RADIO
Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 12 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 12 (June 15 to June 21). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
We are approaching the point in the season when it might be time to cut bait with several big-name players. In this week's edition, we look at five players not living up to their fantasy potential. We analyze a veteran pitcher struggling to make an impact, a hitter in a massive slump at the plate, and a two-time All-Star who has recently gotten roughed up on the mound.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's dive in and find out.
Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SPRING, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW
Robbie Ray, SP, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray has been a subpar fantasy option over the past month. He has a 7.16 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his last six starts and has allowed 26 runs (22 earned runs) in his last 27 2/3 innings pitched. In his most recent outing, Ray allowed five earned runs across 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts against the Nationals.
The southpaw hasn't really shown many encouraging signs on the mound lately. His strikeout rate (14.2%) is way down during this six-start stretch, and Ray has not completed six innings in a start since May 8. Additionally, he ranks in the bottom half of the league in expected ERA (5.18), expected batting average against (.247), chase rate (29.7%), walk rate (11.5%), and barrel rate (11.4%).
That all makes Ray a sell-low at this point in the season. His 1.391 WHIP is his highest since the shortened 2020 season, his whiff rate (24.9%) and strikeout rate (21%) are both down from 2025, and his recent stretch on the mound makes him a questionable fantasy option moving forward. It's best to just trade him away for whatever you can get in Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season.
Verdict: Sell-low in all formats
Kyle Bradish, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish was a popular breakout candidate entering the season. He posted strong numbers in his limited innings pitched last year and was finally healthy for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, Bradish has not reached that breakout status so far through the first 11 weeks of the regular season.
Bradish has a 4.30 ERA, a 1.568 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts across 73 1/3 innings pitched. The walks continue to be a problem for him (12.1% walk rate), and his past two outings don't offer much optimism. The Orioles right-hander has given up five earned runs across four innings pitched in back-to-back starts.
Despite these two rough outings, Bradish should still be held in most 12-team leagues. It was not long ago that the 29-year-old was on the verge of breaking out. From May 8 to May 31, he had a 1.72 ERA and a 24.2% strikeout rate across a five-start stretch. He had a 10-strikeout game against the Athletics on April 8 and threw six shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Yankees on April 13.
This 99.1 mph sinker from Orioles starter Kyle Bradish in the 1st inning was the fastest pitch of his 5-year, 81-start MLB career.
His previous high was 98.9 on April 15. Before this season, his high was 98.6 (June 14, 2024). pic.twitter.com/ZkSNvwRVL0
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) June 11, 2026
While his overall metrics are a bit concerning, he shouldn't be dropped quite yet. His fantasy value is also at such a low point that you wouldn't get much in return in a trade. That's why Bradish should be kept in most leagues. The potential is there for him to put it all together at some point. If he can make the right adjustments, he can turn into a fantasy ace. Just be patient with him for now.
Verdict: Hold in most 12-team leagues
Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is having a career-worst season at the plate. He is currently slashing .179/.284/.313 with seven home runs, seven doubles, 28 RBI, and six stolen bases across 68 games this year. His numbers over the past month have been even worse, as he is batting .139 with four doubles, one home run, three RBI, and three stolen bases since May 10.
There's no way around it: Swanson has been a liability in most fantasy lineups this season. He continues to strike out at a high level, his quality of contact is concerning, and he's just not seeing the ball as well as he usually does. To make matters worse, there isn't much optimism that the two-time All-Star will eventually turn things around at the plate.
a dansby diving play for your viewing pleasure. 😌 pic.twitter.com/bHaOfZvoqW
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 11, 2026
Swanson currently ranks in the 14th percentile in xwOBA (.285), 2nd percentile in expected batting average (.191), 13th percentile in expected slugging (.333), 5th percentile in launch angle sweet-spot rate (26.7%), 38th percentile in barrel rate (6.9%), and his 66% zone-swing rate is his lowest in a season since his rookie campaign in 2016. These metrics all make Swanson an unappealing fantasy option.
Therefore, the Cubs shortstop is a fine drop in most 12+ team leagues. He's not posting solid offensive numbers, and his metrics suggest things won't improve in the near future.
Verdict: Drop in most 12+ team leagues
Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is reeling at the plate right now. He is slashing just .125/.259/.188 with three doubles, three RBI, one stolen base, and 17 strikeouts in his last 15 games. He has not hit a home run since May 20, and his .206 batting average, eight home runs, and 34 RBI on the season are not the usual elite numbers that we expect from Riley.
Given the way Riley has looked offensively this season, the former All-Star is a sell-low candidate in Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season. His barrel rate (10.4%) is down 4.8% from 2025 and 4.6% from 2024, and his expected batting average against (.210), launch angle sweet-spot rate (30.1%), expected slugging (.391), whiff rate (32.1%), and strikeout rate (28.8%) all currently rank in the bottom half of the league.
Riley is simply not the same hitter he once was. He will not be the same 30+ home run hitter who drives in over 90 runs while hitting above .270. Those days are in the past, especially since his swing percentage (47%) and zone-contact rate (65.7%) are the lowest of his career. He just isn't as aggressive at the plate, and his groundball rate is up from last year.
That's enough reason to get rid of Riley in most formats. See what you can get for him because he's no longer that same power hitter from a few years ago.
Verdict: Sell-low in 12-team leagues
Shane McClanahan, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Shane McClanahan has had a few uneven starts on the mound recently. He has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his last five starts and just had his worst start of the season by allowing four runs on eight hits across a season-low four innings pitched. His 4.81 ERA in his last five outings could cause some fantasy managers to panic.
However, McClanahan is a clear hold in all formats. His expected batting average against (.234), chase rate (33.3%), whiff rate (27.5%), and strikeout rate (24.6%) all rank pretty well, and it's not uncommon to see some hiccups in the road for the southpaw in his first season back from two major arm injuries. A rough stretch on the mound was always going to happen.
Trey Mancini with a two-run triple to right and the #Angels take a 2-0 lead in the first. Mancini got the start against lefty Shane McClanahan. pic.twitter.com/N8FkpHjLZv
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 13, 2026
The good news is that McClanahan will eventually bounce back. His strikeout numbers are up in his last two starts (13 punchouts over nine innings pitched), and it was just a few weeks ago when the former All-Star was untouchable on the mound. He threw 21 2/3 scoreless innings with 23 strikeouts across four starts from April 25 to May 12.
McClanahan is clearly not a drop.
Verdict: Hold in all formats
More Fantasy Baseball Advice
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
