Welcome to the 2021 Fantasy Baseball Stock Up/Stock Down Week 11 article!
This week, we take a look at some familiar faces who just are not getting it done anymore, and a look at some new faces beginning to heat up. Sometimes as players get older and they begin to decline, they'll make changes. These changes aren't always for the better, but sometimes they are. When we notice this happening, it is important to get ahead of the curve and grab these players.
It is very hard to know a lot of the newer, younger players in the league. So when they come up and dominate, perhaps you were behind in not knowing who they were or the production they were putting up. Well this week, there are a few youngsters who are beginning to get hot at the big league level, and others who just cannot seem to find that consistency.
Scouring the waiver wire a few times a week can help you keep up with the new trends as to who is beginning to get hot, and who has been slumping.
Now without further ado, let's hop into Week 11! And as always, if there are any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to ask me them on Twitter @MikeSollicito1.
2021 Fantasy Baseball Week 11 Stock Up/Stock Down
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Stock Up
Patrick Sandoval, SP, Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have been on an absolute roll as of late, and Sandoval has been a big reason for that. Never a highly touted prospect, Sandoval had shown glimpses at the big league level but never showed he could put it together. Now, with a devastating pitch, Sandoval is finally finding consistency.
Sandoval has a fantastic changeup which is consistently causing hitters to whiff. They are whiffing a ridiculous 59% of the time! This is a put away pitch, and one that keeps batters on their toes. As long as Sandoval can continue to keep that pitch effective, he should continue to get results.
While there are some causes for concern for Sandoval, namely his fastball which isn't the greatest, if Sandoval can implement his slider a bit more he could really breakout.
While he won't go out there and toss a Quality Start for you every game, Sandoval is proving like a nice waiver add, and perhaps someone you should grab in the wake of Tyler Glasnow's injury.
Jake Fraley, OF, Seattle Mariners
While this surely is not the Mariners OF many thought would be dominating come June, Fraley has looked fantastic since jumping into a full-time role following the demotion of Jarred Kelenic and the injury to Kyle Lewis.
Since May 31st, Fraley has 14 walks to 14 strikeouts while hitting .317 with four HRs, 14 RBI, and 10 Runs. While this is not sustainable, his patience at the plate shows that he should be able to continue having productive at-bats.
He is currently locked into the starting CF role and will continue to see time there with how the Mariners OF currently looks. Grab Fraley, as he not only has some power but should also help in the Stolen Base department.
Finding someone who can do it all like Fraley is hard, but grab him now and ride this hot streak. He is still fairly young and was a well-regarded prospect, so maybe he is putting it all together.
Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Joey Votto has turned back the clock (to an extent) this season. While the average leaves a lot to be desired, Votto's hard-hit rates, exit velocity, and walk rate have all returned to above average and his xBA of .270 should get you excited.
Votto has been making changes the past few seasons as he has felt his bat speed get slower, and it seems that whatever he did in the offseason is working. On top of that, this Reds' lineup has been great all year, and with guys like Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos, they should continue to be productive the rest of the year.
Votto will play all day, and provides some help in the corner infield spots for your lineup. While Votto's strikeout rate is a bit higher than usual, it is still only 22%. Grab Votto and ride the wave, as he was starting to put it together prior to his thumb injury.
Now back and hitting the ball better than he has the last few years, we may be seeing a late-career revival.
Stock Down
Andrew Vaughn, 1B/OF, Chicago White Sox
Do not drop Vaughn. This is simply me telling you that this is arguably the lowest his stock will be, and to try and buy low now for cheap, or grab him off waivers with your extra bench spot. This is also me telling you that he needs to ride the bench until he shows any sign of heating up.
While Vaughn is only hitting .220 right now, and striking out at 27% of the time, he is still hitting the ball ridiculously hard. The hits should begin to fall soon, and the HRs should come. While he has been experiencing inconsistent play from Tony La Russa, I still expect Vaughn to turn it on soon.
While the average may not be anything special, (only xBA of .240) the power is there. Yes, hopefully, the strikeout rate dips a bit, but always a good hitter in the minors with a good eye, I expect Vaughn to cut them down sooner rather than later.
Do not drop Vaughn. I also would not start Vaughn every day just yet, but he is someone to keep on your bench as the upside is very high. We could be looking at a big power breakout relatively soon, and I want to be here for it. This is the lowest his stock will be, so take advantage of it now.
Wil Myers, OF, San Diego Padres
Wil Myers is so blah. He was great last year, and after the underlying metrics were backing that up, he has not been the same this year. While he is striking out and walking similar amounts to last year, he just is not hitting the ball hard at all.
This has led him to have an xBA of .212, yikes. While the strikeout rate has never been that much of a strength for Myers, it was his ability to hit the ball hard while playing nearly every day for an electric lineup that made him so appealing.
Now, the power is gone, the strikeout rate is still high, and he is no longer stealing like he was in his younger days.
Myers simply does not have much value right now, and unless he is able to turn it around soon I would much rather drop Myers for someone like Fraley. The Padres also have a lot of utility players they like to mix around, so if Myers doesn't get it going the playing time could slip too.
Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, Boston Red Sox
Wow, I thought Eduardo would be able to turn it around over his last few starts but that has not been the case. He has two Quality Starts on the season and has seen his ERA rise to an unsettling 6.02.
While the peripherals remain optimistic (3.35 xFIP, 3.63 FIP, 3.49 xERA) I'm not sure I can remain optimistic. He has done nothing but lose you ERA weekly at this point, failing to go past 5.1 innings in each of his last six starts. While the strikeouts are nice, he has looked terrible. In 10 team or less leagues, he has been off my team.
In 12 teams or more I think it depends on your SP situation. If you can afford to drop him or have guys like Patrick Sandoval on the waiver wire, I'd give him an add instead.
Keep an eye on Eduardo, as maybe the underlying peripherals are onto something and he could turn it around soon. But for me, I'll let that be someone else's problem. He can take his 6 ERA off my team.
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