Trade season is heating up in fantasy baseball, and the best managers know this is where leagues can swing. Everybody loves chasing hot starts, but the smarter move is often identifying talented players before the rebound happens. That was the central theme of the latest FantasyPros MLB discussion, where the focus shifted toward struggling stars, sneaky rebound bats, and a few players whose value may never be higher than it is right now.
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Here are the biggest fantasy baseball takeaways from the show.
Trea Turner (SS – PHI) Is Still Too Talented to Ignore
Trea Turner hasn’t looked like vintage Trea Turner so far in 2026, but that’s exactly why he’s become one of the best buy-low targets in fantasy baseball.
Joey P pointed out that Turner is hitting just .235, easily the worst batting average of his career, but he also emphasized this isn’t the first prolonged slump Turner has had during his time in Philadelphia.
The bigger point is simple: fantasy managers may be overreacting to the slow start.
Even with the struggles, Turner is still pacing toward a 15-homer, 21-steal season, which remains valuable production from the shortstop position.
There’s also belief that Turner’s true talent level sits much closer to what he showed in 2025 than what fantasy managers are seeing right now. Joey referenced Turner’s previous expected batting average marks and argued a finish closer to the .270 range feels much more realistic by the end of the year.
That matters because if the batting average rebounds, the counting stats likely follow.
There was acknowledgment that Turner could be entering the gradual decline phase of his career as a speed-first player entering his 30s. Still, the overall takeaway was that his current fantasy value has dropped lower than it should, making this the ideal time to buy.
Michael Busch (1B – CHC) Looks Ready to Heat Up
Michael Busch quietly feels like one of the more interesting trade targets in fantasy baseball right now.
The raw season numbers still look underwhelming, but Welsh focused heavily on the recent trends underneath the surface. Busch entered May with an ugly batting average but has started turning things around with a .315 average during the month.
The advanced indicators are beginning to move in the right direction too.
Welsh highlighted Busch’s rolling expected wOBA jump over his last 100 plate appearances, climbing dramatically from below league average to well above it by mid-May.
The profile itself hasn’t really changed either.
He’s still making quality contact, the strikeout rate hasn’t spiked, and some of the power indicators are beginning to recover. Welsh also noted Busch’s strange home-road split, believing warmer weather and summer conditions could help unlock more power production moving forward.
What makes Busch especially appealing is the market perception.
Fantasy managers still don’t seem fully bought in. He doesn’t carry the profile of a star first baseman yet, and because of the slow start, he may still be obtainable as a secondary piece in larger deals.
That window may not stay open much longer.
Otto Lopez (SS – MIA) Might Be Peaking at the Perfect Time to Sell
Selling productive players is never comfortable, especially when they’re carrying your offense.
But Otto Lopez may be exactly the type of player fantasy managers should explore moving before regression hits.
Joey P acknowledged Lopez has been extremely valuable so far this season, especially for teams searching for steady offense. The issue is whether the production level is sustainable over a full season.
The biggest red flag is the batting average.
Lopez is hitting near .340, but the expected batting average sits closer to .292, suggesting a fairly significant correction could still be coming.
There’s skepticism about the power output too.
While Lopez already has four home runs, Joey questioned whether he truly profiles as a 20-homer hitter long term. The expectation is that he settles closer to the 15-15 player fantasy managers saw previously.
That doesn’t mean Lopez is a bad player.
It simply means this may be the highest his fantasy value gets all season.
The recommendation wasn’t necessarily to dump him for pennies. Instead, the suggestion was to package Lopez with another useful player and try upgrading into a higher-tier fantasy asset before regression arrives.
Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) Still Carries Injury Risk
Joe Ryan‘s sell case wasn’t about performance.
It was about fear.
Welsh admitted Ryan has looked excellent since returning, including two strong outings following the elbow scare earlier in the season.
The concern is everything surrounding those results.
Ryan already dealt with back issues during the WBC, then later battled an elbow problem that carried significant uncertainty before he returned to the mound.
Even though he currently looks healthy, Welsh isn’t convinced fantasy managers should simply ignore the warning signs.
Summer innings are coming. Workloads are increasing. And pitchers dealing with both back and elbow concerns rarely become less risky as the season progresses.
The recommendation here is more strategic than statistical.
If another manager views Ryan as a fully healthy top-20 starter again, this may be the perfect opportunity to pivot into a safer asset before another injury scare surfaces.
That doesn’t guarantee Ryan breaks down again.
But fantasy baseball is often about avoiding landmines before everyone else sees them.
Fantasy Baseball Takeaways
- Trea Turner remains one of the best buy-low targets in fantasy baseball because the talent level still outweighs the slow start.
- Michael Busch‘s underlying metrics and recent performance trends suggest a breakout stretch could be coming soon.
- Otto Lopez is productive, but the batting average and power pace may be difficult to sustain over a full season.
- Joe Ryan‘s performance has been strong, but lingering back and elbow concerns still create long-term risk.
- Smart fantasy managers should use hot starts and rebound windows to consolidate talent before market values shift.
- Packaging overperforming players into upgrades remains one of the best in-season trade strategies.
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