Fantasy Baseball Drop Candidates: DeLauter, Three Mets Headline Falling Options

We just went over fantasy baseball waiver wire options (hitters and pitchers) and are now going to discuss some more drop candidates.

Here is a drop article from Wednesday, and then one from Monday of this week.

More droppable player data can be located on the waiver wire trends most dropped tab, which can be found on any fantasy baseball page here at FantasySP. 

Explore the best in-season tool to manage lineup/start decisions including waiver pickups, projections, trade suggestions, trade value charts, rest of season rankings, power rankings, and tons more with Fantasy Assistant.

Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins

Fairbanks is rostered in 77% of fantasy leagues right now. He was closer to 90% earlier this season.

Fairbanks was great in March, but has struggled to open April. In his first three appearances, he earned two saves and didn't allow a run on a hit and no walks, while striking out five batters. In two April games, he has a blown save, and has allowed six runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out two, over two frames.

Miami was an early-season surprise, winning enough to support a closer in fantasy. That's dried up since, and Fairbanks' fantasy value is now dropping, especially after two rough outings.

He's still worth holding in some deeper leagues, but if he doesn't turn things around soon, Fairbanks is droppable in all standard leagues. 

Check back in a bit for stories on closer situations around the league.

Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien - New York Mets

Alvarez, Polanco and Semien are three Mets with falling own percentages. Alvarez is at 57% right now, after topping out at 61%. Polanco is at 42%, down from about 75% earlier this year, while Semien is rostered in 60% of leagues, which is down from over 85% earlier this season.

Alvarez is hitless over his past two games, but has drawn a week in each contest. He has a .271 average and .386 on-base percentage over 17 contests and 59 plate appearances overall. Alvarez has four homers among his 13 total knocks, plus four RBIs, seven runs scored and walks and 11 strikeouts.

I think Alvarez has been great early on, and that dropping him after two hitless games is an overreaction. I'd be happy to add and utilize him in all deeper leagues, and even some standard leagues. If the team around him improves, Alvarez could be a really good fantasy asset, so keep tabs on him.

Polanco has not played since Tuesday, so that's hurting his fantasy value. He's also got a .179 average and .246 OBP over 14 games and 61 plate appearances on the season, so he was droppable before the missed contests.

He has four extra-base hits among his 10 knocks, plus two RBIs, three runs scored, five walks and 11 strikeouts. That's just not enough production for a guy hitting near the top of the order.

Polanco is droppable in standard leagues for the time being, but be watching his status and production, as better days should be ahead. 

Semien sits with a .194 average and .257 OBP over 19 games and 74 plate appearances so far this regular season.

Again, that's just not good enough. He has three extra-base hits among his 13 knocks, plus seven RBIs, two runs scored, five walks and 15 punchouts.

He's batting in the bottom half of the team's order, which works against him too. Semien is probably overrated because he has a recognizable name - he's not worth many standard league spots right now, and he's not really startable anywhere until he heats up.

Chase DeLauter - Cleveland Guardians

DeLauter is at 93% rostered. He was over 95% a couple days ago, so he's slowly dropping.

He has a single over his past three games, but has walked twice and only struck out once in that span. It's still not enough fantasy production.

DeLauter has been great early on, but sits with a .246 average and .338 OBP over 18 contests and 71 plate appearances. He has nine extra-base hits (including five homers) among his 15 total knocks, plus 12 RBIs, 10 runs scored, nine walks and 11 strikeouts.

He's playing just about every day and is in a great spot in the order to deliver. DeLauter is in his first regular season, and the 24-year-old is likely to have ups and downs.

I like holding him through the struggles, because he can be a top-end fantasy hitter when he's hot at the plate. So do your best to keep rostering him in all leagues, but maybe bench him when he's struggling a bit.

Shane Baz - Baltimore Orioles

Baz is rostered in 70% of leagues at the moment. He was up to 82% at one point earlier this season.

Baz has been unimpressive across his first four starts of 2026. He has allowed at least three runs in three of the outings, and has given up 26 hits and eight walks over 22 innings so far. He's lost his last two starts and has 19 strikeouts so far.

Baz has had better seasons in the past, but has definitely started slow in 2026. That has turned him into a standard league streaming option, which I think is fair. He's one to keep holding in deeper leagues.

Baz can be streamed for most of his starts, but until he has better results, he's droppable after those so-so outings.