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Andy's fantasy baseball mid-week cut list rankings, drop candidates for Week 17 waiver wire (2026). Is it time to drop these struggling players for better waiver wire options?
Howdy, RotoBallers, and welcome to our updated Cut List Rankings for fantasy baseball for the halfway point of Week 17 of the 2026 MLB season. The All-Star break is far behind us, and our eyes are set on preparing our fantasy team for the stretch run.
In this week's edition, we will spotlight many injured players and determine if managers should still stash them. Additionally, we will look at some struggling pitchers, including Detroit's Framber Valdez and Pittsburgh's Braxton Ashcraft.
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 17 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 | Noah Schultz | SP | CHW | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 2 | Caleb Kilian | RP | SF | 10 | Drop in All Leagues |
| 3 | Kyle Teel | C | CHW | 10 | Drop in Most Leagues (IL Stash in two-catcher leagues) |
| 4 | Matthew Liberatore | SP | STL | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 5 | Dustin May | SP | STL | 25 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 6 | Alex Lange | RP | KC | 15 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 7 | Brandon Sproat | SP | MIL | 20 | Drop in Most Leagues |
| 8 | Gage Jump | SP | ATH | 25 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 9 | Framber Valdez | SP | DET | 90 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 10 | Kerry Carpenter | OF | DET | 40 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 11 | Henry Bolte | OF | ATH | 6 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 12 | Reynaldo Lopez | SP | ATL | 25 | Drop in Shallow Leagues |
| 13 | Ryan Helsley | RP | BAL | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 14 | Jack Flaherty | SP | DET | 60 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 15 | Will Smith | C | LAD | 75 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 16 | Adley Rutschman | C | BAL | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 17 | Corey Seager | SS | TEX | 80 | Hold in Deeper Leagues (IL Stash) |
| 18 | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | 70 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 19 | Tatsuya Imai | SP | HOU | 35 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 20 | Kevin Gausman | SP | TOR | 95 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 21 | Christian Walker | 1B | HOU | 85 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 22 | Teoscar Hernandez | OF | LAD | 80 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 23 | Vinnie Pasquantino | 1B | KC | 65 | Hold in Deeper Leagues |
| 24 | Casey Schmitt | 2B/3B/OF | SF | 80 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 25 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | 35 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 26 | Josh Jung | 3B | TEX | 40 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 27 | Christian Yelich | OF | MIL | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 28 | Kyle Stowers | OF | MIA | 75 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 29 | Brandon Marsh | OF | PHI | 70 | Hold in All Leagues |
| 30 | Braxton Ashcraft | SP | PIT | 90 | Hold in All Leagues |
Fantasy Baseball Drops: Week 17 Player Outlooks
Jack Flaherty, SP, Detroit Tigers
Cut List Ranking No. 14
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (forearm) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right flexor strain, per a team announcement. It's the second trip to the IL this season for Flaherty, who missed time in June with a lower leg injury. While the full extent of Flaherty's current health situation is not yet known, any forearm injury is a worrying sign for a pitcher.
Across 86 1/3 innings (19 starts) in 2026, Flaherty has recorded a 3-8 record with a 4.59 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts. The 30-year-old owns an impressive 26.2% strikeout rate, but he's also walked batters at a 10.8% clip. As the corresponding move to Flaherty's placement on the injured list, Detroit recalled right-hander Ty Madden.
Kerry Carpenter, OF, Detroit Tigers
Cut List Ranking No. 10
Across 246 plate appearances in 2026, Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (heel) is hitting .206/.279/.427 with 13 home runs, 36 RBI, and 26 runs scored. It's been a disappointing season overall for Carpenter, who has seen his strikeout rate spike to a career-worst 29.7% and his batting average fall well below his career mark of .258.
The lefty swinger has never logged a barrel rate below 10.0% in any of his five big-league seasons, and he hit 26 home runs in just 464 plate appearances in 2025. His increasing strikeout rate and declining average make him a safe drop in shallow leagues.
Will Smith, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cut List Ranking No. 15
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (neck) was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, per a team announcement. The veteran backstop has been sidelined by neck issues since early June and does not appear to be close to a return, so this is more of a procedural move. Still, Smith will now officially remain out through at least early August. Across 201 plate appearances in 2026 before getting injured, Smith hit .249/.338/.382 with six home runs, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored.
While the 31-year-old is still expected to return at some point this season, Los Angeles has little incentive to rush him back and risk losing him for the playoffs. Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has been a fine stand-in for Smith, logging a .788 OPS across 218 plate appearances. At this point, fantasy managers who were hoping for Smith to be a key contributor in the second half of the season may need to explore alternative solutions.
The Dodgers just moved Will Smith to the 60-day IL, so he can't return until Aug. 5. It's procedural: the Dodgers already have said he won't return from his neck injury until mid-August at the earliest.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 21, 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 Logan Henderson, Chase DeLauter, Joey Cantillo, Jacob Wilson, A.J. Ewing, T.J. Rumfield, Kenley Jansen, Curtis Mead, Samuel Basallo, Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour, Carter Jensen, Sam Antonacci, Heliot Ramos, Mickey Moniak, Caleb Durbin, Emilio Pagan, Grant Taylor, Vinnie Pasquantino, Kody Clemens, Garrett Mitchell. 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 Logan Henderson, Chase DeLauter, Joey Cantillo, Jacob Wilson, A.J. Ewing, T.J. Rumfield, Kenley Jansen, Curtis Mead, Samuel Basallo, Griffin Jax, Ian Seymour, Carter Jensen, Sam Antonacci, Heliot Ramos, Mickey Moniak, Caleb Durbin, Emilio Pagan, Grant Taylor, Vinnie Pasquantino, Kody Clemens, Garrett Mitchell:
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