The Cut List: Week 3 - Time to Let Go?

Welcome to the Cut List. This is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers should consider cutting from their teams. We'll look at players who are worthy of a drop, worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat but worth holding on to... for now.

Moving forward, we'll also revisit the previous week's choices to see anyone who plays their way off the Cut List and back into our lineups. This isn't a "hard and fast" list of definite players to drop but hopefully will act as a tool to help you with your roster decisions.

I'm a strong advocate for not making knee-jerk reactions at the start of the season. If a player has a bad week or two in the middle of the season, it's easily lost among the existing numbers. But when it's to start the year, a 1-for-15 slump is much more noticeable. To start out the year, we'll be putting more emphasis on roles rather than just pure stats, although of course, the numbers will always factor into the equation.  All stats and rostered rates (taken from Yahoo) were correct at the time of writing.

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Worth Dropping and Replacing

Elvis Andrus - SS, Oakland Athletics - 9% rostered

When Oakland acquired Andrus to replace the departing Marcus Semien this off-season, it was a chance to revive a stuttering career. Like many, Andrus struggled in 2020, playing just 29 games with a .194/.252./330 slash line, three homers and three steals. Given Andrus stole 31 bases in 2019, there was a hope he could help with steals again this year but so far, he's looked like a player winding down his career.

The Athletics slow start to the season has been a contributing factor but Andrus is just 4 for 35 to start the year (with two walks). Two of his four hits were doubles but he's only managed to score one run and tally one RBI too. Coming into the season, I was a believer that Andrus could be a useful contributor in deeper leagues but that was in part with the hope he'd be hitting near the top of the lineup. The reality is Andrus hasn't hit higher than seventh in the batting order and has been mainly hitting eighth. He's not warranted being moved up the order so doesn't have any clear route to fantasy value right now.

Verdict - Droppable in all formats except 16+ team or AL-only leagues

Leody Taveras - OF, Texas Rangers - 33% rostered

Taveras burst onto the scene last year for the Rangers and found himself as the team's leadoff hitter for the final month of the shortened season. His eight stolen bases in just 33 games highlighted his biggest fantasy asset and saw him shoot up draft boards this Spring. Unfortunately, his biggest negative fantasy trait has reared its head this year with Taveras hitting just .091/.130/.091. The power was always pretty limited and expecting a batting average above .240 was never realistic but it's been a disastrous start to 2021 for Taveras.

Any hope he'd remain as the Rangers leadoff hitter quickly evaporated when he started the season as the number eight hitter. He's so far split time there and ninth so already has serious limits to potential counting stats. He's been unable to get on base to show off his speed and given he skipped Triple-A, is in consideration for a demotion if he doesn't manage to turn things around soon.

Verdict - Droppable in 12+ team leagues or smaller. Worth holding on to in deeper leagues if you need steals but be prepared for him to be sent down to the Minor Leagues this month.

Victor Reyes - OF, Detroit Tigers - 23% rostered

The emergence of Akil Baddoo has left a huge question mark of Reyes' playing time moving forward. He's not helped himself by hitting .067/.067/.267 to start the year, with his only hit of the season being a home run. Reyes was drafted as a solid contributor who could steal ~15 bases, hit ~10 home runs, score 60+ runs and drive in 50+ runs all with a .265 batting average.

As the Tigers fourth or even fifth outfielder, playing time is going to be significantly hard to come by now for Reyes without injuries. Miguel Cabrera has hit the IL so that could open up the DH spot for some rotation among the outfielders. But even if one of Nomar Mazara, Robbie Grossman or JaCoby Jones is used as the DH or gets hurt, Reyes will likely only be on the weak side of a platoon with Baddoo.

Verdict - Droppable in 14+ team leagues or smaller. Droppable in all weekly lineup leagues. In leagues with deep benches and daily lineup moves, he's worth holding on to as a backup if you already have a Tigers outfielder.

David Price - SP, Los Angeles Dodgers - 49% rostered

If you drafted early in Spring, you may have been taking Price in the expectation that he would be a part of the Dodgers rotation. Sadly for any fantasy manager who drafted Price, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Price would be used as a reliever in 2021. And Price hasn't been effective in the role so far. In his two outings, he's totaled 3.2 IP and given up five earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks. Price has served up three homers as well, although two came at Coors Field so could be excused.

Regardless of performance, Price being used as a middle reliever in low leverage spots isn't going to offer any value. Even if he gets some spot starts as the season progresses, Price likely won't be able to build up to any lengthy start. He's been a bit of a workhorse throughout his career so doesn't appear best suited to this new role either. The early results back that up.

