Fantasy Baseball Buy-Lows? Unlucky Star Players (Week 19)

August 5, 2026

Joey's fantasy baseball buy-lows, breakouts, trade candidates to target for Week 19 in 2026. These unlucky players are underperforming early for fantasy baseball.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another edition of Buy-Low Candidates for Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. Each week of the fantasy baseball season, we look at struggling star players who are top buy-low candidates. Last week's list included names like Bryan Reynolds, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo.

For this week, we will dive into four more buy-low candidates. These four players haven't been dependable fantasy options recently, but things should turn around for them within the next few weeks. It's best to acquire them now, while their fantasy value is at its lowest. Each of these players is rostered in over 80% of Yahoo! leagues and should be on fantasy managers' radars as a potential trade target this week.

Let's dive into the four best buy-low candidates right now for Week 19.

Jacob deGrom, SP, Texas Rangers

It has been tough sledding for Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom as of late. The two-time Cy Young winner has a whopping 5.59 ERA over his last seven starts. Some of his rough outings during this stretch include allowing six earned runs across six innings against the Padres, five earned runs across 4 2/3 innings against the White Sox, and five earned runs across 3 1/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Astros.

However, deGrom is definitely a buy-low in Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. Despite having a 5.59 ERA since June 19, his FIP actually sits at 2.80 in this same span. That's a clear sign that the veteran has gotten a bit unlucky on the mound recently. His 28.2% strikeout rate during this stretch still ranks extremely well, and he has had multiple strong outings over the past six weeks as well.

It wasn't too long ago when deGrom threw seven innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts against the Guardians on June 30 and five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts against the Mariners on July 26. Some positive regression should head his way within the next few weeks, especially since his underlying metrics under the hood still rank toward the top of the league.

The Rangers right-hander currently owns a 67th percentile expected ERA (3.59), 90th percentile chase rate (35.1%), 88th percentile strikeout rate (28.8%), 83rd percentile walk rate (6.2%), 87th percentile Pitching Run Value (12), and 98th percentile Breaking Run Value (12). Those elite metrics should help deGrom turn around his numbers down the stretch.

Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene hasn't exactly hit the ball well since the All-Star break. The three-time All-Star entered Tuesday's contest slashing .185/.281/.389 with two home runs, five doubles, eight RBI, and one stolen base in his first 15 games after the break. Those numbers are obviously not up to Greene's standards after he slashed .288/.380/.462 with 13 home runs, 19 doubles, and 45 RBI in his first 95 games.

Greene, though, is slowly starting to turn it around at the plate. The lefty slugger went 3-for-5 with one home run and two runs scored in Detroit's 8-0 win over the Mariners on Tuesday evening. That makes now the perfect time to trade for him. With strong underlying metrics, don't waste this potential opportunity to trade for a player who should provide consistent production over the final weeks of the regular season.

Riley Greene (16) SENDS IT OUT 🔥
104.9 mph · 403 ft · 37°
RHP Emerson Hancock · 86 mph changeup

⚾ DET 4 - SEA 0 • Top 5th pic.twitter.com/FgUZGjYi0U

— PlayPulse HRs (@PlayPulseHRs) August 5, 2026

The 25-year-old has a 90th percentile xwOBA (.367), 69th percentile expected batting average (.261), 87th percentile expected slugging (.488), 94th percentile barrel rate (14.9%), 89th percentile hard-hit rate (49.5%), 87th percentile launch angle sweet-spot rate (38.4%), and 90th percentile bat speed (75.6 mph). These metrics prove that Greene won't be slumping offensively much longer.

His fantasy value might have risen slightly after a strong performance at the plate on Tuesday. However, fantasy managers can still acquire him at a reasonable price.

Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene hasn't been his elite self since returning from the injured list. Greene spent most of the first half of the regular season nursing an elbow injury that sidelined him through the end of June. The hard-throwing right-hander underwent successful surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies from his throwing elbow in the spring.

Greene eventually made his season debut in early July, but has had a couple of uneven starts since coming off the IL. He allowed eight runs across 3 1/3 innings against the Orioles on July 4, gave up seven runs (six earned runs) across 5 1/3 innings against the Cardinals on July 25, and recently allowed four runs across six innings against the Pirates in his last outing on July 31.

Hunter Greene's last 4 starts:

24.1 IP | 4.81 ERA | 1.11 WHIP
26 K | 5 BB

Season Stats:

27.2 IP
33 K
6.83 ERA | 1.37 WHIP | 10.73 K/9#ATOBTTR pic.twitter.com/KfvfrJJuS1

— PaceBall (@paceball__) August 1, 2026

There's no sugarcoating how inconsistent Greene has been in his first five starts back. While he has had some dominant performances, such as when he threw seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against the Cubs on July 10, the Reds right-hander hasn't reached that elite level often this year in his limited innings pitched.

However, fantasy managers should be jumping all over the opportunity to trade for Greene while his fantasy value is a bit low. When the former All-Star is at the top of his game, there's no stopping him. In 2024, he finished with a 2.75 ERA and a 27.7% strikeout rate. In 2025, he finished with a 2.76 ERA and a 31.4% strikeout rate.

It's going to take Greene some time to get into a rhythm on the mound after missing multiple months early in the year. Once he does, he'll return to being a fantasy superstar. Given that the 26-year-old has a 32% chase rate, 27.2% whiff rate, 27.3% strikeout rate, and a 5.1% barrel rate in his first five starts, better days are surely ahead for him.

Kyle Harrison, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

There aren't a lot of fantasy managers who might be trading for Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison. He wasn't sharp in either of his last two starts in July and then landed on the 15-day injured list on July 11. Harrison gave up three runs across 2 2/3 innings with three strikeouts against the Diamondbacks on July 3 and allowed three runs across four innings against the Cardinals on July 8 before landing on the IL.

But the Brewers left-hander is actually one of the best buy-low targets in Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. Harrison will be activated off the IL to start against the Pirates on Wednesday evening and could return to his early-season dominance on the mound down the stretch. Fantasy managers might have forgotten that he had a 1.57 ERA with a 31.8% strikeout rate in his first 11 starts this season.

His numbers over his last six starts before his injury weren't as great (6.15 ERA with a 25% strikeout rate), but there's a lot to love about the southpaw moving forward. His 3.17 expected ERA, 33.1% chase rate, 29% whiff rate, 29.6% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate, 6.5% barrel rate, and 36.6% hard-hit rate all rank in the top of the half of the league.

Kyle Harrison is throwing baseballs from the mound again tonight. pic.twitter.com/xa8QURAnPW

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) July 30, 2026

If you are looking for a potential high-upside pitcher who might be cheap to acquire, look at Harrison. His season numbers are fantastic, his strikeout numbers are great, and there's optimism that he can be a consistent fantasy option in the final weeks. It's best to make a move for him now, potentially before his start against the Pirates on Wednesday night.

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