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Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 7 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 7 (May 11 to May 17)?
For this week, we will dive into five of the most dropped players in Yahoo! formats. This list will include a struggling veteran pitcher, a starter who has been demoted to the bullpen, a rookie hitter in the midst of a slump, and two hitters who haven't produced big fantasy numbers in quite some time.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Let's find out.
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Aaron Nola, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
It hasn't been a great start to the season for Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola. After finishing with a career-worst 6.01 ERA across 17 starts last year, Nola was looking to bounce back in a big way in 2026. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. The veteran currently owns a 5.14 ERA, a 1.476 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts across his first eight starts this year.
Nola looked solid in his first few outings by throwing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Rockies on April 3 and then tossing a quality start against the Giants in his next start on April 8. But recently, he has struggled on the mound. He has allowed 17 runs across his last 24 2/3 innings pitched and couldn't even complete five innings against a bottom Rockies offense at home in his most recent start.
Aaron Nola, Nasty Knuckle Curves. 😨 pic.twitter.com/CKx8SPdwRO
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 5, 2026
Given his poor numbers dating back to the beginning of last year, Nola is a fine drop in 12-team leagues. His expected ERA (4.32), expected batting average against (.261), barrel rate (8.9%), and hard-hit rate (39.5%) all rank in the bottom half of the league, and he has allowed at least three runs in six of his eight starts this season.
It's clear that Nola is no longer the pitcher he once was. His fastball continues to get hit hard with a .400 batting average against, and there are pitchers on waivers right now that will give you better fantasy numbers than the Phillies right-hander.
Verdict: Drop in 12-team leagues
Luis Castillo, SP, Seattle Mariners
There isn't a bigger drop in all fantasy leagues right now than Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo. He has arguably been the worst starting pitcher in all of baseball to start the season, and all signs point to him moving to the bullpen in the future. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times said the plan is for Castillo to piggyback Bryce Miller in next week's series against the Chicago White Sox.
It's not a total surprise to see the Mariners trying to get creative with Castillo, considering how poorly he has pitched so far this season. The three-time All-Star currently has a 6.57 ERA and a 1.617 WHIP across 38 1/3 innings pitched. He has allowed at least four runs in each of his last three starts, and his expected batting average against (.299), average exit velocity (92.6 mph), barrel rate (12.1%), and hard-hit rate (51.6%) all rank poorly.
As a result, Castillo is a clear drop in all formats. There is nothing to be optimistic about surrounding his game right now, and it's more likely than not that he will eventually be moved to the bullpen. There is very little incentive to keep rostering the Mariners right-hander. His Fastball Run Value, Breaking Run Value, and Offspeed Run Value all rank in the bottom 20% of the league.
Verdict: Drop in all formats
Moises Ballesteros, DH, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs designated hitter Moises Ballesteros was one of the most-added players in Yahoo! leagues two weeks ago. Since then, though, Ballesteros hasn't made much of an impact. He is batting .056 (2-for-36) with one home run, three RBI, four walks, and eight strikeouts over his last 11 games and doesn't have a hit over his last 18 plate appearances.
However, fantasy managers should remain patient with such a young hitter like Ballesteros. Although the 22-year-old might be in a brutal slump right now, his metrics suggest better days are ahead. He ranks in the 70th percentile or better in expected slugging (.465), barrel rate (13.9%), hard-hit rate (48.1%), launch-angle sweet rate (40.5%), and squared-up rate (29.1%).
A zoomed in and slowed down look at Moisés Ballesteros' opposite-field home run. Such a smooth and controlled swing. Can't get enough. pic.twitter.com/7vjD4ytscR
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) May 3, 2026
That's enough reason to continue rostering the Cubs designated hitter. Ballesteros just has a knack for hitting and should continue to see consistent plate appearances when a righty is on the mound. It's too early to fully give up on him, especially since he batted .500 with five home runs and 14 RBI across a 17-game sample from April 7 to April 27. Don't overreact too much to this recent stretch.
Verdict: Hold in most formats
Ramon Laureano, OF, San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres outfielder Ramon Laureano got off to a nice start at the plate this year. He was batting .288 with four home runs, four doubles, one triple, 15 RBI, and three stolen bases in his first 19 games and was looking like a draft-day after the first three weeks. Nevertheless, Laureano has cooled significantly since that strong stretch.
The 31-year-old has just eight hits over his last 59 at-bats (.136 batting average) to go with two extra-base hits, four RBI, one stolen base, and 27 strikeouts dating back to April 19. While Laureano has shown the potential to be a solid fantasy option in the past, it might be time to sell him for whatever you can get at this point in the season.
In typical Ramón fashion 👀 pic.twitter.com/aT3HKRfaeY
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 4, 2026
He's whiffing at an extremely high rate (30.6%), is on pace to strike out over 135 times, and his squared-up rate (19.3%) has dropped 4.4% from last year (23.7%). Even if no one in your league wants him for cheap after a career 2025 campaign, it's best to drop in 12-team leagues. Laureano is struggling to hit breaking balls (.100 batting average), which was a major problem for him early in his career.
Verdict: Sell low in 12-team leagues
Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants
There are some major concerns with San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman's bat right now. He is currently in a 3-for-35 slump at the plate and has just one home run in his first 166 plate appearances. At this point last year, Chapman already had eight home runs, five doubles, and 24 RBI.
Part of the reason for Chapman's subpar numbers this season could be correlated to his poor metrics. His metrics are down across the board from last year, as his xwOBA (.263), expected batting average (.207), expected slugging (.284), hard-hit rate (31.8%), launch angle sweet-spot rate (20.6%), and squared-up rate (19.1%) all rank in the bottom 20% of the league. That's all definitely worrisome.
But Chapman is worth holding onto for at least one more week. His track record suggests that he'll eventually break out of this funk and return to providing solid all-around for fantasy managers. He has hit at least 20 home runs, totaled over 60 RBI, and scored upward of 75 runs in four of the past five seasons. The 33-year-old veteran has also stolen a combined 24 bases over the past two years.
If this slump continues into next week or into Week 9, then it might be best to drop him in some 12-team leagues. For now, though, Chapman is worth holding in most formats. His 75.7 mph bat speed still offers a glimmer of hope.
Verdict: Hold in 12-team leagues for at least more week
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