Opening Day (and night) has officially come and gone, and the full slate of teams is in action this weekend. Baseball season is back! Check on your friends if they’re Aaron Judge or Paul Skenes owners after Game 1 for their respective teams. With the AL out of the way, it’s time to dive into the National League teams, identifying the players with the most potential to outperform their draft position in fantasy baseball. Reminder: Juan Soto, a known superstar, will go unmentioned for the New York Mets. These players are the ones who could create fantasy champions by largely outperforming their draft position. Here’s one player from each NL team that all fantasy managers should pay close attention to as the season kicks off.
Players to Watch in April for Fantasy Baseball: National League
NL East
Atlanta Braves: Michael Harris II
Harris ranks higher than any of the players covered in the AL section, but his fall from grace is the reason fantasy managers should keep a close eye on him as the season gets underway. Harris had a near-identical 2023 season to his 2022 Rookie of the Year campaign, but it’s been all downhill since.
His OPS by year goes .853, .808, .722, and tumbled down to .677 last season. It would look even worse if not for two .850+ OPS months in the middle of summer. The good news for Harris? Not much in his underlying metrics has changed. He generates good bat speed, and though his contact and hard-hit metrics declined a bit last year, all are still in a solid spot. What’s plummeting his OPS is his lack of patience; he walked just 2.5% of the time last year, worst in the league. His OBP cratered to .268. That, and a swing adjustment to get his launch angle back to where it was before last season, have to change.
But even with his struggles, Harris still went 20/20 last year. His expected batting average is in the top third of the league, indicating he experienced some bad luck last year. The tools are all there, and Harris is much too talented to continue struggling the way he has. He got drafted after round 10 in most leagues, and this is a top 30 caliber player at his best. Harris should rebound and be a massive steal for managers who took a chance on him.
Miami Marlins: Eury Perez
There are a couple of different options for Miami, but Perez has the most upside by far. He flashed his upside in 2023, when he entered the year as a top-three pitching prospect at age 20. He lost 2024 to injury and spent most of last year trying to rediscover his form. Now fully healthy, Perez looks ready to establish himself as one of the best young pitchers in baseball. At 6’8″, Perez is an imposing figure on the mound. His fastball touches 100 regularly and has deceptive life thanks to its movement and shape. He couples it with a nasty changeup that fades and tumbles away from hitters, and a slider that grades out even better than the curveball he featured in the minors.
Considered incredibly advanced on the mound for his youth and size, the 22-year-old earns praise for his mature presence and repeatable delivery. He has all the true makings of an ace. Perez went outside the top 100 picks, but this is a guy who could compete with Paul Skenes for the NL Cy Young. He’s that good. He can quickly establish himself as a top 10 pitcher in fantasy and a massive steal for owners lucky enough to land him.
New York Mets: Luis Robert Jr.
There is perhaps no player more intriguing to watch as the season kicks off than Robert. The former Chicago White Sox slugger has a new home in Queens and a larger range of outcomes than maybe any player in baseball. Once touted as “the Cuban Mike Trout,” Robert took the league by storm in 2023. He hit 38 home runs, stole 20 bags, and finished with an .857 OPS.
As a sensational defender, Robert shot up the center field rankings and looked like the next young star in baseball. Then, the White Sox happened, and Robert went from one of the best offensive threats in baseball to one of the worst. He finished with a sub .660 OPS across 2024 and 2025. Injuries played a part, but the White Sox also broke records as the worst baseball team in the modern era. A once-promising roster was completely overhauled and entered rebuild mode. Clubhouse vibes were a major storyline throughout. It simply seemed like Robert, along with the rest of the team, wasn’t having fun playing baseball.
Now Robert has a new home, and has seemed reinvigorated on a talented team with tons of star power. Reports out of camp are that Robert has been as dialed in as any player on the team. The speed has always been there, with 56 combined steals over the last two years. Can the power return in the middle of a loaded offense? All signs point to a massive bounce-back season. He has always had elite bat speed, and at one point, his batted ball and hard-hit metrics were among the best in the league. Strikeouts were always part of his game, even in his elite 2023 season, but even those have improved over the years. Chalk up the decline in batted ball metrics and exit velocity to a lack of motivation on a bad team.
