The editors want me to write a Fantasy Drops column this year, and we'll be bringing it to you every two weeks. But let's first establish some ground rules.
One size never fits all with this stuff. What may be right for you may not be right for some. season to taste. And at the end of the day, it's your decision. Outside advice is worth considering, but it's just a suggestion. Make the best decision you can.
In some leagues, you may be able to trade some of these drops. In other pools, this may be difficult or perhaps impossible. You know your league better than any outsider.
OK, let's get to it.
What's up with Chicago's starting pitcher Lance Lynn?
Lynn was knocked out again on Wednesday, giving up nine hits and seven runs in five bad innings at Chicago. The loss raised his ERA to 7.51. His WHIP is a bloated 1.60.
There are some tough facts of life that a pitcher faces in the back nine of his career. Lynn turned 36 on Saturday. He was barely a fantasy contributor last year, posting a 3.99 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 121.2 innings.
What do the three true results say? It's mostly messy. Lynn strikes out an odd lot of batters – 11 per nine innings, a new personal best – but he is walking 3.5/9 and giving up 2.2 HR/9.
Outlier stats usually come with some regression lights flashing, but for the most part, Lin has earned this disastrous line. His expected ERA from batted-ball data is 5.45, which does not occur in any format. He is allowing the worst hard-hit rate of his career. Plus, his velocity is trending in the wrong direction — his average fastball is 92.0 mph, down from 92.7 and 93.5 the past two seasons.
When a pitcher struggles, you'll hear the usual explanation. It's mechanical, they might say. We just need to make a few changes, this is a standard regimen. This may be true. Maybe the White Sox can fix Lin. Maybe Lin can fix himself.
But when does a bad start become a bad season? And what comforts you about Lynn's 2022 season? Bottom line, the guy has made 29 starts since last year, and they add up to a 4.93 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. I'm surprised he's still in the yahoo league about a quarter of the time.
Do what you want to do. Just remember this – often in life (and in fantasy baseball), be afraid to make a mistake. Is Mistake. If you see something on the wire that catches your interest, you have my sign-off to cut the lin.
Other Deductions I Can Consider
– I am surprised to see amed rosario Still two-thirds are involved in the Yahoo League.
He's doing one positive thing for fantasy teams right now: rushing to the tune of six steals. He's showing almost zero pop, his average is below par, and he's racking up 40 strikeouts in only eight walks. A .234/.275/.328 slash could demote Rosario to the Cleveland lineup. To be honest, I am amazed that Terry Francona has been like this patient.
,MJ Melendez Despite not having a very high profile, Rosario has similar roster honors.
Melendez has a .213 average this year (up from .217 last season) and is slugging just .378. We need an average or a pop from this guy, one or the other. I think catcher is a tough fantasy position, but I would wildly prefer the available Eric Haase to Melendez. Don't be afraid to do wire work in this situation.
-where i still like brandon pfadt Looks like a long run, but he's been open with two bad starts, including a blowout against the mediocre Marlins.
And with a modest six strikeouts in 9.2 innings, it's frustrating to watch Pfaid struggle to put away batters. If he's not going to be a strikeout ace right out of the box, then that fantasy isn't relevant. I realize his tag is less than 20% off right now, but it really should be closer to zero. Chip someone else.