Mid-Week Cut Candidates for Fantasy Baseball - Players to Consider Dropping

April 2, 2026

Andy's mid-week fantasy baseball cuts, drops candidates for Week 1 of 2026. Is it time to let go already, and drop these player for a better waiver wire option?

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to the mid-week edition of our Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball and Week 1 of the 2026 MLB season. Even though the season is just getting started, several players have been demoted to Triple-A or have suffered severe injuries, which are expected to keep them sidelined for several months, making them potential drop candidates.

This week, fantasy baseball managers saw players like Cody Ponce suffer a potentially serious injury, while several highly-drafted players like Addison Barger and Lawrence Butler remain in a slump.

So, which injured or disappointing players are it time to get rid of for fantasy baseball lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 1 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

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Cut List Rankings for Fantasy Baseball: Week 1

The top players to consider cutting for fantasy baseball, in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire:

Fantasy Baseball Player Outlooks

Griffin Jax, RP, Tampa Bay Rays

Cut List Ranking No. 35

Tampa Bay Rays right-handed reliever Griffin Jax has put himself on the closer hot seat early in 2026 after blowing each of his first two save opportunities as he begins his first full year with the team. In Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Jax blew the save and took his first loss of the year after allowing two runs (one earned) on a hit while walking one in just one-third of an inning.

The 31-year-old blew the save on Opening Day at Busch Stadium on Thursday and could not get it done on Saturday in the bottom of the 10th inning. Infield prospect JJ Wetherholt delivered the dagger against Jax. The former third-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2016 out of Air Force has been manager Kevin Cash's first choice for saves to begin the year, but that could be changing the next time a save situation comes up, with Bryan Baker and Garrett Cleavinger both being options.

Edwin Uceta (shoulder) should get ninth-inning duties when he returns from the injured list, and he has the most upside of any Rays high-leverage arm.

Bryan Abreu, RP, Houston Astros

Cut List Ranking No. 34

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada thinks right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu's dip in velocity in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Angels was due to issues with his mechanics and not any physical injury, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Abreu's fastball averaged 93.2 mph in his outing on Sunday after averaging 97.3 mph a season ago.

With his velocity being down early on, Abreu has struggled as the team's de facto closer with Josh Hader (biceps) on the injured list. He's allowed four earned runs on a home run while walking four and striking out three in 1 1/3 innings. Espada said on Monday that Abreu is "doing well." On Saturday, Abreu averaged 95.9 mph on his 12 fastballs but walked two batters and gave up a three-run homer to Nolan Schanuel. Abreu, who had a 2.28 ERA and led all relievers with 105 strikeouts in 70 outings, is capable of turning things around and needs to be rostered for saves as Houston's primary closer while Hader is sidelined.

Cody Ponce, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Cut List Ranking No. 23

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Cody Ponce (knee) injured his right knee while fielding a ground ball in his first outing of the 2026 season on Monday against the Colorado Rockies, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. Ponce was able to get up and limp around, but he was ultimately carted from the field. The team announced that he has "right-knee discomfort."

We won't know more about the severity of his knee injury until he undergoes tests. Hopefully, the 31-year-old can avoid a serious injury in his return to the big leagues. In his first two major-league seasons in 2020 and 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Ponce struggled to a 5.86 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and 17 walks in 55 1/3 innings pitched over 20 appearances (five starts). He spent three years in Japan and one year in Korea before signing with Toronto in the offseason.

Ponce only lasted 2 1/3 innings before getting hurt, allowing an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out three. For now, managers should only consider stashing him in deeper 12+ team leagues with multiple IR spots.

Mick Abel, SP/RP, Minnesota Twins

Cut List Ranking No. 16

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Mick Abel operated out of the bullpen on Sunday, allowing five earned runs and eight hits over 3.1 innings of work. He also issued four walks while striking out four batters. It was an ugly outing for the 24-year-old, who struggled with control and only induced ground balls at a 25% rate (albeit over a small sample size).

Abel had been projected to be the Twins' No. 5 starter, so it was somewhat surprising to see him pitch out of the bullpen this weekend. Minnesota's starter for Tuesday's game against the Kansas City Royals has yet to be determined. If Abel is stuck in the bullpen for the time being, he can be avoided in most fantasy baseball leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Articles

Looking to add a player off the waiver wire? After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:

• Top 25 Injured Players to Stash
• Sneaky Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups
• Bargain Basement Waiver Wire Hitters
• Category Booster Waiver Wire Hitters
• Top-5 Pitching Prospects to Stash
• Top-5 Hitting Prospects to Stash
• Eric Cross' Top-25 Prospects to Stash

Each week, our MLB team puts out a complete array of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? Waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!

In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more throughout the week.

Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pickup someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Chase DeLauter, Dominic Canzone, Paul Sewald, Ryne Stanek, Connelly Early. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like Chase DeLauter, Dominic Canzone, Paul Sewald, Ryne Stanek, Connelly Early:

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