Welcome back Fantasy friends and foes to the Fantasy Six Pack Weekly Drop List.
When I sat down to write this article for Week 12, an idea came to me to provide a half-dozen players for fantasy owners to drop off their rosters. In addition, the saying, "Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other" popped up in my head. I really hate that saying. Damn, just say "6" and get over it. Why try to complicate things? Speaking of six, here are six sayings that I don't like and don't make any sense:
- Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other:Â Â Just say "6", that seems easy enough to say, doesn't it?
- It's raining cats and dogs: If it ever rains that hard, that cats and dogs are flying through the sky, the apocalypse is upon us.Â
- As pure as the driven snow:Â First of all, I don't like snow. Secondly, how do I know its innocent and pure? Do I see a tint of yellow? Nevermind!
- More than you can shake a stick at:Â Who carries sticks around? Who would bring a stick to a gunfight?
- Sweating like a pig:Â Pigs don't actually sweat so it's stupid and inaccurate!Â
- I'm feeling under the weather today:Â "Under the weather" conjures up gloomy feelings. What if it is sunny and warm?Â
While I understand that the above have hidden meanings and/or translations, they still don't make sense. Did I miss any other sayings that don't make sense? Hit me up and let me know.
Another thing that doesn't make sense is to hold on to players on your fantasy rosters that don't contribute. As we head into the half-way point of the season, there will be a smaller margin of error involved in your lineups and rosters, therefore, you need to drop the players that are no longer productive immediately.
Here are six (yes, that number again) players that you can "86" off your roster (couldn't help myself):
2018 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Drop List
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Hitters
Adam Duvall, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Adam Duvall was a 30-homer hitter each of the past two seasons. He hit a combined .245/.299/.489 while hitting 64 homers and driving in 202 runs in 2016-17. However, this season his batting average remains under the Mendoza line at a disappointing slash line of .186/.270/.386. He has hit 11 homers and has driven in 38 runs and has struck out 66 times in 215 at-bats with a 73 wRC+.
The Reds are not competing this year and seems to be rebuilding each season. Duvall is stuck in an outfield rotation with speedster Billy Hamilton, Jesse Winker, and Scott Schebler. I doubt that either of these outfielders will attract much in the trade market. Therefore, the carousel continues which will impede on playing time for each player especially Duvall.
The Reds seemed to have not given up yet on Adam Duvall, but Fantasy owners should.
Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles
Trey Mancini is experiencing a severe sophomore slump that has left his average at .223 after batting .293 as a rookie in 2017. His hit tool convinced manager Buck Showalter to place Mancini to lead off in all but six games he's played this season.
After he suffered a knee injury on April 20 at Camden Yards, Mancini sat for three days and was hitting .284/.352/.420 at the time. In 31 games since, he is batting .210 with a .652 OPS.
Trey Mancini, the second runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year last season, has an unsightly 80 wRC+ in 290 plate appearances. The Orioles are yielding a .286 winning percentage, which is currently the worst in baseball. That will just add fuel to the fire for the Orioles to being sellers during the trading season. Who knows what will be left on this Orioles roster once they complete their fire sale.
With a less than talented decimated roster, the Fantasy outlook does not look very bright for whoever is left on the roster, especially Trey Mancini.
Mitch Moreland, 1B, Boston Red Red Sox
A career .255 hitter, Mitch Moreland was on fire once the Red Sox designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment. Unfortunately, the real Mitch Moreland is back again. The first baseman is hitting a mere .212 with a .639 OPS so far in June.
The first baseman had seen his numbers dip dramatically from .303/.369/.631 with 1o homers and 30 RBI to .276/.347/.536 with still 10 homers and 33 RBI after going 3-for-32 with nine strikeouts in his last nine games.
Moreland still can't hit lefties. He has a .244 average and .728 OPSÂ against southpaws. He will automatically not play against left-handers. Additionally, he is now losing at-bats to Blake Swihart and Brock Holt, both have little or no fantasy value.
