Happy Fourth of July everyone! With all the fireworks, hot dog eating, beer guzzling and all things that make America great going on (that is in no way, shape, or form a Trump endorsement) take a second to check out this week's cut list.

The All-Star Break is right around the corner so the season is basically half over at this point. If you are a fringe playoff team in your league, now is the time to make some moves.

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Week 14 Players to Consider Cutting

1) James Paxton (SEA, SP)

Droppable in 12 Team Leagues

James Paxton got fantasy players excited with his improved velocity and strikeout totals. However, it looks like the league has adjusted to him and it hasn't been pretty. The WHIP over his last four starts has been 1.50 or higher in each outing. Paxton is giving up a lot of hard contact, and, given his propensity to put runners on base, that's a recipe for disaster. If you want to roll the dice on his potential be my guest, but I would pursue other SP options.

2) Joc Pederson (LAD, OF)

Droppable in 12 Team Redraft Leagues



Just when Pederson had a tiny bit of momentum going, he suffers a sprained AC joint. The Dodgers are a mess thanks to this injury bug. Even before the injury though, Pederson was still having an underwhelming season considering the potential he has. Once hyped as a potential 30-30 player, he was on pace for around 25 dingers and 8 steals. Not that those aren't respectable numbers, but it makes him just a slightly above average talent, especially when the weak average is considered. He's still very young, so while he's not yet a bust, in redraft leagues you shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if someone better is out there.

3) Fernando Rodney (MIA, RP)

Droppable in All Leagues

As good of a move as it is for the Marlins in real life, Rodney's fantasy value has been absolutely crippled. He's now the eighth inning guy behind A.J. Ramos, which still gives him value in holds leagues. However he's no longer a closer, meaning he can be kicked to the fantasy curb in most formats. Naturally though, he should be kept on watch lists just in case anything should happen to Ramos.

More Options: C.C. Sabathia, Denard Span, Archie Bradley, Matt Adams, Cody Reed, Kevin Pillar, Gio Gonzalez

Hot Seat for Getting Cut

So these are some guys you shouldn't cut just yet, but who would be the first to go on most rosters if you need to add someone else.

1) Michael Saunders (TOR, OF)

Saunders has been very good this season, but is currently in a bit of a funk. He showed some signs of life on Saturday, so the seat is a little less hot at the moment. However, outside of his three-homer barrage, Saunders hasn't done much of anything lately for the Blue Jays. The peripherals are still there fortunately, as he's hitting the ball very hard and the OBP is impressive. The reality was though that he was going to regress a bit with his high K rate and low BB%. That being said, there is still upside here in a potent lineup. He just needs to get going again.

2) Aaron Nola (PHI, SP)



This won't be a popular entry, but let's face it; Nola has been awful lately. His last five starts have been extremely underwhelming and his season ERA is up to 4.69. One of the positives here is that he is still missing bats, but the scary thing here is that no one seems to know what's wrong with him. The seat is pretty hot for him at the moment, because if he doesn't get things going over his next few starts it may be time to cut him in redrafts. In keepers, be patient with this future stud.

3) A.J. Reed (HOU, 1B)



You don't want to cut him just yet after likely having stashed him for most of this season. This goes double in keepers and dynasties where Reed's future is still very bright. He hasn't found success early on in his major league tenure though, and could be in danger of getting sent back down if he can't get into a groove. The fact that Alex Bregman is knocking on the door could also force the Astros' hand in terms of shuffling their infield around. Reed did connect for his first big league homer, so maybe that gets him going. He is on a lukewarm seat at the moment until he starts hitting.

4) Jung Ho Kang (PIT, SS/3B)

I was gung ho about Jung Ho this season because of his power potential at two premium positions. Early on the rewards were pretty impressive too. Over the last month though, his production has tapered off dramatically, and he is also getting frequent rest days. Right now he and Starlin Castro, who has been featured on this list before, are essentially the same player. A low number of runs scored, decent power, but underwhelming average and RBI. He's a better player than Castro and is worth hanging onto in deeper/keeper leagues. In shallow redrafts though, I wouldn't blame you if you dropped him and just rolled with the hot hand.

Reverse Jinx - Brighter Days Ahead?

Danny Valencia (OAK, 3B/OF):

My last reverse jinx ended up being more of a regular jinx as Lorenzo Cain ended up on the DL. Hopefully it goes better for Valencia. He's been great this season, as he's actually hit well against both lefties and righties. Unfortunately he's cooled off a bit lately, as he hasn't recorded a homer or RBI since June 25th. I wouldn't worry too much though, he should get back on track soon. He's still making hard contact and his BABIP doesn't suggest drastic regression either. Reverse jinx activate!

Graveyard - Previously Disposed Of

Addison Russell, Jaime Garcia , Joe Panik, Travis Shaw, Tommy Joseph, Jhonny Peralta, Dan Straily, Trayce Thompson, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Conforto

Zombies - Resurrected and Living Well

Albert Pujols (LAA, 1B)

This one is a bit of a stretch, because I featured him on the Hot Seat earlier in the season. However the Machine is alive and well. Pujols' average is actually up to a respectable .251 on the season with 15 homers and 55 RBI. He's on pace for around 30 homers and 100 RBI. Nothing to scoff at all, especially given that it's coming from a 36 year old player.

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