Now that we are coming up on Memorial Day, fantasy owners tend to have their minds set about whether a player’s slow start or breakout is the real deal. While there may be a clearer picture now than this time last month, 50 games is still a small sample size. We’ve seen it time and time again in the past where a star player has started slow (see Manny Machado in 2017) then proceeded to light the world on fire the remainder of the season. The opposite was true with Lance McCullers, who was pitching like a Cy Young contender up until the All-Star break, then entirely fell apart. As a reaction to owner’s panic on certain players and overblown hype on others, you should be able to pull off some deals that boost your team’s odds to take home your league’s trophy. Today, we have invited a handful of featured experts to tell you which players they recommend buying low and selling high in trade negotiations.

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1. What one player are you trying to buy low and what type of player would you give up to get him?

Paul Goldschmidt (1B – ARI)
“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t think that Goldschmidt owners would dare sell low on an elite player, but from what I can tell, his owners are panicking. Yes, Goldschmidt has been awful, and a 31.4% strikeout percentage combined with a .695 OPS is enough to raise some red flags. But no, humidor or not, a 30-year-old elite player does not simply fall off a cliff. Goldschmidt’s awful season is really just an awful May (.900 OPS in April, .425 in May), and there’s no way to draw any conclusions about a tough few-week stretch. I’d be looking to see if I could nab Goldschmidt for a Carlos Carrasco or Tommy Pham type of player, but would be willing to give a little more if necessary.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

“This answer might be too obvious, but I must say it just in case people haven’t realized how bad Goldschmidt has appeared. I’ve actually had multiple people ask if they ought to DROP him. Obviously, those are extreme examples, but the matter of the fact is that most are treating him as though he isn’t a top 50 fantasy player, much like they did with Anthony Rizzo and Manny Machado last year before they bounced back. Goldschmidt will almost certainly recover, and until he does, I would expect to be able to trade Aaron Nola or Lorenzo Cain for him straight up. I’d be thrilled to add Goldy at that price.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

“It’s time to strike on Goldschmidt. Blame the humidor all you want, but Goldy’s issues aren’t with fly balls dying at the warning track. He’s simply making less contact, softer contact, and striking out a whole lot more. For a player who was an MVP finalist a year ago and has no apparent injuries, there has to be a turning point. His owners are beyond disgruntled, so buy now while you can by offering a hot player like Eddie Rosario who doesn’t have the same ceiling.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Ronald Acuna (OF – ATL)
“Since May 4, Acuna’s play is deserving of being back in the Minors. He’s hitting .186 with 11/2/7 in that span and a 30.8 K%. The strikeout rate is a legitimate concern with Acuna regularly over 20% since hitting High-A. However, he’s also too talented to remain in this slump, even if he only carries a .240 to .250 AVG all season. The power will improve, as will his stolen base total once he’s back on base more. I’d consider moving any player around 75 overall or lower to grab Acuna.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

Brian Dozier (2B – MIN)
“We’ve seen this show. Twice, actually. Dozier has fallen into a reliable – albeit frustrating – pattern of struggling out-of-the-gate, only to finish strong. In the first half of 2016, he batted .246 with 14 home runs in 83 games, and in 2017’s first half, he hit 13 home runs with a .242 average in 81 games. The second halves of these years produced a .291 average with 28 home runs and a .304 average with 21 home runs, respectively. It should not cost much more than a similarly struggling hitter to acquire Dozier, and getting his value at second base makes him that much more appealing.”
– Mario Mergola (Sporfolio)

2. What one player are you trying to sell high right now and who would you want in return?

Gerrit Cole (SP – HOU)
“For the record, I love Cole. His dominance is not surprising. But, the extent of his dominance is. Basically one-third through the season, Cole is pitching to an unsustainable 1.86 ERA. One-point-eight-six. That’s almost half of his career total (at least, with Pittsburgh), and it’s below a threshold of 2.00 that we rarely see. The last two ERA leaders were Corey Kluber and Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks led the two with a 2.15 ERA. Regression is about to strike. Fantasy owners love quality pitching, and it’s possible to get someone to overpay with a top-five hitter.”
– Mario Mergola (Sporfolio)

James Paxton (SP – SEA)
“It has nothing to do with his talent, but I’d look to move Paxton if I could get an elite player. Paxton has been outstanding this season, with the best strikeout rate of his career and a no-hitter under his belt. But Paxton’s innings year-by-year are as follows: 95.0, 106.1, 169.2, 87, 73.2, 171.2, 140.0. As good as he is, the chances of him topping 170 innings seems minimal, and he’s already at 62 2/3. I’d think of him as a top-10 starter and try to deal him for someone like George Springer or an underachieving slugger like Anthony Rizzo.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Juan Soto (OF – WSH)
“Sell Soto… NOW! He is a great talent, sure. However, just as with Acuna, who I mentioned as a buy low, even the most-talented youngsters (and it doesn’t get any younger than Soto) can struggle to make the transition. On top of that, Acuna had a better track record in the minors (and much longer), the Nationals can be impatient (see: Victor Robles last year) and Robles could be back soon. Sell him for anything in the Top 200, and you can probably near Top 100 value for the hype.”
– Jake Ciely (RotoExperts)

Odubel Herrera (OF – PHI)
“Herrera has been blazing to start the season and has gotten on base every game except one. People have taken notice, especially of his .343 batting average. If I have Herrera, I’m taking advantage of the public’s flaw to overvalue early season batting average. It is the most fickle number among the standard five categories, and while Herrera’s may finish above .300, you can sell him now as though he is a batting title contender with some pop and speed. I’d be glad to get Robbie Ray in return and imagine I could put that deal off in most leagues.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

All Braves Outfielders
“I think a case could be made for the entire Atlanta Braves outfield as sell candidates. Nick Markakis is having a career year, leading the majors in hits. Ender Inciarte is leading the bigs in stolen bases, while Ronald Acuna leads the fantasy world in hype. All three are quality players, but the lineup as a whole is far exceeding expectations and is yet to hit a slump. You might want to hold Inciarte for the steals because they’re so hard to come by, but Markakis is not irreplaceable. If I could acquire an ace that players are still skeptical of like Gerrit Cole or James Paxton in exchange for Acuna, I’m taking it.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and subscribe to our podcast below for all the latest discussions this season.

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