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Andy's fantasy baseball cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 22 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 Week 22 of the fantasy baseball season. Most head-to-head leagues are about to enter the postseason, which means it's time to pay even more attention to our roster.
This week, we will look at some struggling hitters and some starters who have begun to see their fantasy value plummet.
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 22 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 | Nick Kurtz | 1B | ATH | 70 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Tyler Stephenson | C | CIN | 60 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 3 | Zac Veen | OF | COL | 10 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 4 | Bryce Miller | SP | SEA | 40 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 5 | Jung Hoo Lee | OF | SF | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 6 | Abimelec Ortiz | 1B/OF | WSH | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 7 | Brandon Marsh | OF | PHI | 50 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 8 | Jacob Webb | RP | CHC | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 9 | Nick Lodolo | SP | CIN | 60 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 10 | Daniel Palencia | RP | CHC | 60 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 11 | Carter Jensen | C | KC | 50 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 12 | Teoscar Hernandez | OF | LAD | 70 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 13 | Samuel Basallo | C | BAL | 35 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 14 | Brandon Pfaadt | SP | ARI | 50 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 15 | Esmerlyn Valdez | 1B/OF | PIT | 30 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 16 | Brandon Nimmo | OF | TEX | 75 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 17 | Matthew Boyd | SP | CHC | 70 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 18 | Willy Adames | SS | SF | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 19 | Shane Bieber | SP | TOR | 45 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 20 | Edwin Diaz | RP | LAD | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 21 | Pete Fairbanks | RP | MIA | 65 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 22 | Otto Lopez | 2B/SS | MIA | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 23 | George Lombard Jr. | 2B/3B/SS | NYY | 40 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 24 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | 50 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 25 | Adley Rutschman | C | BOS | 70 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 22 Player Outlooks
Edwin Diaz, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cut List Ranking No. 20
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday that right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz (neck) will be eased back into a lower-leverage role in the team's bullpen once he returns from the 15-day injured list in September, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Diaz, the Dodgers' big free-agent acquisition last offseason, has only appeared in 16 games in his first year with the team in 2026 due to elbow and neck injuries, and he has been bad when he has been available.
The 32-year-old Puerto Rican hurler and three-time All-Star currently has an 11.85 ERA (6.01 FIP), 2.56 WHIP, seven saves, 19 strikeouts, and 10 walks in 13 2/3 innings pitched. Diaz will be eased in next month when he returns as the Dodgers look to get him right for the postseason, but with just over a month left in the campaign, it's fair for fantasy managers to wonder if he's even worth holding in redraft leagues.
The good news is that Diaz's neck injury is not believed to be serious, and he has a chance to come off the injured list around when he is eligible to return on Sept. 2. In the meantime, lefty reliever Tanner Scott will continue to be Roberts' leading candidate for saves.
Edwin Diaz shares his thoughts on not being the closer after returning from the IL, but his goal is to get back to being the closer.
“Yeah, because that's why they signed me here to be the closer,” Diaz said. “But I haven't pitched good this year, so you know, like I said,… pic.twitter.com/BDyRvv2xCt
— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) August 23, 2026
Shane Bieber, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
Cut List Ranking No. 19
The Toronto Blue Jays are placing right-hander Shane Bieber (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 21) on Tuesday with right teres major inflammation and recalling pitcher Chad Dallas from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.
This one comes out of nowhere after the veteran hurler was sharp in three of his four outings in August. In his last two starts against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, Bieber gave up just two earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 12 in 13 innings of work for two victories. Overall, the former Cy Young winner and two-time All-Star has gone 5-2 in 2026 for Toronto with a 4.53 ERA (5.13 FIP) and 1.44 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and 24 walks in 55 2/3 innings across 11 starts.
Injuries have been an issue for Bieber in recent seasons, and given the timing of his latest one, it would not be a surprise if the Jays end up shutting him down for the final month of the regular season. He is rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues.
Pete Fairbanks, RP, Miami Marlins
Cut List Ranking No. 21
The Miami Marlins announced on Tuesday that they placed right-handed closer Pete Fairbanks (hand) on the 15-day injured list with right median nerve irritation in his hand and recalled left-hander Dax Fulton from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. Fairbanks will go on the IL for a second time this year with the same issue after he had to be pulled after facing just one batter in Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox.
He will visit with a specialist on Tuesday, after which we hope to have a better idea of how long Fairbanks might be sidelined. But given the timing as we near the final month of the regular season, fantasy managers should not be surprised if we do not see the 32-year-old veteran again in 2026. Fairbanks has 18 saves in his eighth year in the majors (first with Miami), but he has also recorded a rough 6.02 ERA (4.47 FIP) and 1.31 WHIP with 57 strikeouts and 19 walks in his 40 1/3 innings pitched. In shallower fantasy leagues, dropping Fairbanks for a healthier and more stable bullpen option would not be a bad idea.
In the meantime, Miami could use a closer-by-committee situation that could involve all of Calvin Faucher, Michael Petersen, Tyler Zuber, and Josh Ekness.
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 Gleyber Torres, Peter Lambert, Zach Thornton, Tyler Mahle, Jeff McNeil, Tim Tawa, Cam Smith, Henry Bolte, Kaelen Culpepper, Ernie Clement, Jared Jones, Ben Joyce, Kodai Senga, Willi Castro, Dominic Canzone, Jake Mangum, Mason Montgomery. 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 Gleyber Torres, Peter Lambert, Zach Thornton, Tyler Mahle, Jeff McNeil, Tim Tawa, Cam Smith, Henry Bolte, Kaelen Culpepper, Ernie Clement, Jared Jones, Ben Joyce, Kodai Senga, Willi Castro, Dominic Canzone, Jake Mangum, Mason Montgomery:
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