Robert has a chance to redefine his career and re-establish himself as a top center fielder in the game. He went outside the top 100 in most drafts, and like the NL East players before him, has top 30 upside. His April should give a good indication whether he’s rediscovered his power and elite offensive output, and if he does, any fantasy manager that grabbed him will have gotten a massive boost to their lineup.
Luis Robert Jr. adds on for the @Mets in his debut in Queens! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/zsZWMBzbzr
— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies: Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford
The Phillies are the one team where two players will get the nod. Both players went largely undrafted; Painter may have gone towards the end of drafts, and could end the season in the top 100. Painter has topped MLB prospect rankings for a few years now despite a bumpy, injury-riddled start to his career. He profiles similarly to Perez, really. He has a high 90’s fastball with good ride up in the zone, a good slider/curveball duo, and a deceptive changeup. He’s 6′ 7″, was considered an advanced arm in the draft, and ranked even higher than Perez in prospect rankings.
Crawford is the son of four-time All-Star Carl Crawford and has a similar profile. Power isn’t his game, but he’s got elite speed and an above-average hit tool. He makes a ton of contact and has hit the ball harder every year he’s been a pro. He gets on base a ton, with a career .322 average, and has stolen over 40 bases in all three seasons. Now he enters a strong Phillies lineup, where he’ll have a chance to contribute from opening day.
Painter has ace-level upside, but with Zack Wheeler returning, April will be crucial for him. He’ll have to pitch well enough to push Taijuan Walker from the rotation, or he’ll be the odd man out. Ideally, Crawford can work himself into a lead-off role ahead of the Phillies’ strong core. Either way, he should contribute in average, steals, runs, and OPS if he continues getting on base at a high clip. Both players must earn their keep early in the season, but should already occupy the ends of benches at the very least. The upside is too good to wait on.
Washington Nationals: Daylen Lile
Lile got his first look at the majors last year and was electric the whole way. The fact that he was available for fantasy managers as late as he was in drafts was a steal for those smart enough to jump on him. In 91 games, Lile hit .299 with a .302 expected batting average, placing him in the 100th percentile of the sport. That’s pretty good. He hit nine home runs, stole eight bases, and had ELEVEN triples. He didn’t walk much, but didn’t strike out, whiff, or chase much, either; all very positive signs for a young player. The power output was a bit surprising, but the rest was in line with Lile’s production in the minors. He’s always stolen lots of bases, hit for solid average, and led the minors in triples in 2024.
Lile will open the season above former top prospect Dylan Crews in the starting lineup. That’s how confident the Nationals are in his potential, as Crews was their second overall pick in 2023. He could produce in all five categories for fantasy managers that took him towards pick 200, and has easy top 100 potential.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong
The breakout happened for PCA last year, but it was a tale of two halves. Through 95 games, he was an MVP candidate, hitting 25 home runs and stealing 27 bases with an .847 OPS. In his last 62 games, he hit just six home runs, had eight steals, and the OPS plummeted to .634. All told, it was a 31/35 season with a .768 OPS. Hitting lefties, taking walks, and chasing out of the zone are his biggest holes. His development in those areas will define his value for fantasy managers, with a wide range of outcomes.
PCA went around the 4th or 5th round in this year’s fantasy drafts. If his season numbers end up where they did last year, that is about where his value lies. If he is the PCA of the first half, he’s a top-10 overall player. But, should he struggle as he did in the second half of 2025, he would drop outside of the top 100 of fantasy players. For real baseball, Crow-Armstrong is a great asset as an outstanding defensive outfielder. He does have an elite work ethic and veterans around him to help him improve his approach at the plate.
