X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

The Cut List (Week 3): Time to Let Go?

Players to cut or drop in week three of the 2018 MLB season. Connor McEleney lists overrated players and busts that should be waived in fantasy baseball.

Well, we’re three weeks into the season and the picture is starting to clear up. Players who started off the year cold are heating up (Andrew Benintendi, Mike Moustakas, Steve Pearce) while guys like Josh Harrison and Nick Ahmed are slowly regressing to the mean.

We can start confidently making add/drop decisions, but don’t expect to see the names of bonafide studs on these cuts lists. My add/drop philosophy is simple: cut average players on cold streaks and hold your studs.

The advice of these cut lists have held true through three weeks and I hope my suggestions have helped your teams. Want some waiver wire advice to make up for those necessary cuts? Make sure you check out our waiver wire blog for the best pickup consultation around.

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

 

Time to Move On

Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL) - .159 BA, 2 runs, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB

Drop in 10 or 12 team leagues, hold in dynasty

Why you should cut him: hitting at the bottom of the order, fantasy ceiling might be lower than real-life ceiling.

This is probably a case of a fantasy value and real life value not matching up. His current 77.2% contact rate is actual a career high, but he’s failing to make solid contact. His 8.6% line drive rate sits ten points below his career average and his 2.20 GB/FB is preventing him from knocking pitches out of the park. Arcia is far from a finished product, but I’d rather have a guy who’s guaranteed to produce right now.

Better SS options: Asdrubal Cabrera, Yangervis Solarte, Dansby Swanson

 

Kevin Kiermaier (OF, TB) - .105 BA, 3 runs, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Drop in 10 or 12 team leagues, hold in dynasty

Why you should cut him: experiencing anticipated BABIP regression, 2017 underlying metrics suggest he was lucky last year, 39.5% strikeout rate.

I’m going out on a limb with this cut suggestion considering Kiermaier’s a career 104 wRC+ batter and one of the best position players in the league. That .105 BA is just not fantasy viable right now, though. He’s locked into the second spot in the batting order, but until he cuts his strikeout rate in half and starts hitting liners again, he should be jettisoned in every standard league.

Better OF options: Aaron Hicks, Michael Brantley, Preston Tucker, David Peralta

 

Blake Parker (RP, LAA) - 5.40 ERA, 1 save, 7 Ks in 6.2 IP

Drop in all saves leagues

Why you should cut him: lost the closer job to Kenyan Middleton, there are much better non-closer RP options.

So much for the #LateRoundCloser movement that I was championing in mock drafts back in March. Blake Parker looked like a great final round pick in standard saves leagues until he gave up four hits, two earned runs, and two walks in his first two appearances of the year. The Angels quickly pulled the plug on Parker and promoted Kenyan Middleton to closer. If Parker isn’t closing games, he’s not worth rostering.

Better RP options: Josh Hader, Adam Ottavino, Brad Brach, Chris Devenski

 

Felix Hernandez (SP, SEA) - 6.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 8 Ks in three starts

Drop in all leagues

Why you should cut him: fantasy arrow pointing straight down, 4.80 K/9 and BB/9, 7.05 FIP, pitch velocity down across the board.

Everything on Hernandez’s profile screams drop candidate. His strikeout rate has plummeted, his peripheral ERA metrics are garbage, and his velocity is coming down. At this point, he’s only worth streaming against the worst teams in the league. The last thing you’d want to do is keep Hernandez while your league-mates snatch up ascending starters riding hot streaks. It’s tough to rebound from a mistake like that. It doesn’t matter how deep your leagues are, go ahead and drop him if he’s on one of your teams.  

Better SP options: Jakob Junis, Joey Lucchesi, Sean Manaea, Nick Pivetta, Steven Matz

 

Update on Last Week’s Cuts

Logan Morrison (1B, MIN)

  • 2-for-19 (.105), 1 run, 0 HR, and 1 RBI since April 7
  • This is exactly what I feared would happen. This type of production is not acceptable. Cut him.

Ryon Healy (1B/3B, SEA)

  • Sprained his ankle on April 7, on 10-day DL
  • We’ll see how Healy performs when he comes back, but I’m assuming he’ll continue to be average like he always has been.

Julio Teheran (SP, ATL)

  • 7 Ks, 2 ER, 5 hits allowed, 4 BB on April 9 start
  • He probably should’ve given up a few more runs judging by that 1.50 WHIP. Teheran is very hittable.

Chris Davis (1B, BAL)

  • 2-for-14 (.142), 0 runs, 0 HR, 1 RBI since April 7
  • No. Just no.

 

More Busts and Overvalued Players




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

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
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

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

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

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

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

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
Dustin Stoltzfus

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

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
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
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 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
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

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

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP