Well-Known Fantasy Baseball Players - Drop or Hold? (Week 24)

We are at the point of the regular season where every matchup now matters. Whether your playoffs started this week in Week 24 or start next week in Week 25, now is the time to make the necessary moves to get your team either to the playoffs or to the championship. That should be the main goal for every fantasy manager right now. 

As a result, it might be time to drop some struggling fantasy players. There's no point in holding onto that hitter in a major slump at the plate or that pitcher who has been hit hard recently.

So, let's look at five struggling players in fantasy and determine what to do with them right now. Some of these players are worth holding onto, while others should be dropped immediately. All stats in this article are through Sunday's games. 

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SP/RP Ryan Pepiot, Tampa Bay Rays

It has been a strong season for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot. After being dealt to the Rays in the Tyler Glasnow deal this offseason, the 27-year-old is showing his potential in the majors. He has a 3.76 ERA and 114 strikeouts across 107.2 innings this year. Pepiot has also become a reliable fantasy option for managers in 2024.

However, Pepiot is coming off one of his worst starts of the year his last time out, giving up three runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts across three innings against the San Diego Padres. With the fantasy playoffs either here or right around the corner, those types of performances just won't cut it at this point of the season. So, what should fantasy managers do with the Rays starter in Week 24? 

Ryan Pepiot’s Four Seam Fastball has the lowest BA Against out of all pitches in Major League Baseball (Min. 200 PA) at .160!#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/h5m2J1ZLwc

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) August 28, 2024

It's hard to drop Pepiot because he has been solid for fantasy managers all year. But looking at his next two matchups in Week 24 and Week 25, it might be time to let go of the young pitcher. This week, he faces the Baltimore Orioles, and then he's lined up to face either the Philadelphia Phillies or Cleveland Guardians next week. Playing matchups is so important in the fantasy playoffs, making the Rays starter a drop right now. 

OF Jorge Soler, Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler has really struggled since being dealt at the trade deadline. Soler is batting just .184 (14-for-76) with five home runs, two doubles, and 12 RBI in his first 25 games with the team. The power-hitting outfielder also dealt with a hamstring injury that kept him out for a couple of games in the middle of August. 

Soler has never been known as a player to hit for a high average, as he has a career .241 batting average. However, carrying a player into the playoffs who has been hitting less than .200 since the beginning of August is not a great recipe for success. Those are the type of players you should be dropping immediately on waivers. 

Jorge Soler (+550) HR to give the Braves an early lead🔥pic.twitter.com/tkutqWd8No

— Caesars Sportsbook & Casino (@CaesarsSports) August 28, 2024

Of course, the home runs are why fantasy managers are even rostering the Braves slugger in the first place. But he has just one home run since August 12. As a result, it's best to drop Soler at this point of the season. It's shocking to see him rostered in over 60% of Yahoo! leagues still amid this rough slump at the plate. 

SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is another player slumping at the plate right now. Neto has no doubt had a strong season so far, hitting .250 with 20 HRs, 28 doubles, 66 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Not many major league players can hit at least 20 HRs and steal at least 20 bases at 23 years old, and that has certainly helped Neto's fantasy value in 2024. 

However, he is hitting only .157 (11-for-70) with three HRs, two doubles, and five RBI since August 11. In those last 19 games, Neto has struck out 21 times and is failing to get on base with a .253 on-base percentage. It has been a rough couple of weeks for those who roster the Angels shortstop in fantasy. He isn't stealing many bases and has just four hits over his last 11 contests. 

Despite the recent struggles, though, fantasy managers shouldn't be ready to drop Neto just yet. Yes, he is slumping at the plate, but his potential to steal bases and hit home runs on a nightly basis makes him a worthy hold in most formats. See how Neto does over the next few games before dropping him. 

SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

What a disappointing season it has been for Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly. He landed on the injured list after just four starts into the new season with a terse major strain in his shoulder. Following months of rehab, Kelly finally made his return to Arizona's pitching staff in the middle of August. That return, though, might have been too early. 

That's because Kelly has struggled in three of his four starts since being activated from the 60-day IL. In those three outings, the right-hander has allowed at least seven hits and four earned runs in each of those starts, including 10 hits and six runs (four earned runs) his last time out against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since his return on August 11, he has given up more earned runs (16) than batters he has struck out (12).

Merrill Kelly on his outing:

"The game in general can be summed up by just missed locations ... Since I've come back, I would say that's probably the biggest hindrance so far." pic.twitter.com/2sXoABTuVl

— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) September 1, 2024

As a result, time is ticking for Kelly to keep a spot on your fantasy roster. Having three straight rough outings is not a great sign for his fantasy outlook down the stretch, especially in the playoffs. But with a start against the San Francisco Giants in Week 24, it might be smart to keep him on your roster for one more week. 

SP/RP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox 

At this point of the season, fantasy managers should be dropping Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet. He has been a sell-low on this list for several weeks, but with the trade deadline now fully behind us, it might be time to drop the All-Star pitcher before he makes his next start. 

With the White Sox playing for nothing over the final month of the season, look for the team to continue to limit Crochet's arm. The southpaw hasn't pitched more than four innings since June 30, which was over two months ago. In his last start on Sunday against the Mets, he went just 3.1 innings while throwing 57 pitches. 

Whenever Crochet pitches, he's great for fantasy managers. Despite only going 3.1 innings last weekend, he still struck out eight batters and only gave up one run on three hits. However, his short starts are going to hurt fantasy managers in the playoffs, especially those who can only start a certain number of pitchers every week. So, that's why he is a drop in most leagues in Week 24.