FantasyPros Staff | Fri, Aug 7th 2026, 10:18am EDT

Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade at the Deadline (2026)

The fantasy baseball trade deadline for many leagues is very soon, so we asked our Featured Pros what final deadline deals they were trying to make.

Fantasy Baseball Trade Deadline Advice:

Here are the players our experts are targeting with their last trade offers.

Which player is the one last piece you want to acquire before the trade deadline?

Willi Castro (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF – COL)

“Willi Castro is the one player to go all out for before the trade deadline. Before the MLB All-Star Break, the Rockies decided to play Edouard Julien way too many games, and turned Castro into a platoon player who showed a ton of potential, but definitely more inconsistent playing time than he deserved. After the All-Star Break, the Rockies have decided Castro needs to play every day, and he is performing to the tune of five HRs in that short span while hitting over .400. It does not hurt that Castro qualifies at every position besides catcher.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)

Tarik Skubal (SP – LAD) | Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY)

“In the other drive-by hit of the fantasy day of the sell players in fantasy baseball – I am encouraging teams trying to add the final pieces to be a contender to sell high on the expected surcharge that can be added to Tarik Skubal moving to the monster that is the overwhelming favorite to win the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Skubal should return an enormous package after this change in scenery. That being said. If you’re a manager coasting into the playoffs with a beast of a fantasy roster yourself, then adding Skubal is the cherry on the top of a title. As long as you have the depth to buy from the manager I am talking to in the other segment we are discussing today, spend it. Two great weeks. Three elite starts at the right time, and that Ching Ching $$$ is being wire transferred into your Venmo. Make sure the price doesn’t actually make you weaker when negotiating. If it doesn’t, he seals the deal for a title for you. For those trying to buy low. Gerrit Cole. He’s had a rough 18 months, making him an undervalued asset. He’s struck out 78 batters in 73.2 innings pitched; he has a WHIP of 1.10, and his last 31 innings have been even better than the first 40. And, Cole’s not going to be shut down or rested for the stretch run since it’s such a tight, congested A.L. East race to the playoffs. Cole still has above-average stuff. And, due to his long and winding journey the last couple of years, he’s undervalued. Find a weakness on your opponent and fill one of his needs for an undervalued Cole for that last push. It’s not easy to win a trade when some Fantasy teams are done for the season. Cole is one of those rare players where you can do it. A true buy-low.”
– Chris Mitchell (FantasyData)

Luke Weaver (RP – PIT)

“The trade from the Mets to the Pirates is a game changer for Luke Weaver’s value. In my eyes, he walks into an unquestioned closer role. If there is a question, it’s whether they use him as a fireman, which would be the highest-leverage spots between the 7th, 8th, and 9th. That being said, he’s their best reliever with a 1.84 ERA and a 20% K-BB rate. There still seem to be questions about his value moving forward, but I think he could be a top-10 closer the rest of the way. I would try to get him for your playoff run.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)

Which player is the one last piece you want to move elsewhere before the trade deadline?

Taylor Ward (OF – SEA)

“Taylor Ward is a player I no longer want to think about in Fantasy Baseball. Last season Ward exploded for 36 home runs; this season Ward has yet to crack double digits (7) with the Orioles. Now he is moving to play for the Mariners in Seattle, definitely a pitcher’s ballpark. Ward is hitting around .200 career lifetime in Seattle, so this nightmare season for Ward is about to get even worse. Throw him in a trade to hide his name, or soon you will release him because his run total (64) is not going to bail him out anymore.”
– Muntradamus (Beast Dome)

Joe Ryan (SP – MIN)

“Joe Ryan has been a bit of a rollercoaster this season. He was great, then injured his arm, and we were scared, but then he bounced back big time. Things seem to be trending in a bad direction now. He’s given up 16 earned runs over his last three outings. His velocity was down about a mile and a half in his last outing, and he openly has said he doesn’t know how to get his mechanics back. You hate to move off of a higher-end pitcher for less, but Ryan has me nervous, and I would start fielding offers now.”
– Chris Welsh (FantasyPros)

Young Pitchers

“Entering the season, my draft-day philosophy was to avoid high-end shortstops as well as high-end starting pitchers, while targeting the youth movement at SP. Now, I’m reversing it, at SP at least. As the grind of a long major league season starts to set in, and, in September during the fantasy playoffs as teams begin to manage players’ at-bats and innings pitched, it’s time to make your last sell-high moves. That means selling any young SP approaching career innings pitched numbers that they haven’t experienced before that isn’t a core, star member of a playoff team in a tight race. I’d hold on to Jacob Misiorowski in Milwaukee and Cam Schlittler in New York for the Yankees. The rest. Sell. For separate reasons, but still prudent ones, that includes selling the hottest topic in the politics of baseball, Tarik Skubal. Environment is always overrated. Batters who transition to friendly hitting environments or pitchers who leave a bad roster for a great one, like Skubal and the Dodgers. Skubal will pitch well, if not great, in L.A.; I’m confident of it. He’s been excellent since returning from injury, proving the point, but he’s likely to have some limitations in September. If you’re a team that needs a push to get over the line in order to make the fantasy playoffs, then selling high and maximizing a strong return could be the Jet fuel (NOS from Fast and the Furious Fame) that gets you there. Selling high is about exploiting when some condition or factor is artificially increasing a player’s value beyond his actual value. A great pitcher going to a juggernaut of a franchise in a pitcher’s park is like buying SpaceX the first minute after the public offering. Don’t sell because Skubal’s going to tank. He isn’t. Sell him because his stock couldn’t be higher. Take advantage.”
– 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.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL