Entering the 2026 fantasy baseball season, third base is the weakest position in the sport. Unlike shortstop, first base, or the outfield, where there are several players who have earned the right to be called superstars, there aren’t many star-level third basemen in the majors right now. As such, it’s increasingly hard to find sleepers looking ahead to a new fantasy baseball season.
Here are three third basemen who could outperform their current fantasy ADP in 2026.
Carlos Correa’s 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook with the Astros
Correa was ready to be labeled a bust during his tenure with the Minnesota Twins, but things changed drastically for the better once he was traded back to the Houston Astros in 2025. The return to Houston seems to have unlocked something for the veteran, who also moved from shortstop to the hot corner, meaning he’ll have a lesser tax on his body from a defensive perspective, ultimately allowing him to focus more on his bat, which is a boost in fantasy as well.
Correa hit .276 with a .734 OPS in 2025, but if you look exclusively at his Houston numbers after the trade, he hit .290 with 6 homers, 21 RBI, and 23 runs scored, as well as a .785 OPS, in 51 games. If he stays healthy, we’re looking at a season of 20-plus homers, 70-plus RBI, and an OPS around the .800 mark. Given the weak state of the third base position, that kind of output is better than what his current ADP indicates.
Can Kazuma Okamoto Break Out for the Toronto Blue Jays?
Okamoto is perhaps one of the biggest question marks in fantasy ahead of the 2026 season, mainly because he’s a veteran player with a proven track record in Japan but zero experience stateside. Okamoto is coming off an excellent 2025 campaign in the NPB despite being limited by injuries, which led him to hit “only” 15 homers in 69 contests. Before that, Okamoto averaged 33 home runs per season from 2018 through 2024 in Japan’s NPB.
He’s going to have all the chances in the world to earn an everyday role as the Blue Jays’ starting third baseman. The question marks surrounding whether he’ll be able to handle MLB-caliber pitching play a role in his ADP in the upper 100s. However, if he adjusts well, he should be able to post solid numbers not only to make him an everyday starter but also to allow him to outperform his ADP with ease.
Why Jordan Lawlar Is a Fantasy Baseball Sleeper in 2026
Lawlar isn’t going to have eligibility at third base for a long time this season. He’s going to open the 2026 season as part of the outfield mix after struggling badly at the hot corner in 2025, but even if he changes positions as the season progresses, he is still considered a sleeper at the hot corner. Even if Lawlar struggled badly in a brief stint in the majors in 2025, the wiser move would be to overlook that.
After all, Lawlar hit .313 with 11 homers, 20 stolen bases, and a 41.4% hard-hit rate in Triple-A in 2025. With Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (knee) and Corbin Carroll (hand) sidelined to open the season, Lawlar could be a good option if you’re looking for a late-round flier. A decent, but not drastic, improvement from his 2025 numbers would be enough to improve his ADP. His bat seems MLB-ready.
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