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?

Nate Green's list of busts and overvalued players who fantasy baseball managers may want to consider cutting and dropping for Week 2 of the season.

You already didn't have very many Marlins on your fantasy roster, right? It's still early enough that most of your cuts are going to be clearly marginal players who will miss several days due to postponed games.

But what about those tougher calls? There's a bit more information out there than there was last week. Let's see what it means.

Usual reminders: Recommendations are for mixed leagues -- redraft, unless otherwise noted, as keeper leagues have their own rules. Recommendations in one league size obviously apply to smaller leagues. You can also feel free to drop a shallower suggestion in a deeper league, but the dividing line is generally there for a reason. And, as usual, you can find ideas on how to replace your cut candidates at the Waiver Wire Pickups List/App.

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

 

10-Team Cut Candidates - Shallow Leagues

Byron Buxton (OF, MIN)

Despite only having about two full seasons worth of career at-bats, Buxton has been around so long that players who retired when debuted are now eligible for the Hall of Fame, and it feels like he's been a relevant fantasy name for as long. You don't need me to recap the health issues, and perhaps not last season's 111 wRC+ breakout either (he was okay in '17).

Well the health issues already cropped up again, and the Twins lineup is strong enough that he has hit ninth when playing. (He debuted, sat the next day, and played again the next, hitting ninth in both starts.) In shallow leagues, is the ride worth it?

Amed Rosario (SS, NYM)

We picked on Rosario quite a bit last year only for him to end up hitting .287 with 15 home runs and 19 steals. This year, he's responded by chasing more pitches (swinging outside the zone up 46% from 38%), hitting more grounders (59% of batted balls instead of 48%), and failing to take a base on balls.

The advantages are that he has a premium lineup spot. (Actually, that's one advantage, singular.) If the struggles continue, however, his stay at the leadoff spot may be short-lived, and if he returns to the bottom third of the order, he wouldn't just be a possible cut in shallow leagues anymore.

Khris Davis (DH, OAK)

It's unfortunate, but the Davis train may be over. Yet to see his first hit in 2020, the struggles he faced in 2019 seem even more real now. A 92.5 mph exit velocity in 2018 became 90.2 last year and is 88.5 so far this season. Additionally, he's already sat two A's games in 2020 and has nothing but utility eligibility. That spot has better uses.

 

12-Team Cut Candidates - Deeper Leagues

Kevin Newman (MI, PIT)

Newman hit .308 last year in an unexpected breakout in 2019. Looking at the preseason projection systems, it would also be unexpected for Newman to keep it up in 2020, with his wRC+ projections ranging from 80-89. They had a batting average range of .266 to .279, but he is now just 1-for-16 to begin the year.

Although he remains in the top two spots in the lineup when he does play, he has already sat for two games. Even if he does hit .270 this year, that's nearly 50 points of batting average lost, and the modest power/speed combo becomes less useful, while the already low support from a Pittsburgh offense will produce even fewer R+RBI.

Robbie Ray (SP, ARI)

Ray has drawn a couple of tough opponents so far this season, the Padres and Dodgers. It hasn't gone well, with 18 base runners--including nine walks--allowed in just 8 1/3. Unfortunately, it won't get any easier with the Astros next up on the schedule and the start after that coming at Coors Field. In shallow leagues it may be better to drop him than to sit him for two straight starts.

Even though Ray got somewhat unlucky last year with a 3.76 xFIP behind his 4.34 ERA, he was nonetheless projected for a mid-4's ERA this season. He's a one-stat pitcher; strikeouts will be there, but are the struggles worth it?

Mike Fiers (SP, OAK)

As with Rosario, this space has never been a Fiers fan; last year, despite a 5.19 xFIP, the collapse never came and he managed a 3.90 ERA. His first start of 2020 was not encouraging, with zero strikeouts and four runs allowed in four innings. He's a year older now too, 35, and it's just too risky a profile. Even if success comes, it won't come with strikeouts in an era where the K is king.

 

14-Team Cut Candidates - Deep Leagues

Brett Gardner (OF, NYY)

Gardner had one of last year's flukiest performances, homering 28 times despite barreling up just 15 baseballs. Did he perfect the abuse of Yankee Stadium's right field? Not really with only 12 of his home runs coming at home.

Gardner is now 0-for-11 with 7 strikeouts to start 2020. He's missed two games, not counting the Phillies postponements. He hit fifth in the season opener but not higher than eighth since. It's only 12 plate appearances (counting his walk), but given last year's mirage, it's not too early to look elsewhere in most leagues.

John Means (SP, BAL)

Means, who had a 3.60 ERA on a 5.48 xFIP last season, is somewhat a more extreme Fiers. The differences aren't good: Means is on a worse team and in a worse ballpark for pitchers. But the main idea is that there aren't enough strikeouts in the profile, leaving this kind of pitcher to survive on the edges. Although it was against the Yankees, Means showed no signs of doing that in his first start. He gets the Nationals next.

Keeping Means means trusting last year's 3.60 ERA in spite of all the countervailing factors. It's best to pass.

Mike Foltynewicz (SP, ATL)

Still on a team in just under half of Yahoo leagues, Foltynewicz's recent demotion should be the end of his presence on rosters. (Admittedly, it may already be in the category of people still paying attention.) His disastrous opening day start (4 BB, 3 HR, 6 R in 3.1 IP) was enough for the Braves as it came on the heels of a 4.97 FIP in just 21 starts last season after a very successful 2018. Alas, good things sometimes come to ends.



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!



Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups




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

CFB

Eric Singleton Jr. Questionable For Saturday
Braden Schneider

Limited in Training Camp
Lars Eller

Recovering From Abdominal Procedure
Nick Jensen

in Danger of Missing Start of Season
Brandon Montour

to Miss Two Weeks After Ankle Surgery
Gabriel Landeskog

a "Full Go" for the Season
Samuel Girard

Avalanche Hope to Have Samuel Girard Available for Start of Season
Mackenzie Blackwood

Out Week-to-Week
Alex Tuch

Day-to-Day With Undisclosed Injury
Jordan Greenway

to Sit Out Training Camp
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Considered Day-to-Day
Simon Edvinsson

to Miss a Couple of Weeks
Mikael Backlund

Signs Two-Year Extension
Connor Ingram

to Be Waived by Mammoth
Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
Brooklyn Nets

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
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
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
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
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
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
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

RANKINGS

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