Time to get off the Mitch Moreland Fantasy train.
Rougned Odor, 2B, Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers now have a crowded infield with shortstop Elvis Andrus returning from the disabled list. Rangers manager Jeff Banister has confirmed that he plans to keep both Jurickson Profar and Rougned Odor in the lineup on a regular basis. Profar is hitting .239/.313/.449 with eight homers and 41 RBI. Profar can move around the diamond, but Rougned Odor is confined to one position-second base. Odor is hitting a depressing .217/.292/.309Â with one homer and 15 RBI with an OPS of .602.
In spring training 2017, Odor and the Rangers agreed to a regrettable contract for the Rangers franchise. The Rangers are sitting on a $49.5 million disaster and are stuck with him for 4.5 more years. They can't trade him because he has no value. They just can't outright release him and have to swallow that big contract. So they are currently in a serious hole with Odor and they are hoping they can possibly remotely get close to their money's worth.
In 2017, Odor batted only .204 and managed only a .397 slugging percentage despite smacking 30 home runs in playing all 162 games. Fantasy owners were hoping that the power from an MI spot would be golden in their lineups this season. However, Odor has stunk and I assume he could really only go up from here, I guess?!? I am not holding onto him in my lineup to find out!
Speaking of hitters, Jonathan Chan provides help on who to start in your lineup, here 2018 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Hitting Planner: Finding Nimmo.
Pitchers
Brandon McCarthy, SP, Atlanta Braves
Brandon McCarthy seems to be the odd man out of a top-level Braves rotation. Sean Newcomb and Mike Foltynewicz are finally living up to their expectations and having All-Start type seasons. Anibal Sanchez is resurrecting his career and the rookie Mike Soroka is looking impressive in limited duty. Now we will see if Julio Tehran can return from his hamstring issues to provide stability to the rotation.
Where does that leave Brandon McCarthy?
McCarthy really hasn't performed well enough to justify to remain in the rotation. He is 5-3 with a 4.89 ERA along with a 1.49 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. Hitters are hitting .299 against the veteran right-hander including hitting 13 home runs in 14 games started.
The Braves are currently 42-29 and leading the NL East by 3.5 games. They are doing so with a leaky bullpen whose ERA is 4.03 and need some help. Of course, Brandon McCarthy is not the complete answer but he can be part of the solution. In his starts, he has only made it as far as the sixth inning twice in his 14 starts. He is giving up a slash line of .387/.457/.484 along with a .941 OPS on his pitches 76-100!
McCarthy will have value but for the Braves in providing spot starts as the Braves' rotation has health concerns with Foltynewicz and Teheran. Otherwise, McCarthy is safe to move on from in Fantasy due to inevitable move to the bullpen.
Speaking of the Braves' starting pitchers, should you start them this week? Let our very own Tyler Thompson give you his insight on the Braves starters and more in his 2018 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Pitching Planner: One Giant Leap.
Daniel Mengden, SP, Oakland A's
Daniel Mengden was a hot pitcher commodity in May. He had a 4-1 record, 1.47 ERA, opponents batting average of .183 and 24 strikeouts in 41.2 innings in six May starts. Unfortunately, he has gone bitter cold in June. In his last three starts, he has allowed both multiple walks and home runs while failing to complete five innings in each of those starts.
Overall, Mengden is 6-6 with a 4.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and has only 54 strikeouts in 88.2 innings this season. His home/road splits are fairly alarming. He posts a 3.64 ERA and opponents hit .255 at home while on the road, his ERA jumps to 5.18 and batters hit .286 against the right-hander.
Mengden doesn't strike out enough batters (5.48 K_9) and walks too many batters (1.83 BB_9) to continue to be fantasy relevant. Once you add his propensity to give up gophers at 12 this season in 15 starts, Mengden has proven that he can't be trusted in your fantasy lineups.
Check out the rest of our great Fantasy Baseball content.
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