August 7, 2017

Kyle Bishop looks at players whose fantasy owners should considering cutting or trading for Week 19 of the 2017 fantasy baseball season. These players are potential busts.

Welcome back to the Cut List. Each weekend from now until the end of the season, I’ll be offering my thoughts on players who don’t deserve to keep drawing a nonexistent salary on your fake baseball teams.

As we go deeper into the season, expect this list to become more ruthless, but also note the widening of scope to include players who may still have trade value in many leagues.

In addition to the players on the Cut List, we'll also spotlight a player on the Hot Seat: Someone whose situation is worth monitoring, even if it’s not time to hit the ejector seat just yet. Without further ado, here are your Week 19 cut or trade candidates.

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The Cut List: Week 19

Jonathan Villar, 2B/3B/SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Villar went 0-for-4 last Sunday. It’s the only one of the Brewers’ last nine games that he’s started. It’s a tough decision to argue with, seeing as Milwaukee is duking it out with the Cubs for the division lead in the NL Central (with the Cardinals and Pirates only a few games behind them). The Brew Crew simply can’t afford to let Villar flounder anymore. Neither can you, at this point. Villar’s 20 stolen bases don’t make up for his putrid .216/.276/.336 line. He hasn’t homered since June and has only one month this season with an OBP north of .300 (May, .301).

Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles

Speaking of guys we’ve spent all year hoping to see turn the corner, here’s Davis. Since returning from an oblique injury immediately following the All-Star break, he’s been even worse than in the first half, slashing a mere .188/.313/.348. He has just three homers in that time, and none since July 20. A Chris Davis who isn’t hitting bombs is a Chris Davis who offers no compelling reason to roster him, beyond the hope that he’ll find his way into a groove eventually. Time’s running out, folks.

Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves

Teheran has a 5.10 ERA, and his 4.98 SIERA suggests he’s earned it. Tough to succed when you’re allowing nearly two homers per nine, or running a K-BB% in the single digits. The only other qualified starter who has done that this season? Derek Holland, who might be bad enough to get bounced from the White Sox rotation once they promote Reynaldo Lopez. Yet Teheran remains owned in more than three-quarters of Yahoo leagues right now. The mind fairly boggles.

The Hot Seat: Week 19

Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, Boston Red Sox

Bradley scuffled through the first few weeks of the season, but strong showings in May and (especially) June made it seem as though he’d gotten back on track. Unfortunately, since the break, he’s hit the skids again. While he finally hit his first second-half homer on Saturday, he’s still slashing just .196/.227/.272 over that time. Bradley’s streaky nature means he could easily get hot again, but right now he’s contributing nothing to your title push.

Last Week

Ryan Zimmerman homered twice last Sunday just to make me look bad, but has managed just two hits since.

Scott Schebler went 0-for-5 last Sunday and hasn’t played since. The Reds finally put him on the disabled list with a shoulder injury that has reportedly been bothering him for a while.

J.A. Happ had his best game in almost two months, firing seven innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts against the White Sox. They barely resemble a major league team these days, but still, tip of the cap.

Josh Donaldson’s appearance on the Hot Seat clearly had the desired effect on him, as he began the week with home runs in three straight games. He also drew five walks against only four strikeouts this week. If he’s finally healthy, this is the last we’ll speak of him in this space.

More Week 19 Lineup Prep