We are weeks away from the start of the 2026 MLB season. However, time flies, and that means fantasy baseball players should start prepping for the upcoming season. Our first fantasy rankings for the year highlight the top 200 players available, as we march on towards Opening Day.

The top 20

Here’s our top 20 to start things off:

Rank	Player	Team	Position
1	Shohei Ohtani	Dodgers	SP/DH
2	Aaron Judge	Yankees	OF
3	Juan Soto	Mets	OF
4	Tarik Skubal	Tigers	SP
5	Bobby Witt Jr.	Royals	SS
6	Francisco Lindor	Mets	SS
7	Corbin Carroll	Diamondbacks	OF
8	Paul Skenes	Pirates	SP
9	Jose Ramirez	Guardians	3B
10	Ronald Acuna Jr.	Braves	OF
11	Julio Rodriguez	Mariners	OF
12	Garrett Crochet	Red Sox	SP
13	Cal Raleigh	Mariners	C
14	Nick Kurtz	Athletics	1B
15	Fernando Tatis Jr.	Padres	OF
16	Pete Crow-Armstrong	Cubs	OF
17	Kyle Schwarber	Phillies	OF/DH
18	Ketel Marte	Diamondbacks	2B
19	Junior Caminero	Rays	3B
20	Jazz Chisholm Jr.	Yankees	2B

As expected, nothing too crazy or strange here. All of the players listed above here were fantasy standouts last season, including breakout stars Nick Kurtz, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Junior Caminero. Plus, both the 2025 MVP and Cy Young Award winners.

However, this is a preseason rankings list for a reason: because a lot can go wrong between now and Opening Day 2026.

Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll went under the knife for hand surgeries, which could cloud their availability for the start of the 2026 season. Now, neither is expected to miss significant time past Opening Day — assuming the two aren’t available for late March — which is why those are still here.

But, watch what happens in the spring, as a lot of change.

The rest of the top 200 can be found on our rankings page.

Things to watch in the preseason

One, how will some of the unknowns perform in the spring?

If you look at the top 200, you’ll notice that several notable pitchers like Kyle Bradish and Brandon Woodruff are not on it. Those two decisions are injury-related, although both can easily move up with healthy, strong preseasons.

Two, which rookies will raise or lower their values in camp?

JJ Wetherholt could have made the top 200. But since Wetherholt isn’t a sure lock to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, we’ll wait until later on in the spring to update things.

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