X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty League Sells - Players To Trade Away for Fantasy Baseball

Dylan Cease - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Kev Mahserejian gives his list of fantasy baseball players to sell for 2023 dynasty leagues. These are players to trade away for dynasty fantasy baseball.

"Selling high" is often misconstrued as selling at the absolute peak of value in fantasy baseball. That itself is difficult to gauge, especially for a contender who would prefer to reap the benefits of that peaking player. Selling high can sometimes just mean selling a good player in the offseason while they are perceived as healthy! They could have had the roughest season prior but a glowing Spring training alone with no setbacks can wipe that dirt away.

Selling players in a dynasty league is the most fun you can have if done properly. There is an art to selling as you don't want to scrap an entire roster, just the parts that may be rusty sooner rather than later. Impact players can always be had on the cheap while also acquiring future draft picks or minor league players.

For those fantasy managers looking to get an edge on their 2023 dynasty leagues, Kev Mahserejian has the insights needed to help win now and for the long haul.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

2023 Dynasty Baseball - Sells

Dylan Cease - SP, Chicago White Sox

Cease's breakout last season was real for the most part as he fostered the best surface and peripheral numbers of his career. While no one should expect a repeat of Cease's 2.20 ERA, the bigger issue is how far apart said ERA is from performance indicators like SIERA and xFIP, which have him closer to a true 3.50 range. His strikeout and walk rate both worsened from 2021 and he had a career-low home run rate of 8.4% (well below the league average).

While Cease may be a great, young pitcher, he still does not have the necessary backing stats of an ace, which is his borderline price. Cease's BABIP and left-on-base rate in 2022 both indicate luck at play. With the ban on full shifts, his 42.6% pull rate (19th among qualified starters) may become exploited. Cease should be held in points leagues due to his ability to pitch deep into games and compile strikeouts. In roto or H2H formats, he is a sell.

Jacob deGrom - SP, Texas Rangers

Yes, Jacob deGrom is still the best pitcher on the planet but he is hanging on by a thread. The 34-year-old Rangers ace is not getting any younger while his body clearly has not responded well to pitching the past few seasons. deGrom has thrown 156.1 IP since 2021 and just 224.1 since 2020. The COVID year of 2020 can be forgiven across the board. Nonetheless, deGrom has not cracked 125 IP between the majors and minors since 2019.

If the injuries were just one-off issues like a broken finger or leg, there would be legitimate optimism about the former workhorse's future. However, given that we know deGrom's UCL was partially torn and never repaired in 2021, there is reason to suspect he is playing hurt.

Last season, deGrom suffered a stress fracture in his shoulder that resulted in lingering soreness and only pitching between August and September. In February, deGrom was reported as dealing with side soreness and was subsequently shut down just prior to the preseason.

Compound all of this with deGrom's age and the fact that pitchers are already the most injury-prone of all baseball players, and you have a recipe to get him off your roster before the next shoe drops.

 

Dansby Swanson - SS, Chicago Cubs

Swanson's 2022 was one for the books. He hit career-highs with a .277 batting average, 99 runs, 96 RBI, 18 steals, and for the sake of real-life value, 6.4 fWAR. Swanson finished as a first-round fantasy value thanks to his counting stats and is now playing for the Chicago Cubs. This is partially why we should be down on Swanson. He heads from the seventh-overall offense by wRC+ in 2022 to the 20th. While the Cubs did add pieces along with Swanson such as Trey Mancini and maybe the good version of Cody Bellinger, the offense as a whole remains lackluster.

The prospects that Chicago would have hoped to impact the 2023 roster are either struggling (Matt Mervis) or returning from injury (Brennen Davis). Meanwhile, star outfielder Seiya Suzuki injured his oblique earlier in the offseason and may not be 100% for a while. Swanson is a difference-maker on a roster but not an offense as he is merely above-average in value (109 wRC+ since 2020).

It is also reasonable to believe that he was aided by the strength of the Braves offense over the past few seasons. Swanson was typically hitting lower in the order while also surrounded by some of the league's best bats in Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and past Braves like Freddie Freeman.

Swanson has pulled the rug from under fantasy managers before but should still provide a quality amount of HRs and SB. There is a bonus of him hitting at the top of the order but we should still not expect anywhere close to the runs, batting average, and RBI of 2022.

 

Xander Bogaerts - SS, San Diego Padres

Xander Bogaerts revealed recently that he was dealing with wrist soreness and received a cortisone shot to address it. Even more revealing was the fact that Bogaerts mentioned this was a common issue for him. Not to speculate about future injuries or surgeries without a proper diagnosis but this is odd.

Nevertheless, Bogaerts' bigger issue heading into 2023 is the fact that he has outperformed his Statcast data by a wide margin for years and this may be aided by the friendly confines of Fenway Park. Last season, Fenway ranked fourth in park factor while Petco Park ranked dead last. By all means, Bogaerts is a talented hitter with serious pop but compounding a move to the league's worst home park for hitters with a wrist injury is not ideal.

Bogaerts' yearly actual wOBA minus xwOBA:

  • 2019: .390 - .355 = .035
  • 2020: .368 - .341 = .027
  • 2021: .368 - .359 = .009
  • 2022: .363 - .323 - .040

It is more than likely we see these numbers flipped in 2023 as Bogaerts will not have the benefit of the Green Monster in left field.

 

Jake McCarthy - OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Rake McCarthy had a great run in 2022 as he set fantasy ablaze with some power and plenty of speed. McCarthy slashed .283/.324/.427 across 354 MLB plate appearances, hit eight home runs, and stole 23 bases. Unfortunately, his xwOBA and wOBA do not match much as he performed as an above-average bat (.337) with the contact profile of a below-average one (.298). Luckily, speedsters have the benefit of legging out singles relative to better hitters and that can close the gap a tad but not much.

McCarthy is likely an average-at-best bat who lucked out in 2022. Even his strikeout rate of 21.5% may not be sustainable as he was higher at every level of the minors since 2018 until his Triple-A stint last season. McCarthy is projected as a bottom-of-the-order bat to start 2023 and may even sit versus lefties. The speed and average are a juicy combo but we may have a dream here rather than the next Cedric Mullins.

 

Other Notable Players To Sell



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nolan Arenado

Ready for Second Half
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF