Ottoneu Cold Right Now: September 11, 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

Alex Freeland, Add% Change (7 days): -10.1%

Freeland played second and third base in August for the Dodgers and slashed .190/.292/.310 in 97 plate appearances. He has not been a victim of bad luck; his .172 xBA and .298 xSLG are below his actuals. The 22.3% AAA K% he held in 466 plate appearances jumped to 36.1% in the major leagues. He’s struggled tremendously against fastballs, posting a -4.5 statcast run value on four-seamers. Freeland’s Z-Contact% in his major league stint was 81.8% compared to the rookie major league average of 85.6% (SIS). Some of that was due to the fact that he was more passive at the plate. He did not chase often, which is a positive sign, but he was also too passive when the ball was in the zone. Much of Freeland’s major league struggles can be viewed in his statcast swing/take profile:

Statcast

The purple bar at below the “Swing|Take” section shows how in the heart of the zone, Freeland swung less than average and took more than average, accounting for a -3 run value. Freeland will have to work on pitch selection, swing decisions, and catching up to the heater in AAA a little while longer.

Eric Lauer 라우어 라우어, Add% Change (7 Days): -9.5%

Lauer will work as a reliever now that the Blue Jays have shifted back to a five-man rotation. Here’s a comparison of Lauer as a starter versus a reliever:

His reliever K-BB% is better than the league average, but even if he can keep it up while continuing his homerless streak as a reliever, he loses a ton of value without the ability to pick up holds or saves.

Jonathan India, Add% Change (7 Days): -9.5%

The drop in India’s roster rate is likely due to his being placed on the IL at the start of September with a wrist injury. He’s returned quickly and is back in the Royals lineup, albeit at the bottom of the order. India’s profile has changed over the last few seasons, and he’s become much more of a contact-first hitter. He’s dropped his K% in each season as a big leaguer, and his BB% is down (9.7%) compared to last season’s career high of 12.6%. He’s also completely stopped running and hasn’t recorded a stolen base in 2025. A high contact profile is susceptible to batted ball luck, and India hasn’t had the best of it in 2025 with a .278 BABIP. That has brought his batting average down to .235, though his expected average is higher at .253. Regardless, India has been a 3.84 P/G player in 2025, a career low and hovering right around replacement level.

Injuries

Spencer Arrighetti, Add% Change (7 days): -22.32%

It’s been an injury-ridden season for the 25-year-old Astros righty. His elbow has been in question for most of his 35.1 IP. His velocity has been down, his K% has been down, and it’s clear that he isn’t fully healthy. His average salary sits around $5, and if you’re rostering him for less than that while considering your rebuild options, he’s not a bad young pitcher to consider keeping. However, it’s unclear how significant the issue is and whether or not he’ll need surgery.

Cold Performers

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

Michael Harris II,  -0.6 P/G

After really struggling in June (.148/.165/.261), Harris II showed big improvements in July (.301/.323/.527 ) and kept the momentum going in August (.311/.322/.563). Now, in Sept/Oct (.091/.086/.121), he’s slumping once again. When he’s going good, Harris II has a line drive rate in the low 20s and an elevated BABIP because of it. In Sept/Oct, his LD% is down to 6.9% and his BABIP is at .103.

Ronald Acuña Jr.,  0.0 P/G

Acuña’s monthly slugging percentage has been decreasing all season:

May: .733 -> June: .596 -> July: .494 -> Aug: .316 -> Sept/Oct: .154

That trend has brought his .590 first-half SLG down to a second-half .339. It’s been a tough season for the Braves and their star outfielder due to injuries.

Eury Pérez, -1.2 P/IP

Pérez has given up four home runs in his last two appearances. Walks and home runs have crept up for the young righty in the second half of the season, and his K% has come down. Throughout the season, his four-seamer has been getting hit more and more:

July: .149 wOBA -> Aug: .351 wOBA -> Sept/Oct: .583 wOBA

Payton Tolle, 0.3 P/IP

In his first outing, Tolle pumped four-seamers and cutters in the zone and struck batters out with ease, generating a combined 38.9% K% when those two fastballs ended the plate appearance and allowing only a .245 wOBA. That strategy did not hold up in games two and three as the K% dropped to 7.1% and the wOBA went up to .615. The major leagues are tough. Tolle will have to adjust.