Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop, Hold, or Sell Low for Week 2? (2025)

April 7, 2025

Joey discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 2 of 2025. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players. During each week of the fantasy season, we will identify which big-time players are in a slump and determine what we should do with them in fantasy (drop, hold, or sell low). These difficult decisions could be the difference in winning your matchups every week. 

At this point in the season, though, most fantasy managers won't cut some of their well-known players. It is too early in the season to panic, and plenty of players can turn it around in the coming weeks. Still, several players are struggling in the early going. 

So, let's look at which five well-known players are off to slow starts to begin the 2025 campaign and determine if we should drop, hold, or sell them heading into Week 2 (April 7 - April 13). If you have any other questions after reading this, be sure to check out all the fantasy baseball content here at RotoBaller.  

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Yainer Diaz, C, Houston Astros

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz was one of the best fantasy options at the position last year. He hit .299 with 16 home runs, 29 doubles, 84 RBI, and two stolen bases in 148 games. His .299 batting average ranked eighth in the majors, and his 84 RBI ranked third among all catchers in 2024. That made Diaz a safe pick early in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. 

YAINER TO THE MOON! BALLGAME!!! pic.twitter.com/SQ6EeYZVBW

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 20, 2024

However, the 26-year-old is off to a brutal start this season. He has just two hits across 26 at-bats and will enter Week 2 with a mere .077 batting average. That slow start has certainly made fantasy managers question what to do with the catcher in the early going.

Despite looking lost at the plate, he is a strong hold in all formats. We shouldn't totally panic after a seven-game sample size because we have seen what Diaz can do when he is at the top of his game.

He hit 23 home runs behind a .282 batting average in 2023 and followed that up with a solid all-around campaign last year. Therefore, we should expect the Astros catcher to post better numbers in the coming weeks, especially since his expected slugging (.452) and barrel rate (13.3 percent) both rank pretty well. 

Ronel Blanco, SP, Houston Astros 

Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco was a popular regression candidate heading into the 2025 season. After finishing with a 2.80 ERA and 166 strikeouts across 30 appearances (29 starts) last year, Blanco wasn't getting much love in fantasy drafts. Part of the reason was that the right-hander had a 4.15 FIP and a 10.1 percent walk rate. 

In the early going, we are seeing why Blanco wasn't going near the top of drafts. He allowed three runs on three hits with six strikeouts across five innings against the San Francisco Giants in his first start before only lasting one 1/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Minnesota Twins. In that outing on Sunday, the right-hander gave up four runs on five hits with three walks. 

Blanco is definitely not off to the best start in 2025, and walks continue to hurt him. With his struggles early on and a 14.3 percent walk rate, he is someone fantasy managers should be looking to sell low in the coming days. Regression was always expected from the right-hander, so make sure to sell him because his fantasy value could tank even further. 

Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays

It wasn't always going to be smooth sailing for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in 2025. Young hitters always seem to go through ups and downs throughout the year, and Caminero certainly falls under the latter through his first eight games this season. The 21-year-old is batting just .250 with two RBI and three runs scored. 

There's no doubt that Caminero hasn't exactly lit up the box score to begin the season and is just 2-for-18 at the plate in his last five games. Nonetheless, no fantasy manager should drop or sell the young third baseman in fantasy. Given his upside in that Rays offense, he is a firm hold in all formats. 

Junior Caminero returns to the Rays lineup this afternoon.

He enters today with the quickest bat in MLB:

Avg. Bat Speed: 80.1 MPH (1st)
Fast Swing%: 97.3% (1st)

(While small) In 27 PAs to start 2025, he has a 13.6% whiff% and 11.1% K% (90th+ percentile). pic.twitter.com/UaqaKxOvTV

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) April 6, 2025

Although Caminero isn't off to the best start, there are plenty of encouraging signs from him so far. His 80.1 mph bat speed ranks in the 100th percentile, and both his whiff rate (13.6 percent) and strikeout rate (11.1 percent) rank in the top 10 percent of the league through the first week and a half. As a result, fantasy managers should be patient with the Rays' third baseman because there is potential for a 30-home run season. 

Felix Bautista, RP, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista was one of the best closers in baseball back in 2023. The flame-throwing right-hander finished with a 1.48 ERA, 33 saves, and 110 strikeouts in 56 appearances. However, Bautista underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery toward the end of that campaign and missed the entire 2024 campaign as well. 

On the mound for the first time since Aug. 25, 2023, Félix Bautista strikes out three in a scoreless inning. 👏 pic.twitter.com/wHtx7unJUu

— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2025

Therefore, seeing the 29-year-old struggle in his first couple of appearances back is not a total shock. He allowed a hit and one walk with three strikeouts in his first appearance and then allowed two runs on two hits with two walks in his second appearance on March 31. With Bautista only pitching twice through the team's first 10 games, some fantasy managers might already be looking to sell him.

The command hasn't been there, and he hasn't pitched in one week. But there is no need to panic just yet. The Orioles were always going to be cautious with the right-hander in his return from Tommy John surgery. In addition, Bautista is likely just getting off some rust since he missed the whole 2024 season.

That makes him a firm hold in fantasy because better pitching days are indeed ahead for the former 2023 Reliever of the Year. 

Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves 

Austin Riley hasn't made much loud contact at the plate to begin the season. He is batting just .143 with one home run, three RBI, and 14 strikeouts through nine games. However, slow starts are nothing new for the two-time All-Star, as Riley struggled to get going early during the 2024 season. 

Riley batted only .225 with three home runs, 20 RBI, and 54 strikeouts across his first 51 games last season. The good news is that things eventually turned around for him. Following his rough offensive showing, the third baseman hit .284 with 16 home runs, 16 doubles, and 36 RBI over his next 59 games before suffering a season-ending hand injury in the middle of August. 

As a result, fantasy managers shouldn't be dropping or selling Riley for cheap at this point in the year. He will eventually figure things out and should finish with elite offensive numbers once again. The two-time Silver Slugger winner has hit at least 33 home runs and driven in over 90 RBI in three of the past four years.

We shouldn't expect that to change much in 2025, considering his barrel rate already sits at an elite 23.8 percent.

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