X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

It Was A Nice Run But Joc Pederson Has Fallen Hard, It's Time to Trade Him

Joc Pederson - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson had a huge start to the 2022 season for fantasy baseball but has been a faller since July began. Mark Kieffer explains why fantasy managers should trade the slugger now while they can.

Joc Pederson got off to a great start this season. If you had him in your fantasy lineups during April, May, and June, you enjoyed elite production of 17 home runs, 33 runs, 39 RBI, two steals, and a .276 batting average in those first 65 games played. He hit six home runs in April and May each, then six home runs in June. He was on pace for over 30 home runs, 75+ runs, and 80+ RBI at one point this season. At the end of June, Pederson was tied for 13th in HRs, above average in batting average as well.

It was looking like his 2019 season all over again when he hit .249, hit 36 home runs, scored 83 runs, and had 74 RBI. Then he fell back to Earth. Hard.

In the month of July, Pederson's production slowed down. He hit .143, hit zero home runs, scored three runs, and had just four RBI in 20 games played through July 26th. In his last five games played, he has been a pitch hitter in four of them. As his production slows down, his opportunities at the plate will slow down too.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Joc?

I recommend trading Joc Pederson if you play in a trading league. Admittedly, it would have been better to have traded him a month ago, you should still try to move him now while you can.

Even with the horrendous July, he is a top-40 outfielder in aggregate production, and someone who is not watching closely may not be noticing his downward trend as much as the person who has Pederson in their lineup is.

 

Who Can We Trade Joc Pederson For?

This is a great question and the answer will depend on what kind of league you are in and who is in your league. Below is a list of names to try to get and see if anyone bites.

Andrew VaughnOF for OF swaps don't happen often but Vaughn does have 1B eligibility as well and could be someone to look at to help at 1B if you have a hole there. In aggregate, he is hitting .295 with 10 home runs, 38 runs, and 49 RBI.

This could look like a power-for-average swap, and while he will boost your average, I have a better outlook for Vaughn going forward than Pederson. He is going to play every day, and in July, he has been trending upward with three home runs, 16 RBI, and 13 runs in 20 games played.

Alex BregmanThis might be a harder one to pull off because Bregman is a "name" meaning people place a higher value on him than they should relative to his stats. On the year, Bregman is batting .238 with 12 home runs, 49 runs scored, and 49 RBI.

Pederson has a higher batting average and more home runs than Bregman. If I had Bregman on my fantasy team, I'd be frustrated with him as there are at least 10 guys at third base I'd rather have this year.

Bregman is a career .276 hitter, his BABIP is just .247, and his batting average should improve. Additionally, he will outproduce the counting stats due to having more playing time.

Ketel MarteSimilar to Bregman, Marte is liked in the fantasy community and may be difficult to trade for. Marte is batting .267 with nine home runs, 47 runs, 35 RBI, and just four steals.

Marte is batting better than him, but .267 is a low average for Marte. Additionally, Marte has scored nine more runs and has eight fewer RBI than Pederson. Also, Pederson has three steals compared to Marte's four.

Marte is a career .285 hitter so he should hit for a better average than Pederson down the stretch, and if he stays healthy, he likely will outproduce Pederson in the counting stats by having more plate appearances than him.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.Gurriel is hitting .313 with five home runs, 40 runs, 41 RBI, and three steals. He has only outproduced Pederson in average and runs scored, while Pederson has hit 12 more home runs than Gurriel.

While the batting average should remain better (Gurriel is a career .289 hitter), hopefully more power is coming for Gurriel as he has a .191 career ISO and just a .121 ISO this season. In a full season with a .190 ISO, he hit 21 home runs.

It is reasonable to expect Gurriel to hit eight to 10 home runs the rest of the season, and that number could be close to what Pederson produces the rest of the season. Similar to the other guys, the counting stats should outperform Pederson due to having more plate appearances.

Carlos CarrascoIt might be tough to trade for Carrasco given the team he plays for and how popular they are. While he has 10 wins, 4.07 ERA, and 1.35 WHIP have been disappointing, he is striking out 23% of batters as opposed to his 25% mark over his career.

The good news for Carrasco is that his xFIP is 3.56. His WHIP should improve as well as his 6.4% walk rate is in line with his career 6.3% mark. His BABIP against is .344 and that number should come down. His WHIP going forward should be closer to his career 1.22.

Jose BerriosPeople are so done with Berrios that he might be thrown in for something else. With Berrios, his xFIP of 3.95 is much better than his ERA of 5.20. He also has a high 1.37 WHIP due to his BABIP being .321 as his walk rate is the lowest of his career at 5.6%.

I am not expecting anything elite, but he could perform like his 2020 season down the stretch here with an ERA closer to 4.00 and a WHIP in the 1.20 range with his lowered walk rate.

Despite the struggles, he has seven wins on the year as a benefit of being on a good team with a good offense.

Lucas GiolitoHe is very similar to Berrios in that his xFIP (3.72) is much better than his ERA (5.12). His 1.46 WHIP is super high but he has a .350 BABIP against, which is also ridiculous.

I would expect similar numbers as the ones cited with Berrios down the stretch with an ERA closer to 4.00 and a WHIP more in the 1.20-1.30 range.

Nathan Eovaldi -Eovaldi should have better numbers for the rest of the season. He has a 4.30 ERA with a 3.18 xFIP. While his strikeouts are down, he will still average more than one strikeout per inning, and his 4.4% walk rate is great. If he can get his ERA down, he would be a low-end SP2 to SP3 the rest of the season.

Alex CobbCobb is another pitcher who should be pitching much better than he is. He has a 4.26 ERA but a 2.98 xFIP. His 22.8% strikeout rate is still higher than his career strikeout rate of 19.5%. His walk rate is the lowest it has been since 2019. Similar to some of these other pitchers, his BABIP against .332.

I would expect his ERA and WHIP to be better these last couple of months down the season. He should be a top 50-60 starting pitcher and he currently is not. Being 84% owned in leagues, he could be on the waiver wire in our league and you should consider adding him if that's the case anyway.

 

Wrapping Things Up

Joc Pederson had a nice run and we should move him off our fantasy teams before he starts giving us too many zeros in our fantasy lineups. In addition to the names above, I could probably list another 10-15 names to potentially trade Pederson for.

If you are looking to move Pederson and want some ideas, feel free to hit me up on Twitter: @Mark_Kieffer and I'd be happy to help you with your trade questions regarding Joc Pederson or other fantasy advice.

Good luck RotoBallers!



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




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF