Fantasy baseball managers are always looking for an edge in their leagues, and one strategy that can pay off is buying low on struggling players and selling high on those who have exceeded expectations. Below, our featured experts look closely at some players they’re targeting for these trades. They have closely monitored the latest player trends and performance metrics to identify key players you should consider buying low and selling high to maximize your roster’s potential.
By leveraging our exclusive fantasy baseball trade analyzer and relying on advanced metrics, comprehensive player rankings, and player projections, our experts have determined which players you should target in trades and which ones you should look to move. So, whether you need a roster shake-up or simply want to capitalize on a player’s hot streak, this article is here to guide you through the process.
Let’s examine these trade recommendations, analyze the rationale behind each move, and provide you with actionable advice to help you dominate your league. Don’t forget to check out our other fantasy baseball resources to help you stay ahead of the competition all season long. Happy trading!
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Baseball Trade Advice: Buy Low/Sell High
What one MLB player are you trying to buy low and why? Also, who are you willing to give up for him?
Josh Naylor (1B – SEA)
“Not many bats have been cooler than Josh Naylor. Despite hitting barely over .100, Naylor is still showing off strong barreling numbers. Despite the low average, he has an xBA 130 points higher, and an xBA over 100 points higher against the three major pitch types. Owners may be ready to drop him at this point, so drop a low offer for the bounce back.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)
Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM)
“Ronald Acuña Jr is the easy answer, but I’ll go with an equally easy answer in Francisco Lindor. He’s batting .167 with no home runs and only one stolen base, but he’s always been a slow starter. For his career, he has a .249 batting average in 220 games in March and April. Although he has a .270 or better average for his career in nearly every other month. CJ Abrams is a shortstop off to a hot start that I would be more than willing to flip for Lindor.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)
Riley Greene (OF – DET)
“Riley Greene was drafted to be an anchor in fantasy lineups, but so far, he’s been an albatross. Greene’s average is below .200, and he’s still searching for his first homer of the season. It’s always a mistake to overreact to cold starts from hitters early, especially in cold weather. Greene’s expected stats suggest he’s been unlucky, and there are no red flags to think he won’t turn it around quickly.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)
Chase Burns (SP – CIN)
“There are a lot of players I’d love to buy low on, Mike Soroka (0.90 ERA – 13 Ks – 2 Wins in 10 IP) and Sandy Alcantara (0.00 ERA – 0.56 WHIP – two walks in 16 innings pitched) being high on that list, but Chase Burns should be owners’ No. 1 buy-low target. In this space, during draft season, I wrote that Burns would be a 200K SP that was going to battle for a Cy Young. Well, that prediction isn’t just aging well; it’s looking prophetic with a 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 1 win, 1 QS, 16 strikeouts, and 6 hits allowed in 11 innings pitched. Burns is a top-tier swing-and-miss SP in the early stages of a breakout year, and while the fantasy community is starting to notice, owners can still pounce before he goes from a potential breakout to an untouchable, proven front-of-a-fantasy rotation untouchable. Three weeks from now, that’s what Burns will be. He started draft season with an ADP of 114. You likely won’t need to, but I’d trade Jesus Luzardo (72 ADP), Freddy Peralta (56 ADP), as well as just about any SP not named Crochet, Skenes, or Skubal. And if I’m being honest in our hot-take world…I’d rather have Burns than Skenes in ’26. Regardless of what an opposing owner thinks of Burns and his hot start, he’s a buy-low worth paying for if the price isn’t Skubal or Crochet.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)
Julio Rodriguez (OF – SEA)
“The one MLB player that I am trying to buy low is Julio Rodriguez. Rodriguez has gotten off to the worst start of all of the players drafted in the first round of fantasy baseball league drafts, based on ADP. He is hitting .152 with 0 home runs and only 2 RBI. He’s a much better hitter than this, and his window to buy low is not going to get any better. His April performance has historically been a slower start compared to his overall career averages. The average league manager may not know that Julio Rodriguez is notorious for his slow April starts. Take advantage of this. I would be willing to trade any player that I drafted in Rounds 3 or later, or a lower round player, packaged with a player that is off to a hot start that I drafted in the middle or late rounds.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
Josh Hader (RP – HOU)
“The Astros bullpen is in shambles. Once Josh Hader returns, he will be treated like Mariano Rivera and be the Astros’ closer without question through the rest of the season. If you have a hot pitcher like Senga, move him for a stud closer like Hader.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
What one MLB player are you trying to sell high right now and why? Also, who would you try to get in return?
Jordan Walker (OF – STL)
“Jordan Walker is someone I’d entertain in trade conversations. His draft day cost was nearly nothing, so trading him for anything would be a profit. He’s currently riding the best streak of his career, but I worry about how sustainable it is. Walker is swinging and missing a lot (28% whiff%), but he has a career-high zone swing rate, meaning he’s swinging more at pitches he can actually do damage with. I would want to make sure what I’m selling him for is worth it, but if someone were offering Wyatt Langford or George Springer, I’d take it.”
– Chase Davis (FantasyPros)
“The one MLB player that I am trying to sell high right now is Jordan Walker. He’s off to a fantastic start, with a batting average of .300 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI through 40 at-bats. This ranks him as the 7th best hitter in fantasy baseball to date. But digging in a little deeper into his historical stats, in 2025, Walker had a total of 6 home runs in 363 at-bats. In 2024, Walker had a total of 5 home runs in 164 at-bats. The sell high window is not going to get any better for Jordan Walker. I would try to get, in return, any player who was drafted in the first 3 to 6 rounds of fantasy baseball league drafts and is currently off to a slow start. Some players that meet this criteria are Austin Riley, Riley Greene, Josh Naylor, and Vinnie Pasquantino, just to name a few.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
Gavin Williams (SP – CLE)
“Despite Gavin Williams‘ strong start, which sees him at 21 on the FantasyPros VBR among starting pitchers, his walk rate looks erratic. He has a 20% walk rate and an eight percent decrease in his overall zone percentage. He is also getting barreled harder by hitters, and they are pulling the ball in the air on him. I would worry he comes back down to earth soon. There may be a nice selling opportunity to someone buying him as a two-and-a-half ERA breakout pitcher.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)
Giancarlo Stanton (OF, DH – NYY)
“I’m selling Giancarlo Stanton as soon as I can because I remain highly skeptical that he enjoys a career renaissance (or a healthy season) at age 36. Even if his elbow issues in the offseason were overblown, the IL always looms over the big slugger. He’s also posting an unsustainable 32% Line Drive rate, and is due to see his average sink. His hard-hit rate is down, and he has just one home run, so if he’s actually turning into a contact hitter instead of a power hitter, his value takes a hit.”
– Pierre Camus (Fantasy Endgame)
Shea Langeliers (C – ATH)
“Anyone who has been following my fantasy writing career knows that I have an unhealthy bias/hatred of catchers and tight ends, so consider the messenger with my selection of Shea Langeliers as my Sell-High for 2026. A catcher batting over .300 while leading the league in home runs makes Langeliers a perfect early-season sell-high candidate. In order to sell high, owners need to be able to make the case that the hot start isn’t a fluke. Langeliers ’25 breakout season makes it easier than most to convince owners that 2026 is the new Langeliers. He batted over .275 and slugged 31 homers in 2025, a pace and level of production that he is on his way to repeating in 2026. If ’26 was going to be a repeat of ’25, I’d say ride the train to a Cal Raleighesque season. However, Langeliers batted .224, .205, and .218 while striking out more than once per game played in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In ’26, his swing-and-miss tendencies resemble those of years 2022-2024 rather than his ’25 breakout. His counting stats (BA and HRs) are the mirage, while the underlying contact rates remind us of the old Langeliers, meaning a reversion to the mean is coming as soon as the sample size grows. If you’re looking for a position-for-position swap, I’d trade Langeliers for Hunter Goodman straight up. Goodman is a buy-low that will end 2026 as the better fantasy catcher. I’d also cast a wide net, throwing Hail Mary emails to owners for players with higher upside who have started poorly. Players like Gunnar Henderson, James Wood, Brice Turang, C.J. Abrams, or Chase Burns, while also targeting buy-low candidates like MacKenzie Gore, Nolan McLean, or Sandy Alcantara.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)
Chase DeLauter (OF – CLE)
“Chase DeLauter is off to a hot start as he is the co-leader in homers to start the year. Move the Rookie now, as he is likely to hit only 15+ more HRs maximum for the rest of the season. Take away his opening series, and he only has 1 HR since. Jorge Soler is likely to outperform DeLauter from here, but you can get a big-name infield bat like Trevor Story or Bo Bichette.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)
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