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Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2026: Busts by proven MLB model that called Spencer Strider’s disappointing season

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The Braves saw their seven-year playoff streak come to an end last year as a number of their players underperformed. The likes of Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Raisel Iglesias and Jurickson Profar, who has now been suspended for all of this season after missing half of last season, all ended up as Fantasy baseball busts, whether due to injury, suspension, ineffectiveness or a combination. As anyone entering 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts knows, composing a winning squad will be as much about hitting on your top Fantasy baseball picks as it will be about avoiding selecting Fantasy baseball busts 2026.

Others like Adley Rutschman, Bryan Reynolds, Zac Gallen and Devin Williams are also coming off down years and failing to live up to their Fantasy baseball ADP. Thus, you’re faced with a decision as to if last year was the start of a trend of if they’ll bounce back and are worth taking in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy baseball draft prep, be sure to see the 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last season, SportsLine’s Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider.

Strider led MLB in both wins (20) and strikeouts (281) in 2023 before missing most of 2024 due to injury. He returned last year but the model predicted he would struggle to regain his pre-injury form and wouldn’t live up to his lofty Fantasy baseball ADP (97.81). Strider was the SP30 by average draft position, but SportsLine had him barely cracking the top 75 starting pitchers in its rankings.

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The result: Strider posted a 7-14 record, with a 4.45 ERA and not even half as many strikeouts (131) as his dominant 2023 season. He also missed over a month of action due to another injury and ended up barely making the top 100 starting pitchers in Fantasy points, much closer to SportsLine’s projection of SP74 rather than his ADP of SP30. Anybody who followed the model’s advice and avoided Strider in their Fantasy baseball drafts avoided a major headache in their Fantasy baseball lineups.

The SportsLine model is engineered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.

Any time more MLB news comes out about MLB free agency signings or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.

Top 2026 Fantasy baseball busts

One of the Fantasy baseball busts 2026 the model is fading: Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. A June call-up last year, the rookie became the first pitcher in over 60 years to record 11 no-hit innings to start his career and then made MLB history by becoming an All-Star after just five starts. He had the majors’ fifth-highest average fastball velocity (99.3 m.p.h.) across his 66 regular season innings and then posted a microscopic 1.50 ERA across 12 postseason innings.

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However, in between the All-Star Game and the playoffs, Misiorowski looked every bit like a novice on the mound. He had a 6.03 ERA over his last eight starts as batters adjusted to seeing his arsenal, while Misiorowski failed to make adjustments to hitters. Many Fantasy owners are being overly influenced by his hot start as his No. 121 Fantasy baseball ADP puts him amongst the top 30 starters. However, SportsLine’s model has him barely cracking the top 100 starting pitchers, making Misiorowski one to avoid in Fantasy baseball drafts 2026.

Another of the 2026 Fantasy baseball busts the model projects won’t live up to their ADP: Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso. After seven years in Queens, Alonso left the Mets for Baltimore in the offseason, on the heels of a season with 38 homers, 126 RBI and an .871 OPS. He’s going in the third round on average, in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts with a mean draft position of 28.

However, Alonso’s metrics from last year should be a bit concerning. His batting average on balls in play (BAbip) was a career-best of .305, indicating he was a bit lucky and could regress to the mean. Additionally, his home run rate (5.4%) was the second-lowest of his career, while his walk rate (8.6%) was the lowest of his seven seasons. Alonso’s greatest strength is his home run power, but the two lowest HR rates of his career have come in the last two seasons as the 31-year-old could be on the decline. The model has Alonso on par with Michael Busch in its Fantasy baseball 2026 rankings, but Alonso is being drafted seven rounds earlier on average. See more busts at SportsLine.

How to find proven 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings

SportsLine’s model is also fading a surprising ace who is coming off the board in the sixth round on average in early 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. The model is predicting this All-Star fails to live up to his lofty daft status finishes outside the top 30 at his position. Avoiding him until later on could be the difference between winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

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So which 2026 Fantasy baseball busts should you avoid in your upcoming drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that predicted Spencer Strider’s falloff in 2025, and find out.

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Connor scores twice, Scheifele hits milestone as Jets roll past Kraken

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WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored twice while Jonathan Toews and Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist each to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.

Brad Lambert and Vladislav Namestnikov, into an empty net, also scored for the Jets (34-31-12), who have collected points in seven of their last nine games (6-2-1).

