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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 22 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 22 (August 24 to August 30). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
For this week's edition, we will look at five players who have not performed up to their usual fantasy standards. This list will include a pitcher who has really regressed over the last few weeks, a hitter in a major slump at the plate, and another hitter struggling to make an impact on his new team.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players in Week 22 of the fantasy baseball season? Let's dive in and find out
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Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller was nails on the mound once he was activated off the injured list to make his season debut in mid-May. Miller had a 1.71 ERA and a 33.2% strikeout rate across his first nine starts. Some of his best outings during this stretch included throwing eight innings of two-run ball against the Nationals on June 12 and seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Angels on July 2.
But since that start against the Angels in early July, Miller has been a completely different pitcher. The Mariners right-hander entered his start on Sunday with a 6.57 ERA and a 14.9% strikeout rate over his last seven outings. He then proceeded to allow six runs with seven walks across 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs in his most recent start.
CHC - Ian Happ Grand Slam (22)
📏 378 ft | 💨 101.6 mph | 📐 27°
⚾️ 85.4 mph splitter (SEA - RHP Bryce Miller)
🏟️ Out in 22/30 parksCHC (5) @ SEA (2)
🔺 3rd#Cubs pic.twitter.com/uQenMO70fm— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) August 23, 2026
Given the way Miller has thrown the ball over the past six weeks, he is a worthy drop in most 12-team leagues. He has now given up at least five runs in four of his last six starts. His ERA continues to rise, and his strikeout numbers continue to drop. That's enough reason to drop the 28-year-old in most leagues in Week 22 of the fantasy season.
This is the stretch run for all fantasy leagues. Fantasy managers should be looking to cut bait with players who haven't been performing well recently. That has been the case with Miller since the beginning of July.
Verdict: Drop in 12-team leagues
Matthew Boyd, SP, Chicago Cubs
It has been a weird year for Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd. He struggled out of the gate and had two separate stints on the injured list in the first half. He suffered a bicep strain in early April that caused him to miss a few weeks and then missed close to two months due to a torn meniscus that he suffered at his home in early May.
Those two injuries didn't stop Boyd from throwing the ball well from May 3 to July 29. This stretch saw the Cubs southpaw post a 2.06 ERA across eight starts. He allowed two runs or fewer in six of those eight outings and gave up just two runs in 20 innings pitched in a three-start span after the All-Star break.
Since the calendar has flipped to August, though, Boyd hasn't been as consistent on the mound. He has a 6.12 ERA and a 10.2% strikeout rate across four starts this month. In his most recent outing against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night, the former All-Star allowed five runs (four earned runs) with two walks and three strikeouts across six innings pitched.
Big Dumper with one big swing 😮
Cal Raleigh's 3-run shot ties this game in Seattle! pic.twitter.com/m0C2k526vZ
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026
Similar to Miller, Boyd has not been a viable fantasy pitcher in recent weeks. It's hard to keep trotting him out there when he's allowing a lot of runs and not striking out many batters. That's why the Cubs left-hander is a fine drop in some 12-team leagues. His expected ERA (5.01) and expected batting average against (.268) are not great signs moving forward.
Verdict: Drop in some 12-team leagues
Brandon Nimmo, OF, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers outfielder Brandon Nimmo was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the first few weeks out of the All-Star break. Nimmo slashed .337/.398/.539 with four home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI, and two stolen bases across 24 games from July 17 to August 11. This incredible offensive stretch saw the veteran raise his batting average by 15 points in less than one month.
However, Nimmo has really struggled offensively over the last few weeks. He is slashing .103/.146/.128 with one double, one run scored, two RBI, two walks, and nine strikeouts over his last 11 contests. The 33-year-old is in a major slump at the plate right now and is hitless over his last 20 plate appearances dating back to the beginning of last week.
Despite his recent numbers, Nimmo is still a must-hold in most fantasy leagues. He still ranks in the top 15% of the league in xwOBA (.358), expected batting average (.284), expected slugging percentage (.480), average exit velocity (92.1 mph), and hard-hit rate (51.1%). That's a clear sign that the Rangers outfielder will eventually break out of his slump.
Verdict: Hold in 12+ team leagues
Adley Rutschman, C/DH, Boston Red Sox
Things have not been great for Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman since being traded. Rutschman had a .251/.331/.433 slash line with eight home runs, 19 doubles, one triple, and 47 RBI across his first 67 games with the Baltimore Orioles. He then landed on the injured list shortly after the All-Star break and was traded to Boston at the deadline.
Unfortunately, Rutschman hasn't been a consistent fantasy option since returning from the injured list on August 11. He is batting .167 with one home run, one double, and four RBI in his first 11 games with his new team. His numbers have dropped significantly over the last few weeks, and he looks like a different hitter from the beginning of the year.
Adley Rutschman's first Red Sox home run! pic.twitter.com/XNRpLar0yL
— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2026
Still, Rutschman should be held in most leagues at this point in the season. Fantasy managers shouldn't overreact to his recent numbers. He is trying to get back into a groove at the plate after missing close to a month due to a wrist issue, and his underlying metrics suggest that better days are ahead for the All-Star catcher.
His xwOBA (.342), expected batting average (.263), expected slugging (.423), and launch angle sweet-spot rate (40.3%) all rank in the upper half of the league. Hold him for now.
Verdict: Hold in all 12+ team leagues
Nick Lodolo, SP, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo has been up-and-down for most of the year. His best stretch of the season came right before the All-Star break when he had a 1.35 ERA across four starts from June 23 to July 11. The southpaw allowed two runs or fewer in each of those four outings and was starting to come into his own on the mound.
But then a recurring blister forced him on the injured list right before the All-Star break. He spent roughly one month on the shelf while recovering from that blister and has since returned to Cincinnati's rotation. The problem, though, is that Lodolo has not looked great on the mound over the last few weeks. In his most recent outing against the Diamondbacks, the Reds left-hander allowed six runs across 3 1/3 innings.
Lodolo hasn't had a solid year in 2026. His ERA currently sits at 5.04 on the season, and his underlying metrics suggest that things won't get better for him down the stretch. His expected ERA (6.49), expected batting average against (.304), average exit velocity (90.5 mph), strikeout rate (17.5%), and barrel rate (9.1%) all rank extremely poorly.
That makes Lodolo a drop in most formats this week.
Verdict: Drop in most formats
