We have made it through another week of the season and the All-Star break. Therefore, we have another set of players to buy high or sell low based on their recent performances and a full-season outlook.
Some are just hot streaks, and some are worth buying into, so we are here to help make the right decisions for your fantasy teams. With that said, let’s look at a handful of players that you should buy high or sell low.
Buy High
Jose Miranda appears to have found some comfort at the plate and is beginning to meet the preseason expectations that some had for the Twins’ third base prospect. Miranda hit safely in both Twins games last week, going 4-8. Over the previous two months, Miranda has hit .331 with seven home runs and 31 RBI. He has an impressive .221 ISO, .924 OPS, and 162 wRC+. Some are concerned that Miranda will lose playing time when Miguel Sano comes back soon, but it will be hard for the Twins to remove Miranda’s production from the lineup. Buy Miranda now while so many are still sleeping on him.
Austin Riley has backed up the hype from his 2021 season and maybe exceeded it so far. This past week, he hit safely in all three games with a 25% barrel rate and 62.5% hard-hit rate. Riley is now hitting an impressive .297 on the season, hitting 28 home runs and tossing in two stolen bases. He even has 60 runs scored and 64 RBI. Riley could end the season with 40+ home runs and 100+ runs and RBI. Another monster season for Riley.
I try to avoid writing up too many top-notch studs, but they have to be discussed repeatedly. Mookie Betts is amidst a monster season, and there is no primary concern that things will be slowing down anytime soon. This past week, Betts hit safely in all four games for the Dodgers with two home runs and a stolen base and did not strike out once. Betts is only hitting .265 on the season but does have 23 home runs to go with seven stolen bases and an impressive 68 runs scored. As long as Betts can stay healthy, he will put up remarkable fantasy numbers the rest of the season.
Yu Darvish is having quite a 2022 season, and his first start out of the All-Star break was outstanding. Darvish threw seven innings where he allowed one run and struck out nine. He had an impressive 30.8% K-BB for the game with a 12.1% SwStr. Darvish has thrown at least six innings in eight straight starts while allowing three runs or less in seven games and striking out at least five. His 24.4% K-BB is outstanding, and there is no end in sight for Darvish’s success.
Framber Valdez has been a steady producer over the last few seasons. He eats up innings, limits hard contact and gets a handful of strikeouts. In his first start after the break, Valdez threw 6.2 innings, allowing three runs and striking out eight. Valdez has now thrown at least six innings in all but two starts this season, going with a 22.2% strikeout rate and 3.33 SIERA. Valdez will not be an ace, but he is a lock-him-in option every week and will cost far less than an ace on the fantasy trade market.
Sell Low
The second half continued a rough season for Nelson Cruz. He went hitless over three games for the Nats while striking out 23.1% of the time. Cruz is hitting .233 on the season with eight home runs and a 22.7% strikeout rate. He is still barreling the ball 10.6% of the time with a 46.9% hard-hit rate, which are good numbers but not for him. He continues to scuffle, and there does not appear to be an end. His time in Tampa Bay last year may have been a great foreshadowing for the season we see with the Nats. Get out while you can.
Jurickson Profar (1B/2B/OF – SD)
Jurickson Profar has had some up and down moments for fantasy managers. Heck, he is even leading off these days. The problem is the inconsistencies can bring a fantasy team down from time to time. This past week, Profar collected two singles while striking out 35.7%. He only hits .239 on the season with nine home runs and four stolen bases. That can work a little for deep leagues, but in 12-team and shallower leagues, Profar is nothing better than a streamer. Right now, he should be streaming on the waiver wire.
Brendan Donovan (1B/2B/SS/3B/OF – STL)
The Brendan Donovan story was great, especially for fantasy. He supplied solid batting average skills, scoring runs, a little power and all that positional eligibility. Well, the production has slowed for Donovan, and the time to trade is now. He went 1-9 out of the break while striking out 25% of the time. Donovan did walk 25% of the time, which is a plus, but he didn’t do anything fantasy relevant with the production. Since the calendar shifted to July, Donovan is only hitting .173 with no extra-base hits (.000 ISO). It seems time has run out on Donovan, so move on quickly.
Marco Gonzales used to be a pitcher that we could stream for most of the season and be quite successful. It appears those days are gone. This past week, Gonzales made one start, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing five on three home runs, and striking out two. That makes back-to-back starts with five runs allowed for Gonzales, and even when he throws well, he does not strike many out. As a result, his fantasy value is essentially gone.
I was not an Ian Anderson believer entering the season, and his recent production makes me feel a lot better about that stance. He only threw three innings and allowed seven runs in his last start. Over his previous eight starts, Anderson has a 6.62 ERA, 4.54 xFIP and a horrific 5.3% K-BB. Anderson is not striking enough batters out while walking way too many. He is only roster-able in the deepest of leagues right now.
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Brian Entrekin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Brian, check out his Twitter @bdentrek.