Mark Scheifele registered three assists, while Josh Morrissey provided a pair.

Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the win at Canada Life Centre.

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Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann replied for the Kraken (32-33-11), who extended their losing streak to five games and have lost nine of their last 10 (1-7-2).

Seattle starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period after allowing three goals on 15 shots. Joey Daccord entered in relief and made 10 saves.

The Kraken opened the scoring at 9:17 of the first period when Eberle netted his team-leading 25th of the season, marking the fourth consecutive game Winnipeg has surrendered the opening goal.

The Jets responded on the man advantage at 12:39 when Toews, who was moved back to the top power-play unit in Sunday’s practice, put in his 10th of the campaign to tie the game.

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Winnipeg took control in the second period with a pair of power-play markers. Vilardi gave the Jets their first lead at 9:55, followed by Connor’s team-leading 37th goal of the season at 12:09.

Seattle cut the deficit to 3-2 at 2:28 of the third period on a goal by McCann. The assist went to Kaapo Kakko, extending his point streak to three games.

Lambert restored the two-goal cushion at 5:59 of the final frame to seal the win, with Connor and Namestikov adding insurance markers.

Jets: Winnipeg’s special teams dominated the matchup, as the club scored three times on the power play for the first time all season.

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Kraken: The loss dealt a devastating blow to Seattle’s bid for a playoff spot, costing the club an opportunity to close the gap in the highly competitive Western Conference wild-card race.

With Seattle seizing momentum after cutting the lead to one early in the third period, Lambert fired home his third goal of the season to make it 4-2. Lambert celebrated the insurance marker right in front of the Kraken bench and his uncle, Seattle head coach Lane Lambert.

Scheifele registered his 900th career NHL point with his secondary assist on Connor’s second-period goal.

Jets: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

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Kraken: Visit the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

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The Masters: McKibbin enjoying ‘surreal’ start to his first Masters week

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Although delighted to be part of the field, McKibbin is eager to make his mark and acknowledges the famous course is challenging.

Long fairways and “pristine” greens are what he will encounter but he wants to leave on Sunday happy with his week’s work.

Whether that means playing through the weekend or making a charge at the leaderboard remains to be seen, but making the most of this opportunity is his primary motivation.

“Some of the holes are very long, especially around 10 and 11, you’re hitting a lot of long irons into the greens which look pretty small from there, but the golf course is just incredible,” he noted.

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“I’ve played it a few times now and it’s everything you could imagine, so to play more over the week is pretty cool.

“The greens are absolutely perfect, so pristine, quick and once you get out onto the course, there are some pretty crazy slopes on them you can really play around with.

“The golf course changes so much over the week, I don’t know what to expect, but I would just like to have a nice week, play well and see where that is. Your first one there aren’t a lot of expectations, but I want to have a good week.”

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Ryan Garcia names the most ‘horribly overrated’ fighter in boxing

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WBC welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia has named the man whom he believes to be the most overrated fighter in the sport, saying that the hype is ‘premature’.

Despite knocking out Luke Campbell for the WBC Interim lightweight title back in January 2021, it took over five years for Garcia to finally claim world honours, with some fans thinking along the way that the ‘overrated’ label suited his own campaign.

That long-awaited victory came in February, as ‘King Ry’ dominated proceedings against Mario Barrios to properly announce his return to the big time and receive the plaudits that his skills merit.

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Now, Garcia sits as one of the biggest names in the sport and the Californian is being linked to a mammoth rematch with rival and reigning WBO welterweight champion, Devin Haney.

Despite criticising Haney in the past, on the Creators Think Podcast when quizzed to name the most ‘horribly overrated’ active boxer, Garcia opted not to select his fierce foe. Instead, he looked upwards toward the super-welterweight division, playing down the abilities of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

“Horribly overrated? Today, I would say ‘Boots’ Ennis. I know that I have said that before on a stream and got some hate but, at this point where they are hyping up like he is the next everything, I think it’s a little premature and [that he is] overrated.”

Ennis held the unified IBF and WBA welterweight world titles but moved up to 154lbs late last year, knocking out Uisma Lima upon his debut in the division.

At the end of June, the ‘Boots’ will challenge for the unified WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles against the youngest unified champion in boxing, Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas.

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There is a possibility that Garcia, still just 27, will move up to 154lbs in the future. If he does so, Ennis may want to answer the above comments inside the ropes.

