidly improving lineup and calls home to a hitter-friendly venue. He could produce 35-40 homers and 100 RBIs. FULL STORY >>
Sleepers
Sal Stewart, Reds
The Reds always seem to have too many options for too few offensive slots, so it’s generally a nervous exercise to promote one of their less-established players. But Stewart got our attention during an 118-game romp through the Minors last year (.309/.383/.524, with 20 homers at two levels). The Reds used him off-and-on during a September call-up, and although Stewart had 15 whiffs against just three walks, at least his connections were loud (five homers, .545 slugging). I’d like to hear some Terry Francona confirmation on Stewart’s role and batting slot before I jump into this recco with both feet, but Stewart at least carries plenty of plausible upside entering his age-22 season. FULL STORY >>
OUTFIELDERS
Breakouts
Matt Wallner, Twins
Wallner is the definition of an all-or-nothing masher, as is evidenced by his career 32.3% strikeout rate and 15.7% barrel rate. He dealt with terrible luck last season, as his .228 BABIP seemed nearly impossible for someone who hits the ball so hard. Even in a down year, he still managed to produce 22 homers in 336 at-bats, thanks to his penchant for producing pulled fly balls. Wallner also logged some time on the IL last year, and this time around he will use better durability and improved luck to hit .250 with 30 home runs. FULL STORY >>
Sleepers
Daylen Lile, Nationals
The market is giving you a giveaway draft price here; please take advantage. Lile wasn’t overmatched in his first run through the Majors, slashing .299/.437/.498 with nine homers and eight steals over 91 games. And the steal count is going to rise — he possesses a speed score in the 92nd percentile, and he had a silly 11 triples in 91 games last year. Some say the triple is a dying play in modern baseball — Lile is single-handedly bringing it back. His stolen-base success rate will rise as he gains experience. The Nationals were patient with Lile at the front of his debut, but he was hitting cleanup at the end of last season. This year, he’s slotted in the No. 3 spot, after James Wood and CJ Abrams and ahead of Dylan Crews. I probably can’t sell you on the bottom of the Washington lineup, but the top needs little defense. FULL STORY >>
PITCHERS
Breakouts
MacKenzie Gore, Rangers
Gore was the only starting pitcher with three pitches eliciting a swinging-strike rate at 18% or higher. That includes Gore’s slider (19.5%), changeup (20%) and cutter (18.8%). It’s worth noting that Gore introduced a cutter in 2024, which he primarily threw to right-handed hitters (6%) in 2025, as his fourth-most thrown pitch. It was a small sample of Gore’s cutters, but they were effective for whiffs against righties and weaker contact (.253 wOBA, .259 xwOBA). FULL STORY >>
Sleepers
Ryan Pepiot, Rays
Interestingly, Pepiot had one of his best seasons in 2025, pitching away from Tropicana Field. However, the draft market hasn’t valued him as highly as the prospects and those with smaller samples. In 2023 and 2024, Tropicana Field ranked third in strikeout park factors and 25th in offensive park factor. When the Rays played in George Steinbrenner Field in 2025, they ranked eighth in offensive park factor and 14th in strikeout park factor. Pepiot’s swinging-strike rate was at 13.5% in 2024, which dropped in 2025 (12.1%) with the ballpark change. His changeup leads his arsenal with a 15.4% swinging-strike rate in 2025, similar to his career average (14.5%). That aligns with the league-wide changeup swinging-strike average at 15.5%. Pepiot’s changeup generates an above-average vertical movement profile, leading to whiffs and weaker contact, specifically against left-handed hitters (.232 wOBA, .253 xwOBA) in 2025. FULL STORY >>