X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 21

michael harris II fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

Making the right trades can be crucial to championship success in fantasy baseball, almost as much as the draft, if not more. While most trades can have a significant impact on your fantasy team, it’s the deals where you acquire undervalued players and then see their production improve that can really tip the scales in your favor where the standings are concerned.

The same can certainly be said about trading away players at the right time when they have the most fantasy trade value. Those deals could happen in the second week of April or the last week of August, but they’re impactful all the same.

Here are some undervalued candidates to pursue in trades and some overvalued ones who you should consider dealing for if they presently occupy a spot on your roster.

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

 

Undervalued Players To Trade For

Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves

Purely based on surface-level metrics, Michael Harris II has been all sorts of very good this season, batting .298 and a .344 on-base percentage in 326 plate appearances for Atlanta. He’s also one of just five players in the league – Trea Turner, Andres Gimenez, Aaron Judge, and Luis Robert are the other four – who are hitting at least .295 with both double-digit stolen bases and home runs. To be exact, the 21-year-old has 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases.

The outfielder has already made a significant impact this season, but he’s also doing all this in a slightly smaller sample size. Harris made his Major League debut on May 28. Purely looking at things since then, he’s been one of the best players in the sport, both from a real-life standpoint and a fantasy standpoint.

Since May 28, only seven position players have a better fWAR than Harris’ 3.6 metric. That might not be as fantasy relevant, but the rest of the outfielder’s metrics certainly are. Here are the outfielder’s numbers again, compared to the blind resumes of four other prominent, impact fantasy players.

Harris: 317 PA, .298 average, .344 on-base percentage, 13 home runs, 16 stolen bases

Hitter A: 373 PA, .313 average, .348 on-base percentage, 14 home runs, 11 stolen bases

Hitter B: 306 PA, .272 average, .330 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, nine stolen bases

Hitter C: 380 PA, .298 average, .345 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, 10 stolen bases

Hitter D: 352 PA, .278 average, .335 on-base percentage, 15 home runs, 10 stolen bases

Hitter A is Turner. Hitter B is Turner’s teammate in Los Angeles, Mookie Betts while Hitter C is Harris’ teammate in Atlanta, Dansby Swanson. Hitter D? That would be Cleveland stalwart Jose Ramirez.

And there’s plenty to believe that the 21-year-old’s start is sustainable too. He’s not walking a ton and has some unideal swing-and-miss metrics, but when he’s making contact, it’s been rather excellent. He sits in the 75th percentile or better in hard-hit rate (44.4%), barrel rate (11.1%), and xwOBA (.343).

Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles

Mateo has received consistent playing time for a full season in the majors for the first time this season, and while he’s hitting .229 with a .277 on-base percentage, he’s turned a quality fantasy season with 28 stolen bases and 12 home runs in 430 plate appearances. The crucial bit here is the home runs.

Mateo has turned in monster stolen base seasons in the minors before, stealing 24 or more bases in six different minor league campaigns, including an 82-steal season in 2015 between Single-A and Advanced-A. The steals aren’t anything new.

But the home runs have been a significant positive for the 27-year-old, whose previous career high for home runs in a single season, majors or minors, is 19. And it’s possible he may have had more if he were playing in a different ballpark. Only five of Mateo’s 12 homers have come at home.

Elsewhere, his expected home run metric for Camden Yards is at 10, while it’s over 13 – and as high as 17 – in half of the league’s ballparks. And while Mateo is only sporting a 33.3% hard-hit rate on the season, he’s been making more hard contact more often as of late. Since July 10, Mateo is sporting a 41.4% hard-hit rate, to go along with a 7.2% barrel rate and – perhaps most crucially for fantasy purposes – a .294 average, a .331 on-base percentage, six home runs, and seven stolen bases in 151 plate appearances.

In fact, he’s one of just six qualified hitters during that span with a batting average north of .290 and at least six homers and six steals. And while he’s routinely hitting near the bottom of the Baltimore lineup, his stolen bases should help him continue to get in run-scoring opportunities for both the O’s and for fantasy managers.

