Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low for Week 5? (2026)

April 27, 2026

Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 5 of the 2026 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. Should you drop, hold, or sell these well-known players in Week 5 (April 27 to May 3)?

For this week, we will look at five of the most dropped players in fantasy leagues. Four of these players were drafted high in all fantasy formats this spring, and the other player on this list was a popular waiver wire add after Week 1. All five of these players, though, have struggled to contribute solid fantasy numbers recently.

So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's find out!

Trevor Rogers, SP, Baltimore Orioles

When Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers threw seven shutout innings with five strikeouts on Opening Day, he picked up right where he left off last year. Rogers had a 1.81 ERA and 103 strikeouts across 18 starts in 2025. However, the southpaw has not had that same type of production on the mound in his last few starts.

He allowed four earned runs across 4 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks on April 14, gave up five earned runs (six runs) across five innings against the Guardians on April 19, and allowed three earned runs before being taken out after 1 2/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Red Sox on Saturday. For those counting, Rogers has now allowed 12 earned runs over his last 11 1/3 innings pitched.

Trevor Rogers was pulled after he threw 48 pitches in the second inning pic.twitter.com/KpY73ljP6l

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 25, 2026

Although this recent stretch has led some fantasy managers to question Rogers, the left-hander is still a hold in most 12-team leagues. His expected ERA (3.66) is 109 points lower than his actual ERA (4.75), and his chase rate (34.8%), whiff rate (27%), hard-hit rate (31.6%), and barrel rate (6.3%) all still rank in the upper half of the league.

The key to Rogers returning to his 2025 form is his four-seam fastball. He ranked in the 96th percentile in Fastball Run Value (16) last year, but only ranks in the 28th percentile in that same category (-1) this season. If he can make the right adjustments, the Orioles left-hander could be a strong fantasy pitcher once again. So, hold him at least for another start.

Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues

Kyle Bradish, SP, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish was a high pick in fantasy baseball drafts this season due to his potential high ceiling. Bradish had a 2.53 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 32 innings pitched last year. That same pitcher, though, has not been on display in the early portion of the 2026 season. He has a 4.20 ERA, a 1.73 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts across 30 innings pitched.

Bradish has not shown much of that high fantasy ceiling this season. He has walked at least three batters in five of his six starts and hasn't really looked dominant on the mound. In his most recent outing on Sunday against the Red Sox, the right-hander allowed three earned runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts across five innings.

This 98.9 mph sinker is the fastest pitch of Kyle Bradish's career.

📽️: MASN pic.twitter.com/8NXLRPbwkf

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) April 15, 2026

It's definitely becoming harder to roster Bradish following another subpar outing. But fantasy managers should hold him for at least another two weeks before deciding to cut bait with him. His .403 batting average on balls in play will eventually decline, and he has shown some strikeout upside with a 24.3% strikeout rate. Since this is the first time that Bradish has been healthy to start a season since 2023, it's best to remain patient with him for now.

Verdict: Hold in all leagues

Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland Guardians

Things are not going great for Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan right now. He is batting just .225 with one home run, three doubles, eight RBI, and two stolen bases in his first 27 games this year. Kwan has not been a productive fantasy player through the first month of the season and has been dealing with a neck injury recently. 

Kwan has always been a nice source of batting average, home runs, runs scored, and stolen bases throughout his career. He contributes a little bit everywhere, which has made him a solid fantasy option in recent years. He hit .292 with 83 runs scored, 14 home runs, and 12 stolen bases across 122 games in 2024 and batted .272 with 81 runs scored, 11 home runs, and 21 stolen bases across 156 games last year.

While the start of Kwan's season hasn't gone according to plan, his track record suggests he'll be just fine. The two-time All-Star is still squaring up the ball at an elite clip (40.2%) and is drawing walks at a higher rate this year (10.7%). That makes him an easy hold in all roto formats. He has the chance to still finish with above a .275 batting average and 20+ stolen bases.

Verdict: Hold in all Roto leagues, can be dropped in points leagues 

Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

There were high hopes for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler in his first full Major League season. He showed some encouraging things in his first taste of the big leagues last year and had a 1.08 ERA with 19 strikeouts in his final three starts for the Pirates in 2025. That had some managers excited to pick him in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts.

Bubba Chandler with 2 outs and the bases loaded:

99.7 MPH 4-seam. 19 IVB. Painted. Sit dahn. pic.twitter.com/3X776uZSGS

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) April 24, 2026

However, Chandler has really struggled in his first six starts this season. He has a whopping 4.88 ERA across 24 innings and has had trouble pitching deep into games. The right-hander has pitched fewer than five innings in three of his five starts. Part of that has been the fact that walks continue to be a major problem for the right-hander. He currently ranks in the 13th percentile in walk rate at 14.8%.

With Chandler also not missing many bats in the early going (19.4% strikeout rate), it's not a bad idea to try to sell him right now. His expected ERA sits at 5.28 on the season, and his expected batting average against (.238), whiff rate (23.6%), and barrel rate (8.6%) all rank in the bottom half of the league. That's enough reason to trade him away. His lack of control is worrisome for his fantasy value the rest of the season.

Verdict: Sell for cheap in all formats

Cam Smith, OF, Houston Astros

Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith got off to a blistering start this year. He was batting .302 with three home runs, four doubles, eight RBI, and three stolen bases in his first 15 games and appeared to be breaking out in his second Major League campaign. That strong start made Smith one of the most-added players after the first two weeks of the season.

Unfortunately, the 23-year-old has cooled off significantly since that hot stretch. He is batting only .113 with (5-for-44) with one double, four RBI, one stolen base, and 15 strikeouts over his last 14 games, and has looked lost at the plate recently. Smith has just two hits across his past 38 plate appearances dating back to April 16.

Therefore, Smith is a clear drop in all formats heading into Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season. He has not produced much at the plate over the past few weeks, and there are concerns about his plate discipline moving forward. The Astros outfielder has a 31.4% chase rate, a 29.4% whiff rate, and a 26.1% strikeout rate early on. There are simply better players to roster right now than Smith.

Verdict: Drop In All Formats

More Fantasy Baseball Advice