The safe bet is to expect a step forward from the newly extended young star, but there is risk in his profile. That’s what lands him here, as a National League player for fantasy baseball owners to closely watch in April. It’s a long season, but how he performs early could give some indication of whether he’s a top 10 or top 100 fantasy asset.
Cincinnati Reds: Matt McLain
It’s really hard not to mention Chase Burns, who has the ceiling of his teammate Hunter Greene. The former second overall pick will get his chance early in the year with Green and Nick Lodolo shelved with injury, so definitely keep tabs on his performance. McLain is by far the biggest potential riser on this team, though, and has league-winning potential for fantasy managers.
A shoulder injury ended his season in 2024 and clearly impacted him throughout last season. Shoulder injuries are brutal for baseball players to play through. Just ask Cody Bellinger, who suffered a shoulder injury in 2021 and finished that season with a .542 OPS and -1.5 WAR. The next year, he managed just a .654 OPS. Bellinger wasn’t just an average player beforehand, either; he was the 2017 rookie of the year and 2019 NL MVP, hitting 47 home runs with a 1.035 OPS. And just three years later, many wondered if his career was over. Bellinger has since rebounded, and McLain seems likely to do the same.
Matt McLain is DESTROYING Spring Training.
1st in OPS (1.591)
1st in Batting Average (.529)
1st in Home Runs (7)
1st in Runs (18)
1st in Hits (27)
1st in OBP (.571)
1st in SLG (1.020) pic.twitter.com/vR2DrJbAK2— SleeperMLB (@SleeperMLB) March 23, 2026
In 2023, McLain placed fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in just 89 games. He hit 16 home runs and stole 14 bases with a .290 average and .864 OPS. That’s 30/30 type potential over a full year. McLain is now a couple of years removed from his own shoulder injury and was the star of spring training. He hit seven home runs, with an absurd .502 average and 1.540 OPS. If McLain does indeed rediscover his form, he immediately catapults to the top five of second basemen — and could make a case to be even higher. He went beyond the top 200 in most drafts, and with second base being one of the two thinnest positions in fantasy baseball, it’s not an exaggeration to say he has league-winning potential for the managers who stashed him.
Milwaukee Brewers: Kyle Harrison
When the Brewers trade away offense to acquire pitching, it’s notable. They’re one of the best organizations in the league at maximizing pitcher potential. Harrison has gone under the radar by fantasy managers this offseason, but that won’t last for long. Before Harrison was with Boston, he was in the San Francisco Giants’ organization as their top prospect in 2023 and 2024. He dominated throughout the minors right out of high school, but never found the same success in the majors with a career 4.39 ERA. But the Brewers see his upside, and for good reason.
Harrison’s biggest issue has been control, because the stuff and deception are there. His low arm slot gives his pitches good shape and movement, and his fastball plays well above its mid-90’s velocity. The Brewers believe they can harness his control and make him a dominant lefty for their rotation. They have a long track record of doing so with their starters, and he’s made the opening day rotation thanks to a very solid spring.
The Brewers have tons of pitching options, so how Harrison starts will determine how long he sticks around. If he sticks, he has top-30 pitching upside and becomes a huge steal for proactive fantasy managers who snag him. If not, he was completely off draft boards, so there’s no harm done.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Konnor Griffin
This one needs very little explanation, as Griffin is the #1 prospect in baseball and the future of this Pirates offense. He’s starting the season in the minors, but if the Pirates are at all serious about this season, he should be up sooner rather than later. Griffin is just 19 years old, but has little left to prove in minor league ball. In his first full professional season, he hit 23 home runs and stole 65 bases. He led all minor league players with a 165 WRC+. The only tool that was in question as he entered pro ball was his hit tool, as he boasts plus power, speed, and defense. A mechanical adjustment allowed him to erase that concern in his first year out of high school. Griffin hit four home runs in spring training, but he also struck out 13 times in 46 appearances.
