Ottoneu Cold Right Now: July 29, 2024

Cold Right Now (CRN) is a weekly Ottoneu feature focused on players being dropped or who should be dropped in Ottoneu leagues. In this feature we will break down players into three sections:

1. Roster Cuts: Analysis of players who have been cut in a high percentage of leagues.
2. Recent Injuries: A look at the implications of recent injuries (not all, just some high-profile ones).
3. Cold Performers: Players with a low P/G or P/IP in recent weeks.

This article will typically run once per week and will help fantasy managers keep track of players that need to be given extra attention to improve rosters.

Roster Cuts

J.P. Crawford, Add% Change (7 days): -22.6%

Sometimes the injury doesn’t cause the rash of cuts, exactly, it is just the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Crawford has crept around the edges of fantasy relevance for years now, dating back to being an intriguing prospect with the Phillies almost a decade ago. The combination of decent on-base skills and a glove that keeps him in the lineup allowed people to dream on a breakout, and they finally got it in 2023.

Last year, Crawford set career highs in HR, ISO, OBP, SLG, Avg EV, Barrel%, Hard-hit%, wOBA, and xwOBA (probably among others). Credit was reportedly due to work he did at Driveline, suggesting real reason to buy into 2024 looking like 2023. Instead, his wOBA has dropped .070, as he is striking out more, walking less, hitting fewer line drives and fly balls, and just generally looking, on the surface, like he has taken a step back from his pre-2023 form. Now he is out 4-6 weeks and you can understand why managers are done.

But there are some interesting numbers when you dive in. He has kept up his HH%. His barrel% has gone up again. He set a new career Max EV and increased his average EV, as well. His BABIP is killing him (along with the decrease in walks and increase in Ks).

Last year, Crawford had the lowest swing rate of his career and this year he is swinging more – both in and out of the zone – and you have to wonder if the Mariner’s struggles as a team were causing him to press a bit. Regardless, I am sort of intrigued to see what he looks like in September (at least as much of September as we get to see him) and I kind of like him as a buy low for 2025. The pendulum might not swing all the way back to his 2023 performance, but there is enough for me to get at least a little bit excited.

Daniel Schneemann, Add% Change (7 days): -20.4%

Schneemann came out of nowhere to put up a tremendous line at Triple-A this year. Well, not totally nowhere – he was good in Triple-A last year, as well. But there was nothing in his track record to suggest a huge breakout was coming. And yet, it came.

Then through 107 MLB PA, he had a 130 wRC+, had carved out a big role with Cleveland, could play multiple positions, including SS and he became a popular Ottoneu pickup. However, the last week has been bad. How bad? Well, in just 17 PA, he has dragged that season line down to a 102 wRC+. In those 17 PA, he has a single. He also has six strikeouts. Yuck.

I have bailed on Schneemann in a couple of places where I need immediate help/impact, but there are still some things to like. He strikes out a lot (30.6% of the time) but also draws a lot of walks (11.3%). He has a strong HH% (43.1%) and has shown solid power, hitting in a park that appears to be playing more power-friendly than in the past. And he still can help you at SS, OF and 3B.

I wouldn’t be in a hurry to cut him. I wouldn’t stress if you need to cut him to get someone more interesting, either.

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Injuries

Ricky Tiedemann, Add% Change (7 days): -21.6%

From being one of the top prospects in all of baseball to being unable to stay on the field to poor performances to now Tommy John. I hate watching stories like that unfold. Remember in your 2026 pre-season auctions (or maybe late-2025 in-season auctions) that the talent is legit, once he gets healthy. But for the next 12 months, at least, there’s no reason to keep him around.

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Cold Performers

Cold performers are marked by measuring low P/G or P/IP in the last 14 days.

Nacho Alvarez Jr., -1.0 P/G

He wasn’t really on my radar (or many other peoples) before Atlanta called him up. At that point, playing time, positional need, and trusting Atlanta led people (including me) to pick him up. But right now, he doesn’t look great and that is reminding me that he wasn’t on my radar for a reason.

Gavin Stone, 1.0 P/IP

The lack of strikeouts has been an issue all year, but it has only gotten worse. I wonder if Stone is hitting a bit of a wall. He got over 130 innings last year and isn’t there yet in 2024, but this is by far the most MLB innings he has thrown and closing in on the most pro-innings he has thrown. He has been too good to give up, but I might try to sell via trade. Or see if he gets a 2-3 week IL stint for something nebulous and comes back rested and ready for September.