Fantasy Baseball Frauds? Buy/Sell On Standout Performers Including Chris Bassitt, Ben Rice, Kris Bubic, Carson Kelly, more

April 7, 2025

Joey's fantasy baseball buys and sells for MLB players currently on hot streaks. He looks at potential fantasy baseball frauds for Week 2 of the 2025 season.

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly fantasy baseball frauds and buys/sells article. Each Monday, we go through several players coming off a solid week in fantasy. Then, we'll determine if we should be buying or selling these players heading into the following week. The first edition of this article saw several players get off to fast starts, including Wilyer Abreu, Spencer Torkelson, and Tyler Soderstrom.

Now, heading into Week 2, six more players will be featured on this list. All six players are rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues and are widely available across multiple platforms. This week's edition will look at several pitchers and hitters currently on hot streaks. These players continue to be added in leagues and could be long-term answers for your fantasy team. 

So, should fantasy managers be buying or selling these players coming off a strong week? Let's dive in and find out. 

Chris Bassitt, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Rostered 44% of Yahoo! leagues 

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt is off to a fantastic start to his 2025 campaign. He threw six innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts in his first start against the Baltimore Orioles and then followed that up by delivering six 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Mets on Saturday. As a result, he has become a popular add in recent days.

Chris Bassitt, Vicious Two Seamers. 😤

Both 22 inches of Run. 😲

9Ks thru 5. pic.twitter.com/1OtjwLevvg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 6, 2025

The biggest question now is if the right-hander can keep up his play on the mound. The strikeouts will likely come down, considering Bassit has finished with a 22 percent strikeout rate in three straight years, and opposing hitters have a .241 expected batting average against him in the early going.

Nonetheless, Bassitt is at least worth adding in most leagues. He was truly phenomenal in his recent outing against the Mets, allowing just four hits and striking out nine across six 2/3 innings. He is a buy right now with two straight quality starts to begin the year. 

He should have a bounce-back season after finishing with a 4.16 ERA in 2024 and can be a reliable pitcher option for your fantasy team. Bassitt has finished with a sub-3.65 ERA in four of the past five seasons. Even with a matchup against a solid Red Sox offense on deck, the right-hander should be started in most formats in Week 2.

Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees

Rostered 28% of Yahoo! leagues 

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice has been locked in at the plate to begin the season. Although he was not in the Yankees' lineup on Sunday, Rice should continue to see plenty of playing time. In his first eight games, the 26-year-old is batting .320 with two home runs, two doubles, and two RBI. More importantly, he is hitting the ball exceptionally well.

Rice's baseball savant page is full of red, which includes a .334 xBA, .815 xSLG, 72.2 percent hard-hit rate, and 33.3 percent barrel rate. Despite the small sample size, seeing him putting up these types of numbers in the early going is encouraging. That makes him a buy until Giancarlo Stanton returns.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Rice once Stanton does return from the injured list. The lefty has been New York's designated hitter in six of his eight games this season. Although he would likely see time at first base as well, he would be the clear backup to Paul Goldschmidt moving forward. Therefore, there might not be consistent at-bats for him in this Yankees lineup in the future.

For now, though, Rice should be added in some leagues. His baseball savant is definitely a nice sign for him moving forward, and he has batted first or second in three straight games. So, he's a nice first base target on your waiver wire. Fantasy managers should ride with him until the wheels fall off because there's a good chance the young first baseman has a breakout season in 2025. 

Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

Rostered 17% of Yahoo! leagues 

The Athletics are finally seeing the potential of their top prospect, Jacob Wilson. Wilson was ranked No. 31 on MLB Pipeline to begin the season before graduating from prospect lists just a few days ago. Despite not showing much across 28 contests last year, he has taken his game to another level to begin the 2025 campaign.

The shortstop is hitting .351 with two home runs, two doubles, and seven RBI in 10 games.