The Pirates clearly think Griffin should get into a groove at Triple-A before putting the weight of their season on his young shoulders. With the type of talent he has, it shouldn’t be more than a month before he makes his debut. It’s not often that 19 year-0lds make an impact right away, but Griffin is of the same ilk as guys who have, like Juan Soto and Bryce Harper. When Griffin gets the call, he represents one of the biggest potential risers in the sport. League-winning potential exists for managers who drafted him late and are patient early.
St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt
With Griffin and Kevin McGonigle making so much noise, Wetherholt has gotten a bit lost in the shuffle. Don’t let that distract from him being the #5 prospect in baseball, with as much upside as either of them. Wetherholt won a batting title in college, hitting .449 in his sophomore year, and brought that ability to the pros. He hit .306 in his first full season at Double-A and Triple-A, with 17 home runs and 23 steals. His ability to make strong contact to all fields generates lots of hard hit balls and very little swing and miss. There is legit 20/20 potential and .300 average ability.
JJ WETHERHOLT 😤
He leaves the yard in his Major League debut! pic.twitter.com/4NNDZYirt6
— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026
Wetherholt is on the Opening Day roster and hit a home run for his first major league hit on Thursday. He typically got taken right around where Griffin did in fantasy drafts this year. As an older, more experienced professional player, he might have a better chance to make an impact this year than Griffin. The young talent in the game is bright, and Wetherholt is among the brightest. Multi-positional eligibility and a strong offensive profile make him a fantastic asset for fantasy managers. This might be the last time he’s drafted outside the top 50.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Jordan Lawlar
Lawlar hovered around the top 10 prospects in baseball from 2023-2025, and broke camp with the Diamondbacks for the first time this year. Injuries and inconsistent playing time have diminished his hype, but the former sixth overall pick has a ton of upside. This could be the year he delivers on his potential now that he’s finally getting a shot as a daily starter.
Lawlar mashed at every level in the minors, with a career .910 OPS, 49 home runs, and 102 stolen bases. Speed is his best tool, but he has real 20 home run potential. He rarely expands the zone and walked at least 10% each year in the minors. Injuries derailed much of his 2023-2025 seasons. Arizona struggled to find him consistent playing time when he was healthy and bounced him between the majors and minors frequently. Young players who aren’t getting daily at-bats struggle to find consistency, and Lawlar was no exception. This year, he’s getting consistent playing time, and may be one of the biggest post-hype sleepers in baseball.
He was mostly undrafted in fantasy leagues and could catapult up rankings if he plays to his potential. He’s another league-winning candidate, with easy 20/30 potential right away.
Colorado Rockies: Chase Dollander
There’s not much to be excited about with the Rockies this year. For the first time in a long time, a pitcher represents the biggest upside for Colorado. Dollander did not have much fun as a rookie, with a 6.52 ERA in 21 starts. But the former top Rockies prospect flashed in the minors with a high-90’s fastball, a sharp fading changeup, and a strong mix of curveballs and sliders. He went ninth overall in the 2023 draft after being named the SEC pitcher of the year in 2022. The upside is there, and reports this spring were that he lowered his arm angle, which was giving his fastball new life and making his off-speed offerings more deceptive.
In a bit of a surprise move, the Rockies did move him to the bullpen to start the season. This is worth monitoring, because it’s not like the Rockies have much upside in their rotation. Perhaps they want Dollander to iron out some wrinkles early in the year as he hones in his new delivery. There is a lot of excitement about Dollander as a front-line starter for a team that badly needs one. He should be starting games again soon.
The upside with Dollander may not be as high as others. Colorado is a notoriously difficult place to pitch, and the Rockies figure to lose 100+ games. However, fantasy managers know that pitching depth gets tested through a long season.
Dollander was way off draft boards and may end up being a solid value for managers who roster him. He could give fantasy managers and the Rockies some solid innings as the year goes on.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Emmet Sheehan
It’s hard to find draft value from this loaded Dodgers team, but Sheehan has the best chance of outperforming his draft position in a meaningful way for fantasy managers. Of all the guys in this Dodgers rotation, Sheehan could be a sneaky candidate to lead the team in innings pitched. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both miss 10-15 starts per year. Shohei is too important to make more than 20-ish starts. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki haven’t displayed injury worries yet, but Roki’s inconsistency as a starter is still getting figured out, and Yamamoto is the team’s best pitcher.