 

Overvalued Players To Trade Away

Steve Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

For hitters who don’t make much in the way of hard contact, their production can sometimes fluctuate based on their batting average on balls in play. Of course, those two stats aren’t always the entire story for a hitter, but often times hitters with low hard-hit rates and high BABIPs can have unsustainable production.

That was the case early in the season for Steve Kwan, who was one of baseball’s most productive contact hitters prior to May, batting .354 with nine walks compared to just six strikeouts in 61 plate appearances. However, Kwan also logged a .386 BABIP that month with just an 18.2% hard-hit rate and one barrel. With little in the way of hard contact and a high BABIP, the outfielder’s production predictably faltered.

In 85 May plate appearances, he hit just .173 with a .271 on-base percentage and a .176 BABIP. Since then, however, Kwan has been able to bounce back. He’s hit at least .309 in each of the three months since, though he’s also sporting a BABIP north of .345 in each of those months.

The 24-year-old has been excellent at making contact this year and not offering at pitches outside the zone. He ranks in the 97th percentile in chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate. That contact certainly helps, but with just a 20.7% hard-hit rate this season – which ranks in the first percentile league-wide – it’s possible he could see another dip in production similar to May.

Starling Marte, New York Mets

The 33-year-old is batting .293 with a .347 on-base percentage, 15 home runs, and 18 stolen bases in 484 plate appearances this season, providing both the Mets and fantasy managers with some excellent home run and stolen base production.

Marte has a bit more of a track record than Kwan in the Majors, but there’s a possibility he too could see a dip in production down the stretch should his BABIP come back to earth. Of course, Marte is doing a bit more at the plate in terms of quality contact – his .335 xwOBA ranks in the 72nd percentile in the league – but he’s also registering only a 33.6% hard-hit rate and a .342 BABIP as of the beginning of play on Wednesday.

Where Marte differs from Kwan, in addition to the xwOBA, is that Marte has done this before. The veteran hit .310 with a .383 on-base percentage in 526 plate appearances with a .372 BABIP and his lifetime BABIP isn’t far off from his 2022 metric with a .344 number. With that in mind, the veteran’s production might not fall off a cliff like Kwan’s did, but it could dip a bit as it has in August.

Marte is batting .267 with a .342 on-base percentage, a .296 BABIP, four home runs, and six stolen bases in 117 plate appearances during the last calendar month. Even if his BABIP dips, the outfielder will likely stay productive, as we’ve seen in August, he just might not be as productive as he has this season.

Thairo Estrada, San Francisco Giants

Estrada is enjoying a quality fantasy season at the plate so far, hitting .260 with a .315 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, and 16 stolen bases in a career-high 423 plate appearances. And while he’s sporting a low hard-hit rate at 32.0%, his placement in the "Overvalued" portion of this column doesn’t have as much to do with his BABIP as it does with Kwan and Marte.

No, Estrada showing up here is more to do with the type of contact he’s making this season. After logging a 7.1% barrel rate, a .346 wOBA, a .313 xwOBA and a .347 xwOBAcon last season, Estrada has turned in just a 4.3% barrel rate, a .315 wOBA, a .302 xwOBA and a .325 xwOBAcon this season. He’s also one of 27 qualified hitters to have a barrel rate of 4.4% or lower.

And while the former Yankees prospect has continued to be productive despite that – he and Jurickson Profar are the only batters of those aforementioned 27 qualified hitters to reach double-digit home runs – the lack of quality contact isn’t ideal.

It also doesn’t help that the infielder is struggling at the plate as of late. He’s batting just .195 with a .283 on-base percentage in 47 plate appearances since August 16. And while his .253 wOBA during that span is significantly lower, his .276 BABIP during the stretch isn’t tremendously far off from his .287 metric this season.

