Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low? (Week 11)

Joey Pollizze discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who are off to slow starts in 2024. He looks at whether it's time to drop or hold these players.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of what to do with well-known fantasy baseball players. This week, we will determine what fantasy managers should do with five well-known players as we enter Week 11 (June 3 to June 9) of the fantasy baseball season.

This article has featured some prominent fantasy baseball players over the past few weeks, including Bo Bichette, Corbin Carroll, George Springer, Alex Bregman, Paul Goldschmidt, and many more. When players of that caliber are struggling to put up consistent fantasy numbers, it's easy to want to give up on them.

But, in a long MLB season, patience goes a long way. So, let's look at five more players who have struggled in fantasy recently and determine if we should drop them, hold them, or sell low.

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SP, Blake Snell - San Francisco Giants

Anyone who has rostered San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell in the past knows not to expect much from him in the first half of the season. In 2022, Snell had a 5.22 ERA across his first 10 starts. Then, last year, the left-hander had a 5.40 ERA in his first nine starts. In both campaigns, though, he finished with incredible numbers, including winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2023.

So, did fantasy managers expect things to change for Snell this year, especially with no spring training? 2024 has been an all-time brutal start for the southpaw, as he has dealt with a groin injury and has a 9.51 ERA through six starts. He also just landed on the injured list again with a groin strain, so he's going to be out for several weeks. 

Blake Snell missed 25 games earlier with a left adductor strain, and it looks like he re-injured it: pic.twitter.com/wpM4pFmwK9

— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) June 2, 2024

However, Snell is a player who fantasy managers should absolutely be holding on to. With the left-hander set to go on the IL, you can easily slot him in one of your IL slots. The 31-year-old is too valuable to drop or sell low at this point in the season. Be patient with him because better days are surely ahead for the two-time Cy Young winner. He'll figure things out eventually.

RP, Jordan Romano - Toronto Blue Jays

It has been a strange year for Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. He started the year on the injured list with elbow soreness that caused him to miss the first 17 games and now finds himself back on the IL with elbow soreness again. Even when he has been healthy, Romano has been wildly inconsistent. The right-hander has allowed 10 runs across 13.2 innings pitched this season (6.59 ERA) while also allowing runs in three of the last five outings.

It's been unlike Romano to allow this many runs so far in 2024. Two years ago, the 31-year-old only allowed 15 earned runs the entire year across 64 IP (2.11 ERA) while saving 36 games. The right-hander then put together another fantastic season in 2023, finishing with a 2.90 ERA and 36 saves.

This season has obviously been a different story, and with Romano hitting the IL again, he could be a drop in most cases. The six-year veteran hasn't looked great in 2024 while also ranking in the bottom half of the league in most metrics. His expected ERA (7.24), expected batting average (.317), average exit velocity (91.6 mph), and hard-hit rate (50%) all rank poorly. That's why he can be dropped in most fantasy leagues.

1B, Nathaniel Lowe - Texas Rangers

After coming off the IL on April 25 with an oblique strain, Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe immediately made a big impact for fantasy managers. He was hitting .310 (26-for-84) with two HRs, five doubles, and 12 RBI across his first 23 games. That strong start saw his rostership increase, as he was hitting well and batting in the middle of the Rangers' lineup. 

But since then, Lowe has struggled mightily at the plate. Over his last 15 games from May 15 to June 2, the 28-year-old is batting a whopping .167 (8-for-48) with five RBI and 14 strikeouts. He has also sat three consecutive games for the Rangers with left-handed starters on the mound.

This is first time sionce he joined the Rangers that Nathaniel Lowe has not started consecutive games while on the active roster. Rangers scored 7 yesterday against a lefty, they are rolling with it again.

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) June 2, 2024

That makes him an extremely risky option moving forward. He's not hitting great at the plate, has dropped down to sixth in the batting order, and continues to sit against left-handed pitchers. As a result, Lowe is a fine drop in most fantasy formats in Week 11.

SS, Dansby Swanson - Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson has always produced solid fantasy numbers over the years. From 2021 to 2023, Swanson hit at least 20 HRs, 25 doubles, and 80 RBI in every season. That made him one of the better value picks in drafts heading into the year. 

However, Swanson is off to the worst start of his career through the first two months of the season. He is batting just .203 with five HRs, five doubles, and 15 RBI across the first 49 games. Those stats are obviously not up to the shortstop's standards. But it's hard to envision him providing much better stats moving forward, considering his strikeout rate is down (27.7%), and his expected batting average (.238) sits in the bottom half of the league.

Now, things will likely get a little better for Swanson moving forward. He hasn't finished with less than 15 HRs in a season since 2018, so it's safe to say that he will likely finish between 15 and 22 home runs in 2024. However, the All-Star shortstop is certainly trending down in fantasy. I would try to sell him low to a fantasy manager who might believe that things will turn around for him.

SP, Cristian Javier - Houston Astros

After a strong 2022 season -- in which Houston Astros pitcher Cristian Javier finished with a 2.54 ERA and 194 strikeouts -- the right-hander has since failed to reach that same level of success on the mound. Last year, Javier had a 4.56 ERA and 159 strikeouts across 31 starts.

2024 has been a little better for Javier, as he entered June with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts. The injury bug, though, has affected the right-hander's season so far. He first went on the IL on April 21 with neck discomfort. Then, he landed back on the IL on May 27 after experiencing some discomfort in his right forearm. With the Astros pitcher now expected to get a second opinion on his forearm injury, things aren't trending in the right direction.

7 days after Cristian Javier was placed on the Injured List (retroactively) & José Urquidy left his rehab start, #Astros manager Joe Espada is still unable to deliver news on the pitchers.

At the end of @joeagleason's video, @Chandler_Rome pressed the skipper about their UCLs. pic.twitter.com/id09rrypFS

— Adam Winkler (@AdamWinkABC13) May 31, 2024

That's why Javier is a fine drop in most formats. He hasn't been overly impressive on the mound since 2022, and his recent forearm injury could cause him to miss extended time. There are likely better players to stash on your IL than the 27-year-old pitcher.

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