👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Buy or Sell - Underowned and Overowned Players for Week 3

After two weeks, we're starting to get a sense of which players had a couple of good games early on and who is legitimately off to a hot start in 2017. I'm all in on the Reds at the moment, but since I've already advocated for Eugenio Suarez and Jose Peraza plenty, I'll look for some other names here.

Scouting players who may be undervalued and re-assessing players who may be overvalued is a weekly exercise that you should pursue. Fortunately, I have you covered. Here are a few players who are good buy or sell candidates based on their current performance compared to ownership levels. This could mean scooping them off waivers if possible or actively seeking a trade to acquire or discard certain players in order to maximize value.

Early in the season, my values will be based more on ADP than performance due to small sample size. I will include at least one player at each key position group (Infield, Outfield, Starter, Reliever). Ownership levels are taken from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports.

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

 

Underrated Players - Week 3

Brandon Phillips (2B, ATL) 23% owned

The Reds had been trying to trade Phillips for years and fantasy owners had gotten into the habit of ignoring him outright since 2014 when he had a disappointing showing. All he did was hit .294 and .291 the last two seasons with double-digit totals in homers and steals, along with 60+ runs and RBI. At age 35, his best years are well behind him, but Phillips still retains a fairly high floor. We don't know what Atlanta's new stadium will be like for hitters just yet, but it's unlikely to be as hitter-friendly as the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. That shouldn't stop Phillips from posting strong OBP numbers and contributing across multiple categories as usual. He's already got an 0.67 BB/K, which would be the best of his career by far. He hasn't gone deep yet, but seeing him near the top of the stolen base leaders with three in just two weeks is a very good sign. Phillips is a great MI option in 12+ team leagues and should be added in all such leagues.

Marcell Ozuna (OF, MIA) 89% owned

When you see Marcell Ozuna's name at the top of the leaderboard for RBI with 16, you may think this is a great time to sell high. Not so fast, my friend. Ozuna was an All-Star last season based on the strength of his outstanding first half in which he hit .307 with 17 HR, 47 RBI, and 52 R. He wasn't nearly the same in the second half, hitting almost 100 points lower with just six homers the rest of the way. Despite logging 607 at-bats and never seeing the DL, he may have been bothered by a nagging wrist injury, according to reports. Ozuna's hot hand shouldn't be dismissed - if anything this may be the time to field offers from an Ozuna owner who thinks he's netting a profit by unloading him.

Gerrit Cole (SP, PIT) 96% owned

It's funny how quickly some people were ready to write off Cole after one rough start at Fenway Park. It was an ugly game to be sure, as he gave up five ER in five innings on Opening Day, striking out just two batters. After the first inning of his next start, the Twitter world seemed ready to outright Cole back to Indianapolis, when he allowed two runs, including a homer to Dansby Swanson. He settled down to earn a quality start, if not a victory. His third start went even better, as he held the defending champion Cubs (I'll never get used to saying that) to two runs, six hits and one walk over six IP. He's never been an elite strikeout pitcher, but he can get to 200 over the course of a full season and he's shown a characteristically low BB/9 (2.12) as usual. Put out some feelers for Cole because his stock won't get much lower than it is at the moment, considering he's the #1 arm on a fairly good team.

Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA) - 74% owned

If not for Mike Scioscia's stubbornness, Bedrock would have been a top-15 closer candidate before the season even started. Skepticism over Bedrosian's role has kept his ownership just below three-fourths, but we have to take the long-term approach when evaluating this situation. Huston Street has no business pitching in the ninth inning these days. He is yet to recover from a Grade 1 lat strain and even when he returns he will have to prove that last year's horrible ratios (6.45 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, 1.17 K/BB) were an aberration. Bedrosian, by contrast, has been flawless in his three appearances this season and has raised last year's 31.5% K% up to 41.7%. When all is said and done, Bedrosian should outperform many mid-tier closers that were drafted several rounds earlier.

 

Overrated Players - Week 3

Javier Baez (2B/3B/SS, CHC) 87% owned

To be clear, I am a big fan of Baez as a player and a person, just not in fantasy. On any other team, Baez would have a chance to show off his power, along with the accompanying strikeouts, on a regular basis. In Chicago, he is simply a utility player that sees about two AB per game. The bottom line is that his upside is limited to his power potential and he won't possibly hit as many as 20 HR in his current role. He's a .243 hitter in the majors, he whiffs on nearly 30% of his at-bats and he's only stolen as many as 20 bases once in his career, which came in Single-A. To think that he was taken before Jake Lamb and a full 150 picks before Eugenio Suarez or Yangeris Solarte in NFBC drafts should make you realize that the big market bias affects us all, and not for the better.

