EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLike a game of hot potato, there are certain players who you don't want to get stuck with once their productivity declines.Whether it's unsustainable hot streaks, shrinking opportunities or a simple shift in luck, baseball can change both quickly and dramatically. In fantasy terms, accurately forecasting any of these valuation downturns in advance of them actually happening can provide your fantasy team with a significant boost -- especially if it means trading the player before his stock plummets.Today, let's examine five players you should be trading right now. In the event that you can't, you'll at least be warned about which players for which you'll probably need reinforcements. Be prepared, because I see significant risk surrounding all of these guys in the near future.These are not simply "sell high" candidates. They're "trade these guys now before the well runs dry" players. Get it? Just like a game of hot potato.Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota TwinsIf there's a perfect baseball embodiment of "hot potato," it's Buxton.Over the 181 games he's played between this and last season, Buxton has hit 61 home runs, stolen 29 bases and averaged 2.86 fantasy points per game, 14th-best among qualified hitters. During that same time, he has missed 48 games due to either injury or rest. From 2019-24, he made 12 separate trips to the injured list.In reply to the comment, "But he hasn't been injured at all yet this year," ... it's not true, he has, just not in formal 10-day IL form. Buxton has missed one game as a result of a forearm bruise, five due to right hip flexor soreness and another with a right shoulder contusion, in addition to five "rest days."Buxton is an effective Giancarlo Stanton-type, except he plays the far-more-physically-taxing center field position, with 329 defensive innings (56% of the team's total) there. Even in a seemingly healthy 2025, he made two additional trips to the IL.This isn't to knock the production he can provide when healthy, but Buxton giving you 80%-plus availability of a top-50 rotisserie/top-100 overall points valuation is about as good an early return as you could have asked.Riley O'Brien, RP, St. Louis CardinalsNot even seven weeks ago, O'Brien was on a track to be one of 2026's biggest breakthrough candidates. But after beginning the year with 13 consecutive scoreless appearances, he was scored upon in seven of his next 13 outings for a collective 8.31 ERA while blowing three of his 10 save chances.O'Brien has since saved three straight games -- let that rekindle your shopping opportunity -- but he's a pitcher lacking overwhelming stuff in a bullpen with comparable good-not-great high-leverage candidates, on a team that cannot afford to throw away any leads. Any return of his recent struggles and manager Oliver Marmol might drop this back into a closer-by-committee.However, this isn't only a skills thing. O'Brien's team circumstances also weigh in heavily. Among current playoff teams -- the Cardinals hold the NL's top wild card spot -- no team has as poor championship odds as the Cardinals. That's a strong signal that their hot start is more mirage than reality and, if they're indeed destined for the swoon that the oddsmakers forecast, it's going to impact the team's save total.Liam Hicks, C/1B, Miami MarlinsIt's hard to fathom how this almost completely undrafted player -- he was selected in under 1% of ESPN leagues -- today finds himself as the No. 3 catcher-eligible, No. 7 first base-eligible and No. 20 overall hitter in fantasy points. Hicks is tied for third in RBIs (47) and ranks ninth in batting average with runners on base (.337).A look under the hood, however, reveals a skill set centered upon contact ability, but little in the way of pop. Hicks' batting average has plummeted by 30 points over the past three weeks, which is why it's odd that his roster rate in ESPN leagues has actually increased by nearly 3% during that time. He also places in the 20th percentile or worse in Statcast's average exit velocity and hard-hit metrics for the year.If either Joe Mack or Agustin Ramirez (batting .283 with four homers in his last 16 games for Triple-A Jacksonville) gets into a groove at any point soon, Hicks' playing time will be at further risk. Considering that Hicks' best-case scenario is to be a top-20 scoring catcher-eligible the rest of the way is his volume -- he traditionally rotates between catcher, first base and DH -- that's a significant concern.Emerson Hancock, SP, Seattle MarinersI want a full-fledged, season-long Hancock breakthrough to be a thing, as it's a great story fueled by the adjustments he made to his pitch repertoire, not to mention it would further speak to the Mariners' excellence in developing pitchers. Unfortunately, the right-hander's skills have trended in the wrong direction recently, even if he has managed over 13 fantasy points in four of his last five starts.Hancock has eased off his sweeper in exchange for more four-seam fastballs, and the sweeper itself has generated 9% fewer whiffs during that five-start span. The results: 5.5% fewer K's, 10% fewer grounders and 10% more hard-hit baseballs, even if his fantasy production has been seemingly sound.The Mariners are currently in a six-man rotation, not to mention with a pair of top-shelf pitching prospects on the way in Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, meaning their incumbents have little room for error due to the level of competition. Even Luis Castillo, bumped from the rotation a few weeks back, has pitched much more effectively over his last three outings.Hancock's inclusion is the most questionable of the five on this list, but he's also the one whose stock appears to be the soundest. Considering his downside is potentially swift and steep, he's an ideal pitcher to trade.Ryan Weathers, SP, New York YankeesAnother case of roster competition representing his most imminent threat, Weathers has already been asked by Yankees beat reporters about his willingness to work out of the bullpen in light of the team's rotational depth -- and the left-hander has been receptive to the idea. Max Fried (elbow) has already resumed throwing, so we might be only a few weeks from the Yankees needing to make a decision between Weathers and Will Warren for one rotation spot.Sending Weathers to the bullpen is a move that makes lots of sense, considering his fastball/sweeper/changeup-oriented repertoire should play ideally in short relief, especially if he dials up his 96 mph fastball a couple of ticks. Sure, we'd rather see him and his career-best 27.7% K rate remain in the rotation, but the Yankees also need to monitor his workload during the hot summer months.After all, Weathers has a history of injuries, having been held below 100 innings in each of the last three seasons. He also made three trips to the IL between 2024-25. He's one of the pitchers most likely to fall short of his current innings pace -- he's on track for 172! - and therefore a prime trade candidate.Other players to shop: Jake Bauers, 1B/OF, Milwaukee Brewers; Spencer Strider, SP, Atlanta Braves; Randy Vasquez, SP, San Diego Padres.
