🖥 CYBER WEEK - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE CYBER
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

Week 3 Cut List: Players on the Chopping Block

Kyle Bishop looks at players whose fantasy owners should considering cutting for Week 3 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.

A column like this can be a tricky thing so early in the year. We’re looking at a few dozen plate appearances or a couple of starts and trying to draw meaningful conclusions, and that’s just silly. So until we get a bit deeper into the season, bear that in mind.

In addition to the players on the Cut List, we'll also spotlight a player on the Hot Seat: Someone who may not be a cut yet, but whose leash is extremely short.

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

 

The Cut List: Week 3

Leonys Martin, OF, Seattle Mariners

Martin's sitting on a .120 BABIP, so there's certainly some noise in his awful start. But he's also not putting all that many balls in play, period. He's struck out 12 times and walked only once in his 38 trips to the plate. Like most of the hitters in Seattle, Martin is struggling right now. That isn't going to help him move up out of the bottom third of the order, where he's been slotted in every game so far. The veteran does have a couple of stolen bases, but he's just not providing anything else of value to fantasy owners at the moment.

 

Tommy Joseph, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

Joseph had a little bit of sleeper buzz heading into 2017, but he's stumbled out of the gate. Again, a BABIP below the Mendoza line is certainly making things ugly here...and again, there are plenty of other troubling signs. Joseph has 10 strikeouts against only two walks, and just four hits to this point. His line currently sits at an uninspiring .156/.200/.281, and it would look even worse if he hadn't finally hit his first homer of the year on Friday. Joseph doesn't hit for average or run well (though he somehow has a stolen base to his credit already), so unless he's putting balls in the seat, he's of no use to you.

 

Hisashi Iwakuma, SP, Seattle Mariners

Iwakuma has a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through his first two starts of the season. That's good! He's also only punched out four batters while walking six in 12 innings. That's bad. Lest you think we can continue this Simpsons reference, there's really nothing else but bad news here. Iwakuma's velocity is down over two miles per hour from last season, which means he's averaging 85 on his heater. The veteran has been a solid fantasy performer over the last few years, but always had trouble with the long ball. That's not going to get any better if he's consistently throwing in the mid-80s. Neither is his pedestrian K rate, especially if he's no longer flashing pinpoint control. Get out while the getting's good.

 

The Hot Seat: Week 3

Blake Snell, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Like Iwakuma, Snell's currently boasting solid ratios (3.18 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) that belie how poorly he has actually pitched thus far. The young lefty's already untenable walk rate has gotten even worse in his sophomore season, only now he's not striking anyone out. It's only two starts, but Snell's K% is literally half of what it was in 2016. That's, uh...concerning. And he's got the Red Sox and Astros to deal with this week. There's too much talent here to bail out just yet, but benching him seems like a wise decision.

 

Last Week

Byron Buxton still looks awful, and fantasy owners are quickly losing patience; he's the most dropped player on ESPN over the past week.

Mitch Moreland actually had a pretty good week, going 9-for-22 and hitting his first homer of the season on Saturday. He is still not very good.

Michael Pineda, of course, did his Jekyll and Hyde thing and took a perfect game into the seventh in his last start. He could do it again on Sunday against the struggling Cardinals, or he could give up eight runs in 2 1/3. With Pineda, everything is always on the table.

Sam Dyson has lost the closer role in Texas, but their bullpen is kind of a dumpster fire at present, so a couple of clean innings might put him right back in the driver's seat.

 




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

Lane Kiffin Working to Keep Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker at LSU
Noa Essengue

Out for the Season
Mike Evans

has "Real Chance" to Return in Week 14
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Expected To Miss 2-4 Weeks
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Realistic Expectation is for Amon-Ra St. Brown to Return Next Week
Jalen Carter

Won't Play in Week 14 After Having Shoulder Surgeries
Justin Herbert

Expected to Practice Either Thursday or Friday
Mike Evans

Practicing Again Thursday
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Questionable With Rib Contusion
Marcus Smart

Sidelined Thursday Against Raptors
Los Angeles Clippers

Chris Paul Set To Part Ways With Clippers
CFB

Brian Daboll a Candidate for Penn State Head-Coaching Job?
Yves Missi

Sidelined vs. Wolves
Quentin Grimes

Uncertain To Play Against Golden State
Bilal Coulibaly

Likely Out Multiple Weeks With Oblique Strain
Karel Vejmelka

Records Impressive Shutout
JJ Peterka

Rocks Ducks With Four-Point Effort
Cole Caufield

Extends Point Streak With Power-Play Assist
Matvei Michkov

Delivers Two Assists Wednesday
Jake Oettinger

Grabs Fourth Consecutive Victory With Shutout
Ryan Leonard

Tallies Four Points in Wednesday's Win
Cam York

Exits Win Early
Jakob Poeltl

to Sit Out Thursday's Game
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Third Straight Game Thursday
Jonathan Kuminga

