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Chris Clegg's Dynasty Fantasy Baseball News, Notes, and Buys/Sells (Week 16)

Brooks Lee - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Chris Clegg's fantasy baseball dynasty buy lows, sell highs, and news for Week 16 (2024). Notable prospects debuts, risers and fallers, and trends to watch.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my Week 16 fantasy baseball news, notes, and buys/sells for dynasty leagues. Thanks for bearing with me. Due to the birth of my daughter, I am much more sleep-deprived, but I am ready to rock and roll with new dynasty news and notes!

Today's article will look at recent prospect call-ups like Rece Hinds, Yilber Diaz, Justin Wrobleski, and Brooks Lee along with several other dynasty related news. This weekly series will take a look at various prospects, dynasty news, and discuss fantasy implications. If you enjoy dynasty baseball, you know it is a fast-paced game. Keeping up with the Joneses per se keeps you in the game and at the top of the standings. At the end of the day, we all want to build a dynasty team that sustains and lasts for the long haul. I am here to help you do so.

Keeping up with all the current happenings can help you stay ahead of your league mates. Call-ups, trends, and buying and selling players are all just small pieces to help you stay ahead. So, that's what we will do in this article each week, break down everything you need to know to be successful in dynasty. Let's get to it. What do you need to know for dynasty leagues in Week 16 of the 2024 season?

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

 

Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups

Rece Hinds is out here doing exactly what we know Hinds to do. Coming up and mashing two home runs and collecting six hits in your first three games shows the kind of hot streaks he can run. In Triple-A this year, Hinds had 13 home runs and 29 extra- base hits in 77 games. But it came with a .216/.290/.409 slash line and a 38.4 percent strikeout rate.

In 2023, there were massive splits in the first and second halves when it came to contact and strikeout rates. The slash lines were not far off as Hinds slashed .259/.316/.527 in the first half and .271/.342/.535 in the second. However, the first-half slash came with a 37.5 percent strikeout rate and 62 percent contact rate. But a second-half surge saw the contact rate jump 11 percentage points to 73 percent, and the strikeout rate subsequently dropped to 26.4 percent, an 11 percent drop.

The contact gains have not stuck as he ran a sub-60 percent contact rate in Triple-A. The power, however, is some of the best in baseball with a 90th percentile exit velocity north of 108 mph. Hinds is going to be a buzzy name for waiver-wire pickups, but if the cost is high, I'm likely avoiding due to the swing-and-miss concerns.

Yilber Diaz looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball as he broke out early in the year. An eight-earned-run outing in 1.2 innings soiled what was an impressive ERA, leaving him at a 4.03 mark between Double-A and Triple-A. The performance has been much better, though.

He made his MLB debut against the Braves, tossing six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and one walk. Diaz has a big fastball that sits in the mid-90s consistently and regularly touches the upper 90s, hitting 99 on Wednesday. He throws a sweepy slider with depth that sits in the mid-80s and also throws a high-spinning downward curveball in a 12-6/11-5 shape. There is massive upside here, but Diaz's ability to stick as a starting pitcher will hinge on whether he can throw enough strikes.

Justin Wrobleski was a great scouting find by the Dodgers, drafting him in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State. Despite pitching just 21 innings in 2022, scouts saw enough that they liked to predict a breakout in 2023, which is precisely what happened. Wrobleski fired 102.1 innings at High-A Great Lakes, posting a 2.90 ERA with 109 strikeouts to 35 walks.

By season’s end, Wrobleski had seen his fastball tick up and was sitting 95-97 mph, topping out at 99 mph with a nice ride. The velocity has held since then. His slider sits in the mid-80s, but reaches the upper-80s at times with a two-plane break from a hard-to-pick-up release point. He will mix in a low-80s curveball with sweeping action but much more depth the slider, making it hard for hitters to pick up on which breaking ball he is throwing.

When Wrobleski’s changeup is on, it is a solid pitch that shows a nice fade and depth. He will also mix a cutter on occasion, giving him five pitches. The athleticism on the mound stands out, and Wrobleski is quick to the plate, with the fastball jumping on hitters quickly.

Between Double-A and Triple-A this year, Wrobleski posted a 3.23 ERA across 78 innings with 79 strikeouts to 16 walks. His MLB debut was not stellar, but there were still good things to take away. He has a higher floor than an arm like Diaz, and we know the Dodgers' development can work wonders with arms. I like investing in Wrobleski in most formats.

Brooks Lee has gotten off to a hot start to his MLB career, collecting 11 hits in six games. He has one home run and double apiece but has shown very solid skills. Getting a late start to the season due to injury, Lee would have likely debuted in late April. He has come back strong and mashed in the minors, posting a .350/.412/.585 slash line with seven home runs and eight doubles in 30 games.

A lot of his underlying metrics match up pretty close to what Lee did last year. In 2023, Lee made contact on 79 percent of pitches he saw this year and 90 percent of pitches in the zone. This year, 75 percent overall and 89 percent in-zone in the minors. Lee is a pure hitter. The power has never been the calling card, but Lee is a contact-oriented hitter who could get to 15 home runs in a good year. He has an extremely high floor, making him a high-probability hitter.

 

Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Trends to Watch: Ground Ball and Pull Issues

Recently, on the Toolshed Pod, while we were discussing some struggling hitters, I noticed that so many of those players struggle to lift the ball and pull it. So I wanted to dive in more on the hitters who struggle to pull the ball and also hit in on the ground too much.

