Winning in the trade market is arguably more important to your squad’s success than the draft. The trades that push you up the standings are the ones where you capitalize on the high value of overachieving players for discounted high-pedigree or unlucky players who are underperforming. It doesn’t matter when you make these deals. As long as the players you acquire elevate their game and the guys you sent away experience diminished production, then you’ve successfully optimized your team and strengthened your push for a title. Below are our featured experts’ buy-low and sell-high suggestions to help you improve your roster.
Q1. Which one MLB player are you trying to buy low and why? Also, who are you willing to give up for him?
Justin Turner (3B/DH – LAD)
“Justin Turner has done this before. In 2018, he had a mediocre first half and then hit .358 after the All-Star break. In 2021, he did the reverse, hitting .305 with 50 RBI in the first half before slowing down to a .241 average with 37 RBI in the second half. This season, he’s off to one of his worst starts with a .207/.265/.364 slash line and just four homers. He’ll turn things around and could be a terrific buy-low candidate if you can flip a young third baseman like Alec Bohm or Ke’Bryan Hayes for him, as neither one is likely to offer the same power or R+RBI upside.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)
Robbie Ray (SP – SEA)
“Robbie Ray has a 4.77 ERA, but he ‘s also seventh in strikeouts (58) and has an xFIP around 3.75. Ray’s walks rate is higher than you’d like, but outside of last year, that’s always been the case. The eight HR are tied for eighth worst in the league, so he’s not making good pitches after allowing more baserunners. I personally think he’s pressing, and I’ll buy low on that strong career K rate with, say, a Merrill Kelly, who’s been pitching a tad over his head so far on a team destined to fall backwards over time. ”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Nelson Cruz (DH – WSH)
“Nelson Cruz is off to a slow start, and many are worried that the 41-year-old has finally hit the wall. The concerns are warranted: his Hard%, FB%, and HR/FB% are all way down, and he has just four home runs through 41 games. If you look closer, though, there are some encouraging signs. The difference between Cruz’s wOBA and xwOBA (.261 vs. .352) is the sixth-highest in all of baseball, and all of his batted ball data is well above league average. I’m betting that Cruz begins to heat up with the weather, and I’m willing to swap a veteran pitcher, such as Jose Quintana or Adam Wainwright (or a couple of them), to find out. ”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
Marcell Ozuna (DH/OF – ATL)
“Targeting Braves OF Marcell Ozuna feels like a great idea right now. He’s hitting .225 with eight HRs and I think that he has at least 25 more HRs in his bat the rest of the way. If he can hit .250-.260, that would be icing on the cake. I would give up a solid starter for him for sure.”
– Dr. Roto (FullTime Fantasy)
Check out our trade values for all players in our weekly Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart 
Q2. What one MLB player are you trying to sell high right now and why? Also, who would you try to get in return?
Ty France (1B/2B/3B/DH – SEA)
“Ty France is enjoying a breakout season at the age of 27, ranking fifth in the AL with 28 RBI and a .325 batting average. His outstanding .331 xBA and 4.3% K-BB% fully support his performance thus far. But that’s as far as his fantasy production goes, since he’s providing only modest power with six HR, no steals, and a good but not great 18 runs scored. If he ends the season with a .325 AVG, selling would have been a mistake but I’ll bet on at least a slight decline. Try swapping him for a slow starter like Jose Abreu or Matt Olson if possible.”
– Pierre Camus (RotoBaller)
Jose Quintana (SP – PIT)
“This isn’t the sexiest name, but I’m selling high on Jose Quintana and his hot start to the season. His 2.43 ERA is an aberration, and he is likely to trend closer to his 4.31 xERA in the coming weeks. While not as extreme, his FIP, xFIP, and SIERA all agree that some regression is coming. As for Statcast data, Quintana’s is well below average almost across the board. He is using his changeup more than he has at any other point in his career (by a lot), which is interesting, but I’m still not buying this new version of Quintana. If someone else is, then I’m definitely selling for a depth bat or seeing if I can package Quintana with another player to acquire a buy-low hitter like Nelson Cruz or Alex Verdugo. ”
– Mike Maher (FantasyPros)
Kolten Wong (2B – MIL)
“I am not thrilled with the way Brewers 2B Kolten Wong is swinging the bat. I would take advantage of his eight steals and see if I could trade him to a team desperate for speed. If I needed power or a starting pitcher, I might be able to get a competitor to bite on that type of offer.”
– Dr. Roto (FullTime Fantasy)
Trevor Story (2B/SS – BOS)
“This is your window to get out from Trevor Story. His recent numbers look great off of one big game, and he remains a strikeout machine with huge cold streaks in that bat. I wonder if you could swing Jeremy Pena and a second player based off the name of Trevor Story alone. It may carry more weight than you realize. If it does, don’t be afraid to move him.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Make sure to give them a follow on Twitter for more great advice all season and check out our Leading Off Podcast every single day for quick-hitting takeaways and advice.
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