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Andy's fantasy baseball cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 19 waiver wire (2026). Is it time to drop these struggling players for better waiver wire options?
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our updated Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball for Week 19 of the fantasy baseball season. The fantasy baseball landscape shifted greatly this week as many players joined new clubs ahead of the deadline, which affected their rest-of-season outlook.
In this edition, we will look at some relief pitchers who are on the decline due to the trade deadline and a handful of hitters who have yet to break out of their lengthy slumps.
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 19 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 | Pos. | Team | % Ros. | Baller Move |
| 1 | Casey Schmitt | 1B/2B/3B/OF | SF | 35 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Quinn Mathews | SP | STL | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Emmet Sheehan | SP | LAD | 55 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 4 | Tatsuya Imai | SP/RP | HOU | 30 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 5 | Tyler Wells | RP | TB | 15 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 6 | Paul Sewald | RP | ARI | 35 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 7 | Davis Martin | SP | CHW | 55 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 8 | Hogan Harris | RP | ATH | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 9 | Jordan Romano | RP | COL | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 10 | Mauricio Dubon | 2B/3B/SS/OF | ATL | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 11 | Gage Jump | SP | ATH | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 12 | Kumar Rocker | SP | TEX | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 13 | Merrill Kelly | SP | ARI | 40 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 14 | Michael McGreevy | SP | STL | 30 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 15 | Freddy Peralta | SP | TB | 85 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 16 | Nick Pivetta | SP | SD | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 17 | Ryan O'Hearn | 1B/OF | PIT | 50 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 18 | Curtis Mead | 1B/2B/3B | BOS | 40 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 19 | Spencer Steer | 1B/OF | CIN | 15 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 20 | Josh Jung | 3B | TEX | 30 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 21 | Brandon Marsh | OF | PHI | 55 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 22 | Eduardo Rodriguez | SP | ARI | 70 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 23 | Justin Wrobleski | SP | LAD | 80 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 24 | Jo Adell | OF | CLE | 70 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 25 | Willy Adames | SS | SF | 70 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 26 | Christian Yelich | OF | MIL | 85 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 27 | Ian Happ | OF | CHC | 85 | Hold in All Leagues (but consider benching) |
| 28 | Yoendrys Gomez | RP | MIN | 30 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 29 | Samuel Basallo | C | BAL | 40 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 30 | Joey Cantillo | SP | CLE | 50 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 19 Player Outlooks
Nick Pivetta, SP, San Diego Padres
Cut List Ranking No. 16
San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (elbow) felt tightness in his right elbow during his minor-league rehab outing with Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday when he came off the mound, but then he threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and felt perfectly fine, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. The Padres will know more on Wednesday.
It did not look good when Pivetta walked off the field in the middle of an at-bat in the fourth inning, but the 33-year-old veteran might have escaped a major setback and could still have a chance to rejoin the Padres' starting rotation before the end of the 2026 regular season.
San Diego bolstered its rotation at the trade deadline by adding lefty Robbie Ray and right-hander Casey Mize, but they are also expecting the return of Pivetta, who was the club's ace in 2025, when he went 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 190:50 K:BB in 31 starts.
It's unclear exactly how big a setback Pivetta is dealing with, but he's currently being stashed in 70% of Yahoo leagues in hopes that he can make a difference down the stretch and return to his pre-injury form. Pivetta had a 4.50 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in just four starts earlier this year before being shut down.
An update from Lake Elsinore.
Nick Pivetta walked off the mound after throwing a pitch and went straight to the dugout. pic.twitter.com/qdpo3eGHZ9
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) August 4, 2026
Hogan Harris, RP, Athletics
Cut List Ranking No. 8
Athletics left-handed reliever Hogan Harris is quickly losing fantasy baseball value after blowing his fifth save of the year in the team's 5-4 loss to the hosting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Harris was wild at Great American Ball Park, allowing two earned runs on three walks and one strikeout in just two-thirds of an inning, and not only did he blow the save, but he took the loss, his first of 2026.
The 29-year-old walked the first two hitters he faced and also threw two wild pitches. The southpaw recorded three saves for the A's in July, but he's now allowed multiple runs in two of his last three outings and could be on the way out in the A's closer picture if he continues to struggle.
On the season, Harris is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA (4.20 FIP), 1.53 WHIP, a career-high nine saves, 67 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 49 2/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen.
The best thing going for Harris is that the A's don't have many better options for save situations, with Elvis Alvarado and Luis Medina being their primary setup men. Harris is currently rostered in 11% of Yahoo leagues for those desperate for saves in deep formats.
Emmet Sheehan, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cut List Ranking No. 3
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Following the Dodgers' trade deadline acquisition of superstar left-hander Tarik Skubal, it appears that Sheehan is the odd man out in the Dodgers' rotation. Sheehan has been inconsistent so far in 2026, recording a 4-8 record with a 5.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts across 95 1/3 innings (20 starts).
The 26-year-old's underlying metrics suggest he's been hurt by some poor luck, as he's logged an above-average 18.9% K-BB rate and owns a 3.96 xERA. However, Sheehan's average fastball velocity is down one mile per hour from last season, and he's had major difficulty keeping the ball in the yard, allowing 1.89 HR/9.
With Skubal in Los Angeles and Dodgers starters Tyler Glasnow (back) and Blake Snell (elbow) also nearing returns to the team's rotation, Sheehan may not see many more opportunities to contribute in the big leagues in 2026.
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 Max Clark, Jared Jones, George Lombard Jr., Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Isaac Paredes, Carson Benge, Mickey Moniak, Ian Seymour, Ty France. 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 Max Clark, George Lombard Jr., Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Isaac Paredes, Carson Benge, Mickey Moniak, Ian Seymour, Ty France:
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