Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Falling

April 20, 2009 @ 01:00:01

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)

Second basemen

Emilio Bonifacio, Florida Marlins

Oh how quickly things can come to an end; Bonifacio has just one hit in his last 21 at-bats after taking the league by storm in the opening week. He posted a high BABIP early, and he wasn't making enough contact to suggest he would keep his average among the league leaders. View him solely as a steals option (four this year, 28 over two levels last year) in mixed leagues. Don't remain loyal.

Shallow mixed: Stash

Deep mixed: Stash

NL-only: Hold

Third basemen

Edwin Encarnacion, Cincinnati Reds

The season has started slowly for Encarnacion, not that this is unexpected. The Reds third sacker started 2007 with a .221-0-10 clip in April, and he has been notoriously streaky. Reserve a spot for him on your bench until he heats up. Eleven walks against only eight strikeouts so far is an encouraging sign the 26-year-old has improved his approach at the plate, even if it hasn't yielded early results.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

NL-only: Hold

Outfielders

Chris B. Young, Arizona Diamondbacks

Is this 2008 or 2009? Young is off to another dismal start after hitting just .222 with only one dinger and three RBIs through 45 at-bats. Even more frustrating: He has yet to steal a base. Still, Young bounced back from his April disappointment last year to finish with a .248-22-85 line as well as 85 runs and 14 steals. His considerable talent means you should keep him on your bench for now.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

NL-only: Hold

Starting pitchers

Chien-Ming Wang, New York Yankees

Hope you followed fellow editor Tim Heaney's advice and kept Wang on the bench Saturday, April 18. Something just ain't right with Wang. His mechanics are off, his release point is all over the place and his timing has been inconsistent. Wang's ERA is an astronomical 34.50 after three losses. Stash him in only deep mixed leagues until his sinker starts sinking again.

Shallow mixed: Discard

Deep mixed: Stash

AL-only: Hold

Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies

It all started out so well for Jimenez. He threw seven shutout innings with eight K's in his first start, April 7. However, since then he has allowed 10 runs and 21 baserunners in just eight innings (two starts). Cold weather offered him an excuse the first time, but after his latest shellacking, manager Clint Hurdle plans on revisiting some of Jimenez's mechanics. His potential should keep him on some mixed rosters, but bench him until he sorts things out.

Shallow mixed: Stash

Deep mixed: Hold

NL-only: Hold

Relief pitchers

Carlos Villanueva, Milwaukee Brewers

At this rate, Villanueva might not be the Brewers' interim closer anymore; besides, Trevor Hoffman (oblique) is due back Sunday, April 26. In his last four innings, Villanueva has given up six earned runs, being tagged with two losses and one blown save. You may hang on to Villanueva if you're desperate, and only until Hoffman demonstrates he is fully healed.

Shallow mixed: Stash

Deep mixed: Stash

NL-only: Hold

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

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.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest - $350 in cash prizes (05/25)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Orioles locking up Adam Jones (05/25)
Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: Joel Hanrahan, Addison Reed, Aroldis Chapman (05/25)