Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Falling

April 24, 2009 @ 01:00:00

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

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

Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Usually, Kendrick can't stay on the field. Right now, he can't get on base. He's 11-for-55 (.200) this year and, in his last seven games, is 3-for-28 (.107). He has never made more than average contact in the bigs and has a poor walk-to-strikeout rate (0.18 lifetime, 0.08 this year), so is he really a future batting champ? He's a solid hitter who should approach .300 and swipe some bags, but maybe now you'll stop overvaluing him on draft day.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

AL-only: Hold

Third basemen

Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners

How do you begin a contract year? Answer: not with a .164-0-6 line. In the past three campaigns, Beltre has been a virtual lock for 25 homers, 80 RBIs and 10 steals. In 2006 and '07, he posted a similarly miserable month at one point in the first half. Bench him if you must, but it's too early to give up on this solid corner man.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

AL-only: Hold

Shortstops

Marco Scutaro, Toronto Blue Jays

As KFFL.com pointed out in Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising at the beginning of last week, Scutaro is an excellent plug-and-play while he's smokin' hot. Now, he's not, but he's not an auto-dump, as originally thought. Good: As the Jays' leadoff man, he sees plenty of fastballs; his walk-to-strikeout rate and contact rate are ahead of his career paces. Bad: He's not driving the ball. Patience could pay off with him, but address your needs.

Shallow mixed: Stash

Deep mixed: Stash

AL-only: Hold

Outfielders

Brett Gardner, New York Yankees

There are rumblings about Gardner's slow bat (.240 average in 50 at-bats thus far) in the Bronx. Gardner has four steals and is playing a mean center, but numbers are always the focus. Outfielder Melky Cabrera (7-for-23, four home runs) is off to a blazing start in his limited time, so watch for a potential shift in PT.

Shallow mixed: Discard

Deep mixed: Stash

AL-only: Hold

Starting pitchers

Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins

Why so quick to give up on one of your midround selections? Baker gave up 12 earned runs and seven homers in his first two starts of 2009 - after a DL stint to recover from a bout with right shoulder soreness. He hadn't faced big leaguers in a month. He throws strikes and gives up flyballs, so when he's not sharp, this happens. Baker and the club believe it's a minor mechanical issue. Throw him on the pine and be patient.

Shallow mixed: Hold

Deep mixed: Hold

AL-only: Hold

Relief pitchers

B.J. Ryan, Toronto Blue Jays

Ryan is back on the disabled list because of pain in his trapezius muscle. It sounds like the Jays were going to make a switch anyway, though. If Ryan isn't 100 percent, and they've found a cause for his control issues and loss of velocity, they can focus on a recovery plan. If there are more issues here.... Be wary, but don't dump a potential closer just yet.

Shallow mixed: Stash

Deep mixed: Hold

AL-only: Hold

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising

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Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

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