Fantasy Baseball Players Experts are Worried About in 2026 (Francisco Lindor, Julio Rodriguez, Nick Kurtz)

It’s still early, but that doesn’t mean fantasy baseball managers can ignore the warning signs.

Every season, a handful of players stumble out of the gate, whether it’s a dip in underlying metrics, reduced playing time, or simply results that don’t match expectations. While some slow starts are just noise, others signal deeper concerns that could linger well into the season.

In this Featured Pros roundup, our experts break down 12 fantasy baseball players who are causing early concern in 2026. From struggling stars to surprising disappointments, these insights will help you decide whether to stay patient, explore trade options, or start planning an exit before it’s too late.

Fantasy Baseball Players Experts are Worried About

Which underperforming hitter are you most worried about? Why?

Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM)

“Francisco Lindor, as of writing this, hasn’t had an RBI since September 27th of 2025. After his hamate bone surgery, I figured the power would be slow to return, but the .176 BA and contact rates are abysmal. Lindor has always been a slow starter, but he’s 32 now, not 27. This could be the beginning of the erosion of skills. Not to say, 2026 will be a lost season, but the Lindor benchmarks we’re used to could be on the precipice of lowering for the remainder of his career when you consider his barrel %, hard hit %, and bat speed are all in decline.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)

Julio Rodriguez (OF – SEA)

“Julio Rodriguez has been pretty concerning so far this season, especially for where he was drafted. The results are ugly — just 7 singles in 49 at-bats and almost no impact — and the underlying numbers back it up, with a wRC+ sitting near the bottom of the league. His approach has backed up, too, chasing more pitches (33%) and striking out more (28.6%), and he just isn’t doing damage when he does make contact. The ground balls are way up (52%), and the hard contact isn’t there like usual. You can even wonder if the extra WBC workload is lingering a bit, but either way, for a first-round pick, he looks more like a volatile .250 bat than a fantasy cornerstone right now.”
– Dennis Sosic (Fantasy Six Pack)

Nick Kurtz (1B – ATH)

“I originally planned on highlighting Cal Raleigh and his epic early-season collapse, but that was too easy. I knew this was coming. Not to this degree, but that he was going to regress significantly as a catcher coming off a historic season was foreseeable. So, I moved on to Jazz Chisholm. His metrics are looking a wee bit scary for a guy I was relying on a 30/30 season from. Then I saw Nick Kurtz’s underlying numbers, and I had my guy. What convinced me to profile Kurtz as the guy I’m worried about isn’t necessarily how poorly he is playing, but that many of his metrics are comparable or even better than his 36-home-run breakout 2025 rookie campaign. His BB% is at 22.5%, up almost 10% from 2025, and his BaBip is also slightly higher – .370 in 2026 compared to .364 in 2025 – while his OBP and xwWoBa are basically the same, and yet, he mashed 36 home runs in 117 games in ’25 while he has only one in 23 so far in 2026. Let me get this straight. Kurtz is being more selective, the balls he does make contact with are landing in play more often in ’26 than in ’25, and yet his batting average is at the Mendoza line (.200 – down from .290 in 2025) and he is making significantly less contact with a K% of 38%, by far the worst of his professional career, both in the majors and the minors. And, his ISO is an abysmal .091, down from .329 in ’25. Usually, for hitters, if most of their metrics are good or similar to their past performance, then a lower-than-normal BABIP is a sign of hope. The guy has just been unlucky in a small sample. Kurtz hasn’t been unlucky in ’26. His BABIP is basically the same as it was in 2025, slightly better, actually. What’s scary about Kurtz is that he is making significantly less contact while slugging a distressing .291 versus a poultry .619 in ’25. Same approach. Same guy. Less contact, less power, significantly fewer homers. That’s got me concerned. Horrible has somewhere to go. Hopefully up, making THAT guy a buy-low. You being you….with worse results?? Makes Kurtz a potential sell-low. At minimum, be worried.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball season.