Joc Pederson (OF, LAD) 83% owned

Last week, I compared Pederson unfavorably to Nomar Mazara in an effort to show how Mazara would provide better value in every category other than homers. Pederson went off in an Opening Day rout of the Padres, jacking his first homer early on and driving in five. Since then, he has one RBI in eight games and more strikeouts (eight) than hits (five). Pederson isn't quite Chris Carter, but he does remind one of Rob Deer far too often, providing barely more than double the RBI total per home run. His current .250 average is higher than he's hit during his Major League tenure, so there isn't much more to look forward to. If you can keep him as a third or fourth outfielder in a deep league and offset his low average with the rest of your squad, by all means keep him. If you'd rather get more bang for your buck across other categories, you might want to deal him to another owner who still thinks his best is yet to come.

Zack Greinke (SP, ARI) 97% owned

I've been selling Greinke since Spring Training and will continue to do so. Greinke's first couple starts had his owners breathing a sigh of relief and many proclaiming last year was just an outlier. Then, he slipped in his showdown against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, allowing five ER in five innings. It's true that Greinke's velocity is down at least half a mile per hour and he wasn't even clocked as high as 90 in the spring. His slider has seen an even bigger dip at four MPH less than 2015, before he came to the desert. Here's visual proof, courtesy of Brooks Baseball:

That alone may not be enough to avoid him, but the fact that opposing hitters keep making higher contact rates and Chase Field seems to be the new Coors should be.

Joaquin Benoit (RP, PHI) 49% owned

Few people expected that the 36-year old Benoit would be one of the hottest adds in the early part of season. In one of my leagues, someone went so far as to spend $40 of FAAB to acquire him (a keeper league no less!). As it turns out, the Phillies decided to bequeath the closer role to Benoit rather than young flamethrower Hector Neris once Jeanmar Gomez imploded. The problem is that Benoit won't be good for more than two months of value, max. The club is likely trying to increase the reliever's value in order to get a better return once he is flipped before the trade deadline. Neris should then take over permanently. Even so, you should temper expectations with what Benoit can deliver. He has delivered better ratios in the later years of his career, but be warned that he walked 4.5 per nine innings last season and is on his fourth team in three season for a reason.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 30% Now
Import Your Leagues
Top-Rated Accuracy
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zach Benson

Scores Twice in Comeback Victory
Logan Thompson

Shuts Out the Leafs
Zach Eflin

Undergoes Successful Elbow Surgery, Will Miss Remainder of 2026
Derrick White

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Tre Johnson

Iffy for Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Iffy to Face Knicks
Bilal Coulibaly

Questionable Against Bulls
Gui Santos

Could Miss Another Game Thursday
Alexandre Sarr

Out Again Thursday
Al Horford

to Remain Out Thursday
Caleb Martin

Remains Sidelined Wednesday
Kristaps Porzingis

Unavailable Against Lakers
Klay Thompson

Ruled Out Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Questionable for Thursday Night
Brandon Williams

to Miss Back-To-Back with Illness
LeBron James

Ready to Return Thursday
Daniel Gafford

Ruled Out Vs. Phoenix
Grayson Allen

Misses Wednesday's Action
Naji Marshall

Out Wednesday Against Suns
Cooper Flagg

Good to Go Wednesday
Jahmai Mashack

Ready to Return Vs. Denver
Rayan Rupert

Held Out Wednesday
Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Ruled Out Vs. Nuggets
Vít Krejčí

Vit Krejci Remains Sidelined Vs. Spurs
J.K. Dobbins

Broncos Prioritized Re-Signing J.K. Dobbins
NFL

Francis Mauigoa to Undergo Additional Imaging on a Back Issue
Kaleb McGary

Retires After Seven Years in the NFL
Jawaan Taylor

Signs with the Falcons
Andrei Kuzmenko

to Be Re-Evaluated in 7-8 Days
Mason Appleton

Won't Play Thursday
Tony DeAngelo

Expected to Return Thursday
John Klingberg

Rejoins Sharks Lineup Wednesday
Alex Lyon

Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Back in Action Wednesday
Alex Ovechkin

