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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 8 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 8 (May 18 to May 24)?
This week, we have some big-name players featured on this list. There's a pitcher who was a potential breakout candidate entering the season, a pitcher who has struggled since coming off the injured list, and a hitter who hasn't done much offensively this year. We will analyze their early-season numbers and then decide what to do with them in Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's dive in and find out.
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Eury Perez, SP, Miami Marlins
It has been an unusual start to the season for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez. After showing some encouraging signs late last season, Perez has not lived up to his draft status this year. He has a whopping 5.33 ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 52 1/3 innings pitched and is coming off another rough start his time last time out.
Perez gave up five runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. This marked yet another poor outing for the young right-hander. He walked at least four batters in an outing for the third time this year and has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his last five starts. A lot has really gone wrong for the Marlins pitcher to begin the 2026 campaign.
However, Perez is still a hold despite all those recent inconsistencies. He's still missing bats at an extremely high clip, and there have been times when he looks to be turning a corner. Just last month, he threw six shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Milwaukee Brewers. That's exactly the type of potential Perez has.
While those types of outings haven't been as prevalent, it's too early in the season to drop him. The fact that he has a 28.6% whiff rate, a 25.6% strikeout rate, a .233 expected batting average against, and an average fastball velocity of 98.1 mph means there's still some hope. Hold onto Perez until at least June.
Eury Pérez has thrown each of the top 30 fastest pitches for the Marlins this season 🔥
100.5 mph right there to get payback vs. Junior Caminero. pic.twitter.com/W6OJ67kEl8
— Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) May 17, 2026
Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues
Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bubba Chandler was a popular breakout pick among fantasy managers entering the year. Chandler had a 1.08 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his final three starts last season and was set to fully take off in his first full major league season. Unfortunately, the big right-hander has not been that same pitcher in 2026. He has a 5.14 ERA and 36 strikeouts in nine starts.
The biggest problem with Chandler in the early going has been the walks. He has walked a National League-leading 31 batters across 42 innings pitched and carries a 1.524 WHIP into Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season. Those walks, though, haven't been the whole problem. The 23-year-old only has a 19% strikeout rate, has a high 9.1% barrel rate, and continues to allow a lot of contact in the air on the hitter's pull side (17.4%).
That all makes him a massive drop in 12-team leagues at this point in the season. Chandler has walked at least four batters in three of his last four starts, and there really isn't much optimism that he'll post better numbers on the mound moving forward. With Jared Jones nearing the end of his rehab assignment, there's a chance Chandler is the odd man out in Pittsburgh's rotation.
Verdict: Drop in 12-team leagues
Carlos Rodon, SP, New York Yankees
It has not been an ideal start to the season for New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon. Rodon began the year on the injured list as he worked his way back from offseason elbow surgery. In his first two starts since being activated from the 15-day IL on May 10, the southpaw hasn't been a great fantasy option.
Rodon allowed three runs with five walks across 4 1/3 innings against the Brewers on May 10 and then gave up three runs (two earned runs) with three walks across 3 2/3 innings against the Mets on Saturday. The three-time All-Star is clearly shaking off some rust right now. He's simply not in a groove on the mound after missing the first six weeks of the regular season.
Carlos Rodon disaster and the Mets lead pic.twitter.com/Z7CNo1ld9S
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 17, 2026
But fantasy managers should not be panicking about Rodon's slow start by any means. We shouldn't overreact to two outings following offseason elbow surgery. Let the southpaw get more starts under his belt before making a vast decision to drop him. His prior track record suggests he'll be just fine in the coming weeks. Rodon had a combined 3.50 ERA and 398 strikeouts in 65 starts over his past two seasons.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
George Springer, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer is on pace to post the worst numbers of his career in 2026. He's batting just .186 with two home runs, five doubles, eight RBI, and one stolen base in his first 27 games and currently owns a -0.4 WAR. While part of the blame can be attributed to a left big toe fracture that landed him on the 15-day IL earlier this season, Springer wasn't exactly tearing it up at the plate prior to his injury.
He hit .185 with two home runs and six RBI in 14 games before his toe injury and is batting .187 with one extra-base hit and two RBI in 13 games after his toe injury. There really are no positives to come from Springer's slow start. His expected batting average (.198), expected slugging (.336), average exit velocity (87.7 mph), launch angle sweet-spot rate (24.7%), and squared-up rate (19.3%) all rank extremely poorly.
WELCOME BACK, GEORGE SPRINGER! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gNu57dIroj
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 29, 2026
Nonetheless, fantasy managers should still hold onto Springer. This is a player who just hit .309 with 32 home runs, 18 stolen bases, and 84 RBI last year. He's also still pulling the ball in the air at an elite clip (21%), and his pull rate on all batted balls is way up from 2025 (46.9%). Don't give up on the 13-year veteran just yet, especially since you likely drafted him in the early rounds.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Kyle Stowers, OF, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers has not built off his incredible breakout campaign in 2025. After slashing .288/.368/.544 with 25 home runs, 21 doubles, and 73 RBI across 117 games last year, Stowers has struggled out of the gate this season. He's hitting a mere .209 at the plate with one home run, four doubles, four RBI, and one stolen base in 25 contests.
Stowers did have an abbreviated spring training after suffering a hamstring injury in late February. He then reaggravated that same hamstring in a spring training game on March 20 and spent the first four weeks of the regular season on the injured list. With limited at-bats during the spring, it's not totally shocking to see the 28-year-old not having his timing down yet.
Still, it might be time to get rid of Stowers for whatever you can get at this point. The Marlins outfielder has a poor .380 expected slugging, his barrel rate (6.5%) is down almost 13% from last season, and his launch angle sweet-spot rate (29%) sits in the 16th percentile. Add in the fact that he also has a 38.9% chase rate and a 32.7% whiff rate.
That's enough reason to trade or drop Stowers in 12-team leagues.
Verdict: Sell low in 12-team leagues
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