9 Pitchers the Experts Avoid (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

When preparing for your fantasy baseball drafts, knowing which players to target and others to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy baseball rankings compared to average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable players below.

2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Advice

Experts Avoid Top Relievers

Experts avoid drafting the top relief pitchers and closers, opting for late-round values. Of course, this is dependent on the league, but for most 10- and 12-person leagues the experts prefer to wait on RP, as shown in our expert consensus rankings.

RK	PLAYER NAME	TEAM	POS	BEST	WORST	AVG.	STD.DEV	ECR VS. ADP
56	Mason Miller	SD	RP1	29	151	59.8	18.1	-14
63	Edwin Diaz	LAD	RP2	28	187	64.8	24.5	-19
76	Jhoan Duran	PHI	RP3	36	170	78.6	27.4	-16
78	Andres Munoz	SEA	RP4	34	147	79.3	26.2	-23
83	Cade Smith	CLE	RP5	37	189	82.1	26.3	-20
99	Aroldis Chapman	BOS	RP6	54	203	104.7	25.5	-20

Starting Pitchers Experts Avoid

RK	PLAYER NAME	TEAM	POS	BEST	WORST	AVG.	STD.DEV	ECR VS. ADP
29	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	LAD	SP5	20	81	31.4	5	-4
40	Bryan Woo	SEA	SP9	12	78	40.7	4.6	-4
100	Blake Snell	LAD	SP26	48	170	105.3	34.9	-12

Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed up his MLB debut with a strong 2025, flashing elite command and swing-and-miss ability even as his workload was managed. That, however, went out the window when he threw 37-1/3 postseason innings, bringing his total to 210 in 2025. His 2026 projections show maintained excellent ratios and strikeout efficiency. The year-over-year improvement in pitch efficiency suggests he can work deeper into games moving forward. The biggest knock against Yamamoto is that he pitches for the Dodgers, who have a deep enough staff to go with a six-man rotation or rest elite starters down the stretch (fantasy playoffs) if they wish. In any case, Yamamoto profiles as a high-end fantasy starter whose value is anchored in ratios.

Blake Snell remains one of fantasy baseball’s most volatile aces, pairing elite strikeout ability with persistent workload and control risk. His 2025 season with Los Angeles featured a dominant 2.35 ERA and strong run prevention metrics, but it came in just 61.1 innings, reinforcing long-standing durability concerns. The 2026 projections again favor strong ratios and well-above-average strikeout rates, though modest innings expectations cap his overall fantasy ceiling. Snell’s swing-and-miss stuff still plays at a Cy Young level when healthy, but his elevated walk rates continue to introduce WHIP volatility. Fantasy designation: High-risk SP2 / ratio-boosting upside play, best suited for managers willing to absorb innings risk in exchange for elite per-inning production.

What is Fantasy Baseball?

Fantasy baseball is an online game where participants act as managers of virtual baseball teams based on real-life Major League Baseball (MLB) players. The performance of these players in actual games determines the results in the fantasy league. It’s a blend of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck, akin to the real-world decisions team managers must make.

Basic Strategy for Fantasy Baseball Success

1. Understand Your League’s Format and Scoring

Before drafting your team, it’s essential to understand the scoring system and rules of your specific league, as this will influence your drafting and management strategy. Knowing whether you’re in a points-based, category-based, or head-to-head league will guide you in selecting players whose strengths align with the scoring system.

2. Drafting Your Team Wisely

A solid draft is the foundation of a successful season. Here are a few tips for the drafting phase:

Balanced Team: Ensure you have a balanced team with a mix of power hitters, average hitters, speedsters, starting pitchers, and relievers.
Position Scarcity: Be aware of the depth of talent at each position. Some positions, like shortstop, may have fewer high-quality players, making it beneficial to draft a top player at that position early.
High-Floor Players: Early in the draft, focus on players with a proven track record of consistency.
Upside Picks: In the later rounds, look for “upside” players. These are athletes who have the potential to outperform their draft position.

3. In-Season Management

Stay Active: Constantly look for ways to improve your team through waivers, trades, and free-agent pickups.
Mind the Matchups: Pay attention to player matchups, platoon splits, and ballparks. Starting a pitcher in a hitter-friendly park, for example, can be risky.
Injury Management: Stay on top of player injuries and have backups ready for your key players.