8 Players Fantasy Baseball Analysts Advise Avoiding in 2026 Drafts

Scott Pianowski highlights players he's steering clear of this season due to concerns about their production, health, or supporting cast.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 3:50pm

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Fantasy baseball analyst Scott Pianowski has identified 8 players he's unlikely to draft in 2026 leagues due to a variety of factors, including injury history, declining skills, and unfavorable team situations. The list includes big names like José Ramírez, Corbin Carroll, Mookie Betts, and Yordan Alvarez, as Pianowski explains why he's fading these players despite their star power.

Why it matters

Identifying the right players to avoid in fantasy drafts can be just as important as finding the right targets. Pianowski's analysis highlights key risks and red flags that fantasy managers should consider when building their rosters, helping them steer clear of potential busts and focus on more reliable options.

The details

Pianowski cites concerns like unfavorable home ballparks, weak supporting lineups, injury histories, and signs of decline as reasons to fade players like José Ramírez, Junior Caminero, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mookie Betts, Yordan Alvarez, Chris Sale, and Dylan Cease. For example, he notes Ramírez's Guardians lineup lacks depth, Caminero may struggle at Tampa Bay's pitcher-friendly stadium, and Cease's ERA has consistently outpaced his underlying metrics.

  • The 2026 MLB season is set to begin in April 2026.

The players

José Ramírez

A third baseman for the Cleveland Guardians who has been a consistent fantasy producer but may struggle with a weak supporting cast in 2026.

Junior Caminero

A third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays who had a home/road split in 2025 and may regress playing in the Rays' pitcher-friendly stadium.

Corbin Carroll

An outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks who suffered a hand injury in the preseason and may not immediately regain his power and speed upon return.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

An outfielder for the Chicago Cubs who struggled with plate discipline and against left-handed pitching in the second half of 2025.

Mookie Betts

An outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers who is entering his age-33 season and showed signs of decline in 2025.

Yordan Alvarez

An outfielder for the Houston Astros who has dealt with knee issues in recent seasons and may see his production limited by a weaker Astros lineup in 2026.

Chris Sale

A starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves who is moving into his age-37 season and has struggled to maintain a full workload in recent years.

Dylan Cease

A starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who has outperformed his underlying metrics for three straight seasons, raising concerns about potential regression.

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What they’re saying

“Ramírez has been remarkably consistent into his 30s, and he's coming off his two busiest seasons with respect to stealing bases. He also plays a thin fantasy position, so what's not to like? Well, his supporting cast, for one. The Guardians ranked 28th in runs per game last year and Ramírez is the only top-150 player in the current Cleveland batting order. You want your early picks to be insulated by their lineups.”

— Scott Pianowski, Fantasy Baseball Analyst

“Although Caminero's homer output was evenly split home and away last year, we can't ignore that he slashed .313/.358/.595 at stand-in Steinbrenner Field, but just .218/.266/.477 at home. The Rays are returning to their refurbished dome for 2026, generally a poor park for offense, and Tampa Bay's lineup around Caminero is also underwhelming. Regression feels likely, but the ADP remains in a lofty area.”

— Scott Pianowski, Fantasy Baseball Analyst

“Carroll was a first-round staple in early drafts before suffering a broken bone in his right hand a month ago. It's possible he could be ready for Opening Day, but does the power return right away? Will the hand issue discourage Carroll from stealing bases? I never want to be the injury optimist in my leagues, and it's not like Carroll's price has fallen that far anyway.”

— Scott Pianowski, Fantasy Baseball Analyst

“Betts already has a Hall of Fame resume punched and the depth of the LAD lineup will buoy his run production. But Betts is also coming off a pedestrian offensive season (104 OPS+, an eyelash over league average) and his stolen-base rate was the lowest in 11 seasons. Betts shows signs of decline entering his age-33 season, and I'd like most of my early picks to be on front-9 players.”

— Scott Pianowski, Fantasy Baseball Analyst

“He's rebuilt his career nicely since joining Atlanta, but he's also moving into his age-37 season, which makes me nervous. And although starting pitchers are asked to work less all through baseball, Sale in particular is difficult to trust for a full season. He's qualified for the ERA title (162 innings or more) just once in the past seven years (excluding the pandemic year). I need more workload upside if I'm drafting an early pitcher.”

— Scott Pianowski, Fantasy Baseball Analyst

What’s next

As the 2026 MLB season approaches, fantasy managers will continue to monitor injury updates and preseason performance for these players to determine if their concerns are warranted or if any have seen their outlooks improve.

The takeaway

Identifying potential busts and fading players with significant risk factors is a crucial part of building a winning fantasy baseball roster. Pianowski's analysis highlights several high-profile names that fantasy managers should approach with caution in 2026 drafts, emphasizing the importance of digging deeper than just star power when evaluating players.