Fantasy Baseball Buy-Lows? Unlucky Star Players (Week 8)

May 20, 2026

Joey's fantasy baseball buy-lows, breakouts, trade candidates to target for Week 8 in 2026. These unlucky players are underperforming early for fantasy baseball.

The fantasy baseball season is quickly moving along. We are currently in Week 8 of the fantasy season, and there are plenty of star players who have underperformed in the early going. These unlucky stars now present fantasy managers with a perfect buy-low opportunity.

This article will highlight seven of the top buy-low star players. This list will feature five hitters and two pitchers, including two hitters who were drafted in the first round of fantasy drafts, two veterans off to slow starts at the plate, and a pitcher who has had an uncharacteristic start to the season. This will be the second edition of this article, so be sure to check out our first set of seven unlucky star players.

Let's dive into the best buy-low candidates right now.

Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has been a slightly disappointing fantasy option across the first two months. After being a consensus top-8 pick in all fantasy drafts in the offseason, Acuna has not lived up to that draft status early on. He's batting .252 with two home runs, nine RBI, and seven stolen bases across 34 games and has spent the last two weeks on the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring injury.

But with Acuna officially activated from the IL on Monday, now is the time to buy low on the former National League MVP. The 28-year-old has gotten a bit unlucky at the plate to begin the 2026 campaign. His expected slugging (.485) is 107 points higher than his actual slugging (.378), and he still ranks in the upper half of the league in xwOBA (.380), barrel rate (12.2%), and expected batting average (.267).

A Ronald Acuña Jr. rocket ties this game up 😤 pic.twitter.com/lUM7hVLqlc

— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2026

There's no reason to panic about Acuna's slowish start. His barrel rate ranks in the 77th percentile, and he is pulling the ball in the air at an elite 19.4% rate. That's a clear sign that the home runs will eventually come for him. Given the fact that he is also on pace for over 30 stolen bases, he will return to being a strong fantasy option.

Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers

It has been a brutal start to the year for Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. The five-time All-Star is slashing .179/.286/.353 with seven home runs, six doubles, and 20 RBI in his first 42 games. Seager has been even worse recently as well, as he is in a 0-for-25 stretch at the plate with only one RBI and nine strikeouts dating back to May 7.

There's no way around it: Seager has not been a viable fantasy option this season. He is not getting on base at a high level and is now dealing with a back issue that landed him on the 10-day injured list. The veteran went back to Arlington to see the Rangers' back specialist, and the team decided to place him on the IL before Monday's game.

However, Seager is due for some positive regression once he returns from this back issue. He continues to hit the ball hard with a 91.1 mph average exit velocity and a 45.4% hard-hit rate, and the home run power is still there. The Rangers shortstop is still on pace for over 25 home runs and currently owns a 15.7% barrel rate, a .442 expected slugging, and a solid 17.6% pull AIR rate.

Better days are certainly ahead for Seager offensively.

Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres

Slow starts are not totally abnormal for San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado. He batted .222 with five home runs and 19 RBI in his first 43 games in 2023 and then hit .217 with five home runs and 23 RBI in his first 42 games in 2024. In both of those seasons, Machado started to get going toward the end of May/early June.

Therefore, there should be no concern surrounding Machado's poor early-season numbers. The 33-year-old is hitting just .180 with six home runs and 20 RBI across 35 games this season, but there is some optimism with his bat moving forward. Both his average exit velocity (90.2 mph) and hard-hit rate (43.9%) rank in the upper half of the league, and his 20.3% pull AIR rate is up almost 3% from last year.

Fantasy managers should trust Machado's track record and trade for him before his fantasy value rises. This is a hitter who has hit above .255 at the plate with at least 27 home runs and 90 RBI in five consecutive seasons. Last year, the Padres third baseman batted .275 with 27 home runs and 95 RBI across 159 games. Expect his numbers to tick up as the weather heats up.

Mookie Betts, SS/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is the best buy-low player in fantasy right now. Betts was recently activated from the 15-day IL after spending a little over one month on the shelf due to an oblique strain and is only batting .185 with four homers and nine RBI in 14 games this year. While the start of his season hasn't gone according to plan, he's due for some massive positive regression in the coming weeks.

