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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 19 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 19 (August 3 to August 9). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
For this week, we will look at several players trending down in all fantasy formats. This list will dive into four hitters and one pitcher who are not performing up to their usual fantasy standards heading into Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. The players we will discuss include a veteran slumping, a pitcher who was recently traded, and a rookie who has cooled off significantly.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's dive in and find out.
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Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson was one of the hottest hitters in baseball just a few weeks ago. He slashed .301/.333/.628 with nine home runs, six doubles, two triples, 32 RBI, and eight stolen bases across 30 games from June 17 to July 25. During this stretch, Swanson was a top fantasy shortstop option.
Dansby Swanson puts the @Cubs in front with a 3-run dinger ☄️ pic.twitter.com/HI4LcZQHfy
— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2026
But to no surprise, Swanson has come back down to earth. The 32-year-old has just one hit over his last 22 plate appearances to go with one walk and seven strikeouts. While this is a smaller sample size, fantasy managers are beginning to pull the plug on the veteran shortstop. The two-time All-Star was one of the most dropped hitters in Yahoo! leagues by the conclusion of games on Sunday.
At this point in the season, it's not a bad idea to see what you can get for Swanson in a trade. He has always been a streaky hitter in his career, and his highs and lows make him an inconsistent fantasy option. That's enough reason to sell him for cheap heading into Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. It's worth seeing what you might get for him because he was on fire for a month-long stretch recently.
It's hard to imagine Swanson going through one of those big-time stretches again. That's why he is ultimately a sell-low candidate this week. His expected batting average (.219), xwOBA (.300), expected slugging percentage (.383), barrel rate (7.4%), launch angle sweet-spot rate (29.8%), and whiff rate (30.7%) all rank in the bottom half of the league.
Verdict: Sell Low in all formats
Luis Castillo, SP, Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox traded for starting pitcher Luis Castillo on Saturday evening. Before his trade to the South Side, Castillo was an inconsistent fantasy pitcher with the Seattle Mariners. He had a 5.06 ERA and a 1.395 WHIP across 99 2/3 innings pitched. The veteran right-hander posted even worse numbers in the month of July, as he had a 5.48 ERA in four starts last month.
However, Castillo could benefit from a change of scenery. He joins a really good White Sox team that could help him get back to his All-Star form. The 33-year-old is just one season removed from posting a 3.54 ERA and 162 strikeouts across 32 starts. It would definitely hurt to drop him, and then he turns into that solid fantasy pitcher once again.
That's why this is a prime opportunity to sell Castillo in all fantasy formats. There could be someone in your league who believes a change of scenery could help the veteran get back on track. In reality, though, the new White Sox pitcher won't be a viable fantasy option the rest of the year. It's best to capitalize on his slight fantasy boost and trade him for what you can get.
Castillo's underlying metrics across the board are poor. His expected ERA (4.83), expected batting average against (.267), average exit velocity (90.2 mph), whiff rate (23.3%), strikeout rate (19.4%), and barrel rate (9.7%) all rank in the bottom 35% of the league. There doesn't appear to be a bounce-back in store for the right-hander.
Verdict: Sell Low in all formats
Esmerlyn Valdez, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
It wasn't too long ago that Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was tearing the cover off the baseball. He slashed .306/.377/.750 with 13 home runs, seven doubles, one triple, and 34 RBI in his first 32 games from May 22 to July 20. Valdez rose to fantasy stardom in just a few weeks and hit seven home runs with 17 RBI in an eight-game span in July.
Esmerlyn Valdez hits one 461 FEET!
Look at where this baseball lands 😳 pic.twitter.com/gHJcOznQAb
— MLB (@MLB) June 28, 2026
The rookie has since cooled off since that insane stretch. The 22-year-old is now batting .135 (5-for-37) with one home run, two doubles, and four RBI over his last 12 contests. He has a 28% strikeout rate in these 12 games and has only two hits in his last 29 plate appearances. Valdez also had an injury scare back on July 28 after being hit by a pitch on the wrist.
Despite his recent numbers at the plate, the Pirates outfielder is still a clear hold in all formats. Every player goes through rough offensive stretches, and it was only a matter of time until Valdez went through one. The good news is that his underlying metrics suggest that he should break out of this mini-slump very soon.
Valdez still owns a .363 xwOBA, .521 expected slugging, 92.4 mph average exit velocity, 24.1% barrel rate, 50.6% hard-hit rate, 35.6% launch angle sweet-spot rate, and a 22.8% chase rate. Those elite metrics should carry the rookie through the final weeks of the season, making him a must-hold in every fantasy league in Week 19.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Jonathan Aranda, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda is cold at the plate right now. He is batting .183 with one double, one RBI, and 21 strikeouts over his last 15 games dating back to July 17. The All-Star break seemed to have affected Aranda's offensive rhythm, as he was batting .363 with three home runs, eight doubles, and 16 RBI in 27 games prior to the extended time off.
Jonathan Aranda smacks a solo shot to extend Tampa Bay's lead! pic.twitter.com/43CVnrmVJK
— MLB (@MLB) May 12, 2026
Although his recent numbers haven't been great, there is no reason to panic about Aranda in Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. He should not be dropped in any leagues and remains a clear hold in all fantasy formats. Not only is the lefty first baseman hitting .281 with 14 home runs, 18 doubles, and 65 RBI across 107 games this season, but his underlying metrics are encouraging as well.
Aranda ranks in the 87th percentile in xwOBA (.359), 74th percentile in expected batting average (.265), 77th percentile in expected slugging (.456), 81st percentile in average exit velocity (91 mph), 75th percentile in hard-hit rate (45.1%), 83rd percentile in launch angle sweet-spot rate (38.1%), and 78th percentile in squared-up rate (27.9%). Fantasy managers shouldn't be cutting a player with these solid metrics.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
Brandon Marsh, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh was one of the best all-around fantasy players in the first half of the season. He slashed .317/.348/.520 with 14 home runs, 15 doubles, two triples, 45 RBI, and eight stolen bases in his first 81 games. But since the calendar flipped to July, Marsh has been a completely different player.
He's batting just .156/.224/.222 with two home runs, four RBI, two stolen bases, eight walks, and 27 strikeouts over his last 25 games since the beginning of July. While some negative regression was always going to hit Marsh hard, fantasy managers didn't envision that regression hitting him this hard. His batting average has dropped 37 points in the span of just four weeks.
His recent numbers might make him a questionable fantasy option moving forward, but he is still a hold in most leagues at this point in the year. His expected batting average (.261), expected slugging (.421), average exit velocity (89.5 mph), barrel rate (8.9%), hard-hit rate (44.7%), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (42.9%) all still rank in the upper half of the league.
Wait a few more weeks before dropping him.
Verdict: Hold in most 12+ team leagues
