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Andy's fantasy baseball cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 16 waiver wire (2026). Is it time to drop these struggling players for better waiver wire options?
Howdy, RotoBallers, and welcome to our updated Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball in Week 16 of the 2026 MLB season. With the All-Star break now behind us, it's time to prepare for this stretch run.
In this week's edition, we will look at some of the most dropped players across Yahoo leagues of the past week and determine which path managers should take. Below, we will look at a few starting pitchers who were recently placed on the injured list and some struggling young hitters, including Cleveland's Travis Bazzana.
Let's dig into this list of injured or disappointing players and work through how deserving they are of remaining in your fantasy baseball lineups. Read about our top players to cut for Week 16 of the MLB season. It's time to make some tough calls, RotoBallers!
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Cut List Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Players to Drop?
The top players to consider cutting for fantasy baseball in priority order. Players at the top of the list should be dropped first and replaced on the waiver wire.
| Rank | Player Name | Position | Team | % Ros. | Baller Move |
| 1 | Robert Gasser | SP | MIL | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 2 | Shane Bieber | SP | TOR | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 3 | Noah Schultz | SP | CWS | 10 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 4 | Tatsuya Imai | SP | HOU | 35 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 5 | Zebby Matthews | SP | MIN | 20 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 6 | Brandon Woodruff | SP | MIL | 75 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 7 | Alex Lange | RP | KC | 20 | Drop in Shallower Leagues |
| 8 | Emerson Hancock | SP | SEA | 80 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 9 | Daylen Lile | OF | WSH | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 10 | Dylan Crews | OF | WSH | 30 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 11 | Cole Carrigg | OF | COL | 30 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 12 | Jung Hoo Lee | OF | SF | 35 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 13 | Dustin May | SP | STL | 30 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 14 | Davis Martin | SP | CWS | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 15 | Shane Baz | SP | BAL | 55 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 16 | Andrew Abbott | SP | CIN | 65 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 17 | Will Warren | SP | NYY | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 18 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | 35 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 19 | Ian Seymour | SP | TB | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 20 | Nick Lodolo | SP | CIN | 65 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 21 | Ryan Helsley | RP | BAL | 65 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 22 | Corey Seager | SS | TEX | 85 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 23 | Austin Riley | 3B | ATH | 80 | Hold in All Leagues (keep on bench) |
| 24 | George Springer | OF | TOR | 70 | Hold in All Leagues (keep on bench) |
| 25 | Carter Jensen | C | KC | 60 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 26 | TJ Rumfield | 1B | COL | 50 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 27 | Henry Bolte | OF | ATH | 10 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 28 | Gage Jump | SP | ATH | 30 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 29 | Teoscar Hernandez | OF | TOR | 85 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 30 | Nico Hoerner | 2B | CHC | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 15 Player Outlooks
Brandon Woodruff, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Cut List Ranking No. 6
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Sunday that they transferred veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list. Woodruff has been dealing with right-shoulder issues for a while now, and the 33-year-old was placed on the 15-day IL last weekend after he was diagnosed with an injury to his right anterior shoulder capsule.
It's more bad news for a veteran hurler who already missed the entire 2024 season following right-shoulder surgery late in 2023. Woodruff had a nice 2.98 ERA (3.19 FIP) and 0.84 WHIP in his nine starts for the Brewers this year before landing on the IL, and despite a drop in velocity, he was sporting a 27% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate in his 45 1/3 innings pitched. However, he's made just 21 starts for the Brew Crew since the start of last year, and the Brewers might just be hoping to have him healthy for a playoff run this fall.
Fantasy managers holding Woodruff shouldn't expect him to return to Milwaukee's starting rotation until September in a best-case scenario.
Emerson Hancock, SP, Seattle Mariners
Cut List Ranking No. 8
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock (finger) was forced to make an early exit from Sunday's outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. Hancock was struck in the hand by a comebacker during the first inning of this game. He attempted to stay in the game, but Hancock was taken out in the second inning. He finished this outing with 1.2 innings of work and two strikeouts.
Luckily, the X-rays came back negative, so it appears Hancock has avoided any significant injuries. Hancock will receive extra days of rest during the All-Star break, but a stint on the injured list has yet to be ruled out.
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians
Cut List Ranking No. 18
Cleveland Guardians rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick from Oregon State University in 2024, was hitting .294/.389/.450 with an .838 OPS, three homers, eight doubles, 11 RBI, eight stolen bases, and 13 runs scored in his first 30 games after debuting with Cleveland on April 28. Since June 2, though, he has hit just .193 (26-for-135) with four homers, six doubles, a triple, 17 RBI, 17 runs scored, five steals, 17 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 35 games to drop his overall line to .238/.330/.389 in his first 282 MLB plate appearances.
Bazzana went into the All-Star break hitting .200 (8-for-40) with three doubles, three RBI, four runs, a stolen base, five walks, and 13 K's in 10 games in July. The 23-year-old left-handed-hitting Aussie is known for his advanced plate discipline, and he has backed that up with a walk rate in the 75th percentile and a chase rate in the 71st percentile.
However, his xOBP is in just the 40th percentile thanks to a hard-hit rate in the 27th percentile and a barrel rate in the 18th percentile. Bazzana has the plate skills, but he's not squaring the ball up enough consistently yet at the big-league level. Still, he's useful for his speed (13 steals) in deeper fantasy formats going into the second half.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Articles
Looking to add a player off the waiver wire? After diving into the cut list rankings, read about some waiver wire pickups to consider instead:
Each week, our MLB team puts out a complete array of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles to complement our slick Who Should I Pick Up? waiver wire player comparison tool. Bookmark it!
In addition, be on the lookout for our other waiver wire articles all season long. We will be releasing weekly waiver wire articles for each position, FAAB bidding recommendations, streamers, and more throughout the week.
Who Should I Pick Up Fantasy Baseball Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the "Who Should I Pick Up" tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pick up someone else instead? Today's focus is on specific players like Kyle Karros, Kody Clemens, Kenley Jansen, Grant Taylor, Tyler Wells, Jake Burger, Tristan Peters, Henry Bolte, Ryan Jeffers, Masyn Winn, Jasson Dominguez, Luis Lara, Cade Cavalli. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who to Pick Up? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pick Up? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Pick Up? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who to Pick Up
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pick Up tool for 2026 for players like Kyle Karros, Kody Clemens, Kenley Jansen, Grant Taylor, Tyler Wells, Jake Burger, Tristan Peters, Henry Bolte, Ryan Jeffers, Masyn Winn, Jasson Dominguez, Luis Lara, Cade Cavalli:
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