Ottoneu Cold Right Now: May 16, 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

Tanner Houck, Add% Change (7 days): -20.8%

Houck is the rare player who could go in all three of these categories. He’s being cut, he got hurt, his performance has been cold. How did I decide where to put him? I don’t know, I have no good reason for him to be in this category vs. any other.

He’s on the IL with a flexor pronator strain, which means he is out at least two weeks, though Boston hasn’t confirmed how long he’ll be shelved. Barring this becoming an extended absence, the injury alone isn’t reason to cut Houck loose – but add insult two horrific starts dragging his season line to oblivion to injury and you have a guy getting dropped left and right.

I think dropping Houck is a pretty easy decision right now, if only because there will be little to no reason for anyone to roster him for the next 30 days. As for whether he is worth rostering after that, Michael Baumann recently discussed Houck’s struggles on this very site, and I would recommend reading it. My take away is that there are still some positive signs outside the two disasters, and Houck is worth watching, given how good he was last year. But I am a long way from wanting to start him which, at this point, means I am a long way from wanting him on my roster.

Kameron Misner, Add% Change (7 days): -14.1%

Is it weird to write about a guy in this space when he hit a HR last night? Yeah, a little bit. But given he had gone over a month since his last HR (a two-homer game on April 14), it’s no surprise he was getting cut loose. His wRC+ since that last HR, before last night’s HR, was 30. From April 24th through May 14th, it was -5. NEGATIVE FIVE! That is not good.

But he went deep Thursday night so it’s all good now, right? Eh, I dunno. I still see a guy with a lot of strikeouts and without a lot of loud contact whose primary value is stolen bases. That is great in 5×5, and I can understand why you would want him there. But in other formats, I don’t really see much to get excited about.

Recent Injuries

Hayden Wesneski, Add% Change (7 days): -19.3%

Wesneski was at one point a highly regarded prospect getting a lot of hype as a potential breakout in Ottoneu circles. Wesneski was, at another point, an afterthought, left as a free agent in most leagues as he struggled. Then he was traded to Houston and started this year pretty well. Through April, he had a 3.86 ERA. Yes, a high HR/FB rate drove up his FIP (and hurt his Ottoneu points per inning pitched), but some regression on that HR rate offered reason for optimism.

Then he skipped a start, made his next start (and pitched poorly), and then hit the IL with an elbow injury. The team hasn’t provided many updates, but the Astros broadcast team hinted Tuesday that the absence might be lengthy.

I was pretty intrigued by Wesneski and had been adding him in a few places in April. His zone percentage is way up, helping him limit the walks, bringing his K%-BB% up to 17.6’%, 34th out of 136 pitchers with 30+ innings this year. That isn’t ace-level breakout, but it is enough to make him useful. He is using his sweeper less and his cutter and change more, plus he added a curve, giving him six pitches. Only one (the sweeper) comes with an above average Stuff+, but it is well above average (118) and he has three more pitches in the mid-to-high 90s for Stuff+. There is a lot to work with there. He likely still needs to refine his repertoire, but I trust the Astros pitching development to help him through the process.

If he is due to be back soon, I am still going to be interested in him. If this is destined to be a length absence, he can’t be kept, I don’t think. The upside isn’t elite and it isn’t likely enough to justify holding him for months.

Evan Phillips, Add% Change (7 days): -14.1%

Phillips has been a good reliever in the back end of a good bullpen for a while now, and this year was no different. Even with a slight drop in Ks, he was pitching well. However, elbow inflammation has him shut down for a bit and that causes two issues for me:

1. While elbow inflammation could just be elbow inflammation it could also be a symptom of something more problematic leading to a long absense.
2. I hate stashing injured relievers.

So for me, Phillips is a cut. Add him to your watchlists and track the news. As soon is there are reports he is coming back, he is worth adding. But for now, that spot can be better used elsewhere.

Cold Performers

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

Royce Lewis, -0.7 P/G

Lewis set the world on fire in his 2022 debut. And in his 2023 rookie season. But injuries have marred his early career breakout and since the start of 2024, the performance hasn’t been as exciting. So while this most recent return from injury hasn’t been good, the bigger issue is that his last 14 months or so haven’t been that good. But I think this may be an okay time to buy low. Look, I don’t think it is a stretch or a surprise to say his 2023 peak is not likely to return. But he doesn’t strike out much, he draws walks, and while the power hasn’t been there this year, we know he has that club in his bag. If his price is low, the .335-.340 wOBA I think he’ll put up moving forward is pretty useful, even if it won’t make him a star.

Kenley Jansen, -13.3 P/IP

Jansen is still nearly 95% rostered and I have to be honest, I don’t get it. His velocity is continuing to drop, he isn’t getting guys to chase, he is giving up more contact, he’s allowing a 50% hard hit rate and a 17% barrel rate. He has been getting saves at an unsustainable rate (7 in 11 innings) and that still hasn’t been enough to make him a useful RP, outside of 5×5. Even in 5×5, he is only getting you saves. And, let’s be honest, even the Angels will realize he has no business getting saves, right?