Risers & Fallers (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

Welcome to our weekly column on fantasy baseball risers and fallers. Each week, I’ll dive into players who are getting a bump up in value and those who are trending downward.

This week, we’re still a few days before Opening Day, so the focus is on players who have made their respective rosters.

Let’s find out who’s rising and falling as we get closer to the season.

Risers & Fallers (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

Fantasy Baseball Risers

JJ Wetherholt (2B/SS – STL)

We were always pretty confident that JJ Wetherholt would make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, but it’s nice to see that confirmed today. Wetherholt is going to be the Cardinals’ everyday second baseman, with a clear path to playing time on a rebuilding team.

This is a top prospect who slashed .314/.416/.562 with 10 homers and nine steals in 221 plate appearances in Triple-A last season. He’s a polished hitter with elite plate discipline, as highlighted by a 20.5 percent walk rate and a 15.9 percent strikeout rate in 44 plate appearances in spring training. There’s 20-20 upside in this 23-year-old rookie.

Zach Eflin (SP – BAL)

Zach Eflin is coming off a disappointing season where he put up a 5.93 ERA in 71.1 innings, but there are reasons for optimism here. For one, Eflin is only one year removed from a 3.59 ERA in 165.1 innings. That year, the veteran righty put up a respectable 3.97 SIERA. There’s a track record here, as this is an innings-eater with elite control.

What’s great about Eflin is that he looks like his former self this spring, where he tossed 7.1 scoreless innings with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Playing for a contending Orioles team, Eflin will be in a position to rack up wins. Pick him up if he’s on your waiver wire. Take him late if you’re still drafting.

Paul Sewald (RP – ARI)

Paul Sewald is the current favorite to become the Diamondbacks’ closer. This is a veteran with 86 career saves under his belt, including 34 back in 2023. D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo recently mentioned that “he loves where Sewald is at” when discussing the team’s plans for the ninth inning.

Given the lack of viable options, coupled with Sewald’s experience, it makes sense for him to emerge as the closer. Whether you’re desperate for saves or looking to stack up that category early in the year, Sewald makes sense as a waiver wire pickup or late-round sleeper.

Fantasy Baseball Fallers

Konnor Griffin (SS – PIT)

Konnor Griffin is the consensus top prospect in baseball, boasting 20-50 upside as soon as this season. While there were rumblings that the Pirates could work out an extension with Griffin, things are now trending downward.

Griffin is going to start the year in the minors. If you’re still drafting, this gives you a chance to “buy the dip,” as his ADP has decreased significantly. You should be able to grab him outside the top 200, which is a nice move. I don’t think it will take long before we see Griffin up in the big leagues.

Spencer Strider (SP – ATL)

Spencer Strider has been placed on the injured list with an oblique injury. The Braves hope that Strider will be able to return to the team in a couple of weeks, but this is the latest bad news for a player with a lot of red flags.

The former ace was a shell of his former self last season, and then he was showing decreased velocity in spring training. It’s hard to feel encouraged about his value for this year, especially with the latest injury. If you draft him, a conservative estimate would be a mid-May return. Make a plan for the worst.

Dennis Santana (RP – PIT)

Pirates manager Don Kelly spoke about how Dennis Santana won’t always be used as a traditional closer, sometimes deployed in high-leverage situations. That means that we could see veteran Gregory Soto get some chances here and there. Keep an eye out for Mason Montgomery, who has the best stuff in this bullpen.

As for Santana, it’s hard not to be a bit disappointed with this news. Expect him to fall more in late drafts, as most fantasy baseball players don’t want to deal with this headache.