His expected batting average (.282) is 97 points higher than his actual batting average, and his xwOBA (.360), expected slugging (.484), launch angle sweet-spot rate (44.2%), squared-up rate (48.6%), and average exit velocity (91.1 mph) all rank elite. Betts is also pulling the ball in the air at a 23.3% clip in the early going, which is 1% higher than his career average.

Mookie Betts makes it double digits for the @Dodgers! pic.twitter.com/rJlr0hNAk8

— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026

There's no doubt the veteran is going to turn things around at the plate. He's too talented to be hitting this poorly, and Betts' power has been on display since returning from the IL on May 11. He has launched two home runs over his last four games, which included a 414-foot homer against Robbie Ray last week. Go trade for him before his overall numbers start to climb.

Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles

It seems like every time Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is up at the plate, he's trying to hit a home run. That has resulted in his overall numbers being subpar early on. Henderson is batting just .210 with 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and six stolen bases across 47 games, and he is on pace to strike out a career-high 204 times.

But Henderson is an easy buy-low target in all formats in Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season. He looks to be figuring things out at the plate after going 2-for-5 with one double and one RBI on Friday and going 4-for-5 with one home run, one double, two RBI, and one stolen base on Sunday. The Orioles shortstop also has four multi-hit games over his last nine contests.

Gunnar Henderson rockets one to the third deck for his 10th homer of the year 😮 pic.twitter.com/MpFcutlhCw

— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2026

Don't let his low batting average scare you away from acquiring him. Henderson has quietly posted solid home run, RBI, and stolen base numbers to begin the season. He's on pace for 35 home runs, 84 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 2026. Even if his batting average winds up being lower than usual, he's going to put up major numbers in the other three categories.

Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert was identified as a safe selection in fantasy drafts this year. He had finished with a sub-3.75 ERA, a WHIP under 1.19, and 170+ strikeouts in four straight seasons from 2022 to 2025, and just put together another dominant season in 2025 (3.44 ERA and a 32.3% strikeout rate).

But that same pitcher has not been on display in the early portion of the 2026 campaign. Gilbert has a 4.45 ERA across 10 starts, and there have been some concerns about his consistency on the mound this year. The right-hander allowed three runs across four innings on April 22, gave up four runs across six innings on May 4, and recently allowed a season-high seven earned runs against the Padres on Saturday.

Despite these poor results, Gilbert is still a must-have in all fantasy formats. His chase rate (32.2%), whiff rate (28.9%), and strikeout rate (24.7%) still rank pretty well, and his expected FIP (3.54) is 91 points lower than his actual ERA (4.45). After his seven-run outing his last time out, his fantasy value might never be lower.

Even though his hard-hit rate (47.2%) and barrel rate (11.3%) are worrisome right now, those two metrics have always been a problem for Gilbert. That hasn't stopped him from being a fantasy ace in the past.

Carlos Rodon, SP, New York Yankees

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon began the season on the 15-day injured list after undergoing elbow surgery in the offseason. He spent the first few weeks of the regular season building back up before making his season debut on May 10. Unfortunately, Rodon has struggled in his first two starts since being activated.

The southpaw allowed three runs on two hits with five walks across 4 1/3 innings against the Brewers on May 10 and then gave up three runs (two earned runs) on three hits with three walks across 3 2/3 innings against the Mets on Saturday. The walks have obviously been a problem for Rodon in these two starts, as he has walked eight of the 38 batters he has faced.

However, Rodon's back-to-back poor outings make him an easy buy in all fantasy leagues. He is clearly still attempting to get into a groove on the mound after missing the first six weeks of the regular season. If someone in your league has already become impatient with the veteran left-hander, he's a fantastic pitcher target in trade negotiations.

Rodon will need some time to get back to his usual self on the mound, but once he does, he'll return to being a strong fantasy option. The few encouraging signs from his first two starts are that his expected batting average against (.179), strikeout rate (26.3%), whiff rate (27.6%), and hard-hit rate (26.3%) all rank extremely well. So, buy him now amid a slow start.

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