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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 18 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 18 (July 27 to August 2). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
This week, we'll look at the most dropped players in Yahoo! leagues. This list will focus on three pitchers and two hitters who are not performing well heading into Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season. The players featured below include a former All-Star pitcher, a pitcher who has regressed massively since the start of the year, and a young hitter in the midst of a slump.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's find out.
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Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller quickly emerged as a strong fantasy option once he was activated off the injured list on May 13. Miller had a 1.71 ERA and a 33.2% strikeout rate in his first nine starts and allowed two runs or fewer in eight of those nine outings. After beginning the year on the 15-day IL due to a left oblique strain, the 6-foot-2 right-hander wasted no time making an impact.
Unfortunately, Miller hasn't been as consistent on the mound over his last few outings. He allowed six runs (four earned runs) with four walks and three strikeouts across five innings against the Marlins on July 9, gave up three runs (two earned runs) with one walk and six strikeouts across 5 2/3 innings against the Giants on July 17, and allowed five earned runs with zero strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings against the Rangers on Friday.
TEX - Wyatt Langford Solo HR (12)
📏 384 ft | 💨 97.8 mph | 📐 30°
⚾️ 84.5 mph splitter (SEA - RHP Bryce Miller)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 parks 💣SEA (0) @ TEX (1)
🔻 1st#AllForTX pic.twitter.com/Kec3CYR0eJ— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) July 25, 2026
This recent stretch on the mound has led some fantasy managers to part ways with the Mariners right-hander. His rostership dropped 6% last week, thanks to allowing 14 runs (11 earned) over his last 16 innings.
However, Miller should not be dropped in any fantasy leagues in Week 18. Even though his last few outings haven't gone according to plan, his underlying metrics suggest he'll return to being that dominant starting pitcher again. He currently ranks in the 95th percentile in expected ERA (2.66), 87th percentile in expected batting average against (.205), 95th percentile in chase rate (36.4%), and 93rd percentile in hard-hit rate (30.9%).
Fantasy managers can't drop a pitcher with those elite metrics.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Davis Martin, SP, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin was pitching like an All-Star through the first two months. He had a 2.00 ERA and a 26.9% strikeout rate in his first 11 starts. Some of his top performances through May included throwing seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Angels on May 4, six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Mariners on May 10, and six innings of one-run ball against the Cubs on May 16.
Davis Martin, Filthy 87mph Slider. 😷
And is fired up. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pZT1pBjYZF
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 17, 2026
But once the calendar flipped to June, Martin has been a completely different pitcher. The White Sox right-hander has a 5.82 ERA and a 14.5% strikeout rate over his last nine starts. He has had a hard time missing bats during this stretch and hasn't completed at least six innings in any of his four starts in July. In his most recent outing, the 29-year-old allowed four runs across five innings with three strikeouts against the Astros.
Given the way Martin has pitched recently, it's best to move on from him in most leagues. He isn't the same pitcher he was earlier in the year, and his underlying metrics don't offer much optimism for the future. The young pitcher has a 4.32 expected ERA, a .266 expected batting average against, a 90.3 mph average exit velocity, a 44.4% hard-hit rate, and his whiff rate sits at just 24.6%.
That all makes Martin a drop in most leagues. If you can sell him cheap, try that route first. If no one wants him, though, it's time to drop him.
Verdict: Drop in 12+ team leagues
Freddy Peralta, SP, New York Mets
It has been a season to forget for New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta so far. After putting up the best numbers of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025 (2.70 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate), Peralta has not performed at that level on his new team in 2026. The two-time All-Star has a whopping 5.01 ERA and a career-worst 22.4% strikeout rate this year.
Things have really been rough for Peralta, especially as of late. The Mets right-hander has a 7.65 ERA and a 19.7% strikeout rate over his last eight starts dating back to June 9. This eight-start stretch has included a rough performance against the Cardinals (six runs allowed across six innings), an abysmal start against the Phillies (10 runs allowed across 2 2/3 innings), and a bad outing against the Brewers (seven runs allowed across 5 1/3 innings).
While most fantasy managers are starting to get rid of Peralta, he is still a clear hold in all formats because some positive regression should be heading his way in the next few weeks. His expected ERA (3.84) is 117 points lower than his actual ERA (5.01), and his expected batting average against (.235), average exit velocity (87.8 mph), whiff rate (26.6%), and barrel rate (5.4%) all rank in the upper half of the league.
There's also a good chance that Peralta gets moved at the deadline, which should help his fantasy value. The Mets defense hasn't exactly helped out the right-hander on the mound this year.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals
Like any rookie, Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen has gone through his ups and downs in his first Major League season. He came out of the gate very slowly, slashing .211/.288/.368 with seven home runs, nine doubles, and 28 RBI in his first 59 games. Many expected Jensen to perform a bit better at the start of the 2026 season.
Jensen then really heated up in early June. He slashed .311/.359/.566 with six home runs, nine doubles, 21 RBI, and one stolen base across 26 games from June 6 to July 8. The lefty-swinging catcher was starting to get more comfortable at the plate, and that showed up in the box score. The 23-year-old raised his batting average by 36 points during this stretch.
Carter Jensen and the @Royals refuse to lose as they score 4 runs in the bottom of the 10th and walk it off 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z9kb4P78o0
— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2026
After showcasing some nice things over that month span, Jensen is now in a small slump again. He is slashing just .204/.278/.367 with one home run and three RBI in his last 13 games. This might be a smaller sample size, but the Royals catcher was dropped in many Yahoo! leagues last week due to this slump.
If you currently own Jensen, it's important not to overreact to a 13-game sample size. He has shown the potential to be a top fantasy catcher option in the past, which makes him a clear hold in most 12+ team leagues. His 90.7 mph average exit velocity, 9.7% barrel rate, 43.1% hard-hit rate, 73.9 mph bat speed, and 20.9% pull air rate are all encouraging signs moving forward.
Verdict: Hold in most 12+ team leagues
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O'Hearn has been a consistent fantasy option for most of the season. He's batting .278 with 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 51 runs scored, and one stolen base across 90 games. O'Hearn also had arguably the best offensive day for a hitter this season, when he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and 10 RBI in a game against the Braves on July 7.
Since that big-time performance on July 7, though, O'Hearn hasn't done much at the plate. The lefty slugger slashed .178/.269/.200 with one double, three RBI, three walks, and 15 strikeouts over a 13-game stretch from July 8 to July 25. He hasn't shown much power in the past few weeks, and his rostership continues to drop across all Yahoo! formats.
Despite his recent offensive numbers, O'Hearn should be kept in most 12+ team leagues in Week 18. He still owns a solid .327 xwOBA, .261 expected batting average, .419 expected lugging, 45.1% hard-hit rate, 35.6% launch angle sweet-spot rate, 26.9% squared-up rate, and a career-best 19.8% pull air rate. His grand slam in Sunday's win over the Cubs should get him back on track.
Verdict: Hold in most 12+ team leagues
