RADIO
Fantasy baseball is a long and stressful season. Every single player goes through ups and downs throughout the year. That makes things even harder to navigate in fantasy. Given the 162-game season, it's important to remain patient on certain players.
Overreacting to rough stretches from batters at the plate or pitchers on the mound is not a great recipe for success, especially when those players have a proven track record. It might be tough, but when players are in a slump, that is the perfect time to buy low on them.
So, let's look at four players in fantasy baseball heading into Week 16 (July 8 to July 21) who fantasy managers should be buying low or selling high. All stats in this article are through Wednesday's games.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and weekly lineup resources:- Fantasy baseball injury reports
- Fantasy baseball trade analyzer
- Daily MLB starting lineups for fantasy baseball
- Fantasy baseball BvP matchups data (Batter vs. Pitcher)
- Fantasy baseball PvB matchups data (Pitcher vs. Batter)
- Who should I start? Fantasy baseball player comparisons
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts, bullpens, saves
- Fantasy Baseball live scoreboard, daily leaderboards
Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade For
OF Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez makes this list again amid another slump at the plate. Since June 11, Rodriguez is hitting just .147 (11-for-75) with two home runs, four RBI, and 18 strikeouts. This recent stretch has lowered his batting average down to .244, which is the lowest it has stood since April 17 (.219).
Rodriguez has been the most frustrating player to roster in fantasy this year, and those who spent a first-round pick on the Mariners outfielder are extremely disappointed with his fantasy production. The 23-year-old is currently ranked 87th overall in Yahoo! leagues. However, fantasy managers shouldn't give up on him just yet.
“We know what he can be when he's right. He's a top-5 MVP candidate every year.”
It's time to get Julio Rodríguez right with Dr. DeRo!#TridentsUp | @markdero7 pic.twitter.com/HjZtKXp0lR
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 3, 2024
Of course, Rodriguez has looked lost at the plate for most of the year, but the talent is obviously there for him to turn it around. In his first two seasons, the young outfielder totaled a combined 60 HRs, 178 RBI, and 62 stolen bases. He has also been one of the best hitters in the second half. In 2023, the 23-year-old hit .308 with 19 HRs, 19 doubles, 54 RBI, and 15 stolen bases after the All-Star break.
So, there is still plenty of time for Rodriguez to turn it around at the plate. That's why fantasy managers should be looking to buy low on him in fantasy right now. He's too talented to give up on.
2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies is another player you should not give up on in fantasy. Albies has been in a rough slump at the plate over the past month, and fantasy managers are growing impatient with the switch-hitting second baseman. He is hitting just .211 (26-for-123) with three HRs, nine doubles, and 14 RBI over the last 30 games. That stretch has lowered his batting average to .254 on the year.
Albies has struggled for a large part of the 2024 campaign, and his home-run numbers are down significantly from last year. He has just six HRs through July 3, putting him on pace for just 12 long balls this season. That is extremely disappointing for fantasy managers, considering he hit at least 30 HRs in two of the past three years.
Another day, another @ozzie highlight!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/LE3uoPoTqm
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 19, 2024
However, you should be looking to trade for Albies ahead of Week 16. Like Rodriguez, the Braves second baseman is too talented to not turn it around in the second half. After the All-Star break last season, the 27-year-old went on to hit .304 with 11 HRs, 15 doubles, and 46 RBI in the final 59 games. So, expect better numbers for him the rest of the season, making him a nice buy-low candidate.
Overvalued Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade Away
SS Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins
After battling a foot issue in 2023, Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is enjoying a bounce-back season in 2024. The two-time All-Star is currently hitting .310 at the plate with 10 HRs, 16 doubles, and 41 RBI through 67 games this year. Correa has also been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the past few weeks.
Since June 9, Correa is batting an impressive .422 (21-for-83) with five HRs, five doubles, nine walks, and 17 RBI. This 21-game stretch has raised his average by 55 points on the year. The Twins shortstop has also produced consistent fantasy numbers during this span.
Nonetheless, now might be the perfect time to trade him away. While Correa is this hot at the plate, his value might never be higher. So, fantasy managers should pounce on this opportunity. He has been awesome over the past month, but he'll eventually cool off. As a result, if you can somehow flip him for Albies, that should be a move you make 10 out of 10 times at this point of the season.
SP/RP Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez has been one of the most surprising pitchers in baseball this season. After being a reliever for the past few years, Lopez signed with the Braves this offseason to be a full-time starter again. In his first 15 starts in 2024, he currently owns a 1.83 ERA with 87 strikeouts across 83 2/3 innings pitched. Despite his strong start to the season, though, fantasy managers should be looking to trade him away immediately.
There haven't many negative things to say about Lopez in 2024. However, we could eventually see the right-hander burn out as the season progresses. He hasn't thrown more than 100 innings since 2019, and fantasy managers could see him go shorter in games because of it. Over the past four seasons, the 30-year-old has pitched a combined 215 1/3 innings.
Reynaldo López, Wicked 88mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/qzkArcAUAH
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2024
While Lopez is still producing solid numbers on the mound, we could also see some regression from him in the second half of the season. His expected ERA (4.29), expected batting average against (.252), average exit velocity (89.8 mph), and walk rate (9.2%) all rank in the bottom half of the league. So trade him now before his expected numbers catch up to him.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
More Fantasy Baseball Advice
