Runs and steals hold value in nearly every type of league, no matter the size or scoring type. But as drafts go on, it can be difficult to find players who provide those stats. Players available late in drafts tend to have playing time or injury concerns, but some may just be overlooked. Below are a few possibly overlooked players who are late-round targets for steals and runs.
2026 Fantasy Baseball Late Round Targets for SB and R
PHI OF Justin Crawford (265 ADP)
With the departure of Nick Castellanos, it appears likely that Justin Crawford will crack the big league roster to start the year and earn significant playing time in the outfield. Even if he does not, and the team chooses to hold him in the minors, he should end up with an opportunity to produce at some point this season.
Crawford’s value lies most in his ability to run. He was an on-base machine throughout the minors, and ended each of his 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons with at least 40 steals between all levels of the minors. With a total of 145 steals in 177 attempts throughout his career in the minors, he has an 81.9% success rate. That is slightly above league average and is a skill that should transfer well to the majors.
Crawford is also an excellent late target for scoring runs. Philly was top-10 last season in runs, home runs, and RBI, so as long as he can get on base, the Phillies’ offense should be able to send him home. Here he is with Philly’s first hit of the spring:
Wasting no time! Our first hit of the spring comes courtesy of Justin Crawford pic.twitter.com/EHLKCRl5kd
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 21, 2026
In 10-team leagues, you could make Crawford one of your last picks. For 12-teamers, he likely goes after round 20. Either way, he is an excellent late-round target for any steal or run-needy teams.
TB Cedric Mullins (304 ADP)
Cedric Mullins posted a near 20-20 season in 2025, launching 17 home runs and swiping 22 bases. He scored 55 runs, as well, albeit with a .216 AVG. That should bounce back a bit, as his suppressed BABIP suggests he hit into some bad luck, especially considering improvements to his line drive and pull rates. Mullins returning to the production he saw while on the Orioles may not be out of the question.
Mullins is one season removed from 30 steals, something he has done three times since 2021. He is entering his age-31 season, and has not necessarily reached an aging cliff yet. He has also been relatively durable, reaching 140 games in three of the last five seasons. As a member of the Rays this season, he should not face playing time concerns and should be their primary center fielder. With the playing time, fantasy managers should not see a significant drop-off in production, especially with steals. The Rays were the most aggressive team on the basepaths last season, swiping 194 bases. Milwaukee was second in steals with 164.
Mullins should also likely find himself in the top half of the order for the Rays, which should afford him plenty of plate appearances and scoring opportunities.
Fantasy managers are missing something here, with Mullins going so late in drafts. He has playing time and production on his side. Ignore the bad AVG from last season and bank on a return to form for the veteran.
LAA OF Josh Lowe (312 ADP)
Josh Lowe is another lefty-hitting outfielder with poor splits against lefty pitchers. While 2025 was a rough year for Lowe against LHP – he batted just .165 against them – he had more at-bats against them than ever before in a season. That may be a sign that managers are willing to let him try more against them. He could also get more time against lefty pitchers as his likely righty-hitting platoon partner is 28-year-old rookie Gustavo Campero.
Do not forget, Lowe is two seasons removed from a 20-homer, 32-steal season in 2023, where he hit .235 against LHP and .292 overall. He reached those marks playing in 135 games, tallying 501 plate appearances. While a strikeout rate that typically lands above 25 will likely keep him from reaching that batting average again, he could certainly produce similar statistical results with playing time.
Lowe is an excellent baserunner. In his career, he has been caught just eight times in 87 attempts. Projection systems expect a bounce back in runs.
After pick 300, Lowe is an excellent candidate to add runs and steals to your outfield depth. He carries some risk, but at this point in the draft, he could return immense value. Lowe is a great player to add late for runs and steals.
STL OF Victor Scott II (325 ADP)
Victor Scott II’s .216 AVG last season was not pretty, but there were encouraging signs otherwise. He improved his strikeout and walk rate from his 2024 debut season, and dramatically improved his OBP. Perhaps he takes another step in 2026, especially as the primary centerfielder, with no real competition for playing time.
Scott scored 54 runs in 138 games for the Cardinals last season, and most projection systems expect him to exceed that total this year. St. Louis expects Jordan Walker, Ivan Herrera, Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, and Nolan Gorman to take steps forward. If a few of them can help the Cardinals’ offense a little more than last season, Scott should have no problem surpassing his run total from last season.
Scott also swiped 34 bags last year, and despite the low average, the steals can be incredibly valuable to fantasy teams that punted steals early. Scott touted an 85% steal success rate in the minors, well above average. His success rate in the majors is an even better 88%. His success is not just luck or speed; he is an incredibly intelligent base stealer as well. Here he is talking about stealing and his strategy:
Does Victor Scott II always have the green light to steal bases?
On Episode 101, the Cardinals center fielder dove into the art of base stealing. FULL Episode ⬇️ #LouSportsTalk #ForTheLou #STLCards pic.twitter.com/gwb0D0eFb2
— The Lou Sports Talk (@lousportstalk_) March 4, 2026
Scott is an excellent late target for anyone looking for steals and runs. But fantasy managers need to plan on Scott likely hitting close to the Mendoza Line and draft accordingly prior to selecting him.
TOR 2B Andrés Giménez (364 ADP)
Fantasy managers seem to be missing something here. Prior to 2025, Andrés Giménez had finished a season with an AVG below .251 just once in four years. Then in 2025, he had a major dip in production, hitting for .210, with 7 homers and 12 steals – his lowest totals in a season since 2021. Clearly, his ankle and quad injuries hampered him, landing him on the IL in two separate stints and limiting him to 101 games.
Giménez had typically been durable before the 2025 season. He had three straight seasons of 140 games played or more. From 2022-2024, Giménez tallied 66, 76, and 64 runs scored and 20, 30, and 30 steals, respectively, in those seasons. Giménez is just 27, gets on base, has a sub-20% strikeout rate for his career, and plays on one of the best offenses in baseball in Toronto. He should absolutely score runs as the team’s primary shortstop or second baseman, depending on their defensive alignments. Most importantly, he is healthy and can put some strength into his swings. Here he is knocking in a run for the Jays this spring:
RBI double ripped to the gap by Andres Gimenez – Agent Zero – looks great at shortstop for the #Bluejays this spring 🤘☀️🌴 pic.twitter.com/k8tU21HRdO
— OK Blue Jays (@JaysClubhouse) February 28, 2026
Giménez did not run very much last year, partially because he played less, but partially because of leg injuries. His quad injury clearly bothered him, and he landed on the IL with an ankle sprain as well. For three straight years in Cleveland, he was a lock to swipe 20 bags. Toronto desperately needed to add steals, totaling the third fewest in baseball last season. Giménez will help that number tick up this year.
Giménez may be the biggest sleeper at second base this season, potentially adding shortstop eligibility. He is in line for a major bounce back and could get you double-digit homers with 20-plus steals and a .250 average after pick 350. He is a must-add for anyone this late, but especially for teams in need of steals and runs.
