Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Falling

April 6, 2009 @ 01:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising

Fantasy baseball waivers and discarded fantasy baseball players can make or break a season. You may have adjusted your fantasy baseball cheat sheets over and over during spring training. If your team remains the same after opening day, though, you will probably have trouble competing in your rotisserie baseball league. When is it time to give up on your fantasy baseball sleepers? Which players are worth retaining? KFFL.com's Diamond Market series gives you the fantasy baseball tips and advice you need to sort through the masses quickly.

Key

Discard - Drop player (in most circumstances)

Stash - Hold player if roster space is available; consider dropping if trend continues

Hold - Do not drop player (in most circumstances)

Third basemen

Troy Glaus, St. Louis Cardinals

Originally expected to return in late April, Glaus (shoulder) won't be re-evaluated until the beginning of June. Manager Tony La Russa has no idea when Glaus will return from his shoulder injury, and it is possible he'll have to undergo further surgery.

Shallow mixed: Discard

Deep mixed: Discard

NL-only: Hold

Outfielders

Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

D-backs manager Bob Melvin opted for outfielder Eric Byrnes in right field on Opening Day instead of Upton. Byrnes has hit better than Upton against the Colorado Rockies' Aaron Cook, the Opening Day starter, one reason for the switch. Don't fret, however, as Upton should be starting Tuesday, April 7.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

NL-only: Hold

Elijah Dukes, Washington Nationals

Austin Kearns won the starting job in right field coming out of camp, relegating Dukes to a backup role across the outfield. The streaky Kearns is no sure thing to hold this job long term, though. Dukes is the more talented player, but owning him may require patience.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

NL-only: Hold

Relief pitchers

Joey Devine, Oakland Athletics

A visit with the dreaded Dr. James Andrews is looming Tuesday, April 7, and it is feared Devine (elbow) might need ligament replacement surgery. The A's have already placed him on the 60-day disabled list. Be prepared to drop him, especially if TJ surgery is the recommended action.

Shallow mixed: Discard

Deep mixed: Discard

AL-only: Stash

Chad Gaudin, Free Agent

The Chicago Cubs released Gaudin Monday, April 6, leaving him without a team for Opening Day and killing his already marginal fantasy value.

Shallow mixed: Discard

Deep mixed: Discard

NL-only: Discard

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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