He should continue to provide stolen bases and plenty of versatility for fantasy managers – the 26-year-old is eligible at three different positions in Yahoo leagues – but his overall production at the plate is certainly something to keep an eye on down the stretch.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ben Sinnott34 mins ago

Taken At No. 53 On Friday Night
Adonai Mitchell44 mins ago

Colts Snag Adonai Mitchell At No. 52
Jonathon Brooks1 hour ago

Panthers Trade Up To Select Jonathon Brooks
New Orleans Saints1 hour ago

Saints Take Kool-Aid McKinstry At No. 41
Delon Wright2 hours ago

Questionable For Game 3
Daniel Gafford2 hours ago

Will Play In Game 3
Keon Coleman2 hours ago

Bills Select Keon Coleman At Pick 33
Vaughn Grissom2 hours ago

Could Be Activated On Tuesday
Kawhi Leonard2 hours ago

Available On Friday Evening
Anthony Rendon2 hours ago

Dealing With Partial Hamstring Tear
Terry Rozier2 hours ago

Out Again For Game 3
Giancarlo Stanton2 hours ago

Absent On Friday
Jackson Merrill2 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Manny Machado3 hours ago

Returning On Friday
Josh Lowe3 hours ago

Appears Ready To Return
Deebo Samuel3 hours ago

Bills, Patriots Unlikely To Trade For Deebo Samuel
Nicolas Hague3 hours ago

Not Ready To Return On Saturday
Justus Annunen4 hours ago

Available On Friday
Ricky Tiedemann4 hours ago

Hoping To Throw In 7-10 Days
Luis Robert Jr.4 hours ago

Could Be Back By Mid-May
Rasmus Sandin4 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Walker Buehler4 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start Tuesday
Nick Jensen4 hours ago

Could Be Back In Action Friday
Ivan Miroshnichenko4 hours ago

Makes Stanley Cup Playoffs Debut
Wade Miley4 hours ago

Needs Tommy John Surgery
Sonny Milano4 hours ago

Ready For Action
Khris Middleton4 hours ago

Upgraded To Active For Game 3
NYR4 hours ago

Alex Wennberg Good To Go Friday
Grayson Allen4 hours ago

Remains Questionable For Game 3
Kyle Anderson4 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Game 3
Tennessee Titans5 hours ago

JC Latham To Play Left Tackle For Tennessee
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Matthew Stafford5 hours ago

Seeking Reworked Contract
Masyn Winn5 hours ago

Getting A Breather
Triston Casas5 hours ago

Has Torn Rib Cartilage
Kodai Senga5 hours ago

To Face Hitters On Monday
J.D. Martinez5 hours ago

Hitting Fifth In Mets Debut
Jesús Luzardo5 hours ago

Marlins Put Jesus Luzardo On Injured List
Deebo Samuel7 hours ago

Bills Have Interest In Trading For Deebo Samuel
Jacoby Brissett7 hours ago

Drake Maye To Compete With Jacoby Brissett
Tommy Pham7 hours ago

Selected From Triple-A
Jonathon Brooks7 hours ago

Cowboys High On Jonathon Brooks
Ezekiel Elliott7 hours ago

Reunion With Cowboys Is Imminent
Deebo Samuel7 hours ago

Patriots Discussed Trading For Deebo Samuel Prior To Draft
Jackson Holliday8 hours ago

Sent Back To Minors
Alex Perez8 hours ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Matheus Nicolau8 hours ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 91
J.D. Martinez8 hours ago

To Be Eased Into Lineup
Ariane Lipski8 hours ago

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Karine Silva8 hours ago

Looks For Ninth Victory In A Row
David Onama9 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Jonathan Pearce9 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Yu Darvish9 hours ago

Throws Side Session
Donovan Mitchell9 hours ago

Struggles In Game 3
Jesús Luzardo9 hours ago

Jesus Luzardo Scratched With Elbow Discomfort
Ozzie Albies9 hours ago

Back From Injured List
Paolo Banchero9 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Loss
Nikola Jokic10 hours ago

Just One Assist Shy Of Triple-Double In Game 3
Aaron Gordon10 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double
Tyler Myers10 hours ago

