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Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of fantasy baseball trade targets. Each week, this article has featured plenty of big-name players to buy low on and sell high in fantasy. Superstars like Corbin Carroll and Julio Rodriguez have made the buy-low list this season, while Garrett Crochet and Jared Jones have made the sell-high list.
Heading into Week 14 (June 24 to June 30), this list will feature four new players that fantasy managers should be buying low or selling high in fantasy. Buying low on the two players in this article could really help your team down the stretch in August and September. The two sell-high players should be traded away immediately while their value remains relatively high.
So, without further ado, here are four players fantasy managers should be buying low or selling high in fantasy ahead of Week 14.
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Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade For
SP Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
It has been unusual to see Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez struggle as much as he has on the mound this year. After finishing with a 3.75 ERA or less in four straight seasons from 2020 to 2023, Lopez currently owns a 5.63 ERA across his first 15 starts in 2024. Most importantly, the right-hander has put up some lopsided pitching lines over the past month and a half.
Since May 20, Lopez has an 8.49 ERA in his past six starts. During that span, the 28-year-old has given up at least five earned runs four times, and opposing hitters are batting .298 against him. So, the right-hander's fantasy value is certainly down following a couple of rough outings.
I have no idea what Pablo Lopez is trying to do with his four-seam fastball to lefties.
xSLG on it is .500+, ground-ball rate down to 26%.
Some positive regression is coming his way, but I'd bet the HR rate stays elevated if the fastball stays low. 🤷♂️ #Twins pic.twitter.com/JEfaf6mWDM
— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) June 19, 2024
However, Lopez is absolutely a player fantasy managers should be trading for right now. We saw a similar rough stretch from him in 2023 when he allowed 31 earned runs over 45 1/3 innings pitched (6.15 ERA) from April 22 to June 1. As the season went on, though, the Twins pitcher got stronger and stronger. From June 30 onward, the right-hander had a 2.94 ERA and 114 strikeouts in his final 16 starts.
So, now is the perfect time to trade for Lopez, especially after he gave up five earned runs across four innings against the Tampa Rays in his most recent outing. Look for the All-Star pitcher to bounce back and post some strong lines over the final three-plus months.
OF Adolis Garcia, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia has been one of the coldest hitters in baseball over the past month. Since May 24, Garcia is hitting just .114 (9-for-79) with one home run, four RBI, and 25 strikeouts. Those poor numbers at the plate have certainly hurt his fantasy numbers, as he is ranked 238th in Yahoo leagues during that stretch.
But there is some optimism that Garcia will eventually pick things up. For starters, the 31-year-old has established himself as one of the best power hitters in the game after belting at least 27 HRs and 90 RBI in three straight seasons from 2021 to 2023. While his average might not always be the best, fantasy managers can always seem to count on his home-run numbers.
Bruce Bochy on Adolis Garcia's day off: "I really think he does need a day off ... we've got to get him going."
He's hit .152 in his last 30 games.
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) June 18, 2024
That surely hasn't been the case for Garcia over the past month, but his 13 HRs and 40 RBI are still solid numbers. Those numbers put him on pace for 28 HRs and 74 RBI this year. There are also signs that the two-time All-Star could finish with even better power numbers over the final months.
His expected slugging (.436), average exit velocity (91.2 mph), barrel rate (13.9%), and hard-hit rate (46.5%) all rank pretty well. So, better results should be coming for Garcia in the coming weeks. That's why fantasy managers should be buying him now before his bat heats up.
Overvalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade Away
OF Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
It has been an up-and-down season so far for Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ. After taking a couple of days off in the middle of May amid some hitting struggles, Happ has been red-hot at the plate over the past few weeks. Since May 22, the switch-hitting outfielder is hitting .298 with seven HRs, eight doubles, and 24 RBI.
Those strong numbers have led to some big fantasy days for the 29-year-old. He has scored the ninth-most fantasy points in Yahoo leagues over the past 30 days, ahead of players like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, and Fernando Tatis Jr. Happ has also totaled five straight multi-hit games, so things continue to trend up for the Cubs outfielder.
Ian Happ's last seven days:
.500/.583/1.050
343 wRC+ (1st in MLB)
0.8 fWAR (1st in MLB)— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) June 20, 2024
However, now might be the perfect time to trade away Happ in fantasy. Despite his recent surge at the plate, he is still hitting just .238 with nine home runs and 38 RBI on the year. His hot streak at the plate won't last forever and there could be some rough fantasy days on the horizon, given his high strikeout rate (27.2%) and expected batting average (.238). So, fantasy managers should take advantage of the 28-year-old's nice streak and trade him while his value is this high.
SP Jake Irvin, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Irvin has been one of the most surprising pitchers in baseball this season. After finishing with a 4.61 ERA in his rookie campaign, Irvin has taken his game to another level in Year 2. The right-hander currently owns a 3.24 ERA in his first 15 starts in 2024.
Despite giving up four earned runs in his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Irvin has pitched like an ace for the Nationals over the past two months. Since May 4, the 27-year-old has a 2.58 ERA and 45 strikeouts. During that span, he has given up two earned runs or less in seven of nine outings while holding opposing hitters to a .227 average. Things are certainly going well for the young pitcher as of late.
However, look to see what it would take to trade him away. While things have been great for Irvin this season, some regression could be coming for the 27-year-old. His expected ERA (3.89), expected batting average against (.254), average exit velocity (90.3 mph), strikeout rate (20.5%), and hard-hit rate (42.7%) all don't rank particularly well. As a result, fantasy managers should be looking to trade him now before he possibly gets hit hard at Coors Field this weekend.
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