The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 7)

May 10, 2026

The fantasy baseball Cut List for Week 7 of 2026. Jamie analyzes potential fantasy baseball busts, overvalued players, and injured players to consider dropping.

Welcome back to The Cut List as we head into Week 7 of the 2026 season. For those who are not familiar, this is our weekly article looking at players whom fantasy managers might be considering cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look.

We'll look at players who are worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat who should be held on to ... for now. Experienced Cut List readers will know I'm a strong advocate for not making knee-jerk reactions. A bad week or two shouldn't be a reason to push the panic button and dump someone.

If there's ever someone you want me to take a look at, drop their name in the Reddit comments, the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms, or reach out to me on X (@Baseball_Jimbo). Maybe you'll see them included next week. All stats and rostered rates (taken from Yahoo!) reflect when this piece was written.

Pitchers

Tarik Skubal - SP, Detroit Tigers - 99% rostered

It's been a mixed bag of news for Skubal's fantasy managers recently. Last week, we found out that Skubal would require elbow surgery. Thankfully, it was to remove 'loose bodies' as opposed to anything structural. Skubal was still expected to miss two to three months.

Earlier this week, news broke that Skubal's surgery was a success, and he could return in four to six weeks. That was a massive boost to his fantasy managers, especially those who already had a full IL (injured list).

Tarik Skubal Could Return in 4-6 Weeks After Successful Elbow Surgery https://t.co/qVtxHWYYrL

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) May 7, 2026

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Verdict: Even if you have a packed IL, this week's news should make Skubal a must-hold. If you don't have IL spots, Skubal should be stashed on your bench. If we get any bad news and Skubal is set to miss three months, then a decision will need to be made. 

Aaron Nola - SP, Philadelphia Phillies - 67% rostered

Nola is a tough one to assess. On the one hand, his underlying numbers cry out that he's been a victim of bad luck and that things will turn around. On the other hand, he had a poor (injury-hampered) 2025 season and has only put together one good campaign in the last three years.

If we compare Nola's numbers over the last four seasons, we can see there isn't much difference between years. Many of Nola's numbers this year are similar to 2024, when he had a 3.57 ERA. It's difficult to envisage Nola's ERA not coming down as the season goes on.

The problem is, it's also difficult to trust he can turn back time and be a viable fantasy option again. Yesterday's disappointing outing at home to the Rockies is a prime example of Nola letting us down when he should be trusted. Even more frustrating was getting pulled one out away from picking up his third win of 2026.

Verdict: In deeper leagues, I'd still hold Nola and hope his results start matching his underlying numbers. Especially given how many starting pitchers are currently out injured. In shallower leagues, I'd be looking elsewhere for a reliable starting pitcher and only using Nola as a streaming option.

Zac Gallen - SP, Arizona Diamondbacks - 57% rostered

Unlike Nola, there's very little in Gallen's numbers that suggests he can return to his pre-2025 self. After eight starts, Gallen has a 1-3 W-L record, 4.70 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts (38 1/3 innings). This is on the back of a 4.83 ERA last year (192 innings).

Gallen has a 4.44 xFIP, 4.57 SIERA, and 14.8% K%. All career worsts. Gallen can point to a .323 BABIP, but he's always had a higher BABIP than most. In 2023 (.301) and 2024 (.305), Gallen had a high BABIP but a sub-3.70 ERA. The only thing going for Gallen is his upcoming schedule.

As things currently line up, Gallen is due to face the Rangers (away), Giants (home), and Rockies (home) in his next three starts. You couldn't have hand-picked a better trio of opponents to right the ship. That's provided his shoulder is not suffering any lingering effects from the comebacker two weeks ago.

Verdict: If you're in a bind and lost some pitchers with injuries, Gallen does make sense to roster for the next fortnight. After that, he's still only a deeper league option. Should Gallen struggle in his next three outings, it's going to be tough justifying holding him in any format.

Hitters

Michael Busch - 1B, Chicago Cubs - 78% rostered

After last year's breakout campaign that saw Busch hit 34 home runs, he's failed to live up to his heightened expectations this year. That was until the calendars flipped over to May. This month, he's hitting .400/.525/.700 with one home run, 12 RBI, three runs, and one stolen base.

At the end of April, Busch was hitting .193/.295/.281. Now, he's sporting a more palatable .236/.349/.368 slash line. His underlying numbers didn't exactly suggest that Busch was poised to break out of his slump. However, his change in production is down to the fact that he's hitting the ball harder more often.

