The Fantasy Baseball Picks That WON Leagues in 2026

Which players actually won fantasy baseball leagues in 2026? DVR and Eno look back at the biggest fantasy baseball values of the season and build their 2026 All-ROI Team — highlighting the late-round draft picks, waiver-wire additions and overlooked players who dramatically exceeded expectations. The guys also revisit their fantasy draft strategies and the lessons they’ll take into 2027. When should you prioritize floor over ceiling? Is “skills over roles” still the best way to find late-round breakouts? And can this year’s success actually help us identify the next Pete Crow-Armstrong or Jacob Misiorowski? Niv Shah joins the show to examine the most profitable players in Ottoneu, including PCA’s enormous return, the difficult keeper decisions coming this offseason and whether there’s a blueprint for finding 2027’s breakout stars. Plus, it’s the final Taste the Majors review of 2026! The Philly Dog gets put to the test, and the crew has some ideas for how MLB’s ballpark hot dog series can take another step forward next season. Before Fantasy Friday begins, DVR and Eno break down the final weekend of the MLB regular season. The Phillies are still fighting to secure their playoff spot, their offense ranks near the bottom of MLB, and using Zack Wheeler on Sunday could complicate their Wild Card rotation. Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment! First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026 Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social e-mail: [email protected] Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels Rates & Barrels MERCH: https://rates-and-barrels.printify.me/ Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris Guest: Niv Shah Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis Editor: McEnroe Francis 00:00 Intro 00:32 The Final Weekend of Fantasy Baseball 02:38 What Did DVR Learn This Fantasy Season? 04:40 Rethinking Draft-and-Hold Strategy 06:15 Can the Phillies Survive the Final Weekend? 10:13 Philadelphia’s Offense Has Been a Disaster 11:20 MLB’s Final Playoff Spots 13:50 Do You Need Home Runs to Win in October? 17:17 Fantasy Friday: The 2026 All-ROI Team 17:58 Fantasy Baseball’s Biggest Draft-Day Bargains 18:48 Waiting on Catcher Paid Off 20:50 Jordan Walker’s Massive Return 22:19 The Best Waiver-Wire & Late-Round Finds 23:01 Jake McCarthy & Carson Benge Deliver 25:37 Sal Stewart Rewards the Skills-Over-Roles Approach 26:42 Brandon Lowe & Luis García Jr. 29:09 Otto Lopez’s $26 Fantasy Season 31:28 Is Kevin McGonigle Too Expensive for 2027? 32:05 Miguel Vargas Was a League Winner 34:22 Nolan Arenado’s Forgotten Bounceback 35:38 Jake McCarthy Thrives in Colorado 38:02 Ben Rice & Other Mid-Round Wins 39:27 Randy Arozarena’s Big Season 39:59 The Biggest Out-of-Nowhere Breakouts 40:29 Liam Hicks Comes From Nowhere 43:00 Ezekiel Duran’s Breakout 46:10 Finding Deep-League Unsung Heroes 47:03 Niv Shah Joins Rates & Barrels 47:23 Ottoneu’s Most Profitable Players 50:03 Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Massive Profit 51:52 The Mason Miller Keeper Decision 53:18 Difficult Keeper Decisions for 2027 53:56 How Did PCA & Misiorowski Break Out? 58:47 Can You Find the Next PCA? 59:20 Why Fantasy Success Isn’t Always Repeatable 1:00:46 A 2027 Anthony Volpe Rebound? 1:02:50 Taste the Majors: The Philly Dog 1:03:16 What Is Actually on the Philly Dog? 1:09:26 Our Hot Dog Plea for 2027 1:13:32 Building the Ultimate Ballpark Hot Dog 1:14:25 Farewell to Taste the Majors #FantasyBaseball #MLB #Baseball #FantasyBaseball2027 #RatesAndBarrels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.