Highest Ground-Ball Rates

Player GB% wOBA Barrel%
Yandy Diaz 56.3% 0.318 5.9%
Brendan Rodgers 55.5% 0.311 4.8%
William Contreras 54.0% 0.351 8.7%
Christian Yelich 53.6% 0.405 8.6%
Sal Frelick 53.1% 0.302 1.4%
Brice Turang 52.1% 0.330 3.0%
Yainer Diaz 52.1% 0.310 6.4%
Jake Burger 52.1% 0.269 10.3%
Dansby Swanson 52.0% 0.271 9.2%

Lowest Ground-Ball Rates

Player GB% wOBA Barrel%
Davis Schneider 26.6% 0.310 13.9%
Mookie Betts 27.3% 0.390 6.0%
Isaac Paredes 28.5% 0.360 5.9%
Daulton Varsho 28.6% 0.294 6.1%
Brent Rooker 29.3% 0.385 16.6%
Anthony Santander 29.7% 0.339 11.0%
Will Smith 29.7% 0.361 12.2%

Highest Pull Percentage

Player Pull% wOBA
Jose Altuve 56.4% 0.358
Salvador Perez 55.0% 0.343
Isaac Paredes 53.9% 0.360
Jose Ramirez 51.3% 0.363
Kyle Schwarber 50.7% 0.358
Daulton Varsho 50.5% 0.294
Logan O'Hoppe 50.2% 0.356

Lowest Pull Percentage

Player Pull% wOBA
Nathaniel Lowe 23.7% 0.330
Brice Turang 25.8% 0.330
Yandy Diaz 26.0% 0.318
Brendan Rodgers 26.3% 0.311
Leody Taveras 27.8% 0.288
Ryan Mountcastle 27.9% 0.327
Bo Bichette 28.5% 0.264
Anthony Volpe 29.0% 0.299

 

Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Buys and Sells

Right now, my favorite dynasty buy out there is Andrew Painter. I know he has not pitched this year due to Tommy John, but that is the perfect reason to buy him. Out of sight, out of mind.

Painter sadly did not throw a pitch in a game in 2023 due to a UCL injury that ultimately resulted in Tommy John surgery after ascending to the game’s top prospect pitching in 2022. After being selected in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Painter tossed 103.2 innings in 2022, moving from Single-A to Double-A while posting a 1.56 ERA with 155 strikeouts and 25 walks.

Unfortunately, Painter was diagnosed with a sprained UCL in April. While the team decided to go with the rest and recovery route, Painter ended up needing Tommy John, which puts him out until the 2025 season.

Painter’s fastball averaged near 97 mph in 2022, reaching 101 with incredible IVB (induced vertical break), creating a rising effect at the top of the zone, especially given the high spin rates. It produced a ton of swing-and-miss and set up the rest of the arsenal well.

The slider drops in the mid-to-low 80s, averaging 10-13 inches of sweeping action with a great feel for spin. Painter hides it well and creates deception with late breaks, keeping hitters on their toes.

Painter also mixes in a changeup, which made major strides in 2022, sitting in the high-80s. The curve is the lesser of the two breakers, but you can still argue it is a plus pitch in the upper-70s. Painter showed off a new cutter in spring training 2023 before injury that was sitting right at 90 mph.

If the five pitches all stick, it would give him five separate velocity bands and four different movement patterns to keep hitters guessing. What Painter looks like post-Tommy John is still to be determined, but given that he will only be 21 when he returns, he has plenty of potential to become an ace. Buy him now.

I sadly think it is time to sell Bo Bichette on his name value. Things are not looking great at all, but the good news is that this is Bo Bichette we are talking about. People still love him and think he will rebound.

On the year, Bichette had a .222/.275/.321 slash line for an abysmal .596 OPS. Let's be honest: if this were some random shortstop who plays just average defense like Bichette, he would not be playing every day. In 327 plate appearances, Bichette has just four home runs and five stolen bases.

Since his 2021 season in which he mashed 29 home runs, drove in 102, scored 121, and stole 25 bases, things have been in decline. This year, the numbers have fallen off a cliff. Bichette stopped stealing bases last year and while the home runs backed up, the batting average kept things going for him.

The contact skills are still there, but the quality of the contact is not great. Bichette has a 31.8 percent sweet spot rate, which ranks 27th percentile among all hitters. This has led to a 4.5 percent barrel rate, worse than 80 percent of MLB hitters.

One big flaw with Bichette that we discussed above is the lack of pulled fly balls. His fly-ball rate of 18 percent is well below MLB average, and his pull rate of 27 percent is over 10 percentage points below the league average. Right now, things look pretty bleak, and Bichette might need a change of scenery. Maybe you need a change of scenery at shortstop on your fantasy team. If so, I might try to sell Bichette and see what you can get, even if it is 60 cents on the dollar.



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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
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LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
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Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
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Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

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Cal Raleigh

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Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
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Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
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Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
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Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
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Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
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Returns to Spurs
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Rejoins Timberwolves
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Exits With Ankle Sprain
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Officially Active on Monday Night
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Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
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Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
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Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

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Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

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Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
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Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

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CFB

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CFB

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CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
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CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
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Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

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Kyle Busch

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Alex Bowman

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Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
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Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

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Corey Perry

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Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
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CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
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Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
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Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
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Looks To Return To The Win Column
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Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
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Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
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