At the end of April, Busch had a 30.6% Hard% (according to Fangraphs). He's raised that to a 34.9% Hard% this month and has yet to hit a ball that's classified as soft contact in May. That's much more in line with what Busch did last year (38.0% Hard%)

Verdict: As long as Busch can continue hitting the ball hard, the results will come. We've seen that so far in May. While he won't be able to maintain a 50% Hard% like he's had this month, we can expect the power numbers to improve. A 25+ homer season is still on the cards.

Steven Kwan - OF, Cleveland Guardians - 69% rostered

Kwan has always been something of a specialist in fantasy. He'll score plenty of runs, hit for a good average, and steal bases. But he'll offer very modest power and limited RBI. The makeup of your roster and how your draft went will determine Kwan's fantasy value to your team.

If we take a holistic view, Kwan isn't worth rostering. He's only hitting .214/.311/.276 and has a 162-game pace of four homers, 38 RBI, 77 runs, and nine steals. Unless the runs are vital to your team, he's offering nothing else. That's why he's ranked outside the top-100 outfield eligible hitters on Yahoo!.

Verdict: Kwan's batting average will likely improve. And while he's still leading off for the Guardians, Kwan will score plenty of runs. Outside of that, there's little reason to roster Kwan. In points leagues (or OBP leagues), Kwan's 11.3% BB% and 10.7% K% offer more value than roto leagues.

Yainer Diaz - C, Houston Astros - 51% rostered

There haven't been so many good fantasy options at the catcher position for years. As a result, alternative options on waivers have never been so prevalent. So when a catcher goes on the IL, unless they're one of the elite options and you're lucky enough to have an empty IL spot, dropping them makes sense.

Diaz is no exception. His production was modest at best before he got hurt. And oblique injuries aren't exactly the easiest to assess and recover from, especially for a catcher. We haven't had any updates as to when we can expect Diaz to return, which clouds things further.

Verdict: Diaz has the potential to be a top-10 catcher. If this is a short IL stint and Diaz can play without limitation, he's still worth rostering. He's not at a level that you can't find a suitable replacement in one-catcher leagues. So if you can't put him on your IL, dropping Diaz is the move.

On the Hot Seat

Matt Chapman - 3B, San Francisco Giants - 83% rostered

Regular readers will know that I tend to look for optimism when it comes to struggling players. Many times, we can find enough reasons to hold on to a struggling hitter. Especially one so highly rostered. Whether it is a case of bad luck, recent form, or a history of production, there's normally something to cling to.

In Chapman's case, I'm struggling. He's been bad. The Giants have been bad. And there is very little to suggest either will change anytime soon. San Francisco ranks last in runs scored (123) and wRC+ (81). If we compare Chapman's Statcast Profile this year to 2025, we can see how much he's regressed in 2026.

Verdict: Third base is not a position of strength, like it once was. Despite that, Chapman doesn't even rank in the top-50 at the position according to Yahoo! (standard 5x5 scoring). It might be worth holding but benching Chapman for a little longer. If by the end of May, he's still producing so little, it's time to move on in almost all formats.

Reader Requests

As always, we're keen to hear who you want us to analyze. If there is anyone you want to include on next week's Cut List, drop their names on the Reddit thread or in the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms. Alternatively, you can reach out to me on X, and we'll endeavor to cover some requests each week.

It looks like we've reached a point where many are starting to panic over some of the bigger names and their early-round draft picks. So we've picked the six most-rostered players requested in last week's Reddit thread.

While most people aren't considering dropping them (yet), it's still prudent to look at what we can expect over the remainder of the season. There may still come a time when we have to accept they're a bust and move on.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. - 2B/3B, New York Yankees - 99% rostered

Chisholm Jr. might not be providing value on his ADP, but he's still producing solid numbers. His .206/.289/.326 slash line is problematic. But his counting stats are solid. Chisholm Jr. has a 162-game pace of 17 homers, 54 RBI, 71 runs, and 46 steals.

With a .198 xBA (expected batting average) and .331 xSLG (expected slugging percentage), holding out hope for an improved slash line might not pay dividends. This isn't an anomaly with Chisholm Jr., however. Last year, he finished April with a .181/.304/.410 slash line.

Chisholm Jr. then missed all of May through injury, and already had seven homers to his name when landing on the IL. He returned in early June and hit .261/.341/.501 over the remainder of the season. I'm not suggesting Chisholm Jr. goes on the IL or is hurt, but slow starts aren't exactly unusual for him.

Verdict: Chisholm Jr. has streaky elements to his game. He will continue to be aggressive on the bases, and the Yankees should continue to score plenty of runs. I'd still expect 20+ home runs, too, but we may need to brace for a ~.220 batting average this year. Chisholm Jr. is still worth rostering, though.