Jacob Wilson turns on one for a go-ahead home run 💪 pic.twitter.com/ihaRR1yTWJ

— MLB (@MLB) April 4, 2025

It has been an encouraging start to the year for Wilson, and his rostership should only increase in the coming days. The 23-year-old has hit safely in all 10 of his games. However, fantasy managers shouldn't be buying the A's shortstop just yet. Outside of possibly hitting for a high average, he might not contribute much in the home run, RBI, or stolen base department.

Wilson had a .433 batting average, seven home runs, and 39 RBI across 226 plate appearances at rookie ball, Double-A, and Triple-A in 2024. Given that he stole only two bases in the minors last year and has a 26.5 ft/sec sprint speed, it's hard to see him stealing many bases with the A's.

So, he is a sell and should only be a watch list option for now.

Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

Rostered 16% of Yahoo! leagues 

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo had a nice week at the plate. He had two multi-hit games (April 1 against the Yankees and April 4 against the Nationals) and logged seven RBI this past week. This stretch has helped Perdomo get off to a fast start offensively. He is hitting .314 with one home run, two doubles, 11 RBI, and two stolen bases in 10 games this season.

That made him one of the most added players heading into Sunday's games. Given his recent stretch, some fantasy managers should be looking to add him ahead of Week 2. He has looked solid at the plate in the early going and should bat toward the top of Arizona's lineup for the next few weeks until Ketel Marte (hamstring) returns from his hamstring injury. 

Keep in mind, though, that Perdomo is likely not a long-term answer for your fantasy team. He hasn't hit more than six home runs or driven in over 47 runs in a season in his career, and his 26.8 ft/sec sprint speed suggests that he won't get to 20 stolen bases this season. With a 21.2 percent hard-hit rate and a 68.8 mph bat speed, the shortstop will eventually cool off.

Carson Kelly, C, Chicago Cubs

Rostered 5% of Yahoo! leagues 

Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly had quite the offensive showing this past week. He hit for the cycle on a four-RBI day on Monday and then went 1-for-4 with one home run and four RBI on Saturday. That strong production led to Kelly starting consecutive games on Saturday and Sunday for the first time this season. 

There's no doubt that Kelly is off to a fantastic start in 2025. He is currently batting .389 with two home runs, 10 RBI, and seven walks across six games and has made the most of his opportunities to begin the year. However, the 30-year-old is better left on waivers, making him a sell in fantasy.

The veteran will likely only start three or four games each week, especially with the Cubs rotating Miguel Amaya and Kelly behind the plate every game. Therefore, it will be hard to trust the 10-year veteran in fantasy moving forward. While he has put up solid numbers early on, he hasn't totaled more than 15 home runs or driven in over 45 runs in a season since 2021.

So, Kelly isn't necessarily a buy heading into Week 2.

Kris Bubic, RP/SP, Kansas City Royals

Rostered 33% of Yahoo! leagues 

Kansas City Royals pitcher Kris Bubic struggled a bit to begin his major league career. The left-hander had a 4.89 ERA and a 1.531 WHIP in his first three years. However, Bubic has looked great since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. He finished with a 2.67 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 27 relief appearances last year, and his strong play has continued into the 2025 season.

The southpaw threw six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the Milwaukee Brewers in his first start and then allowed one run with eight strikeouts across six 2/3 innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Given those two strong outings to start the season, every fantasy manager should buy into the Bubic hype.

Kris Bubic pitched a gem today as he struck out 8 across 6.2 IP with just 1 ER. Bubic consistently pounded the zone with his full arsenal and racked up 16 whiffs. His changeup looked excellent today, returning a stellar 72.7 Whiff%

The breakout continues! pic.twitter.com/5B5EFaT6T5

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) April 6, 2025

The 27-year-old has been almost untouchable to start the season, and he is a strong buy in fantasy right now. Opposing hitters have an expected .139 batting average across his first two outings while having just a 7.7 percent hard-hit rate. With 16 more whiffs on Sunday against the Orioles, a breakout season could be in full force for the left-hander.

Other Standout Performers

• Trent Grisham (sell)
• Sal Frelick (sell)
• Matthew Boyd (buy)
• Jung Hoo Lee (buy) 

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