Fantasy Baseball 2026: Players to Buy, Sell and Hold This Week

The ability to decide which fantasy baseball players to buy, sell, or hold is essential for fantasy baseball managers looking to make smart trades and manage waiver wire moves effectively. I've picked out three players you should consider buying low on, three you can safely drop, and three who are worth keeping on your roster even though they might be currently slumping, based on their recent statistics and underlying metrics.

Players to Buy This Week

I'm recommending three buy-low players: a struggling first-rounder with rebound potential, a rising starting pitcher, and a post-hype sleeper performing well at a thin fantasy position.

Risers Worth Adding or Acquiring Now

Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres

Sooner or later Tatis Jr. is going to hit his first HR of the season and while there's no science supporting this, power hitters tend to hit their HR in bunches. Tatis Jr. has a .248/.325/.284 slash line over his first 29 games, but his expected stats (.280 xBA, .417 xSLG) suggest he should be performing closer to his career averages. His 66.7% hard hit rate is a career high and his other power metrics (EV, Barrel%, Bat Speed etc.) are within his normal range. His current 3.5 launch angle is much lower than his 9.95 career average, resulting in fewer fly balls-problems that a minor adjustment should fix. Tatis Jr. has played five games at the second base position so far this season, making him multi-position eligible in some league formats. Consider him a huge buy low target.

Chase Dollander, Rockies

It feels strange recommending a fantasy baseball Rockies pitcher but with Dollander changing his approach and becoming more of a ground ball pitcher this season, he has been able to avoid the extreme home/away splits that negatively affected his performance last season. Dollander has raised his ground ball rate from 42.7% in 2025 to 52.6% this season. He posted a 9.98 ERA in 11 starts at hitter-friendly Coors Field, but in his two home starts this season, he has recorded a much-improved 1.74 ERA. Inducing ground balls is only effective when you have a solid defense playing behind you. The Rockies' defense has improved slightly, and it now ranks 20th in Outs Above Average (OAA), up from 25th last year. Dollander is having a career season, pitching to a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, and he's exhibiting good control based on his 39:9 K:BB ratio. Dollander is still widely available (41% rostered) in Yahoo leagues.

Josh Jung, Rangers

With his past health issues behind him, Jung has gotten off to a hot start, batting .320 with a .942 OPS in his first 27 games. He's cut his strikeout rate to a career low 16.5% and he's walking more than he ever has in his career. Jung's average exit velocity and bat speed have also significantly increased this season. Jung, who is now batting second for the Rangers, has the potential to hit 20 more home runs and collect 75 RBI if he stays healthy. He's rostered in just 47% of Yahoo leagues and is a valuable pickup at a thin third base fantasy baseball position.

Players to Sell This Week

It's hard to admit when your player analysis is off, but if a player who regressed last season keeps underperforming in 2026, it's time to say goodbye!

Fallers to Trade Away or Drop

Willy Adames, Giants

It's looking like Adames made a mistake when he signed his $182 million seven-year contract with the Giants ahead of the 2025 season and quite frankly, if you drafted Adames this preseason, you made a mistake as well. Adames hit 30 HR for the Giants in 2025, but he batted just .225. Things have gotten progressively worse for Adames in 2026 and heading into Wednesday's action he's mired in an 0-24 slump. Adames is batting .202 and has a 30.8 K rate in his first 28 games of the 2026 season and with a .231 BA and .393 SLG in 111 career games in San Francisco's Oracle Park there's not much cause for optimism.

Adolis Garcia, Phillies

If you, like me, were expecting a bounce back season from Garcia, maybe it's time for us to face facts and realize that his best days as a fantasy baseball player are behind him. Despite all the tinkering Garcia has done to his swing both during the preseason, and has continued to do in the regular season, he's just a shadow of the player who averaged 30 HR and 15 stolen bases from 2021 to 2024. His bat speed is down a few ticks from last season, and his barrel rate has now declined in three straight seasons. With a sprint speed in the 33rd percentile he's lost a step which doesn't bode well for his future stolen base production.

Lawrence Butler, Athletics

I noticed many fantasy baseball managers drafting Butler this preseason, expecting him to return to the form that saw him hit 22 HR, steal18 bases and post an .807 OPS in 2024. At this point of his career, he should no longer be considered a rising star. Instead, he has regressed and become platoon player. Butler's strikeout rate has steadily increased since the 2024 season and while his stats have been slightly better when he plays his home games at hitter friendly Sutter Health Park his overall ISO is a disappointing .092.

Players to Hold This Week

As we head into May it might feel like it's getting late, but it's still too early in the fantasy baseball season for overreactions. Trust your preseason evaluation process and think twice before deciding to give up on players that have a long history of elite fantasy baseball production.

Steady Anchors You Can Trust

Logan Webb, Giants

Webb has been one of the most dependable fantasy baseball pitchers over the past few seasons, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the back of his 2026 baseball card. He has a 4.86 ERA and 1.378 WHIP across his first six starts of the 2026 season. His strikeout rate is down, and his walk rate is up but overall, his recent stats are starting to normalize. Webb has compiled a 3.81 ERA in his last four starts and his WHIP, while still too high at 1.308, is trending down. Unfortunately, he's not getting enough run support from the Giants' anemic offense but with just about all of his peripheral stats near career norms, he's a pitcher that you should definitely hold on to.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm Jr. had a .173 BA and .498 OPS and hadn't hit a HR through his first 23 games but since then he's hit three home runs and batted .333 with a 1.093 OPS. He hit 31 HR and stole 31 bases last season, and his goal is to hit 50 HR and steal 50 bases this season. He's on pace to steal those 50 bases but he's a bit behind when it comes to his HR production. He might not hit 50 HRs but based on his track record he has a good chance of compiling another 30/30 season despite his slow start.

Pete Alonso, Orioles

The Mets are a mess right now, but with his slow start Alonso is making Mets GM David Stearns, who let Alonso walk as a free agent, look like a genius. I'm going to have to hand it to Glen Colton and Rick Wolf whose SMART system recommends against drafting players who recently signed long term free agent contracts and are playing for new teams. Alonso, who signed a huge long term contract with the Orioles, is batting just .198 and has a .660 OPS in his first 29 games of the 2026 season. Alonso has hit just four home runs, and his bat speed has dropped from 75.3 last season to 73.9 this year, which is concerning. However, with an average exit velocity in the 95th percentile, and a hard-hit rate in the 97th percentile, it's only a matter of time before Alonso is back on track and hitting the long ball again.

Fantasy Baseball 2026 Buy/Sell/Hold Questions, Answered

Which players are the top buys this week?

The risers with strong underlying metrics and favorable upcoming matchups.

Who should managers consider selling or dropping this week?

The fallers showing clear red flags or unsustainable early production.

Which players are safe holds right now?

The steady anchors whose underlying skills remain intact despite surface noise.

How should managers approach trades this week?

Use the buy and sell candidates to package deals that improve your roster long-term.

When should these decisions be acted on?

Before next week's waiver run and FAAB inflation, while the market has not fully adjusted.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 11:42 AM.