Verdict - Droppable in all leagues

Hold For Now

Sean Murphy - C, Oakland Athletics - 66% rostered

The catcher position in fantasy has a dearth of talent but Murphy was expected to be a top-10 option at the position this year with ~15 homers and a .230 batting average being projected. Like many in Oakland, Murphy is off to a slow start, hitting .056/.227/.056 with just a solitary single and one RBI to his name. Given some of the other catching options likely available, Murphy is worth sticking with as the Athletics will get better and so will he. But if he still has just one hit to his name in a week, his position as a rosterable fantasy catcher will be in jeopardy.

Andrew Benintendi - OF, Kansas City Royals - 53% rostered

Benintendi was a surprise acquisition by the Kansas City Royals this offseason and there was a hope he could get his career back on track. After a 20-homer, 20-steal season in 2017, he had another impressive year in 2018 before regressing in 2019. Last year was a disaster for Benintendi where he managed to play just 14 games and put up a .103 batting average. This year, he's hitting just .200 and is yet to record an extra-base hit or steal a base. He's hitting second in the lineup so as long as that remains the case and he does start hitting for more power, he'll find himself off this list. But if he doesn't turn things around, it will be time to look elsewhere.

Anthony Bass - RP, Miami Marlins - 45% rostered

Bass got the Marlins' first save opportunity of the year and promptly blew it giving up four earned runs against the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched a scoreless inning the following day in a non save situation but still gave up three hits. He then blew another save on Thursday, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk while recording just one out. Manager Don Mattingly has said there will be a committee moving forward with Yimi Garcia (who has since recorded a save and has given up just one earned run in 5.0 IP), Dylan Floro and Richard Bleier being mentioned as options along with Bass. I think Bass does get another save chance if Garcia is unavailable but if he blows that, he's an easy cut. For now, if you can keep him on your bench then do so as Bass might be able to pick up enough saves to be relevant.

On the Hot Seat

Chris Paddack - SP, San Diego Padres - 92% rostered

Fantasy managers drafted Paddack hoping to get the 2019 version (140.2 IP, 153 K and 3.33 ERA) while fearing the 2020 version (59.0 IP, 58 K and 4.73 ERA). The projections had him somewhere in between with an ERA of 3.80 - 4.00 expected and slightly better than one strikeout per inning before the start of the season. His first two starts of the season haven't gone well with Paddack lasting just 4.0 IP in both and having a 5.63 ERA with six strikeouts to show for it.

His expected ERA (xERA) is 3.54 and he has a BABIP of .308 against him so there is a reason for optimism. The concern, however, is the two appearances have come against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers, both of whom are middling offenses at best. He's lined up to face the Pittsburgh Pirates next and if that start doesn't go well, fantasy managers can justifiably start to panic a bit over Paddack.

Under Consideration

Andrew Vaughn - 1B, Chicago White Sox - 39% rostered

The White Sox seem less keen on playing Vaughn than fantasy managers would like. He's not hit well enough to force himself into more playing time and could find himself optioned to the Minor Leagues in the coming weeks. If the White Sox aren't keen to give him everyday at-bats, he's not someone you can rely on for your fantasy teams.

Adam Ottavino - RP, Boston Red Sox - 29% rostered

Matt Barnes has been very good (5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA) and Ottavino hasn't been good at all (2.1 IP, 11.57 ERA). Barnes looks like being the sole closer in Boston unless both their fortunes change. There should be better speculative saves available on your waiver wire.

Brian Anderson - 3B, Miami Marlins - 34% rostered

The lure of Anderson was a later-round pick with average power (~20 homers) with a decent batting average (~.260) and hitting in the heart of the lineup for some solid counting stats. So far, Anderson has hit .160 with one run the only counting stat to his name. There may be better options for the corner infield spot, especially in shallow leagues.

Adam Duvall - OF, Miami Marlins - 12% rostered

Duvall is a streaky hitter so a rough start to the tune of a .136 average shouldn't come as a surprise. He's already hit a homer but has found himself out of the starting lineup twice and dropping down from fourth to sixth in the batting lineup. Without more regular at-bats, Duvall's power doesn't make up for the low batting average and limited counting stats he'll get with the Marlins.

Archie Bradley - RP, Philadelphia Phillies - 41% rostered

Hopes of Bradley being the sole closer in Philadelphia dissipated when the dreaded "closer by committee" approach was announced. Bradley hasn't helped his cause either with an ERA of 6.00 through 3.0 IP. He could still get ninth-inning work and secure a save or two but if he doesn't improve on his last two outings (1.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 K), he'll find himself lower down the pecking order and potentially out of saves contention altogether.

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