Ketel Marte - 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks - 98% rostered

Marte was scratched from Friday's lineup. Thankfully, it was only due to an illness, and he returned on Saturday. Although he has struggled so far in 2026, Marte is currently my number one "buy-low" target. Despite his meagre .210/.261/.357 slash line, Marte has a .289 xBA and .458 xSLG.

If we look at Marte's Statcast Profile, there's more than enough to remain optimistic about. Even with his lowly batting average and slugging percentage, Marte is also on pace for 23 home runs, 59 RBI, and 86 runs. It's fair to expect the runs and RBI totals to be greater as Marte's slash line improves.

Verdict: I have very little concern with Marte right now. His numbers aren't reflective of his performance. He does have a higher groundball rate (49.6% GB%) than I'd like, but it's not too different from 2024 (48.1% GB%) when Marte hit a career high 36 homers. He's a hold in all formats and every league size.

Corey Seager - SS, Texas Rangers - 97% rostered

Similar to Marte, I'm confident that Seager will be fine. His .238 xBA isn't as good, but Seager also has a .461 xSLG (75th percentile). My biggest concern coming into 2026 for all Rangers hitters was their ballpark. Last year, it was the least hitter-friendly in the Majors (according to Statcast Park Factors).

This year is no different. That is set to impact Seager's fantasy output. Seager's career-high 27.7% K% is also a bit of a concern. Despite those issues, Seager is still pacing for 30 homers, 81 RBI, and 90 runs. That's assuming Seager stays healthy, which is far from a given.

Verdict: We may need to temper expectations a bit. The counting stats (except steals) will be very good. Another ~.270 batting average this season doesn't seem as likely. You should ensure you have an option for the probable IL stint at some stage this year, but Seager isn't someone you should consider dropping.

Bryan Woo - SP, Seattle Mariners - 97% rostered

It's not something I like doing. Nor is it something that should be encouraged. But if we remove the two bad starts from Woo that ended April and began May, there'd be nothing to worry about. In his other six starts, Woo has a 1.89 ERA. And all six of the home runs he's allowed this year came in those two starts.

Woo returned to form earlier this week with six shutout innings against one of the most potent offenses in the Braves. That should have been enough to allay any concerns fantasy managers had. Those two clunkers should soon be a thing of the past.

He's set to face the banged-up Astros, followed by the White Sox next. Two more chances for Woo to get his numbers back to where we expect them to be. He should be started with complete confidence on both occasions.

Verdict: Fantasy managers should not be concerned about Woo, especially after his last outing. He's still a top-12 starting pitcher and should be rostered in every league and every format.

Will Smith - C, Los Angeles Dodgers - 93% rostered

One of the concerns with Smith is playing time. Dalton Rushing's emergence has led to more games in place of Smith. With Shohei Ohtani acting as designated hitter, Smith will only see playing time when he's catching. The good thing is that only 12 catchers have had more plate appearances than Smith (124) this year.

Smith predominantly hits third in the Dodgers' lineup when he plays, leading to more plate appearances. Everything combined means that Smith is currently ranked 16th at the position according to Yahoo!. That alone is barely enough to warrant rostering him.

However, his underlying numbers and consistency should ensure he's rostered. Smith has .261/.331/.369 slash line. He also has a .273 xBA (75th percentile) and .492 xSLG (83rd percentile). While Smith's batting average is a little lower than we'd expect, his slugging percentage should be considerably better.

We can see from his xWOBA just how consistent and better than league average Smith has been this year.

Verdict: Unless there's a significant change in Smith's role, he's still worth rostering in one-catcher leagues. If there's a significant reduction in playing time or he drops down the order, then Smith only becomes a borderline option in shallower and standard leagues.

Tyler Soderstrom - 1B/OF, Athletics - 93% rostered

As is often the way, a struggling player gets requested (multiple times), and they come to life immediately. Soderstrom homered last Sunday and did so again on Wednesday. Just as it seemed like he was getting things going, Soderstrom has gone 0-for-9 in the last two games and is now hitting .206/.294/.404.

Soderstrom has five home runs, 20 RBI, and 21 runs. There are only 41 players who have five or more homers, as well as driven in and scored 20 or more runs. While somewhat modest totals, Soderstrom still has a 162-game pace of 22 homers, 88 RBI, and 92 runs.

Most fantasy managers would have taken that when drafting Soderstrom. He slightly outperformed his expected numbers last year and is slightly underperforming them this year. A .250 batting average seems more likely than .280 this season. That will still provide value with the counting stats.

Verdict: Many were hopeful that Soderstrom would take a step forward this year. He still might. At the very least, Soderstrom will likely provide similar value to last season. Unless we see a notable and prolonged drop off in production, he is worth rostering. 

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