Perez keeps getting it done

It’s fun to target breakout players and sleepers in fantasy baseball. Hitting on the right one can help you bring home a title. However, there are some boring veterans who can also play a key role in a winning fantasy squad. Here are five of them to consider when navigating your drafts.

Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals (ADP 95)

Perez will turn 36 years old in May. Since he entered the league in 2011, he has been one of the most productive catchers in fantasy. Last season was no exception as he provided 30 home runs and 100 RBI. That marked the third time in the last five seasons that he reached at least 100 RBI. The downside to his 2025 campaign was that he batted .236 with a .311 wOBA.

Despite his drop in batting average. Perez had a 14.7% barrel rate that was the second-highest mark of his career. His 19.5% strikeout rate was also in line with his career mark. He provides a high floor for power, and a lot of durability for a catcher.  Across the last five seasons, he appeared in at least 140 games four times. Even at his age, Perez remains one of the top catching options for fantasy.

Jose Altuve, Houston Astros (ADP 98)

Altuve showed his versatility last season, spending time in left field for the Astros. His batting average was disappointing at .265, but he provided 26 home runs, 80 runs scored, 77 RBI and 10 steals while appearing in 155 games. He might have even been a bit unlucky, with his BABIP finishing at .283. For his career, he has a .326 BABIP.

The veteran will shift back to second base this season with youngster Zach Cole expected to receive an opportunity to start in left field. Altuve will turn 36 years old in May, so his days as a peak base stealer are well behind him. However, there’s no reason to think that he can’t bat around .275 with at least 20 home runs and 80 runs scored. That’s valuable production this late in drafts, especially at a second base position that isn’t very deep.

Teoscar Hernandez, Los Angeles Dodgers (ADP 120)

The Dodgers continued to make headlines this offseason by bringing in Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. Their lineup was already among the best in baseball last year, so adding Tucker to it certainly helps their chances of winning a third straight World Series. Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are arguably the most potent foursome in the league.

As part of the Dodgers loaded lineup last season, Hernandez provided 25 home runs and 89 RBI, despite seeing his wOBA drop to .315. In his first season with the Dodgers, he had 33 home runs, 99 RBI and a .360 wOBA. It’s also worth noting that Hernandez played 20 fewer games last season because of injury. If he can play around 145 games again, he feels like a lock to at least approach 25 home runs and 100 RBI. He has a career .340 wOBA, so he could also bounce back in that department.

Taylor Ward, Baltimore Orioles (ADP 124)

Ward’s career with the Angels came to an end this winter with him being traded to the Orioles. Although he only batted .228 last season, he recorded 36 home runs, 103 RBI and 86 runs scored. He has appeared in at least 135 games in a season three times in his career. In each of those seasons, he launched a minimum of 23 home runs.

Despite setting a new career high with 13.7% barrel rate last year, Ward had a .257 BABIP. That’s not even close to his career .292 BABIP. Now part of a scary Orioles lineup that also includes Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday, Ward shouldn’t have any problems racking up counting stats. If his BABIP can also normalize, he could significantly outproduce his ADP.

Pete Fairbanks, Miami Marlins (ADP 156)

Fairbanks changed teams this summer, but remained in the state of Florida, moving from Tampa Bay to Miami. He had 27 saves for the Rays last season, despite them only winning 77 games. The Marlins won 79 games, so this change in teams isn’t exactly a downgrade for his chances of accumulating saves. The question mark that comes with Fairbanks is his ability to stay healthy. He pitched 60 1/3 innings last season. Prior to that, he had never logged more than 45 1/3 innings in a year.

Fairbanks has a lot of what you want in a closer. He can miss bats, posting a career 30.0% strikeout rate. He has also produced a WHIP of 1.04 or lower in three of the last four seasons. There is the potential that the Marlins could trade him at the deadline, but he could even close with his new team, depending on where he lands. If Fairbanks can stay healthy, he feels like a lock for 20+ saves, with the upside for him to approach 30 saves. He’s going outside the top 150 right now, so make him a priority if you decide to attack saves late in your draft.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.