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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 6 of the 2026 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. Should you drop, hold, or sell these well-known players in Week 6 (May 4 to May 10)?
This week, we will look at five of the most dropped players in all formats. This list will feature two pitchers coming off rough outings, one relief pitcher who has struggled in that closer role recently, and two young hitters who haven't produced solid fantasy numbers over the past week.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's find out!
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Chase Dollander, SP, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chase Dollander was one of the most dropped players in Yahoo! leagues on Sunday. Over 8,000 fantasy managers dropped the right-hander after his poor outing against the Atlanta Braves. Dollander worked behind an opener for the seventh time this season, but the Braves were all over him in this game.
Dollander allowed six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings. His three walks and six earned runs were both his most in any outing this year, and the 24-year-old clearly didn't have his best stuff in Saturday's loss. A rough outing like this caused some fantasy managers to panic.
However, the Rockies pitcher should be held in all 12-team leagues heading into Week 6 of the fantasy baseball season. Dollander has been fantastic to start the year and is poised for a breakout campaign on the mound. He currently ranks in the top 25% of the league in expected ERA (3.11), expected batting average against (.203), whiff rate (29.4%), and strikeout rate (26.9%).
Chase Dollander, Nasty 99mph Sinker. 😨 pic.twitter.com/KjbJfxBs8M
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 26, 2026
Given how well Dollander has pitched in most games this season, he's clearly a hold. Before his rough outing against the Braves, the 24-year-old threw 5 1/3 shutout innings with nine strikeouts on April 16, threw six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts on April 21, and delivered seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts on April 26. Fantasy managers shouldn't be dropping him because of one bad start.
Verdict: Hold in all 12-team leagues
Michael Soroka, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Michael Soroka got off to a nice start on the mound this year. He threw five shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in his first start and carried a 2.60 ERA across his first five starts. Soroka's strikeout numbers were also way up to begin the season, as he struck out 34 batters in 27 2/3 innings of work during this stretch.
Unfortunately, the right-hander was hit hard in his most recent start against the Milwaukee Brewers. He gave up eight runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts across three innings. That outing raised his ERA to 4.70 on the year, and Soroka was one of the most dropped players in Yahoo! leagues over the weekend. His rostership on Yahoo! is down 15% since Thursday.
While Soroka has shown some nice things on the mound this year, his metrics suggest some more rough outings could be on the horizon. His expected ERA (5.11), expected batting average against (.282), whiff rate (22%), barrel rate (11.4%), and average exit velocity (90.5 mph) all rank in the bottom 30% of the league. That all makes Soroka a sell-low candidate right now.
Fantasy managers should hold onto him until after his start against the Pirates on Wednesday. His fantasy value could potentially rise following that plus matchup at home.
Verdict: Sell after his start against the Pirates
Kenley Jansen, RP, Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen pitched well to start the season. He converted six of his first seven save opportunities, had a 1.35 ERA across his first eight relief appearances, and punched out eight batters in 6 2/3 innings of work. Jansen was honestly looking like a draft-day steal after the first few weeks of the year.
Recently, though, Jansen hasn't been that same dominant reliever on the mound. He blew a save opportunity against the Cincinnati Reds on April 24 by giving up two runs on two hits across 2/3 of an inning, and then blew another save against the Atlanta Braves on April 29. The veteran right-hander didn't even record an out in his most recent save chance after allowing a two-run walk-off home run.
On top of those struggles, Jansen is also dealing with a groin/abdomen injury. He is currently listed as day-to-day, and the Tigers don't expect him to land on the 15-day injured list for these issues. Although it is tempting to drop Jansen amid all these concerns, he should still be held in most 12-team leagues. The 38-year-old remains the team's closer and will continue to be a nice source of saves in roto formats.
Verdict: Hold in Roto leagues, can be dropped in points leagues
Daylen Lile, OF, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile emerged as a fantasy sleeper in drafts following a strong end to the 2025 season. Lile hit .391 with six home runs, three doubles, seven triples, 19 RBI, and one stolen base in 25 September games. His power finally showed up at the plate, and he finished with eight stolen bases across 91 games in his rookie season.
Those fantasy managers who were hoping for that version of Lile to show up again in 2026 have not gotten that production yet. The 23-year-old is batting only .246 with three home runs, eight doubles, 14 RBI, and one stolen base across 33 games this season. The Nationals outfielder is also in a bit of an offensive slump, as he has just two hits in his last 30 at-bats (.067 batting average) dating back to April 25.
This recent slump has dropped his rostership to under 60% in Yahoo! leagues, but Lile is still a hold in 12-team leagues. He has the potential to be a great source of batting average and steals for fantasy managers throughout the 2026 season. Both his expected batting average (.283) and sprint speed (29.2 ft/sec) rank in the 83rd percentile or better. So, if you need some work in those categories in roto formats, he's a solid hold.
DAY 1 of the yr pic.twitter.com/zVq5lFJhVa
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 18, 2026
It's still too early in the season to drop Lile, especially given what he did late in the 2025 season. Give it a few more weeks before deciding to let him go.
Verdict: Hold in most 12-team leagues
Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals
There's no question that Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is going to go through some slumps in his first full season in the Majors. One of those slumps just happens to be right now. Jensen has just one hit over his last 22 at-bats (.045 batting average) and has gone hitless over his last 16 plate appearances. This has no doubt been a rough stretch for the rookie.
However, Jensen is a hold in all 12-team leagues heading into Week 6 of the fantasy baseball season. He continues to play every day, and his metrics are extremely encouraging despite this recent slump. The 22-year-old has a 91.2 average exit velocity, a 12.1% barrel rate, a 45.5% hard-hit rate, and a 26.2% chase rate this season. All those metrics, as well as his 75.3 mph bat speed, rank in the upper half of the league.
Tha Carter IV
Carter Jensen connects for his 4th homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/4uHXcP7nX2
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2026
Therefore, the Royals catcher will eventually break out of this slump. Once he does, he'll go back to being a consistent fantasy option. Jensen had a .282 batting average with six home runs and 16 RBI in his first 25 games before this recent 1-for-22 stretch at the plate. Don't panic because of his numbers over the past week. The young hitter will eventually turn things around.
Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues
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