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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 9 of the 2026 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players who are currently struggling and not performing well as of Week 9 (May 25 to May 31). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
This week, we'll look at five players who haven't performed up to their standards recently. There's a pitcher who got rocked in his most recent start, a hitter in a massive slump at the plate, and a veteran shortstop who is batting under .200 on the season. We will dive into each player and analyze how fantasy managers should approach them.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's find out.
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Justin Wrobleski, SP/RP, Los Angeles Dodgers
It was only a matter of time until Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski's numbers started to drop. That's exactly what has happened recently, as the southpaw has allowed 14 earned runs over his last 19 2/3 innings pitched. In his most recent outing, Wrobleski gave up five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts across five innings against the Brewers.
Although he still owns a solid 3.07 ERA this season, it might be time to part ways with the Dodgers' left-hander. Wrobleski has been one of the luckiest pitchers in the early going. His expected ERA (4.07) is a full 100 points higher than his actual ERA (3.07), and his expected batting average against (.265), whiff rate (15.3%), strikeout rate (13.7%), and hard-hit rate (40%) all rank in the bottom half of the league.
MIL - William Contreras 3-run HR (4)
📏 410 ft | 💨 107.2 mph | 📐 29°
⚾️ 89.2 mph slider (LAD - LHP Justin Wrobleski)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 parks 💣LAD (0) @ MIL (3)
🔻 1st#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/JzL3Qk7aX7— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) May 22, 2026
Wrobleski has pitched well as a starter this year, but his lack of swing-and-miss stuff makes him a questionable long-term fantasy asset. He has allowed at least seven hits in three straight outings and at least five runs in two of his last three starts. That makes now the best time to sell him in all fantasy leagues. His poor metrics suggest that he is due for some negative regression moving forward.
Verdict: Sell low in all formats
Ildemaro Vargas, 1B/2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas came out of the gate red-hot this season. He had a .374 batting average with six home runs, seven doubles, two triples, and 22 RBI in his first 27 games and was a hot commodity on the waiver wire through the first few weeks. By the start of Week 8, Vargas was rostered in over 65% of Yahoo! leagues.
However, the 10-year journeyman has cooled off significantly since that hot start. He is batting only .217 with one home run, one double, and 10 RBI since May 6 and is currently hitless over his last 17 at-bats. This recent cold stretch from Vargas has dropped his rostership in Yahoo! leagues from 67% to 58% heading into Week 9 of the fantasy baseball season.
Despite his .217 batting average in his last 17 contests, the Diamondbacks infielder is an easy hold in all fantasy formats. He still has a 94th percentile expected batting average (.294), and both his squared-up rate (35.6%) and Pull AIR rate (23.1%) should give managers confidence that he'll eventually break out of this slump. Vargas is also on pace for 25 home runs, 99 runs scored, and 113 RBI this season.
Fantasy managers shouldn't be dropping these types of players at this point in the season. Remain patient and hold onto the 34-year-old in all leagues.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
It's not a total surprise to see Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto go through slumps at the plate. He is in his first season, and rookies often experience ups and downs in Year 1. Just last month, Okamoto had a rough offensive stretch, where he hit .191 with three home runs and 12 RBI across 19 games from April 8 to April 30. Then, he hit .333 with five home runs over his next 10 games.
When Kazuma Okamoto really commits to a swing, it's just so damn pretty. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/KAkcvPLs9r
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 25, 2026
The Japanese slugger is now in another offensive slump. He has just two hits over his last 34 at-bats (.059 batting average) with one extra base hit, one RBI, and 18 strikeouts in his last 10 games. But like last month, Okamoto will eventually break out of this mini-slump. While there are some concerns with his high whiff rate (33.8%) and strikeout rate (32%), his power has been on display to start his MLB career.
Okamoto ranks in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity (93.1 mph), 95th percentile in hard-hit rate (53.4%), 87th percentile in barrel rate (14.4%), and currently has an elite Pull AIR rate (25.4%). Those metrics are why the Blue Jays third baseman is a hold in all formats. He has such pure power at the plate and could be a 30+ home run hitter in his rookie campaign.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Aaron Nola, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
There was some hope among fantasy managers entering the year that Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola would bounce back after a career-worst year in 2025. Nola finished with a 6.01 ERA and 97 strikeouts across 94 1/3 innings pitched last year. Unfortunately, Nola looks like the same pitcher from a year ago.
His expected batting average against (.271), average exit velocity (89.2 mph), whiff rate (24.9%), strikeout rate (22.8%), barrel rate (9%), hard-hit rate (41.9%), and Pull AIR rate (22.6%) all rank pretty similar to his 2025 metrics. That has led to Nola carrying a high ERA once again. The former All-Star currently owns a 6.04 ERA, a 1.559 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 10 starts this season.
Things have not been great for Nola on the mound recently. He allowed three runs across 4 2/3 innings against the Rockies on May 9, gave up six runs on six hits across 3 2/3 innings against the Pirates on May 15, and allowed four more runs across five innings against the Reds in his most recent start on Wednesday.
Given that Nola struggled in each of these three starts, he is a fine drop in most 12-team leagues. Fantasy managers are better off streaming pitchers in his SP spot than continuing to roll with him. He ranks in the fourth percentile in Pitching Run Value (-10) and in the first percentile in Fastball Run Value (-17) on Baseball Savant.
Verdict: Drop in 12-team leagues
Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is off to a brutal start this year. The two-time All-Star is slashing a mere .189/.289/.349 with seven home runs, four doubles, one triple, 27 RBI, and three stolen bases across 50 games and has been unstartable in fantasy in the month of May. Swanson is batting .155 with one home run and four RBI in 20 games this month.
THE dansby swanson. pic.twitter.com/69azGVS43T
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 1, 2026
But Swanson is a hold in most 12+ team leagues. His prior track record suggests he'll return to being a solid fantasy option within the next few weeks. He batted .244 with 22 home runs, 80 RBI, and nine stolen bases in 147 games in 2023, had a .242 batting average with 16 home runs, 66 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 149 games in 2024, and hit .244 with 24 home runs, 77 RBI, and 20 stolen bases last year.
As poor as Swanson has been offensively this year, he's still on track to finish with 20+ home runs and 10+ stolen bases. His overall numbers should eventually improve as the weather warms up, and he continues to hit the ball hard with a 44.6% hard-hit rate. Be patient with the Cubs' shortstop because he can start to get going at any time.
It's still too early in the season to drop him. Wait until at least the second week of June to see if he can turn things around.
Verdict: Hold in 12+ team leagues
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