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Fabregas Reacts As Okoye Shines In Udinese Draw

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Maduka Okoye delivered an outstanding performance, but Cesc Fabregas admitted he was not fully satisfied with his team after Como’s goalless draw with Udinese on Monday night.

Fabregas said the game was tight and very tactical, with both sides struggling to find space and control the tempo.

“Both teams had difficulties finding spaces, it was a very tactical game and nobody really took the initiative,” he said.

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Despite his side creating two good chances, Fabregas was not impressed with how Como handled the ball, noting that several players did not perform at their best.

“In general, I didn’t like the way the team played in possession, there were many players who were below par today,” he added.

The Como boss also pointed out that Udinese offered little attacking threat, but stressed the importance of staying solid at the back.

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“At the same time, Udinese created very little danger and we kept our 15th clean sheet.”

Fabregas admitted he expected more from his team but accepted the result, especially given recent challenges.

“When you are in these situations, it is important not to lose and not to concede, even if I am the first to admit that I expected more.”

Okoye was the key figure in the match, making several important saves to deny Como and secure a clean sheet for Udinese.

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Callum Smith vs David Morrell fight off after injury suffered in Smith training camp

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The upcoming battle between Callum Smith and David Morrell will no longer be happening.

Smith last fought in February 2025 when he was involved in a fight of the year contender against Joshua Buatsi, claiming the unanimous decision win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to secure the WBO interim light heavyweight title.

Over 12 months on from that bout, he was set to make his long-awaited return against Morrell in his hometown of Liverpool on April 18, but with less than two weeks to go until the showdown, disaster has unfortunately struck.

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According to journalist Mike Coppinger, the Liverpudlian has been forced to pull out of the bout after sustaining an injury whilst training.

“Callum Smith suffered an injury in training camp and is withdrawing from his light heavyweight fight vs. David Morrell on April 18 in Liverpool, sources tell Ring Magazine.”

Smith was hoping to move one step closer to becoming a two-weight world champion, having previously reigned as WBC super-middleweight champion thanks to a win over George Groves in 2018 before he lost that belt to Canelo Alvarez in 2020.

That prompted the move to 175lbs, and despite a defeat to Artur Beterbiev in January 2024, Smith remained one of the key fighters in the light heavyweight division.

The bout against former WBA Regular champion Morrell was set to serve as a tough test for Smith, with Morrell only having lost to David Benavidez in his career so far, but now it is unknown whether or not the clash between the two men will be rescheduled.

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Hurt Coco Gauff pens emotional message after facing brutal social media abuse over new photoshoot

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Coco Gauff recently penned an emotional message after facing brutal social media abuse over her new photoshoot. The American stated that the constant criticism reminded her why she shouldn’t be active on certain platforms.

Gauff is one of the WTA’s biggest women’s singles stars and the 22-year- old draws an immense amount of attention for her actions on and off the tennis court. Earlier this month, the two-time Grand Slam champion posed for fashion brand Miu Miu, but her look for the photoshoot gained immense scrutiny, with many expressing their disappointment about her natural hair.

Reacting to the hate, Coco Gauff wrote on X,

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“Deleted twitter for a month, came back today, and got instantly reminded why I should not be on here lol :/.”

At the Miami Open earlier this year, Gauff had admitted that she was taking a break from X to avoid the online toxicity.

Coco Gauff weighs in on social media negativity, demands accountability from platforms

Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)
Gauff speaks to the media at the 2026 Miami Open (Image Source: Getty)

At the 2025 German Open, Coco Gauff discussed at length the negativity on social media surrounding players. In a conversation with the media, she shared that tennis stars often receive death threats and that online users frequently message family members as well, saying,

“It’s the worst you can get. Death threats, to your family, to yourself. I’ve had people DM [direct message] my boyfriend and friends about it. Racist comments, like all you can imagine. Nudity, things like that. It’s a gross kind of thing that we have going on in tennis.”

She went on to demand accountability from platforms, asking them to ‘step in’ in order to foster a more healthy environment for everyone,

“It’s something that we have to keep bringing awareness to. I would love for some of the social media platforms to get involved, not only when it comes to tennis players. Influencers, other athletes, they all get these comments, so it’s something that can be addressed. I know the WTA is doing what they can to make us feel protected, but I definitely think that a lot of these platforms can step in as well.”

On the tennis end of things, Coco Gauff was last seen in action at the Miami Open. The Florida-native reached the finals on home ground, before going down against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.