Won't Decide Future Until Offseason
Cole Ragans

"Should be Good" for Next Start
Reynaldo López

Reynaldo Lopez Handed Seven-Game Suspension
Jorge Soler

Suspended Seven Games, Will Appeal
NFL

NFL Scouts See Plenty of Upside With Drew Allar
NFL

Ty Simpson to Fall into Second Round in NFL Draft?
Cleveland Browns

Todd Monken "Fired Up" About Quarterback Competition
Cleveland Browns

KC Concepcion Visiting With the Browns
Cole Ragans

Diagnosed With Thumb Contusion
Houston Texans

Texans Pick Up Will Anderson's Fifth-Year Option
C.J. Stroud

Texans Exercise C.J. Stroud's Fifth-Year Option
Cole Ragans

Leaves Early on Wednesday After Being Hit in the Hand
Jacob deGrom

Expects to Make his Next Start
Konnor Griffin

Pirates Sign Konnor Griffin to Nine-Year Extension
Parker Washington

Undervalued Despite League-Winning Finish in 2025
Nico Collins

Is Nico Collins Still a Dynasty WR1?
Rome Odunze

Does Rome Odunze Offer the Highest Ceiling in Chicago?
Justus Annunen

Ends Predators' 120-Game Streak Without a Shutout
Tank Bigsby

Still Holds Value Despite Limited Usage
Trevor Zegras

Leads Flyers to Victory Tuesday
Matthew Golden

A Matthew Golden Breakout Still Faces Obstacles
Kevin Bahl

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Against Stars
Michael Rasmussen

Likely to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Dmitry Kulikov

Done for the Season After Breaking Finger
Jalen Chatfield

Exits Early With Lower-Body Injury
Nazem Kadri

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday
Ray Davis

Patience Dwindling for Ray Davis' Dynasty Managers?
Ja'Marr Chase

a Real Threat to Finish as Overall WR1?
Javonte Williams

Returning to Face Minimal Competition?
Tyrrell Hatton

a Steady Option at The Masters
Justin Thomas

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Masters
Terry McLaurin

the Undisputed Focal Point of Washington's Offense
Justin Herbert

a Dynasty Target with New-Look Offense Around Him?
Tee Higgins

an Intriguing Dynasty Trade Target with QB Healthy?
PGA

Sungjae Im a Volatile Option at the Masters
Nicolai Hojgaard

Carrying Momentum Into The Masters
Si Woo Kim

in Strong Form Heading to The Masters
Chris Gotterup

Ready to Make His Masters Debut
Patrick Reed

Brings Momentum to The Masters
Jon Rahm

Looks Poised for His Second Green Jacket
Morgan Geekie

Collects Second Career Hat Trick
Joel Eriksson Ek

has Three Points in Victory
Jacob deGrom

Doesn't Have Structural Damage in his Knee
J.T. Realmuto

Leaves Game on Tuesday Due to Bruised Right Foot
Cody Ponce

to Have Knee Surgery, Expected to Miss Six Months
Alejandro Kirk

Facing Six-Week Absence
Jacob deGrom

to Undergo MRI on Tuesday
Mike Trout

Back in the Lineup on Tuesday
Hunter Brown

Diagnosed with Grade 2 Shoulder Strain
Pavel Mintyukov

Returns From Three-Game Absence
Cutter Gauthier

Remains Sidelined Tuesday
Kirby Dach

Ready to Return Tuesday
Adam Scott

Form Points to Him Competing at Masters
Jordan Spieth

Finding Consistency Heading to Masters
Hideki Matsuyama

Trending In Right Direction For Masters
Cade Horton

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Tommy Fleetwood

a Contender if his Putter Cooperates at The Masters
Jacob deGrom

Pitches Through Knee Issue on Monday
Dalton Rushing

Smacks Two Homers in Rout of Blue Jays
Max Scherzer

Dealing With Forearm Tendinitis, Expected to Make his Next Start
Collin Morikawa

Vegas has Lost Confidence in Collin Morikawa Ahead of Masters Tournament
Ludvig Aberg

One of the Top Plays For This Week's Masters Tournament
Rory McIlroy

Set to Defend his Long-Awaited Masters Victory
Bryson DeChambeau

Looks to Finally Claim a Green Jacket
Patrick Cantlay

Needs Plenty to Go Right at Augusta
Harris English

Playing Solid Golf Heading to Masters
Sam Burns

Bouncing Back Nicely After Slow Start to 2026 Season
Corey Conners

Quietly Putting Together A Strong 2026 Season
Russell Henley

Looks to Bounce Back At Masters
Mike Trout

Held Out of Series Opener Against Braves
Alejandro Kirk

to Undergo Thumb Surgery on Tuesday
Chris Duncan

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Renato Moicano

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tabatha Ricci

Gets Outgrappled
Virna Jandiroba

Bounces Back
Brendson Ribeiro

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Earns First-Round Submission Win
Rafael Estevam

Suffers His First Loss
Ethyn Ewing

Dominates At UFC Vegas 115
Chris Duncan

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Main Event
Renato Moicano

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 115
Tabatha Ricci

Set For UFC Vegas 115 Co-Main Event
Virna Jandiroba

Looks To Bounce Back
Brendson Ribeiro

In Desperate Need Of Win
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Ethyn Ewing

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Rafael Estevam

Looks To Remain Undefeated
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF