The calendar is turning to May and Week 5 is about to start. The hot starters are beginning to cool off, and the sleepers may have hit the snooze button. Injuries, changes in the lineup, etc. - so many things are coming into play.
Here is a list of some guys with whom you shouldn't waste your time, as we head into Week 5 of the fantasy baseball season.
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Week 5 Players to Consider Cutting
1) Jonathan Schoop (2B, BAL)
The Orioles' second baseman was a popular sleeper coming into the 2016 season. Unfortunately, he has been very frustrating in the early going. He's hitting an anemic .213 with three homers and 10 RBI. You weren't expecting a great average, but he's not hitting for enough power to justify a .213 average. Because he plays second base, he might not be an immediate cut. However if you see a more consistent guy on the wire, it might be time to act. The fact that he's stuck in the bottom third of the order doesn't help his case either.
2) Tyler White (1B/3B, HOU)
Tyler White should change his first name to Walter because he's broken badly right now. After his insanely hot start, he has come crashing back to earth. He has just five hits in his last 37 AB. Only one of those hits was a homer, and his line is currently .260 with five HR and 14 RBI. White will likely lose his job to A.J. Reed at some point so he's pretty expendable at the moment.
3) Alex Rodriguez (UTIL, NYY)
The much maligned slugger has gotten off to a slow start. He's hitting below the Mendoza line and hasn't put up much in the way of counting stats. A-Rod does have four long balls, but he needs to hit in the .250-.260 range in order to be fantasy relevant. The fact that he is only UTIL eligible hurts his value a lot, as does the fact that the Yankees are struggling right now. Don't let his name value prevent you from dropping him.
4) Jarrod Saltalamacchia (C, DET)
Well, it was nice while it lasted. Filling in for James McCann, Salty came in and tore it up. Many were calling for Salty to replace McCann full time. Salty has cooled off in a big way though, recording just one hit in his last 17 AB. McCann is nearing a return and Salty's value would take a massive hit when he comes back. Keep an eye on him as catcher is a very thin position, but right now he's waiver fodder.
Hot Seat
So these are some guys you shouldn't cut just yet, but who would be the first to go on most rosters if you need to add someone else.
1) Glen Perkins (RP, MIN)
Normally I wouldn't advocate in favor of dropping someone who will get saves when he returns, but I'm making an exception in this case. Perkins' shoulder injury is taking longer to heal than originally thought and that just means he's clogging up a DL slot on many rosters. He's not a drop yet, but if I hear another ambiguous comment on his status it may be time to move on.
2) David Wright (3B, NYM)
Wright will show flashes of his All Star self, but it hasn't appeared consistently and those in weekly leagues may be frustrated by his rest days. I think he still has enough left in the tank that those in deep leagues shouldn't drop him yet. However, he needs to start producing more in order to stay on fantasy rosters.
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