RADIO
Connor McEleney advises which 2018 fantasy baseball busts, slumping and overvalued players to drop in Week 1 in favor of better waiver wire adds.
I want to make this clear: you should be hesitant to cut any players you drafted at this point. I’m writing this on March 31st. You won’t see a ton of players on this list because it’s so damn early.
The players on this list are guys you should strongly consider dropping soon. If you see a player you like sitting on the waiver wire, go ahead and drop any of these players to acquire him. Proceed with extreme caution during these next few days, however. You don’t want to cut a player you believe in after such a small sample size.
After a few games in Week 1, these are the guys you should consider dropping in your leagues.
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Start Looking For Their Replacements
Kendrys Morales (DH, TOR) - 0/5 through two games
Why you should cut him: Aging low-ceiling asset you wouldn't want to keep over a potential waiver wire breakout.
I’m really trying to err on the side of caution with these cut candidates. Keep Morales in deep leagues, obviously, but if you’re in a standard 10 or 12-team league, don’t be afraid to cut the cord here. If you’re so desperate for homers, there are probably better options available. Cutting Morales for Matt Davidson would be a sound decision to make right now. The clock is ticking on Morales’s fantasy relevancy on a team that will struggle to contend.
Better utility options: Matt Davidson, Josh Harrison, Tim Anderson
Jose Peraza (SS, CIN) - 0/8 through two games
Why you should cut him: There should be better SS options available in your league, he's a sub-replacement level bat.
This might be a tougher move to make when considering his stolen base upside. Peraza just doesn’t cut it at the dish routinely producing at a below-replacement level rate. There’s a reason I was fading him in drafts. Believe me when I say that there are better options available at shortstop, but if you absolutely need stolen bases, feel free to keep him.
Better SS options: Zack Cozart, Marcus Semien, Addison Russell, Tim Anderson
Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF, BOS) - 0/7 through two games
Why you should cut him: Questionable upside, back-end spot in Red Sox lineup, potential trade bait for a JB2 enthusiast.
We don’t know how good Jackie Bradley is. I really don’t think we have any idea. I mean, what’s the real upside in owning him? Where does he provide the most value? He’s not a stolen bases guy, he doesn’t hit enough homers to justify ownership in every league, and he’ll probably hit no higher than .270 in a good year. Just kick back and watch JB2 continue to stink it up at the plate and lose his everyday role.
Better OF options: Carlos Gonzalez, Kole Calhoun, David Peralta
Hunter Renfroe (OF, SD) - 1/5 through three games
Why you should cut him: Fantasy stock trending down, breakout might not be any time soon, don't want to hoard him as your league-mates are snatching up real breakout hitters.
Out of all the players on the list, Renfroe is probably the toughest player to cut. With that being said, there comes a point when you should feel comfortable dropping a player underperforming his talent level for a player on a hot streak. Renfroe is a guy I'd gladly drop in a league I know I could re-add him in. You shouldn't hold onto him for that long, however. His upside is tantalizing but at some point you need to cut dead assets. Go ahead and see where he's at next week and decide to whether or not to keep him.
Know your league-mates. Study their tendencies. Know which players they like and don't like. If there's a Renfroe truther in your league, you might want to hold onto him in case he breaks out this year. Don't bet on that happening, though.
Better OF options: Carlos Gonzalez, Kole Calhoun, David Peralta
Maikel Franco (3B, PHI) - 1/7 through three games
Why you should cut him: Kingery is ascending, Franco doesn't possess long-term major league hitting ability
Scott Kingery has been great through two appearances for the Phillies. If Kingery gains a full-time role, and he probably will, Franco could end up being the odd man out. I always preach patience with young guns like Franco, but after three full years in the bigs the writing is on the wall: Franco just doesn't cut it as an everyday bat.
Better 3B options: Eugenio Suarez, Matt Chapman, Todd Frazier