On Track To Return Friday
Jesper Fast11 hours ago

Unlikely To Feature In The Playoffs
Matthew Tkachuk11 hours ago

Bags Two Goals In Game 3 Victory
Steven Stamkos11 hours ago

Scores Third Postseason Goal
Ilya Sorokin11 hours ago

Lasts 27 Minutes In Game 3
Frederik Andersen11 hours ago

Stops 29 Pucks In Another Win
Cincinnati Bengals21 hours ago

Bengals Have No Plans To Trade Trey Hendrickson
Justin Herbert21 hours ago

Patriots, Vikings Reached Out Regarding Justin Herbert
Deebo Samuel21 hours ago

Niners "More Likely" To Deal Deebo Samuel Than Brandon Aiyuk
Xavier Legette21 hours ago

Goes To Panthers To Close Out First Round
Ricky Pearsall21 hours ago

Niners Add To Receiver Room With Ricky Pearsall
Baltimore Ravens22 hours ago

Nate Wiggins Heading To Baltimore
Dallas Cowboys22 hours ago

Cowboys Select Tyler Guyton With 29th Pick
Mitchell Robinson22 hours ago

Injured Again On Thursday
Xavier Worthy22 hours ago

Chiefs Get Speed At Receiver In Xavier Worthy
Jalen Brunson22 hours ago

Has Another Big Game
Tyrese Maxey22 hours ago

Helps Philly Take Game 3
Joel Embiid22 hours ago

Dominates In Game 3
Olivier-Maxence Prosper1 day ago

Won't Play In Game 3
Kawhi Leonard1 day ago

Questionable For Game 3
Stephen Curry1 day ago

Named Clutch Player Of The Year
Joel Embiid1 day ago

Good To Go Thursday
Sonny Milano1 day ago

Misses Practice On Thursday
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Joins Rangers For Trip To Washington
Jesper Fast1 day ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Matt Martin1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Anton Lundell1 day ago

Takes Over As Second-Line Center Thursday
Ryan Lomberg1 day ago

Ruled Out For Game 3
Alex Vlasic1 day ago

Inks Six-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Kyle Okposo1 day ago

To Suit Up In Game 3
Uros Medic1 day ago

A Massive Favorite At UFC Vegas 91
Tim Means1 day ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 91
Austen Lane1 day ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Jhonata Diniz1 day ago

Making UFC Debut
Bogdan Guskov1 day ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Vegas 91
Ryan Spann1 day ago

Looks To Snap Losing Skid At UFC Vegas 91
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Survives At Talladega For First Win Of 2024
Brad Keselowski4 days ago

Finishes Second At Talladega After Last-Lap Wreck
Anthony Alfredo4 days ago

Gets Best Finish For Beard Motorsports Since 2022
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

One Of The Strongest At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Finishes 36th At Talladega Superspeedway
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Fails To Deliver Value In DFS At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finishes Fourth At Talladega
Noah Gragson5 days ago

Surprisingly The Most Consistent Driver At Talladega
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Acquits Himself Nicely In Drafting Debut
Michael McDowell5 days ago

Ends Talladega Wrecked From The Lead
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Quietly Captures Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Daniel Hemric5 days ago

Surges To Ninth-Place Result At Talladega
Harrison Burton5 days ago

Squeezes Into Top 10 At Talladega
NASCAR5 days ago

Bubba Wallace Will Start 14th For the GEICO 500
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Avoid Rostering Tyler Reddick At Talladega?
John Hunter Nemechek5 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster John Hunter Nemechek At Talladega?
Joey Logano5 days ago

Expect Joey Logano To Compete For The Win At Talladega
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is Denny Hamlin Recommended For Talladega?
Justin Haley5 days ago

Is A Top DFS Value At Talladega
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win Talladega
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is Best Suited As A Tournament Play At Talladega
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Lineup Picks: DraftKings Daily Fantasy Fantasy Advice for Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of the inaugural UFL season, RotoBallers! The Birmingham Stallions remain undefeated, and they'll take on the Houston Roughnecks in the only matchup this week with a spread of more than three points. The 3-1 San Antonio Brahmas will face off with the winless Arlington Renegades in a Texas showdown, the 3-1... Read More


