Well-Known Players: Drop, Hold, or Sell Low?

Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 1 of 2025. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our first weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players as we head into Week 1 of the 2025 season. Each week, we will go through the biggest players in a slump and determine if we should drop, hold, or sell them. 

For the first few weeks, though, it's important not to overreact to some slow starts. It sometimes takes players longer than usual to get going, and things eventually even out as the season goes on. Just look at Aaron Judge in 2024. He had a .197 batting average and six home runs through his first 33 games. He wound up finishing with a .322 average and a league-leading 58 home runs. 

So, let's look at which five well-known players are off to slow starts through the first weekend of the MLB season and determine what to do with them in fantasy. These players are rostered in almost all leagues heading into Week 1 (March 31st - April 6th). 

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Rafael Devers, 3B/DH, Boston Red Sox 

Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers is off to a brutal start. In his first four games, he is 0-for-16 with 12 strikeouts. That slow start has made fantasy managers question whether he was the right pick at his preseason ADP of 31.3. The 28-year-old dealt with some shoulder issues in the spring and didn't seem to be on the same page with the front office after he initially wasn't open to the idea of giving up his third-base duties. 

Although he eventually agreed to be Boston's full-time DH in 2025, there are many concerns surrounding the left-handed slugger right now. He continues to battle some shoulder issues, which stemmed from the 2024 season, and Devers could have a hard time staying ready for his at-bats since he won't be playing the field this year.

Rafael Devers has had a tough start to the season for Boston:
0/16 | 12 K | 2 BB | 1 RBI pic.twitter.com/ksvjG3lg91

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 30, 2025

However, fantasy managers shouldn't be dropping or selling him this early in the new campaign. Devers will figure things out, and his numbers should eventually even out. This is a hitter who has averaged 32 home runs, 96 RBI, and 37 doubles per season over the last four years. So, stay patient with him, especially since he only had 15 plate appearances in the spring.

Bailey Ober, SP, Minnesota Twins 

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober got rocked in his first start of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals. He gave up eight runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts across two 2/3 innings pitched. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should take this outing with a grain of salt and not panic.

It was just one year ago that Ober struggled in his first outing of 2024. He gave up eight runs on nine hits against the Kansas City Royals and only lasted one 1/3 innings. Excluding that start, though, the right-hander had a 3.60 ERA and 190 strikeouts across his 30 starts after that. As a result, he will surely bounce back following his rough start against the Cardinals. 

Bailey Ober spent all day Friday sleeping and puking. Got an IV yesterday. Ryan Jeffers said Ober was nowhere close to full strength, hence the diminished stuff today.

Edouard Julien also was down with flu-like symptoms for several days.#MNTwins

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) March 30, 2025

Ober had a 3.22 expected ERA, a .209 expected batting average against, and a 33.5 percent chase rate in 2024. His strikeout rate (26.9 percent) and walk rate (6.1 percent) also both ranked in the top 26 percent of the league last year. Therefore, the 6-foot-9 pitcher is a strong hold in all formats. Fantasy managers should expect a much better outing from him in his next start against the Astros. 

Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals 

Fantasy managers should be a bit worried about St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn. Despite having a breakout season in 2024, Winn has looked lost at the plate all spring. He had a .080 batting average across 17 spring training games (4-for-50) and didn't total any extra-base hits. 

Unfortunately, his offensive woes have continued into the regular season. Winn is 0-for-9 with five strikeouts through the first three games. Even on his four balls in play, the shortstop hasn't hit the ball well. Those balls had an average exit velocity of 80 mph and a hard-hit rate of 33.3 percent. Therefore, fantasy managers should be looking to sell him for cheap. 

Winn is having a hard time catching up to the fastball so far this season, and that should be a concern for those who own him. The 23-year-old has a 58.3 percent whiff rate on fastballs to begin the year. This batting slump also dates back to last season after the shortstop hit .196 with 20 strikeouts across 23 September games. So, it might be time to move him in fantasy. 

David Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates 

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar was once one of the best closers in the National League. In 2023, he saved 39 games with a 2.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts across 66 appearances. However, Bednar failed to return to that All-Star form last season, finishing with a 5.77 ERA and seven blown saves. 

Despite that poor campaign on the mound, the Pirates still placed confidence in the right-hander this offseason. Since he was set to be the team's closer once again, he was drafted in most leagues heading into the season. His roster share reached 70 percent in ESPN leagues and 85 percent in Yahoo leagues. Expect that to change in the coming days, though. 

The Marlins have their THIRD WALK-OFF of the season!

(via @Marlins)pic.twitter.com/R5A7bM0Mgi

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 30, 2025

It has been a shaky few games for Bednar to begin the season. He took the loss on Opening Day, almost blew a save on Friday, and got the loss again on Sunday after allowing the leadoff man to get on. Given his poor start, he is someone to consider dropping in some formats. He will likely lose his closer role in the future, assuming he hasn't already. 

Luis Arraez, 1B/2B, San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez has struggled out of the gate. He is hitless through his first 13 at-bats and didn't look great offensively in the entire series against the Braves. But Arraez had similar problems to start last season. He had just seven hits across 36 at-bats (.194 batting average) in his first nine games. 

As a result, fantasy managers should not be panicking about him this early in the year. Even though Arraez won't contribute big numbers in the home run, RBI, or stolen base categories, you can always count on him for his high batting average. The San Diego first baseman has finished with over a .310 batting average in three straight seasons.

That makes him a hold in all formats. He totaled a combined 200 hits with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres last season, and it's hard to see him not crossing that 200-hit threshold again in 2025. So, keep Arraez on your roster and watch your team's batting average climb in rotisserie leagues.

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