The editors want me to write a Fantasy Drops column this year, and we’ll be bringing it to you every two weeks. But let’s first establish some ground rules.
One size never fits all with this stuff. What may be right for you may not be right for some. season to taste. Outside advice is worth considering, but it’s just a suggestion. At the end of the day, its your decision. Make the best decision you can.
In some leagues, you may be able to trade some of these drops. In other pools, this may be difficult or perhaps impossible. You know your league better than any outsider.
OK, let’s get on with it.
drops to ponder
patrick wit, infield, cubs
When a player like Wisdom has a boom in April and a slump in May, it is not earth-shaking news. He is a power-hitting, high-strikeout player, the definition of a volatile roto asset. But the awfulness of Wisdom’s May Swann should be noted — he’s slashing .163/.293/.327, with only two homers and 29 strikeouts. Now that Christopher Morrell Having established yourself, Pragya is not guaranteed to start every day. In fact, Wisdom has only started in 9-16 games for Chicago and ever since. he’s seventh or eighth in the lineup,
I don’t mind going for a pop-only player who hurts me on average, but I need something closer to full-time playing time. Wisdom no longer provides that.
James Outman, OF, Dodgers
At first glance, the Outman looks like one of the Roto winners for 2023. He was cheap in the March draft, and thus far he’s returned nine homers, five steals, an acceptable .245/.333/.497 slash. And the Dodgers still have a destination offense, even if it doesn’t resemble the thumpers we’ve seen in years past.
Alas, Outman hits the skids in May, cratering a .179/.273/.328. With that, the Dodgers don’t see him as an automatic starter — serial tinkerer Dave Roberts has rested Outman four times in the past two weeks. And the batted-ball data doesn’t validate the outman, either — Statcast says he should have a .214 average and a .388 slugging percentage, much lower than his current numbers. Outman’s April was a dream, but Pumpkin has a legitimate risk here.
Taylor Ward, OF, Angels
This seems like an obvious call that most of you probably don’t need to be reading, but I note that Ward is still included in 61% of Yahoo’s league, so we’ll push that into the column.
Ward’s core stats make the case for the deduction — .226/.300/.322 slashes, only four homers and one steal. But there’s another problem for Ward these days: mickey monique, ward and monique are essentially in a semi-platoon, Ward is getting small part of the time share. It’s an automatic pink slip if you’re trying to navigate the mixed leagues.
Ward isn’t doing himself any favors at the dish, throwing 13 strikeouts against zero walks over the last 16 days. Perhaps the Angels will accept that he’s closer to a fourth outfielder, that he’s someone you can play on a daily basis.
Taj Bradley, Rays
I didn’t snag any Bradley shares in the spring, and I’ll openly admit to my FOMO about this one. He is a rated prospect and his swing-and-miss material has shone through in the majors. No, a 4.44 ERA doesn’t pay the rent, but he has a 1.15 WHIP and 34 strikeouts against just four walks. Perhaps that era is a stone line and it is bound to come down.
With it all set up, the Rays handle Bradley with care. He has yet to work more than 5.1 innings in any start, which is a dangerous game to play if you’re chasing wins. Miraculously, Bradley still won his first three starts, but it’s a tight window to hit. Tampa Bay regularly goes on the hook when Bradley hits pitches in the mid-80s; His high marginal for the year is 86,
And later in the season, we’ll hear about a possible inning ceiling for Bradley.
The prudent move with any potential cut, especially if he has some roto respect around your league, is to consider a trade. Bradley’s pedigree and secondary statistics could be attractive to one of your rivals. But if you’re in a shallow draft and Bradley looks like the most deductible member of your bench, I’d sign up to pick whichever player you deem necessary at this point. In those shallow pools, waver wire often stands in as your trading partner.
Bradley is listed fourth in this column – he’s more of a “consider the downside” player than someone I’d be pounding on the cutting table. Work on those trade circles first.
