2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Sleepers Deep Leagues

Despite missing a month of the season due to hamstring and knee injuries and only playing 107 games, Herrera posted career highs in home runs (19), RBI (66), and stolen bases (8) last season. He had a right elbow scope this offseason but is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Bo Naylor ( Cleveland Guardians)

Naylor is slowly developing into a good source of power at the fantasy baseball catcher position. His 14 home runs and 47 RBI in 123 games last season were career highs. Last season’s .195 batting average was a career low, but based on his late-season offensive surge there’s a real chance that he’ll break out in 2026.

Danny Jansen (Texas Rangers)

Jansen is another fantasy baseball catcher whose overall 2025 offensive stats don’t reflect the uptick in his late-season offensive push. He has bounced around between a few teams over the past couple of seasons, but there is still plenty of pop left in his swing, and Jansen may see regular playing time with the Texas Rangers in 2026.

Logan O’Hoppe (Los Angeles Angels)

O’Hoppe had a 2025 season that he’d soon rather forget. He got off to a quick start and had 14 home runs and 30 RBI in his first 47 games, but he was hit in the head by a batter’s backswing in late May. He didn’t miss time from that injury, but from that point forward he only hit five more home runs and batted just .179. The Angels have committed to using O’Hoppe as their everyday catcher in 2026, and based on his upside, he’s a good late-round fantasy baseball rebound target.

Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Moreno missed over 10 weeks of the 2025 season due to various injuries (shoulder, thumb, groin, hand) but still managed to provide fantasy baseball managers with a good batting average (.285) and modest power (9 HR in 83 games). He’s spent parts of the last three seasons on the IL, and if he can avoid the injury bug, Moreno could be a sleeper who produces like a top-tier fantasy baseball catcher.

Why These Catchers Are Overlooked Gems

Late 2025 Breakouts and Role Changes

Late-season increases in offensive production could help predict an upcoming fantasy baseball breakout season. A few of the previously mentioned fantasy baseball catchers had strong finishes to the 2025 season.

Once fully healthy, Ivan Herrera finished 2025 with 11 home runs and seven stolen bases in his final 65 games.

Bo Naylor made mid-season changes to his swing and finished 2025 with 16 RBI in his final 19 games, and he posted a .290 BA and .872 OPS during September.

Danny Jansen had a .281 BA and .870 OPS in his final 21 games of 2025.

Playing Time Projections

Herrera DH’ed for much of the 2025 season but logged 14 games as a catcher. He’s expected to split time behind the plate with rookie catcher Jimmy Crooks and possibly Pedro Pages, unless the latter gets traded. Herrera started four games in left field last season, so there’s potential for multi-position eligibility.

Even if Naylor’s 2026 offense doesn’t come close to matching his September 2025 surge, the Guardians are likely to keep him in their everyday lineup because of his defensive upside.

Jansen, O’Hoppe, and Moreno should also see regular playing time in 2026. Moreno’s biggest hurdle is his health. Jansen’s hurdle is the light-hitting Kyle Higashioka.

Category Contributions

All five of the fantasy baseball catcher deep league sleepers have modest power.

Based on his 2025 production, Herrera has the potential to hit 25 to 30 home runs.

O’Hoppe has 25 home run upside.

Jansen, Naylor, and Moreno all have the ability to hit upwards of 20 home runs. Barring injuries and with enough playing time, they each have a potential 15 home run floor.

Moreno has the higher ceiling, but both he and Herrera will almost certainly provide fantasy baseball managers with a batting average of .270 or above. Jansen, Naylor, and O’Hoppe could be a drain in the fantasy baseball batting average category.

Full-Year Projections

2026 Expected Stats by Player

Ivan Herrera

.275 BA, 25 HR, 75 RBI, 8 SB

Bo Naylor

.235 BA, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 6 SB

Danny Jansen

.225 BA, 15 HR, 50 RBI

Logan O’Hoppe

.240 BA, 22 HR, 60 RBI, 2 SB

Gabriel Moreno

.283 BA, 15 HR, 67 RBI, 5 SB

Multi-Category Upside

It’s rare for a fantasy baseball catcher to provide five-category production; however, once Herrera’s lower-body injuries were behind him last season, he was a stolen base threat. He has the potential to steal upwards of 10 bases.

Based on their track record, Naylor and Moreno can also possibly steal five-plus bases this upcoming season.

Draft and Waiver Strategy

Late-Round Sleeper Targets vs. Waiver Adds

The size of your league and whether your league requires you to start one or two catchers should determine if you draft one of the deep league sleeper catchers discussed in this article.

Herrera and Moreno have the lowest NFBC ADP, and on average you’d have to invest a 13th-round pick in a 14-team league to roster them.

You may be able to wait until the 17th round to draft O’Hoppe.

You can probably pick up Naylor with your last pick in a one-catcher 14-team league, or you can keep him and Jansen on your watch list and pick them up off your league’s waiver wire if they get off to a hot start.

Pairing With Elite Catchers

If you play in a two-catcher league, a good strategy could be to pair a deep league sleeper catcher covered in this article with an elite or top-tier fantasy baseball catcher.

Risks and Final Verdict

Rostering a deep league sleeper catcher can give you a leg up on the competition in your 14-team or larger fantasy baseball league. The players discussed in this article have upside, but they’re also risky. Perhaps their increased playing time doesn’t materialize. Maybe last season’s breakout isn’t sustainable.

The good news is that more deep league sleeper catchers will present themselves as the fantasy baseball season progresses. Keep an eye on trends and be ready to react quickly if one of your sleepers slumps. Always be ready to work the waiver wire.

These are three other deep sleeper fantasy baseball catchers that you should keep on your watch list:

• Carter Jensen (Kansas City Royals)
• Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers)
• Liam Hicks (Miami Marlins)

People Also Ask

Who are the best deep league catcher sleepers 2026?
Iván Herrera, Bo Naylor, and Danny Jansen lead.

Iván Herrera fantasy value 2026?
Breakout candidate with full-time role.

Bo Naylor sleeper potential?
Power and discipline in Cleveland lineup.

When to draft deep league catchers 2026?
Late rounds or early waivers.

Multi-position catchers 2026?
Danny Jansen offers flexibility.

Catcher depth 2026 fantasy?
Strong sleeper class in deep leagues.