Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Buys and Sells - Trade Targets After The First Half (2025)

July 16, 2025

Andy's dynasty fantasy baseball buy low, sell high trade advice for July 2025. He analyzes fantasy baseball dynasty league breakouts after the first half.

Hello RotoBallers! With us hitting the halfway point of the MLB season, it is a great time to look at some of the biggest fantasy baseball risers of the season and analyze their long-term dynasty fantasy baseball outlooks.

In this article, I'll be providing you with some of my favorite fantasy baseball dynasty buys and sells -- trade targets for dynasty leagues. We will look at some of the emerging players in the sport (both in the majors and on the farm) who have begun to make a name for themselves and determine if they can remain at the top of their position for the long term.

I will be referencing my colleague Eric Cross's updated top 200 dynasty fantasy baseball rankings for July, which went live earlier this week. Should we look to buy these fantasy baseball players, or look to sell them before their value continues to drop? Let's dive in.

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Hunter Goodman, C, Colorado Rockies

Eric's Dynasty Rank: No. 144 Overall

Starting things off is one of the most impressive backstops in relation to expectations at the start of the season. Last season, Hunter Goodman played in a career-high 70 games and posted an underwhelming .190/.228/.417 slash line. While he carried a high 28.6% K rate, he showed decent power upside, hitting 14 long balls with a 114.7 max exit velocity, which added some sleeper appeal to his profile.

However, Goodman has surpassed all expectations this season, currently sitting as the No. 3-ranked catcher in standard roto scoring formats.

Through 85 games, Goodman has posted a .277/.325/.517 slash line with 18 doubles and 17 home runs. While his high strikeout rate has limited his upside in points leagues (26.7% K rate), he has emerged as a mainstay in category formats.

Under the hood, Goodman has generated a stellar .471 xSLG, 91.8 mph average exit velocity, 12.6% barrel rate, and a 51.3% hard-hit rate, all of which are above the average marks of qualified hitters.

Looking deeper at his profile, Goodman has made steady improvements against fastballs and breaking balls in relation to 2024, and has only seen a slight drop in production against offspeed pitches.

As shown below, Goodman has posted a remarkable 379 xwOBA against four seamers this season, while he had a .325 xWOBA last season. When facing breaking balls, he has improved his mark by nearly 80 points (.203 xwOBA - .287 xWOBA).

He has also dropped his ground-ball rate by one point and increased his pull-air rate by one point over the past calendar year.

Fantasy managers who took a flyer on his high-power upside profile are sitting in a great spot. Seeing him continue to hit the ball hard does leave a solid buying window open for the backstop. While he may not have the ceiling that Cal Raleigh, Samuel Basallo, and Will Smith do due to his potential for a low batting average, he has a clear path to solidifying himself as the No. 4 dynasty catcher in front of players like Adley Rutschman, Agustin Ramirez, and William Contreras.

Verdict:

Buy high, should continue to climb boards in the second half.

Jonathan Aranda, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays

Eric's Dynasty Rank: No. 86 Overall

Another player who showed flashes in the 2024 campaign was Jonathan Aranda, but like Goodman has taken a massive leap forward in the 2025 season.

Last summer, Aranda held a .234/.308/.430 line across a career-high 44 games. However, savvy managers who looked under the hood noticed some upside here. He generated a .257 xBA and an eye-catching .518 xSLG. While the sample size was small, those numbers were worth keeping an eye on.

Now in a full-time role, Aranda has emerged as a star. Through 91 games this season, the All-Star has posted a .324/.399/.492 line with an .891 OPS. His batting average and on-base percentage are both third-highest in the American League, while his OPS is the fifth-highest mark.

He has tallied 20 doubles, added 11 long balls, and compiled 102 total hits, good for the 11th-highest count in the AL. He has shown a solid eye at the plate, drawing walks at an above-average 9.2% rate and striking out at a slightly below-average 23.7% rate.

More importantly, the late-blooming 27-year-old carries incredible metrics that continue to support the legitimacy of his breakout campaign. He holds a .399 xwOBA, .305 xBA, 540 xSLG, and a 55.7% hard-hit rate, all of which sit among the league's superstars.

He has made steady progress against all three pitch types, as indicated by xwOBA, which is also a very promising sign.

Don't let Nick Kurtz's power surge overshadow Aranda's first half. With Freddie Freeman nearing the end of his career, Aranda is a prime candidate to slide into the top-5 discussion at first base at the end of the campaign.

Verdict:

Upside to be a top-5 dynasty first baseman.

Jordan Westburg, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles

Eric's Dynasty Rank: No. 65 Overall

If Jordan Westburg had not had two stints on the IL due to hamstring and hand injuries, I believe he would be sitting comfortably as a top-50 (and even higher) dynasty asset. However, injuries often prove to be a top buying opportunity.

When on the field this season, Westburg has been very productive, holding a .251/.306/.473 slash line with five doubles, 10 home runs, and a stolen base. However, he has only been on the field for 44 games. Last season, Westburg also missed time and appeared in only 107 games.