Essentially, the Dodgers’ season doesn’t start until October, meaning any ailment Yamamoto is feeling will likely lead to an extended absence. All the Dodgers care about is having their squad ready for a three-peat. That leaves Sheehan, who was never atop the Dodgers’ prospect ranks but has developed into a promising young pitcher.
After missing 2024 with Tommy John, Sheehan made 12 starts in 2025, with a 2.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts in 73 innings. He was among the league leaders in chase, whiff, and strikeout percentages. His breakout can be attributed to an improved slider that had a 23% swinging-strike rate and a high-90’s fastball with tons of vertical break. The increase in swing-and-miss caliber stuff has changed Sheehan’s outlook from a mid-rotation starter to a potential ace.
By sheer availability and consistency, Sheehan has a chance to lead a Dodgers rotation with elite talent top to bottom. He was drafted outside the top 100, but clearly has the potential to be a top 20 pitcher in baseball. Sheehan could be one of the best pitcher values in the draft, and a strong April would cement his spot in the rotation.
San Diego Padres: Jackson Merrill
Like the Dodgers, the Padres are a veteran-laden team. In fantasy, their stars are being drafted near peak value. The one exception is Merrill, who hopes to bounce back following a rocky 2025 season. Merrill placed 2nd in 2024 NL Rookie of the Year voting and garnered MVP votes in a sensational season. He hit 24 home runs, stole 16 bases, and finished with a .290 average and .826 OPS. A couple of injuries cost him 50 games last year, and he still finished with solid numbers, but never got into a rhythm like his rookie campaign.
Under the hood, Merrill was largely the same player in both seasons. He has excellent launch angle, barrel rate, and expected slugging/average metrics. He struck out a bit more and lost a bit on his hard-hit rate and exit velocity, but that can be attributed to injury. There was improvement to his walk rate, but it was the one area of his game that badly needed it. He was near the bottom of the league in 2024.
How did Jackson Merrill get to this pitch?! pic.twitter.com/fnRMFHjOg3
— MLB (@MLB) March 20, 2026
A fully healthy Merrill is expected to be among the elites of the center field position. He has the power/speed combo of a 30/30 type player. He also has the contact skills and plate discipline to get on base at a high level. Five-category producers in fantasy baseball are a rare breed, which is what makes Merrill a potential draft value. He went around the fifth or sixth round of most fantasy drafts, but could be inside the top 30 players next year.
San Francisco Giants: Bryce Eldridge
Like the Dodgers and Padres before them, the Giants have tons of veteran presence and not a lot of unknown commodities. While he didn’t crack the Opening Day roster, Eldridge has the biggest potential of anyone on the roster to change the dynamic of the Giants’ lineup and fantasy team upside.
Apart from being a lefty, Eldridge draws a lot of comparisons to Aaron Judge. For one, he’s 6’7″, a massive presence in the batter’s box. He has elite power and has exit velocity averages that mirror Judge. He has huge power and 40 home run upside, demonstrated when he hit 25 home runs in 100 games last year despite being hampered by a couple of injuries.
So, why is Eldridge in the minors for a Giants team that could badly use another power bat? The hit tool has always been the issue with Eldridge, and strikeouts remain a huge problem. He chases way too much out of the zone and struck out at a 30% clip last season. He struck out 19 times in spring training and 13 times in 37 at-bats when called up last season. Encouragingly, though, he did take seven walks.
The Giants need Eldridge to improve his swing decisions and ability to hit off-speed pitches. Only then can he become a staple in the lineup. But he’s worth a stash, especially in leagues that utilize minor-league roster spots. He’s a top 25 prospect in the game for a reason, and probably the top pure power prospect in the game. Mostly undrafted, he’d be an immediate candidate for waiver-wire add of the year if the breakout happens.
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