When will Miguel Cabrera wake up?
There is no bigger disappointment right now than Miguel Cabrera simply because of the gaudy expectations. That is not to say he is having the worst year compared to everyone else, but for a consensus #1 or #2 draft pick, he is testing the patience of his owners.
Suffice to say, there are quite a few players owned by teams all over fantasy land that are teetering on that drop line. For that reason, lets take a look at some of those names and consider why you should or shouldn’t drop them. All things being let’s also look at some of the players you may want to consider buying cheap while their stock is low.
Sports Illustrated: Players to buy low
David Pincus (SI) realizes that some players are slumping big time and while their output is subpar at the moment, their long term numbers are likely to even out. What that means for you is now should be the time to look for some deals. We are four weeks into baseball and Miguel Cabrera is hiding somewhere while an impersonator is taking at bats for him. If someone is willing to unload him, chances are, it won’t come back to bite you. Then there’s Prince Fielder who is batting .205 with a .356 SLG %. He is past his prime, but playing in a Rangers stadium that accommodates left handed power hitters should help him be productive even in his current state. Check out Pincus’ list of player’s to buy low if you have the patience that your fellow fantasy league managers lack.
FantasyCPR: Can Andre Ethier Be Dropped In Deep Leagues?
No this article is not strictly about Andre Ethier, but since he is the lead man in the title, we will get to him now. Ethier is playing in one of the most crowded outfields in the majors and that does not include the fact that the Dodgers have two of the best young outfield prospects in AAA as well. Add those factors in with him starting slowly this season and you are looking at a guy who is not going to be in the rotation soon. Now that we’ve covered Ethier, let’s look at who else is on Mike Marteny‘s (FantasyCPR) list of guys going off the deep end. Names such as Ubaldo Jiminez scream inconsistency and his numbers thus far have given you little reason to keep him unless you like pitchers with a high ERA/WHIP stat. There is also Brian Wilson whose “Fear the Beard” line is so 2011. The only thing to fear now is his incredibly high ERA and low chance of being the closer in Los Angeles. For more of Marteny’s list, visit FantasyCPR.
ESPN: What early numbers really mean
Tristan Cockcroft (ESPN) lives up to his Twitter handle, “SultanofStat” as he takes on the concerns of his twitter followers. Like his Twitter followers, many want to know why some highly rated players are underperforming. Through stats, Cockcroft tries to help explain what is really happening and what you can take away from the play of your players. Edwin Encarnacion for example has gotten off to a slow start. Sparing you the stats, Cockcroft points out that “he has had a difficult time making hard contact against fastballs, or any contact at all against sliders, which were responsible for 10 of his first 19 K’s, including eight that were in the lower and outer half of the plate.” His wrist is the likely factor here and his 2011-2013 campaigns give strong reason not to sell him so early.
USA Today: Don’t rush to push the panic button in April
The title says it all in Steve Gardner‘s (USA Today) article. Sure there are some guys who should probably get dropped now and we’ve discussed a few of them already, but the sample size up to this point is just too small considering the length of a baseball season. Batting average is one of the most susceptible stats to a small sample size with each hit or lack thereof to cause a multiple point shift. Pedro Alvarez is hitting .174, but has six home runs, 13 RBI and two stolen bases to his name this season. Brian Dozier is hitting .219, yet he leads the majors in runs. There are quite a few “underachievers” who all have low batting averages, mostly due to their under .200 average on balls in play. Then there is the health concern where many players this spring got dinged up. Jose Reyes played the first game of the season and just came back after a hamstring injury kept him out. The point is, there is a good chance the “underachievers” will bounce back to their career averages as the season rolls along. Bounces that aren’t going their way right now, may just find the holes in the coming weeks. Stay patient with the players that have given you no reason to doubt their consistency.
—
For the latest from FantasyPros, find us on Facebook and Twitter.
