Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low for Week 17? (2025)

July 21, 2025

Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 17 of the 2025 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. Each week of the fantasy baseball season, we'll look at what to do with slumping players. All five players featured on this list entered the All-Star break trending down, and things haven't improved much over the past couple of games.  

In this article, we will determine whether these five players are worth holding, dropping, or trading for cheap in Week 17 of the fantasy baseball season. Every player on this list is rostered in over 50% of Yahoo! leagues, but each player has seen their roster share drop over the past week. 

So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Should they drop, hold, or sell them in Week 17? Let's dive in and find out!

Ian Happ, OF, Chicago Cubs 

Although Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ launched a solo home run on Saturday and has a hit in three straight games coming out of the break, he has been a subpar fantasy option in recent weeks. Happ is batting just .143 with one home run, seven RBI, and 18 strikeouts over his last 18 contests dating back to June 26. 

Amid this stretch, the Cubs have also moved Happ down in the order. After hitting leadoff in his first 84 games, the veteran has hit fifth, sixth (twice), and seventh (twice) over the past five contests. All this certainly explains why his rostership has dropped to 85% in Yahoo! leagues. Despite the recent poor numbers, the Cubs left fielder is a strong hold in all formats in Week 17 of the fantasy baseball season. 

There's no doubt the consistency hasn't been there for Happ in 2025. His batting average (.228) is lower than usual, his barrel rate (9.4%) and hard-hit rate (40.8%) are both down, and he only has four stolen bases on the year. However, fantasy managers should trust his proven track record. 

Ian Happ delivers and the Cubs are up early! pic.twitter.com/OK4NnOf5iP

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 20, 2025

Even though Happ has moved down in the order, he should see more RBI chances moving forward. He'll continue hitting behind Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. That could actually help his fantasy value in the next few months. With an expected .258 batting average and a 12.4% walk rate, it's best to hold him in fantasy. 

Verdict: Hold in all formats

Clay Holmes, SP/RP, New York Mets 

Regression was inevitable for New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes. He surpassed his career-high innings pitched (70) at the beginning of June, and the strikeout stuff hasn't been there for him as a starter. As a result, it's not a total surprise to see Holmes struggle a bit in recent weeks. The 32-year-old has a 5.04 ERA and just 18 strikeouts across 30 1/3 innings over his last six starts.

Holmes has almost been unstartable in his last few outings. He has allowed at least four earned runs in two of his past three starts, including four earned runs (five runs) with only three strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Those three strikeouts also marked the seventh time in his last 10 starts that he struck out three batters or fewer. 

With Holmes already trending down in fantasy, it might be time to trade the Mets pitcher in all fantasy leagues. New York will likely limit his innings down the stretch, and nothing suggests that the right-hander will bounce back in the next few weeks. His strikeout rate (18.9%), expected ERA (4.23), and walk rate (9.4%) all rank poorly. 

Verdict: Sell for cheap in all formats

Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves 

It has definitely been a disappointing 2025 season for Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. After hitting .302 wth 39 home runs and 104 RBI in 2024, Ozuna's numbers look much different this year. The 34-year-old is hitting just .235 with 13 home runs, 42 RBI, and 89 strikeouts across 92 games. 

To make matters worse, Ozuna sat out three straight games (July 13, July 19, and July 20) before going 0-for-4 with one strikeout back in Atlanta's lineup on Sunday. There isn't a lot working in the slugger's favor as we head into Week 17 of the fantasy baseball season, especially since Braves manager Brian Snitker appeared to have benched the 2024 All-Star to begin the second half.  

Nevertheless, Ozuna is still a hold in most fantasy leagues. His metrics are better than expected, which means he should post better overall numbers in the final two and a half months of the season. The veteran ranks in the upper half of the league in barrel rate (11.1%), expected slugging (.481), hard-hit rate (49.4%), and xwOBA (.376). 

Given that Ozuna is also in the last year of his deal, there's a strong chance the Braves move him at the trade deadline. That change of scenery could help the slugger get back to being a strong fantasy option. So, it's best to hold him for the next few weeks.

The Braves can sell Marcell Ozuna, who is now a bench player, Raisel Iglesias, whose stock dipped again tonight, and Pierce Johnson, who surrendered one of the four homers the Yankees hit against Atlanta relievers tonight. Sellers or cellars?

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 20, 2025

Verdict: Hold in all formats

Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami Marlins 

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara has not had the year anyone envisioned. Alcantara has a 7.14 ERA and 73 strikeouts in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. Although he has been a below-average pitcher option in fantasy this season, the former National League Cy Young Award winner still finds himself rostered in 52% of Yahoo! leagues. 

That's way too high for a pitcher who has allowed at least four earned runs in 12 of his 19 starts in 2025. With a league-leading 77 earned runs allowed across 97 innings pitched, Alcantara should be dropped in most fantasy leagues in Week 17. His stuff just isn't there this year, and there is no reason to believe he will bounce back in the second half. 

While some fantasy managers might be hoping he gets traded next week, this is looking like a wash season for the 29-year-old. He ranks in the 12th percentile or worse in expected ERA (5.10), expected batting average against (.286), whiff rate (19.1%), and strikeout rate (16.7%). There's no fixing Alcantara in 2025. 

Verdict: Drop in most fantasy leagues

Cam Smith, 3B/OF, Houston Astros

There have been plenty of ups and downs for Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith in his first season. That's certainly expected for a player who is just 22 years old and hasn't faced much major league pitching in his career. However, fantasy managers have seen Smith's potential when he is locked in at the plate. 

From June 8 to July 8, the rookie hit .345 with four home runs, eight doubles, and 21 RBI across 28 games. He lifted his batting average by 41 points during that span and emerged as a strong fantasy option. Therefore, we should take his recent slump with a grain of salt because it was unlikely he was going to keep up that hitting pace for the remainder of the season. 

BRAND NEW BALLGAME!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/RBNvRZIXeB

— Houston Astros (@astros) July 20, 2025

Despite having just three hits over his last 28 at-bats, Smith should be held in most 12-plus team leagues right now. These rookie growing pains happen all the time, and fantasy managers need to be extremely patient with these young hitters. It's only a matter of time until the Astros outfielder breaks out of this offensive slump. 

Verdict: Hold in 12+ team leagues 

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