Are crazy that we already are more than The MLB regular season is halfway through. Now that the All-Star break is officially over, it’s time to help your fantasy team make the playoffs by buying low or selling high on certain players.
With no games at the start of the week, I’ll be looking at the best buy-low and sell-high players from the first half of the season. The buy-low candidates on this list are players who have shown great things this year but have struggled over the past month. The sell-high candidates are players who are currently overvalued in fantasy.
So, without further ado, here are the best buy low and sell high players for Week 18.
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Underrated Fantasy Baseball Players to Trade For
FROM Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
For those who drafted Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez in the first round of fantasy drafts, it’s been a tough four months to get him on the roster. He’s hitting just .267 with 10 home runs, nine doubles and 35 RBI in 97 games this season. After hitting 32 HRs and driving in 103 runs in 2023, Rodriguez has failed to build on that strong campaign.
But for those who don’t have the 23-year-old in fantasy, try to trade him before the weekend is over. Rodriguez has been known as a second-half hitter in his short career, and this year should be no different. In 2022, the young outfielder has hit .303 with 12 HRs, seven doubles and 23 RBI in his last 41 games. Last year, he hit .308 with 19 HRs, 19 doubles and 54 RBI in 68 games after the All-Star break.
Nobody said it would be easy… Let’s keep going!
— Julio Rodriguez
(@JRODshow44) July 17, 2024
Don’t forget, Rodriguez was hitting a meager .249 before the All-Star break last year and then got hot in the second half. That same scenario could play out for the Mariners star this season, as there are signs that point to him and have him pick up the ball from the board.
His expected batting average (.280), expected slugging (.458), average exit velocity (91.4 mph) and hard-hit rate (47.7%) all rank in the top half of the league. Rodriguez also finished the first half with some momentum after going 13-for-22 (.591 average) with two HRs, two doubles and five RBI in his last six games. Given the 23-year-old’s track record in the second half, it would be wise to trade him immediately.
SP Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez was the best pitcher in baseball through the first three months of the season, going 10-1 with a 1.75 ERA and striking out 95 batters in his first 15 starts. Suarez also held opponents batted .191 during that span.
However, the left-handed pitcher did not finish the first half on a strong note. He has given up at least four earned runs in three of his last four starts, while giving up a season-high six runs 10 hits against the Miami Marlins on June 30. Unfortunately, Suarez’s ERA dropped by 101 points over those final four games, from 1.75 to 2.76.
Ranger Suarez, painted 90mph Sinker.
photo.twitter.com/DMODQrQhWf
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 12, 2024
It’s been a rough few weeks for the lefty, but fantasy managers should take advantage of this opportunity and trade him for his next start. His stats have been encouraging across the board — even despite this rough patch — which is a good sign to seeHis expected ERA (3.80), average exit velocity (87.5 mph), strikeout rate (24.5%) and walk rate (5.7%) are all quite good.
As a result, see what it would take to acquire Suarez now. He will get his catcher back in JT Realmuto in the coming days, which taller than people might think. The left-handed pitcher has a 1.81 ERA in 13 starts with Realmuto as his catcher this season. With the extended time off, I expect the 28-year-old to return to form on the mound.
Overrated Fantasy Baseball Players Being Traded
SP/RP Garrett Haakwerk, Chicago White Sox
This isn’t the first time Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet has made this list. Now that the All-Star break is over, Crochet is the largest sales highlight in fantasy straight away.
It’s alright It’s hard for most fantasy managers to dismiss the lefty because he’s been so good this season. He currently has a 3.02 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 20 starts in 2024. That 150 strikeouts also leads the league, so it’s Certainly It won’t be easy to trade a pitcher of this caliber.
Nevertheless, there is no way the White Sox, or any team that wants to trade him, are going to pay him back. allow him to throw 85 to 90 pitches in each start in the second half. From 2020 to 2023, Crochet threw just a combined 88 2/3 innings. Over the past two years, he has thrown just 25 total innings. As a result, it is certainly a surprise that the left-hander has already thrown 107 1/3 innings this season worrying.
Garrett Crochet held his own in his All-Star Game debut
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
18 throws – 12 strokes (2 swinging)
photo.twitter.com/SVjVSCPCVa
— Sox on 35th (@SoxOn35th) July 17, 2024
No one knows what the White Sox plan to do with Crochet at the deadline. If they keep him, they will limit his innings and could even skip a few of his starts, because they’ll be playing for next to nothing in the final stretch. If he’s traded to a contender, it’s hard to imagine him getting a full workload. That contender team will want to save his arm for the postseason.
So it’s basically a lose-lose situation for the left-handed player, making him the biggest selling prospect heading into Week 18.
FROM Brent Rooker, Oakland A’s
Oakland A’s outfielder Brent Rooker has been in shape this season and was absolutely ignored of being an All-Star. Rooker is currently with a batting average of .291 with 21 HRs, 18 doubles and 62 RBI in 83 games in 2024. Despite those solid numbersalthoughfantasy managers should want to sell him.
There aren’t many negative things to say about Rooker this year as his stats are rated very good across the board. extreme high. However, he is overrated in fantasy heading into Week 18. Over the past 30 days, he has scored the fourth most fantasy points in standard Yahoo! leagues. It would It would be shocking to see the 29-year-old maintain this fantasy pace for the rest of the year.
So it could be smart to trade him away when his value is so high. Rooker should continue to put up solid numbers this season. Still, if you can somehow package him and another player to get a star like Fernando Tatis Jr. or Matt Olson, you should take it 10 times out of 10. That’s why managers should test the trade market for the A’s outfielder, especially after his two-home run game on the final day before the All-Star break.
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