My wife and I are moving this week so she can pursue a prestigious two-year fellowship in New York City. This is an exciting opportunity for her, and the move will allow us to be a bit closer to family and friends, which is nice. Other than that, though, this move is a pain. Honestly, I cannot stand moving. It is the worst. I do not like anything about the process. Hopefully, this will be our penultimate move, and we can settle somewhere for good two years from now.
One of the things I hate about moving is I am really bad at throwing things out. So what if 98 percent of my baseball cards have dirt and debris on them from sitting in an open shoebox for 30 years? That is my childhood! If we have a kid someday, I would like to leave him or her with more than a “How Not To” list. And sure, that dresser no longer fits our space and aesthetic, but we paid good money for it! I doubt you will ever see me on an episode of Hoarders, but I do not like parting with assets of value, even if that value is primarily sentimental.
How does this relate to the latest installment of my rest of season fantasy rankings? Well, a lot of fantasy managers share a similar mentality when it comes to certain players on their roster. They do not like to part ways with a player who costs considerable draft capital. Even when there is a serious injury or change in role, many managers will hold on for dear life. These managers are often left holding the bag, further complicating matters. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and call it a day.
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We are unofficially at the quarter-pole mark in the season. Rates are beginning to stabilize, and we can put greater trust in what we have seen on the field. Furthermore, fantasy standings are beginning to normalize. While there is still time to make a move, a team currently in last place is unlikely to lead the league when the regular season ends. You cannot rely on injured and underperforming stars to bail you out if you dig too deep of a hole. With that in mind, here are a few players that you should consider dropping in most leagues with shallow benches. I do not expect these players a significant fantasy impact for the remainder of 2021. All were top-200 draft picks, and all are still rostered in over 60 percent of Fantrax leagues.
The Droppables
Luis Robert (39.09 ADP, 91 percent rostered)
Despite suffering a Grade 3 hip flexor strain, fantasy managers still roster Luis Robert in 91 percent of leagues. It is hard to drop a player who was projected to be a cornerstone of many fantasy offenses. That is even more true when the player should return at some point. That appears to be the case with Robert, who was given a 12-16 week recovery timeline. But I would only advise holding if you are at the top of your league standings. Robert is not expected back until August. By then, it will almost be fantasy playoffs time. If you play in a league where you only have three or four bench spots allocated for hitters, it is tough to designate one of those spots for a player who will not see the field until it may be too late for fantasy purposes.
Keston Hiura (78.37 ADP, 75 percent rostered)
Keston Hiura has exceptional power, and the dual eligibility at first and second base is intriguing. But he looks like a shell of the player who burst onto the scene in 2019. The Milwaukee Brewers optioned Hiura to their Triple-A affiliate nearly two weeks ago. Early returns from Nashville have been fine (4-for-10 with four doubles) but I think it will take a while for Hiura to make it back to Milwaukee. I expect him to make a return to my rest of season rankings at some point, but if you are in a roster crunch, I have no issue dropping Hiura and monitoring his Minor League progress with the intent to scoop him back up down the road.
Travis d’Arnaud (160.59 ADP, 63 percent rostered)
I will admit that I still have Travis d’Arnaud rostered in my NERF league. In my defense, that is a league where we have several IR spots. The second I need that IR slot for someone else, d’Arnaud is gone. The Braves catcher underwent surgery in early May to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. There is a chance he can return in 2021, but there is no reason to hold out hope in fantasy leagues. Rostering a backup catcher is a tough sell even when you have two that are playing regularly.
Mike Soroka (162.04 ADP, 88 percent rostered)
As difficult as it is to cut bait on a struggling or injured hitter, it seems that goes double for pitchers. Especially when the one in question is as talented as Mike Soroka. But fantasy managers may not have the luxury of waiting much longer for him to produce. And unfortunately, wait longer they must. Soroka has not yet recovered from last season’s Achilles injury, and recent tests indicated the Braves hurler will have to undergo exploratory surgery. I would not expect him back before the All-Star break, and even then, his workload may be limited. Sure, this is not an arm injury, but I doubt Soroka will instantly become the six-inning pitcher we have been accustomed to in recent years. By the time Soroka is back to full speed, it may be too late for many of his fantasy managers.
Eloy Jimenez (166.86 ADP, 76 percent rostered)
As is the case with Robert, managers seem to be holding out hope for a late-season return and push by Eloy Jimenez. I just do not see it. Even if Jimenez does return, expecting too much out of him seems like a suboptimal strategy. We also have to factor in that Tony LaRussa might still insist on playing Leury Garcia, Adam Eaton, or Billy Hamilton every day even when Jimenez and/or Robert return. LaRussa may just forget the injured stars exist altogether. At least they didn’t sign Albert Pujols to take away potential at-bats at DH if and when Robert and Jimenez return to the lineup.
Gary Sanchez (171 ADP, 85 percent rostered)
This comes with the caveat that Gary Sanchez may be in line for more playing time in the immediate future. Injuries are beginning to pile up for the Yankees, and Kyle Higashioka has not exactly been an offensive juggernaut. Those who can afford to be patient with Sanchez may be rewarded if he can see more at-bats. Having said that, I never like rostering a backup catcher unless I am in a league with a very deep bench. Sanchez still has half of the number of home runs that Mike Zunino (32 percent rostered) does this season, as well as half of the runs scored plus RBI. Zunino even has a better batting average. I still have Sanchez above Zunino in my rest of season rankings, but Sanchez feels like more of a luxury bat than a fantasy mainstay at the moment.
Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings
For more help, check out Eric Cross’s latest Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire column.
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