NFL Draft - 2024

2024 NFL Draft Grades For Every First Round Pick

As we exit the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it's fun to offer up "instant reactions" to the impactful decisions teams made with precious first-round draft capital. Many expected this to be a draft that was jam-packed with quarterback and wide receiver selections, and Thursday night didn't disappoint, as QBs went off the... Read More


Keon Coleman- Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

NFL Draft Predictions - Second Round Mock Draft (2024)

Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books! The good news is all the draft action will pick back up tonight at 7 pm ET as Rounds 2-3 of the draft will begin. There are still plenty of good players on the board who could have a big impact on fantasy football... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Draft Results - Malik Nabers Fantasy Football Outlook

After months of waiting, Malik Nabers finally has his NFL team. The LSU prospect was in contention for WR1 in the class and went only two picks after Marvin Harrison Jr. The Giants have desperately needed a playmaking receiver to elevate the offense. Nabers has all the speed in the world and a thick frame... Read More


Adonai Mitchell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Predicting The Next QB, RB, WR, and TE Selected (Round 2)

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft was loaded with surprises. A record-breaking wait on defense, some winners and losers, and an early Michael Penix Jr. appearance headlined the night. There are still plenty of exciting talents at skill positions floating around. Who will be the next QB, RB, WR, and TE selected in... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft Instant Reaction: Round 1 Winners and Losers For Fantasy Football

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is now in the books. It was a night full of surprises, with six quarterbacks going in the first 12 picks. Thursday really shook things up across the league, so it's time to parse through what happened and make some sense of things. Below are some of... Read More


Michael Penix Jr. - CFB DFS Picks, Daily College Fantasy Football, NFL Draft Rookies

2024 NFL Draft - Worst Draft Picks In The First Round

Some teams made some really good picks on Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. Other teams...well, let's just say that some teams made some baffling decisions. These decisions could prove to be smart moves, or they could set these organizations back in a big way. Here are the worst picks from... Read More


Bijan Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2024 Fantasy Football Blind Resumes – Running Back Edition

Fantasy football drafts won't take place for a couple of months, but it's never too early to get into the fantasy mindset after a wild offseason. Many star running backs like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones found new homes while Joe Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans. Those moves will certainly affect where each player will go next season. Luckily, on Underdog Fantasy, we can... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 5 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including Quinten Dormady, Jacob Saylors, Jahcour Pearson, More

Welcome to the Week 5 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 5 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


Kyler Murray - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Why Do The Bears, Cardinals, and Vikings Have Two First-Round Picks?

The NFL Draft is always one of the most exciting days for organizations and fans, but fans of teams with more than one first-round pick are even more excited and overjoyed. In the 2024 NFL Draft, three teams have multiple picks on Day 1. Landing two studs on the first day of the event can... Read More


Brian Thomas Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft: What Time Is The NFL Draft Tonight? How To Watch Thursday's Draft Picks

It’s finally here, RotoBallers! After months of waiting and speculation, the 2024 NFL Draft starts tonight. Along with the Super Bowl and the Kickoff Game that starts the season, Draft Day is one of the most exciting days on the NFL calendar. The anticipation is over and it is time to get things rolling. It... Read More


Darius Slayton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Draft - Veterans With The Most Fantasy Football Value To Lose On Draft Night

It's almost here! The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will take place tonight in Detroit, with 32 players set to join their first NFL team after all is said and done. But those players aren't just being drafted into empty roster spots. The NFL is a zero-sum game. For every new player that... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Biggest Fantasy Football Questions

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us and anticipation is high for what could be a wild edition that will likely have huge fantasy football implications for the season ahead. RotoBaller's David Rispoli digs into the biggest fantasy football questions of the 2024 NFL Draft. What draft decisions could have... Read More