However, like this season, he flashed high power upside, hitting for a .264/.312/.481 line with 18 round-trippers in just 107 games. Can Westburg keep this production up over a full season?

While we have never seen Westburg play in a full 162-game setting, which is likely hindering his value, fantasy managers should be looking to acquire him before the second half kicks off. Under the hood, the 26-year-old carries a .349 xwOBA, .265 xBA, .496 xSLG, and a 13.9% barrel rate.

These numbers are right in line with his 2024 production, suggesting these injuries have not hindered his overall production.

While he has only stolen 11 total bases through 219 MLB games, Westburg has typically sat in the 90th percentile in sprint speed, which could open the door for at least double-digit stolen base upside, if the Orioles were to give him the green light more often. Improved health would definitely help him in that case.

He continues to mash fastballs and breaking balls, boasting a .463 and .763 xSLG, respectively, with a .345 and a .463 xwOBA.

Baltimore's disappointing 2025 season and Westburg's battle with the injury bug have opened a short buy window. Act fast and acquire an infielder who carries a high batting average floor with 30 HR+ upside.

Verdict:

Rising star, in store for a big second half. Buy at cost.

Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Eric's Dynasty Rank: No. 126

Let's take a quick stop at the farm to look at our outfielder. Hope was the top prospect that was sent to Los Angeles (alongside Jackson Ferris) that brought Michael Busch to the North Side of Chicago in January 2024.

At the time, Hope was a teenager but had shown potential in the Arizona Complex League the previous season.

Hope made his Dodger debut with their ACL affiliate in 2024, but needed just seven games to prove he was ready to join Low-A Ranco. Through 54 games with Low-A Ranco, the outfielder held a .287/.415/.490 slash line with 14 doubles, nine home runs, and eight stolen bases.

This production game gave him the green light to open 2025 with High-A Great Lakes. Hope has yet to slow down, posting a .293/.394/.479 line with an .873 OPS, 21 doubles, nine long balls, and 12 stolen bases.

Since moving to High-A, Hope has made significant strides with his batted-ball profile, which is all fantastic signs for the budding star. At High-A, Hope has generated a 41.5% fly-ball rate and a 32.5% ground-ball rate, both of which are better metrics than the 34.1% fly-ball rate and 44.2% ground-ball rate he held at Low-A last season.

He has also raised his BABIP from .368 to .394.

The 20-year-old received a nice boost on MLB.com's recent prospect ranking, moving up to the No. 36 overall prospect and the No. 2 best in the Dodger system behind only Josue De Paula. However, I am in lockstep with Eric, who has Hope slightly higher than De Paula on his July dynasty rankings board.

Buy Hope now while he is producing in the lower levels. Once he carries this production into the upper minor leagues, the window will shut.

Zyhir Hope is making noise in the minors 🚀
Last 10 games:

🚨 .333 AVG
💥 .976 OPS
💣 2 HR
🔥 13 RBI

Only 20 and already looking like a future star in L.A. 💙 pic.twitter.com/lHnRUDwo6L

— SleeperDodgers (@SleeperDodgers) July 10, 2025

Verdict:

Fast rising prospect, could be viewed as the top non-debuted outfield prospect at the end of the season.

Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs

Eric's Dynasty Rank: No. 91 Overall

Rounding things out will be starting pitcher Shota Imanaga. Since coming over from the NPB, Imanaga has been nothing short of impressive with the Cubs. In 2024, Imanaga held a 2.91 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP through 173 1/3 innings of work. He struck out 174 batters while posting an elite 4.0% walk rate.

While he missed time with a hamstring strain this season, Imanaga has been just as effective when on the mound. Through 68 innings, the southpaw has posted a 2.65 ERA with an impressive 0.93 WHIP. His strikeout production has dropped (tallying only 48) with an 18.2% K rate. Last season, he held a much higher 25.1% K rate.

Additionally, his walk rate has begun to increase, now standing at 6.1%, nearly two points higher than in 2024.

Should managers look to sell high on Imanaga? I tend to agree with that, even though he sits as the No. 91 overall player on Eric's board.

Under the hood, Imanaga currently holds a high 3.81 xERA and a modest .233 xBA, which could come back to hurt him in the second half. He is allowing an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph (25th percentile) with a hefty 10.1% barrel rate (25th percentile).

More importantly, Imanaga has struggled to keep the ball out of the air, which is a glaring concern. He has a 41.7% fly-ball rate this season, which is an eight-point jump from his rookie season. In addition, he carries a 24.1% pull air rate and has only generated groundballs at a low 28.1% rate.

Given the hard contact he is allowing, Imanaga could get hit hard by the long ball in the second half. While he will remain a strong WHIP contributor given his excellent command, his ERA could rise significantly.

Competing teams should look to move Imanaga for more stable veteran pitchers. Rebuilding teams should look to pivot off Imanaga for top pitching prospects, such as Travis Sykora, while his value remains high.

Verdict:

Sell. Contenders look for a proven veteran option with similar WHIP upside. Rebuilding teams should look to target pre-breakout pitchers or high-end prospects.

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