Things are getting interesting in the realm fantasy baseball. Some rookies are getting called up, injuries are popping up, roles are changing. Unfortunately, that means some MLB players and their fantasy baseball owners are going to be on the wrong end of these shifts.
And with that, if you have someone who is really becoming a waste of roster space, it's time to get rid of them. The longer you hang on, the lower your chances of making the playoffs and winnings your leagues. So let's take a look at who can be cut.
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Week 20 Players to Consider Cutting
1) Giancarlo Stanton (MIA, OF)
Droppable in All Redraft Leagues
Man, after everything the big slugger put his fantasy owners through he ends the season on a bad note. Stanton will miss the remainder of the season with a left groin injury. Not only are the Marlins' chances dashed, but this definitely hurts many fantasy title aspirations. After an ice cold start, Stanton was rewarding patient owners with some big time production. Fantasy baseball is very cruel and this is a prime example. He can be dropped in all redrafts. My condolences.
2) Andrew Miller (CLE, RP)
Droppable in Shallow Leagues
I thought that Miller would be the guy in Cleveland given the haul the Yankees got for him, but it looks like Terry Francona prefers using Miller on a more situational basis. Miller is especially tough on lefties, so I get it. This just stinks for fantasy owners though, as his numbers are filthy this year. He's worth hanging onto as a handcuff - or to boost your ERA, WHIP, Ks - but right now, I'm not sure he's going to be seeing many more save opportunities. If you need the roster space for another hitter or starting pitcher, or you're sitting pretty in saves, Miller can be dropped.
3) Luis Severino (NYY, SP)
Droppable in Most Leagues
While the other Baby Bombers may be thriving, Severino looks like he needs more seasoning. He is trying to get by on velocity alone, and his control leaves something to be desired. I can see hanging on in a keeper/dynasty league, but in redraft leagues he can be safely dropped at this point. He sports an ugly 7.19 ERA and 1.54 WHIP on the season, so the Yankees really need to straighten him out before he gets another shot at pitching in the big leagues.
More Options (Redraft Leagues): Michael Brantley, Carlos Gomez, Jose Berrios, Brandon McCarthy, Mark Reynolds, Nathan Eovaldi, Carlos Estevez, Junior Guerra, Danny Valencia, Brian McCann, Adam Conley, Julio Urias
Hot Seat - Sending Warning Signals?
So these are some guys you shouldn't cut just yet, but who may be sending out warning signals (either obvious slumps, or more under-the-radar concerns):
1) Jon Gray (COL, SP)
Many haters are likely looking at the last couple of outings and smirking that they saw this coming from a Rockies pitcher. Gray has exceeded expectations this year though, which makes the last two starts sting a bit more. The worst part is that these starts weren't against marquee offenses, and they weren't at Coors. There's still a ton of upside here, and Gray shouldn't be dropped... yet. In redraft leagues and shallow leagues I can see the leash being short, but try and be patient. For those in keeper leagues and deeper leagues, you're of course hanging on tight.
2) Tyler Naquin (CLE, OF)
Tyler has been knock-knock-Naquin on The Cut List's door since cooling down from his torrid start to the season. He had productive day at the office on Sunday, but really hasn't beein doing much in the way of counting stats for a little bit now. He's worth hanging onto in deeper leagues, like five-outfielder formats, but he needs to show fantasy owners something soon so he proves his earlier-season outburst wasn't a fluke. If the struggles continue until next week, it may time to cut bait.
Reverse Jinx - Brighter Days Ahead?
Lorenzo Cain (KC, OF)
LoCain brought the pain on Sunday with a 4-for-4 effort, and is now on a mini three-game hitting streak. It's about time. Cain had struggled mightily after returning from the DL, but hopefully this will get him going. I know he's been disappointing overall, given how highly he was projected and the expectations from fantasy owners this year. But that doesn't mean there isn't upside here for the rest of the season. His brand of five-tool fantasy production will still play well towards a playoff surge, so try and hang on if you can.
Graveyard - Previously Disposed Of
Jeff Samardzija, James Shields, Francisco Liriano, Leonys Martin, Lucas Duda, Matt Harvey, Joe Panik, Trevor Rosenthal, Travis Shaw, Jhonny Peralta, Trayce Thompson, CC Sabathia, Steven Moya, Tyler Glasnow, Trevor Bauer, Danny Espinosa, Will Harris, Brad Ziegler, Huston Street, Steve Cishek, Jonathan Papelbon, Hector Rondon, Tyler Clippard, Jeremy Jeffress, Taijuan Walker, Sonny Gray, Jason Heyward, Trevor Story, Michael Saunders, Nick Castellanos, Jurickson Profar, Aaron Nola, Jimmy Nelson, Danny Valencia
Zombies - Resurrected and Living Well
Josh Harrison (PIT, 2B/3B/OF)
Batting at the top of the Pirates' lineup has done wonders for Harrison's fantasy value. Ever since the move to the leadoff spot, Harrison has been hitting .368 and could be poised to finish the season very strong. He looks to be a prime source of runs scored now, and should also be good for a couple of steals and RBI as well. If he was dropped in any of your leagues, you may scoop him up. Let's not forget, he's still has great position flexibility, and is a perfect middle-infield type for deeper leagues.
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