Ottoneu Cold Right Now: June 24, 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

Kyle Bradish, Add% Change (7 days): -32.5%

This is, unquestionably, the most frustrating paragraph to write in this article. Bradish was excellent last year and had made a meaningful leap forward this year, and now this year is over. And probably some of next year. And for those of us who waited through his spring injury and were rewarded with that brief flash of brilliance, it is just that much more painful.

Unfortunately, any double-digit priced Bradish is a pretty easy cut at this point. If you have a less expensive Bradish (I have a $3 Bradish and three $4 Bradishes), the choice is tougher. As of now, he is on the 15-day IL and using up a roster spot, but that may not remain true, and pending his ETA (they are hoping the internal brace procedure will get him pitching again sooner), he could be an interesting hold at $5-$6 for the latter part of 2025. That said, if I need the roster spot, I am going to make the cut.

Anthony Rizzo, Add% Change (7 days): -25.3%

If you weren’t going to cut Rizzo for his poor performance or the fractured arm maybe being placed on the 60-day IL will do it? Rizzo is a cut. At any price on any roster.

Danny Coulombe, Add% Change (7 days): -23.4%

Another player being cut due to injury. A bit like Bradish, Coulombe was good last year for Ottoneu managers and great this year. Unlike Bradish, Coulombe intends to return this year, though no earlier than September. Given that timeline, I don’t see a need to keep him, either. I just can’t justify sitting on an injured relief pitcher, especially one who has a less-than-elite track record, for multiple months.

Injuries

David Fry, Elbow Inflammation

There are so many injuries in the last category that going through more now feels unfair, but here we are. Fry left Sunday’s game with elbow inflammation. He’s not a pitcher so this isn’t a total disaster, but it is not good either. Fry is considered day-to-day for now, so there is no rush to act, but keep an eye on the news. Fry has been so good that even if the injury means an IL-stint, he isn’t a cut. You just may need to find another option to fill in for him while he is out.

Starling Marte, Knee Soreness

I thought Marte was done coming into the season, so his bounceback at age 35 caught me off-guard. Marte is walking more than last year and making higher-quality contact (by EV, barrel-rate, hard-hit-rate, xwOBA) than he has in years. After his BABIP fell to .303 last year (one of the lowest of his career and well below his career mark of .341), it has rebounded to .333 this year. Marte isn’t done, yet.

He left Sunday’s game with knee soreness and will be getting an MRI Monday. This is pretty concerning, in my opinion. Not “just go ahead and cut him now” concerning, but certainly, “keep your fingers crossed because a knee injury would be bad” concerning. If he has to miss time and come back from a knee injury, my level of concern will increase. As strong as his performance has been, I am not sure I want to be relying on him if the knee isn’t right.

Giancarlo Stanton, Hamstring

This was, of course, always coming. Stanton was having a solid season, a reminder that when he is healthy, he is still a powerful bat. But he was bound to miss some time. The big question is whether you want to sit on him through a month off. I think the answer is yes, but it’s not without risk.

Stanton’s performance is sustainable, by the numbers – we know he can hit the ball hard, we know he can elevate, we know he will strike out but can draw a walk. Nothing he is doing can’t be maintained. My fear, though, is that he can only do those things when healthy and that this is just the start of the “unhealthy” portion of his season. Does the hamstring linger? Does recovering from the hamstring change how he works out and create other injuries? Will he miss more time than expected or play through lingering issues?

Where I have Stanton, I would be willing to wait this out, given how weak OF has been, but I would also sell high, if there were a buyer in 2-3 weeks, closer to his return.

Cold Performers

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

Will Benson, -1.3 P/G

Benson has been ice cold, but this is to be somewhat expected. While he typically draws walks at a high rate, keeping his floor from getting too low, he also strikes out a lot and relies on BABIP to produce value. When the K’s pile up and the ball isn’t falling in, he will go through cold streaks. This doesn’t really change who he is – a good power/speed combo for 5×5 leagues with poor rates who really can’t be used vs. LHP.

Jonny DeLuca, -0.4 P/G

DeLuca doesn’t have as extreme a strikeout issue as Benson, but he also doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard. For now, he’s a pretty easy guy to move on from.

JP Sears, -6.1 P/IP

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and I will cut Sears without looking back. Everytime I think he is figuring something out, he struggles badly. Forget it.