8 Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers - Jose Altuve, Corey Seager, Shane McClanahan, More

May 17, 2026

Jamie analyzes 8 fantasy baseball risers, fallers, breakouts for hitters and pitchers in Week 7 of 2026. He discusses buy/sell candidates for fantasy baseball.

Welcome, everyone, to an extra edition of RotoBaller’s Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers article series for the second-half of Week 7 of the 2026 season! Today, I'll look at players like Jose Altuve, Corey Seager, Shane McClanahan, and more.

Given the popularity of the weekly Risers and Fallers article on Mondays, we're providing another edition. This should help provide fantasy managers with extra names to look at. We will analyze their performances to determine how their future outcomes may be affected.

Following along here every week will give you an edge over your league mates and keep you up to date on who is firing on all cylinders and who is struggling to make ends meet. Every game makes an impact, and there is no time to wait for regression. Let's get into some Fantasy Risers and Fallers who may force some tough decisions.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Risers

Jordan Walker, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

It feels like we've been waiting years for a Walker breakout. This year, it looked like we were finally getting it. An offseason trip to Driveline seemed to help Walker tweak his swing so he could start making use of his raw power. After a scorching start to 2026, Walker began to cool off.

Over the last couple of weeks, Walker has been heating up again. His slugging percentage had dropped to .532 on April 29. Since then, he's been hitting .318/.412/.614 with three home runs, 10 RBI, 10 runs, and two stolen bases. Walker's 189 wRC+ since April 30 is the 10th best among 185 qualified hitters.

If you didn't already, it's time to believe that Walker has finally put things together. He's hitting more line drives, more flyballs, and fewer groundballs. His strikeout rate is down, and his walk rate is up. Walker is doing everything we've wanted him to do since he debuted in 2023, and his breakout looks legit.

Bryson Stott, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies

There had been concerns about Stott's performances and subsequent drop in playing time. He ended April with a .207/.258/.276 slash line, no homers, five RBI, five runs, and five steals (25 games). In less than half as many games this month, Stott is hitting .238/.273/.548 with three homers, 11 RBI, seven steals, and three steals.

Any concerns of Stott falling into a platoon should have been allayed. He's started both games against a left-handed pitcher (LHP) twice this week, and although it's a very small sample, he's gone 6-for-16 (204 wRC+) against LHP this year. Stott's uptick in production has also coincided with the Phillies' improved offense.

Stott has put up numbers this month that are more in line with what we've been accustomed to over the last three years, so sustaining them is likely. Stott averaged 13 home runs and 29 steals over the previous three seasons, while hitting .262/.324/.390. His elite defense will help to keep him in the lineup, and his speed provides a solid floor at a position of relative fantasy weakness.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Risers

Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays

For McClanahan, the question mark has been about health. He entered this season having not thrown a pitch in the majors since 2023. After eight starts, McClanahan should have removed any doubts that he was still a very good pitcher. He's sporting a 4-2 W-L record, 2.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts (39 2/3 innings).

On Tuesday, McClanahan had his fourth consecutive start without allowing a run. It would have been a fourth straight win if not for a bullpen meltdown. While we can't expect McClanahan to continue putting up zeroes, there's little to suggest he won't remain a top option if he stays healthy.

The only real concern is McClanahan's fastball (95.2 MPH), which is averaging 1.6 MPH less than in 2023 (96.8 MPH). But its usage is only 36.4%, and McClanahan's secondary pitches are elite. That won't change, nor will McClanahan's status as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Ryan Weathers, New York Yankees

Weathers' start to 2026 was a little 'Jekyll and Hyde'. He alternated good starts with bad ones to begin his career in pinstripes. His last four starts have been much more consistent, and Weathers has been outstanding. He's got a 1.88 ERA over his last four outings, backed up by his 2.92 xFIP and 2.95 SIERA.

Weathers has also struck out 26 batters and walked six (24 innings). On the year, Weathers 29.8% K% ranks in the 90th percentile while his 7.2% BB% ranks in the 73rd percentile. He's set to face the Mets this weekend, a team that ranks 28th in wRC+ (74) against LHP. Then, it's likely to be the Rays (88 wRC+ versus LHP).

Weathers' role as a starter was in jeopardy, with Carlos Rodon returning and Gerrit Cole expected to be back soon. However, Max Fried's injury should ensure Weathers remains a starting pitcher in the majors and one who should be started confidently in the coming weeks.

Fantasy Baseball Hitter Fallers

Jose Altuve, 2B/OF, Houston Astros

It's been a season to forget so far for the Astros and Altuve. After turning 36 years old earlier this month, it's fair to assume that Father Time has caught up with the former AL MVP. He's currently hitting .252/.335/.374. If Altuve ended the season with that slash line, it would be his worst batting average over a full season in the Majors.

Altuve has a 162-game pace of 12 homers, 45 RBI, 105 runs, and four steals. It doesn't take much investigation to find out why Altuve is struggling. He's hitting more ground balls and fewer fly balls than ever before.

Altuve has recorded a hit in nine of the 11 games he's played in May, and has been leading off for Houston. But he is still only hitting .256/.298/.326 this month with a 75 wRC+. Since April 1, Altuve has only hit one homer and attempted one steal. It's difficult to see where Altuve will provide any fantasy value moving forward, outside of scoring runs.

Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers

I had concerns about Seager entering 2026, given how pitcher-friendly the Rangers' home ballpark was. I was not expecting him to be hitting .179/.286/.353 after a quarter of the season. Having ended April with a .207/.308/.414 slash line, things have been getting worse.

Seager has started May going 5-for-45 and has failed to record a hit in his last seven games. Seager's 21.4% K% in 2017 was his highest in the majors. He's currently sporting a 27.5% K% this year, and a 30.8% K% in May. Things are trending in the wrong direction for one of the most reliable hitters in baseball.

Despite his struggles, there are some reasons for hope. Seager's underlying numbers are good, as shown in his Statcast Profile. The big concern is the strikeouts. We should see Seager's numbers improve. However, unless there's some rapid improvement, this will be a massive down year for the veteran shortstop.

Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Fallers

Shane Baz, Baltimore Orioles

Baz ended April with a respectable 4.50 ERA (six starts). In May, he's allowed 10 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. He's walked eight batters and struck out nine. The pair of five-run outings has seen Baz's ERA balloon to 5.48. And things aren't set to get better any time soon.

Baz is set to kick off the Orioles' weekend series with the Nationals on Friday. Only Atlanta (237) has scored more runs than Washington (235) this year. The Nationals' 125 wRC+ in May is the best in baseball. They're something of an offensive juggernaut these days.

That is likely to be followed by back-to-back games against the Rays, who will know Baz better than anyone. It's unlikely Baz will be able to "get right" during his next three starts. By the end of the month, Baz may have pitched himself off of every fantasy roster.

Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

Alcantara started the season on fire. A complete game shutout followed seven innings without allowing an earned run to kick off 2026. Even after giving up seven runs in his fourth start of the year, Alcantara had a 2.67 ERA. Since then, things haven't been going well.

While Alcantara has three quality starts in his last four outings, his ERA has been steadily climbing. As we can see from the table below, Alcantara's xFIP suggested that regression was always coming.

Alcantara has walked seven batters and struck out 12 in his last three starts (16 1/3 innings). He's also given up 20 hits. This is a new version of Alcantara, post Tommy John Surgery. While he should see more good than bad, his last three starts are more indicative of what to expect than his first three starts of 2026.

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