Staying on top of player values is imperative because each athlete’s stock changes gradually every day. Even though we only have a month of data to work with, smart fantasy owners will use underlying metrics to spot early trends. These help you to determine which hot and cold starts are authentic or artificial.

You don’t want to be the one left holding onto a surprise performer once he’s cooled off. On the other hand, you also do not want to miss your opportunity to get a reliable athlete on the cheap after a slow start. With that being said, the big question is who should you buy low and sell high on? Our featured experts have taken the time to identify several trade candidates you should look into acquiring or moving. See who they chose below.

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Q1. What one player are you trying to sell high right now and who would you want in return?

Tim Anderson (SS – CWS)

“First off, I think you can fetch an absolute mint because it’s easy to buy into that first month after he got 20 HRs and 26 SBs a year ago and is now just in his age-26 season. This looks like the blooming of a superstar and while he may well be a star fantasy asset because of his power-speed combo, I don’t buy the slash line at all. Sure, no one’s really saying he’s going to post a full season of .375/.394/.615, but I really don’t buy it to the point that I think he’s going to be more like 100 points lower on the AVG and OBP and upwards of 150 off the SLG the rest of the way. Cash this gem in!”

– Paul Sporer (FanGraphs)

“We’ve seen these hot stretches from Tim Anderson before and they never last, so I’d be looking to unload my shares if I could do so at a profit. Anderson was an underrated player coming in, but his hot start has been fueled by a ridiculous .416 BABIP, and his walk rate is just 1.9%, which is abysmal, even for him. He’s not going to hit 35 home runs or steal upwards of 55 bases, as his current paces suggest. Anderson will have plenty of value so the optimal phrase is sell high, not just sell, and I’d look to move him for a clear upgrade in my opinion, such as Nelson Cruz or Khris Davis if I needed power.”

– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Marcell Ozuna (OF – STL)

“Ozuna has been extraordinary over the past three weeks and is now fifth in homers (10) and fifth in RBIs (29) in all of baseball. While it has been a joy owning him, I’m convinced now is time to sell. It isn’t as though I expect the bottom to fall out since he has always been a tremendous hitter when healthy. Rather, my concern is with his health. Sure, he is fine now, but shoulder injuries are among the most common to resurface once a player has already experienced them.

Just weeks ago, we were wondering if Ozuna was going to be shut down for a second shoulder surgery in seven months. He has received multiple cortisone shots and scopes to clean up his shoulder, but just how long can it be propped up? I don’t want to find out while he is still on my roster, so I’m offering him around for someone like Noah Syndergaard or Jose Ramirez.”

– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Chris Paddack (SP – SD)

“I’m selling on Paddack sooner than later if I get the chance. He’s been lights-out with a 1.91 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, and 35 Ks in 33 innings, but eventually he will be on a stricter innings count. We can’t discount the fact that teams may start to figure him out a bit the second or third time facing him. If hitters learn to look for his fastball, with its limited spin and non-exceptional velocity, he could see more hits fall in. Shoot for the moon and try to swap him for a struggling ace like Thor or Carlos Carrasco. Those sitting pretty in the standings may want to wait a couple more weeks and then try to snag Luis Severino or Mike Clevinger for the second half from an impatient owner.”

– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Q2. What one player are you trying to buy low and what type of player would you give up to get him?

Jack Flaherty (SP – STL)

“I’d say Noah Syndergaard if it wasn’t so obvious, but let’s turn to Flaherty, who has started off with mediocre numbers on paper. His 4.06 ERA and 1.23 WHIP are not killing someone’s fantasy team, but it also isn’t the breakout owners expected, so you may be able to get him for the same value he was drafted at. You may think trading for him at that value is not buying low, but in reality, his true value is much higher than it was when he was drafted so I consider it buying (very) low. Flaherty has already drawn the Brewers three times, surrendering 13 earned runs over just 13 innings. Outside of those games, he carries a 0.50 ERA. Baseball Savant has him with an expected wOBA (based on quality of contact against) of .287, which was James Paxton, Noah Syndergaard, and Clayton Kershaw territory in 2018. I’d gladly deal Tim Anderson or Chris Paddack (at least) for him if it was on the table.”

– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)

Franmil Reyes (OF – SD)

“Despite his two-homer game on Tuesday, I can’t imagine that the price on Reyes is particularly high, and I’d look to buy low wherever I could. Reyes is batting just .233 this year, but everything in his underlying data suggests that he has been perhaps the least lucky player in baseball. He has an expected batting average of .324 (top four percent in the league), a 20.3% barrel rate (top two percent in the league), and an average exit velocity of 94.6 miles per hour (top three percent in the league). He’s a breakout waiting to happen, and I’d be willing to swap a pitcher like Yu Darvish or Kyle Hendricks, or an underperforming hitter like Max Muncy, but I’d look to swap someone more like J.A. Happ or Maikel Franco first.”

– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)

Miles Mikolas (SP – STL)

“I don’t truly believe the likes of Jose Ramirez, Noah Syndergaard, and Chris Sale (etc…) can be truly bought at a major discount, so I’m going to buy a truly low guy, a real stinker so far, and go with Mikolas. After talking with PitcherList’s Nick Pollack, I learned that Mikolas has allowed a .200 AVG on his four-seamer, .231 on his sinker, and .143 on his curveball. His slider has been an absolute mess (.364 AVG, 3 HRs), but he’s a tweak or two from really getting back on track and the price is rock bottom (perhaps even free in shallower leagues). While I never thought he’d match his 2.83 ERA from last year, I think he’s a true talent, mid-3.00s kind of guy, and we can still get five months of that guy by acting now.”

– Paul Sporer (FanGraphs)

Yasiel Puig (OF – CIN)

“Now that Jesus Aguilar has started to close his buy-low window, the next player to turn things around might be Puig. So far, he’s shown no patience at the plate, walking 4% of the time while striking out a career-worst 24.8%. His swing and chase percentages are also at career highs. The good news is that his quality of contact isn’t any worse and his ballpark and playing time situations are still better in Cincinnati. Once he stops pressing and settles in, he should be just fine. Offer to exchange a slugger who doesn’t provide speed, like Joc Pederson, Trey Mancini or Franmil Reyes.”

– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)

Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter and subscribe to our podcast below for all the latest discussions this season.



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