Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2026 โ Undervalued Players According to NUT
Most sleeper lists are built on vibes. A guy had a good spring, someone saw his swing on Twitter, an analyst likes his peripherals. That's fine โ but it's not data.
This list is different. We used NUT Score โ which measures how many wins a player adds using only hitting and pitching โ to find players who quietly produced at a high level in 2025 and are starting 2026 hot. These are players the numbers say are undervalued.
Every player on this list either had a strong 2025 NUT, is trending in the first week of 2026, or both.
Hitting Sleepers
1. Sal Stewart โ CIN 3B
The #1 trending hitter on Baseball Nut right now. Stewart is a 22-year-old rookie who's showing elite plate discipline with 5 walks in his first week. His contact quality and walk rate suggest this isn't a fluke โ he's seeing the ball at a level beyond his age. If he's available in your league, grab him now.
2. Munetaka Murakami โ CWS 3B
Japan's home run king arrived and immediately showed why NPB's best power hitter translates. Three homers in his first week with a patient approach (4 BB). On a bad White Sox team, he'll get every opportunity to hit. The power is generational โ think 40+ HR upside if he stays healthy.
3. Brandon Lowe โ PIT 2B
Lowe posted a +1.1 NUT in 2025 โ solid Above Avg production that most managers overlooked because he was on Tampa Bay. Now on Pittsburgh, he's mashing: 3 homers in the first week. At 2B eligibility, this is real value. The early 2026 power surge suggests he's picking up where he left off.
4. Shea Langeliers โ ATH C
Langeliers quietly put up a +2.4 NUT in 2025 on Oakland โ Good tier โ and already has 3 HR in 2026. Catcher is a wasteland in fantasy. A guy producing at this level at the position is a cheat code, and nobody watches Oakland games to notice.
5. Jo Adell โ LAA LF
The former top prospect showed real progress in 2025 with a +1.0 NUT โ his first positive season. The strikeout rate dropped and the raw power started translating. He's still being drafted as a late-round flier, but a +1.0 NUT says he's already an above-average contributor. If the 2025 growth continues, this is a steal.
6. Byron Buxton โ MIN CF
Buxton is perpetually undervalued because of injuries. But when healthy in 2025, he was a +2.5 NUT โ Good tier with elite upside. The power-speed combo is rare, and his .878 OPS proves the tools still play. He's always a risk, but the NUT says the production is there when he's on the field.
7. Joey Wiemer โ WSH LF
Wiemer is trending #2 on Baseball Nut with a ridiculous .800 AVG through the first week. Small sample, yes โ but 2 HR and 3 BB in 10 at-bats shows power and discipline, which is what NUT cares about. He's 26 and on a Washington team giving young players every opportunity. If this is a breakout, you want in early.
High-Risk, High-Reward
These players don't have the 2025 NUT track record of the names above. They're either rookies, bounce-back candidates, or international arrivals. The risk is real โ but so is the upside if you get them cheap.
Chase DeLauter โ CLE RF
DeLauter debuted in September 2025 and immediately hit. Now he has 4 HR in his first full week โ leading all rookies in power. The walk rate is low (1 BB), which is a concern, but you don't hit 4 HR in a week by accident. He was the #16 overall pick in the 2022 draft for a reason. The ceiling is a 30-HR corner outfielder.
Mike Trout โ LAA RF
Is this the year Trout stays healthy? He's looked like vintage Trout in the first week โ 2 HR and 7 walks in 17 at-bats. The plate discipline is still elite. The risk is obvious: he's played 36, 79, and 58 games the last three seasons. But if you can get him at his depressed ADP and he plays 130+ games, this is a league-winning pickup.
Jordan Walker โ STL RF
Walker was supposed to be a franchise cornerstone but struggled in 2024-2025, bouncing between the majors and minors. He's showing a more patient approach in 2026 (3 BB in 13 AB) and the power is still there. He's 23. If the swing change sticks, you're getting a top-50 player at a waiver wire price.
Colt Keith โ DET 2B
Keith's rookie 2025 was underwhelming โ the power didn't translate from the minors. But he's hitting .429 through Opening Week with a solid approach. He's only 23, the talent was always real, and Detroit is committed to him as their everyday second baseman. The contact-first approach could mean a Whit Merrifield-style breakout.
Luis Robert Jr. โ NYM CF
Robert was a fantasy first-rounder two years ago. Injuries and inconsistency cratered his value, and now he's on the Mets looking to rebuild. He's showing early signs of life: 1 HR and 3 BB in 12 at-bats. The five-tool talent never left โ it's the health. If you believe in the talent and the change of scenery, this is the cheapest Robert has ever been.
Pitching Sleepers
1. Jesรบs Luzardo โ PHI SP
Luzardo posted a +2.3 NUT in 2025 โ Good tier โ despite an ERA that doesn't scream ace. That's NUT doing its job: his FIP was significantly better than his ERA because Philadelphia's defense helped him in ways ERA captures but FIP strips out. He's a high-strikeout lefty being drafted as a mid-rotation arm. NUT says he's better than that.
2. Framber Valdez โ HOU SP
Valdez is the workhorse nobody talks about. A +1.3 NUT in 2025 with Houston's pitching infrastructure behind him. His ground-ball rate suppresses home runs, which is exactly what FIP rewards. He eats innings and limits damage. In a fantasy landscape obsessed with strikeouts, Valdez is the boring pick that quietly wins you categories.
3. Sonny Gray โ BOS SP
Gray's 4.28 ERA in 2025 looks mediocre. But his +1.2 NUT tells a different story โ he was genuinely above average by the metrics that matter (strikeouts vs walks vs home runs). Now on Boston with a solid defense behind him, the ERA should catch up to the FIP. He's being drafted like a streamer. NUT says he's a set-and-forget SP3.
4. David Peterson โ NYM SP
Peterson quietly posted a positive NUT in 2025 despite a 4.22 ERA. The Mets lefty limits walks and home runs โ exactly what FIP (and therefore NUT) rewards. He's a free pickup in most leagues. A +1.0 NUT from your last roster spot is a cheat code.
5. Dylan Cease โ SD SP
Cease's 4.55 ERA scared off fantasy managers, but his NUT was still positive at +0.8. That's because Cease is a strikeout machine โ his K rate compensates for the walks in NUT's FIP-based calculation. If he tightens the walk rate even slightly in 2026, you're looking at a top-25 arm at a waiver-wire price.
Find Your Own Sleepers
Every player on this list was found using tools built into Baseball Nut โ all free, no account required:
- Stats leaderboard โ sort by NUT to find high-value players the box score doesn't reveal
- Trending Players โ see who's hot this week based on 7-day NUT
- Player comparison โ compare any two players side-by-side to settle debates
- Trade analyzer โ evaluate fantasy trades using NUT values instead of gut feel
The sleeper wire moves fast. By the time a player shows up on ESPN's โtrendingโ page, it's too late. NUT catches them earlier because it measures real production, not hype.
How We Picked These Sleepers
We started with the 2025 full-season NUT leaderboard and filtered for players who aren't household names โ no Judge, no Ohtani, no Skubal. Then we cross-referenced with the first week of 2026 trending data to find players who are confirming their 2025 breakout or flashing new upside.
Every sleeper on this list passes at least one of two tests: a strong 2025 NUT (proving sustained production) or an elite start to 2026 (proving the talent is real). Most pass both.