Cut Candidates - Fantasy Baseball Rankings for Players to Drop (Week 7)

May 9, 2026

Andy's cut list fantasy baseball rankings - drop candidates for Week 7 of 2026. Is it time to let go, and drop these players for better waiver wire options?

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to the weekend edition of our fantasy baseball Cut List Rankings for Week 7 of the fantasy baseball season. With another week of MLB action behind us, it's time to look to the waiver wire and improve our roster.

This week we saw several players hit the injured list, and some with longer-term injuries, including players like Tanner Bibee, Kyle Bradish, Matthew Boyd, Emilio Pagan, and more.

So, which injured or disappointing players are it time to get rid of for fantasy baseball lineups? Read about our top players to cut for Week 7 of the MLB season. Good luck, RotoBallers!

Cut List Rankings for Fantasy Baseball: Week 7

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:

Fantasy Baseball Player Outlooks

Carlos Correa, 3B/SS, Houston Astros

Cut List Ranking No. 2

Houston Astros infielder Carlos Correa (ankle) will have surgery on his left ankle and will miss the rest of the 2026 season, a team source told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. It's a devastating injury blow for the struggling Astros, who are already without shortstop Jeremy Pena (hamstring). The 31-year-old Puerto Rican veteran injured his ankle during pre-game batting practice before Tuesday's contest against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and was scratched from the lineup.

In his return to Houston, Correa opened the year as the starting third baseman before shifting back to shortstop when Pena landed on the injured list. The three-time All-Star and clubhouse leader will finish his 12th year in the big leagues with a .279/.369/.418 slash line, .787 OPS, three home runs, 16 RBI, 22 runs scored, and one stolen base in only 32 games played and 141 plate appearances.

Until Pena can return, Nick Allen, who was activated from the IL to start on Tuesday, is likely to take over the short-term duties at the 6. Isaac Paredes, who was a trade candidate in the offseason, now has a regular path to playing time at the hot corner for the rest of the year. Correa can obviously be dropped in all redraft fantasy leagues

Emilio Pagan, RP, Cincinnati Reds

Cut List Ranking No. 64

Cincinnati Reds right-handed closer Emilio Pagan (hamstring) said he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Tuesday night, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Doctors told Pagan that it will be four to eight weeks before he can return to the mound for the Reds, but it's a best-case scenario after the level of pain that he experienced on Tuesday night when he was carted off the field against the Chicago Cubs.

"Leaving the field yesterday, I thought my season was done," Pagan said. The Reds placed Pagan on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. The 34-year-old veteran reliever will be dropped in a lot of fantasy leagues after this news. It's not like he was pitching well before his hamstring issues, sporting a 6.43 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, six saves, 11 strikeouts, and six walks in 14 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Going forward, right-hander Tony Santillan is the name to know for a waiver-wire pickup for save opportunities, although righty Graham Ashcraft could also see some save chances with Pagan sidelined.

Carlos Estevez, RP, Kansas City Royals

Cut List Ranking No. 54

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (shoulder) will be shut down for the next three weeks, according to manager Matt Quatraro. Estevez was removed early during his rehab outing on Wednesday after displaying reduced velocity. The right-hander was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain on Thursday. Estevez won't throw for three weeks, and then will hopefully begin a rehab assignment after that.

Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Estevez to be back in the mix for at least a month or so. With that being said, Lucas Erceg should continue to hold down the full-time closer role in Kansas City.

Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox

Cut List Ranking No. 70

The Boston Red Sox plan to put outfielder Roman Anthony (wrist) on the 10-day injured list before Thursday's series opener against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Mickey Gasper will come up from the minors in a corresponding move. Anthony sprained his right wrist in Monday's game against the Detroit Tigers and will require more time to heal. The Red Sox were hoping the outfield prospect would be able to return this weekend against the Rays, but he's just not ready.

In the short term, Masataka Yoshida should continue to benefit from regular playing time in the designated hitter spot for Boston against right-handed pitchers. Yoshida is a great source of average -- he's hitting over .300 in limited action so far this year -- but he won't provide much pop to your lineup. It's been a disappointing start to Anthony's first full season in the majors, but fantasy managers should be stashing him everywhere for his high-end power/speed upside.

Since debuting for the BoSox late in 2025, the 21-year-old former second-rounder has hit .273/.383/.421 with an .804 OPS, nine homers, 37 RBI, 60 runs, and six steals in 433 plate appearances.

Matthew Boyd, SP, Chicago Cubs

Cut List Ranking No. 26

Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd (knee) had a successful partial left-knee menisectomy on Thursday, according to the team. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports that there's no official timetable for Boyd yet, but he could return in the range of around a "month or so." The Cubs placed the veteran left-hander on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday after it was announced he needed a full repair of his meniscus. It's unclear as of now who will take Boyd's spot in Chicago's starting rotation, but right-handers Javier Assad and Ben Brown, and lefty Jordan Wicks (elbow) are all options.

None of them are particularly intriguing for fantasy purposes outside of deeper leagues for desperate managers in need of starting depth. Boyd is having a rough go of it so far in 2026 in his 12th year in the big leagues. He's 2-1 to begin the season with a 6.00 ERA, although his 2.39 FIP suggests he's been dealt some bad luck. Boyd also has a 1.29 WHIP with 31 strikeouts and only six walks in 24 innings pitched over his five starts. He's currently rostered in 63% of Yahoo leagues.

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:

• Updated Waiver Wire Rankings
• Top-5 Pitching Prospects to Stash
• Top-5 Hitting Prospects to Stash
• Eric Cross' Waiver Wire Pickups
• FAAB Waiver Wire Targets
• 7 Must-Add Waiver Wire Pickups

Each week, our MLB team puts out a complete array of fantasy baseball waiver wire articles to compliment our slick Who Should I Pickup? 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 Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

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2026 Player Decisions. Looking to pickup someone else instead? You may be interested in players like Rico Garcia, Jack Perkins, Tony Santillan, Chase Dollander, Robby Snelling, Payton Tolle, Logan Henderson, Louis Varland. 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 Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? 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 Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for players like Rico Garcia, Jack Perkins, Tony Santillan, Chase Dollander, Robby Snelling, Payton Tolle, Logan Henderson, Louis Varland:

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