Ottoneu Cold Right Now: May 1 2025

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

Kyren Paris, Add% Change (7 days): -16.5%

If you got too excited about Paris’ hot start, where he worked up to a .440/.533/1.120 slash line in his first 30 plate appearances, and rostered him above his $5 average, you’re wise to cut. If you watched as your leaguemates brought the salary up too much during that hot start, you’re wise to now hope he passes through waivers and then re-auction him for half the price. There still is hope for the 23-year-old and we should expect the highs and lows of what you see in his rolling wOBA and K% chart below:

Paris’ zone contact has fallen to an abysmal 69.4% in 2025, and it has never been above the major league average. But his barrel rate has stayed at an amazing 18.6% along with a 48.8% HardHit% in 26 big league games this season. Unfortunately, those last two metrics can only be recorded when contact is made, and Paris will likely be spending time in AAA figuring out how to do that soon. The Angels certainly have players who can hold down the fort while that happens. Paris has a speed and power profile that is worth holding if you have the space and time; otherwise, look for a player who can make better contact to fill his roster spot on your fantasy team.

Will Wagner, Add% Change (7 Days): -16.2%

Wagner’s profile is the opposite of Kyren Paris’ (mentioned above). Wagner was optioned to AAA after his slash line fell to .186/.284/.220. But an above-average zone contact rate (92.2%) paired with a low K% (14.3%) makes Wagner a long-term option for batting average potential in roto leagues. Sadly, without any indications of power to come, Wagner is unrosterable in points leagues that value slugging percentage. If you can’t hit in the big leagues, your defense has to be stellar, and Wagner plays as a 1B/3B infielder on a team that just extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and has a better-performing Ernie Clement to play 3B.

Zac Veen, Add% Change (7 Days): -15.3%

As only the smartest fantasy analysts do, I’ll only point out things I’ve written that have come to fruition:

He’s worth a look, but don’t take your eyes off him if he enters your lineup. He could be back down in AAA quickly if he can’t cut his K% down.

12 big league games don’t provide enough data to usefully populate a rolling chart, but all you need to know is that Veen’s K% in that time jumped up to 37.8%. There’s no real reason to hold onto him for anything more than $1.

Injuries

A.J. Puk, Add% Change (7 days): -32.1%

The latest news on the Diamondbacks’ closer points to no surgery on an elbow flexor strain injury, but Puk will be completely shut down for the next few weeks. Puk only threw eight innings this season, but his K% sits at 34.3%, and he recorded four wins. That’s tough to replace. Those who rostered Puk can look for Justin Martinez or Shelby Miller’s availability, with Martinez more likely to fill the closer role.

Garrett Mitchell, Add% Change (7 days): -16.8%

Mitchell has an oblique strain. He’s been an unproductive hitter (.206/.286/.294) and has only 2.3 points per game in FanGraphs points leagues. He was striking out at a 32.1% clip, making below-average zone contact, and had a below-average 6.7% barrel rate before the injury. He somehow played in 25 games. The Brewers will see if Daz Cameron can fill in as an OF bench spot in Mitchell’s absence.

Cold Performers

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

Yainer Diaz, 1.7 P/G

There’s no doubt that Diaz has had a slow start, but it’s challenging to identify a clear issue. His Z-Contact% and Barrel% are steady compared to last season, and there hasn’t been much change in his plate-discipline. He has struck out more (21.1%) than he did last season (17.3%), and he’s seeing fewer pitches in the zone, but a .214 BABIP and a below-average HR/FB (6.3% vs. 11.0% avg.) point to a hopeful future.

Ryan Mountcastle, 1.9 P/G

Mountcastle seems to be pressing as the O’s struggle. He’s sacrificed zone contact for harder hit balls, but that’s pushed his K% up, and luck hasn’t been on his side when the balls are put in play (.235 BABIP). Furthermore, his HR/FB rate is below league average (7.4%  vs. 11.0% avg.).

Osvaldo Bido, 0.0 P/IP

Bido gave up four home runs against the Rangers on April 22nd. That alone will do it in points leagues, but in roto leagues, the pain was even worse. He walked three batters, and the extra-large home run/walk combo resulted in eight earned runs. His K% has plummeted in 2025, and his cutter is his only pitch capable of getting swinging strikes at the moment. The problem is that it’s also his worst pitch by wOBA at .554. Overall, righties are hitting Bido to a .431 wOBA.

Sandy Alcantara, 0.3 P/IP

Sandy is simply lost. His K-BB% is now at 1.7%, and his four-seamer is only producing a 6.2% SwStr% (~9.0% avg.). Not much is going well for the 29-year-old righty working his way back from TJ surgery. He should be on the fantasy bench until some sign of hope reveals itself.