Iffy for Thursday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed as Questionable for Thursday
Paul George

Questionable Thursday
Joel Embiid

Unlikely to Play Thursday
Jaylen Brown

Doubtful to Play Thursday
Kevin Huerter

Sidelined One Week
Daniel Gafford

Aggravates Right-Ankle Injury on Wednesday
Collin Sexton

Injured in Loss to Knicks
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Suffers Calf Injury on Wednesday Night
Kyren Williams

Expected to Play in Week 14
Davante Adams

Expected to Play Despite Missing Wednesday's Practice
Kyle Tucker

Visits With Blue Jays
Woody Marks

Texans Say Woody Marks Will be Fine
Rasmus Ristolainen

to Miss at Least One More Week
Drew Doughty

Logs Full Practice Wednesday
Emilio Pagán

Reds Bring Back Closer Emilio Pagan on Two-Year Deal
Jeff Skinner

Remains Sidelined Wednesday
Petr Mrazek

Out 2-3 Weeks
Pelle Larsson

Set to Suit Up Versus Dallas
Tyler Seguin

Likely Done for the Season
P.J. Washington

Ruled Out Against Miami
Neal Pionk

Returns to Jets Lineup
J.J. McCarthy

Practices in Full, on Track to Return in Week 14
Cedric Mullins

Rays Agree on One-Year Deal
Mark Andrews

Agrees to Three-Year Extension With Ravens
Freddy Peralta

Brewers Considering Trading Freddy Peralta
Kyle Schwarber

Reds Serious About Adding Kyle Schwarber in Free Agency?
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Officially Questionable for Thursday Night
Omarion Hampton

"on Track and Looking Good" for Week 14
CFB

Brent Key Signing Five-Year Deal to Remain at Georgia Tech
Joey Bosa

Week-to-Week With Hamstring Injury
Bryce Young

Panthers Expected to Pick Up Bryce Young's Fifth-Year Option
Deshaun Watson

Browns Opening Practice Window for Deshaun Watson
CFB

Brian Hartline Expected to Land USF Head-Coaching Job
CFB

Collin Klein Expected to be Top Target for Kansas State if Head-Coach Job Opens
CFB

Chris Klieman Considering Stepping Down at Kansas State
Aaron Rodgers

Appears to be Healthier Heading into Week 14
Jalen McMillan

Expected to Have his 21-day Practice Window Opened
Mike Evans

' Practice Window Opened, Returning to Practice on Wednesday
Alexander Wennberg

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Michael Callahan

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Michael Rasmussen

Makes Early Exit Tuesday
Scott Wedgewood

Exits Early With Back Problem
Evander Kane

Expected to Be Fine After Skate Cut
Tyler Seguin

Injured Versus Rangers
Sean Monahan

Expected to Play Thursday
Nathan Walker

Out for Eight Weeks
CFB

D.J. Durkin Staying at Auburn Under Alex Golesh
CFB

Charlie Weis Jr. Permitted to Coach Ole Miss Offense in College Football Playoff
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Says he's Fine After Suffering Hip Contusion
Omarion Hampton

Likely to Return in Week 14
CFB

Five-Star Quarterback Jared Curtis Flips Commitment From Georgia to Vanderbilt
CFB

Florida Hiring Brad White as Defensive Coordinator
Kyle Schwarber

Giants Have Checked in on Kyle Schwarber
Willson Contreras

Willing to Waive his Full No-Trade Clause?
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers "Hopeful" Brandon Aiyuk Will Play in 2025
Edwin Díaz

Mets Still Interested in Re-Signing Edwin Diaz
Devin Williams

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Mets
Cole Ragans

Red Sox Targeting Cole Ragans in a Trade?
CFB

Kentucky Hires Oregon Offensive Coordinator Will Stein As Head Coach
CFB

Kalani Sitake the Top Target for Penn State Coaching Job
CFB

Josh Heupel Says He's Not a Candidate for Penn State Head Coach Job
CFB

Will Stein, Brian Hartline the Top Candidates for Kentucky Job?
CFB

Nebraska Fires Defensive Coordinator John Butler After One Season
CFB

UCLA Expected to Hire Bob Chesney as Next Head Coach
CFB

Lane Kiffin to Make $13 Million Salary, Ties Kirby Smart
CFB

Buster Faulkner, Joey Halzle Candidates for Florida Offensive Coordinator Job?
CFB

Kentucky Officially Fires Mark Stoops
CFB

Lane Kiffin to be Introduced as LSU's Next Head Coach on Monday
CFB

Florida Poised to Land Jon Sumrall as Next Head Coach
Zack Wheeler

Likely to Return in May
Ryan Helsley

Agrees to Two-Year Deal With Orioles

RANKINGS

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