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Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball: Time is right to buy low on several struggling Braves stars
Atlanta dealt with numerous injuries and several players underperforming last season. In 2025, the Braves have seen anything but regression to the mean. The team entered Tuesday a disappointing 20-21 and has a roster filled with players who've failed expectations, presenting possible buy-low opportunities for fantasy baseball managers. The Braves' bad luck is likely to change at some point. Note: Each player's preseason ADP is listed below along with their current season-long Yahoo Fantasy ranking. Olson hit 25 fewer homers last season compared to 2023, and he's disappointing fantasy managers yet again. Olson may not return to 50+ home runs, but he's hitting far better than his fantasy rank suggests. Olson's average exit velocity, Barrel%, BB% and expected wOBA are all career highs. The difference between his wOBA and xwOBA is one of the widest among all hitters. Olson has also cut his K% down, but he sports a .252 BABIP. He's also seen his slugging percentage drop almost 200 points with runners in scoring position compared to the bases empty. A major correction is coming for Olson, whom OOPSY projects to be a top 15 fantasy hitter the rest of season, hitting 28 homers with 90 RBI and a 136 wRC+. Acuña's rank is so low because he's yet to make his 2025 debut while recovering from knee surgery. He's slated to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, so his return is approaching. Atlanta is being patient in hopes Acuña comes back as close to full strength as possible. THE BAT X projects Acuña to be a top 10 fantasy player while hitting .302 with 18 homers and 30 steals over 90 games the rest of the season, although it remains to be seen how much he'll run. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Albies is batting just .207 with a 64 wRC+. His .218 BABIP ranks 151st out of 160 qualified hitters, although that's not all bad luck with a Hard-Hit% in the bottom 5% of the league. Albies' slow start has reportedly made his future in Atlanta uncertain. He's still on pace to go 20/20, and the 28-year-old is one season removed from going .280-96-33-109-13. Albies is plenty capable of performing far better, and OOPSY still projects him to be fantasy's No. 2 second baseman. Harris is batting just .234/.256/.354 over his first 170 plate appearances this season. Like Albies, Harris' .256 BABIP is well below his career mark (.322) and sure to rise, but it also hasn't been all bad luck; Harris' Hard-Hit% has dropped nearly 10% this year. However, Harris is also similarly capable of performing better, and projection systems remain bullish on the 24-year-old. OOPSY projects Harris to be a top 20 fantasy hitter for the rest of 2025. Ozuna's new patient approach has led to a career high BB% and more walks than strikeouts but also less power. Still, he sports a 150 wRC+, and Ozuna's Statcast page reveals mostly the same highly productive hitter he's been over the past two years. More RBI opportunity will come once Acuña is back in Atlanta's lineup, and OOPSY projects Ozuna to be a top 25 fantasy hitter rest of season. Sale's 3.97 ERA comes with a 2.90 SIERA that ranks top 10 among all qualified starters. He also ranks top five in CSW (31.3%), with only Tarik Skubal (2.08 ERA), Logan Webb (2.60 ERA) and Hunter Greene (2.36 ERA) ahead of him. Sale's .392 BABIP is 30+ points higher than the second worst among starters this season. It's also nearly 100 points higher than Sale's career hit rate (.299), so his ERA will continue to decline. Sale's fantasy value has also suffered thanks to him recording just one win after he led MLB with 18 last year. Schwellenbach is also stuck on just one win this season despite producing quality starts in six of eight outings. He owns a 1.08 ERA over his four no-decisions. Atlanta is bottom 10 in runs scored per game, but Fangraphs projects them to be top 10 rest of season (thanks to Acuña returning and so many hitters expected to regress). Better run support will help Schwellenbach (and Sale) win more games. Strider has been limited to just one MLB start this season after returning from elbow surgery and later suffering a hamstring injury. He racked up 27 strikeouts over 13.2 innings during three starts in Triple-A, recording a 1.32 ERA. Strider wasn't dominant and averaged 95.5 mph — about 2.0 lower than 2023 — during his lone start with Atlanta this season. But he looked terrific this spring and was baseball's best pitcher when he went down early last season. Strider feels 'good to go' and could be activated off the IL later this week if Wednesday's simulated game goes well. OOPSY projects Strider to be fantasy's No. 6 pitcher rest of season. Iglesias' 6.06 ERA is accompanied by a 2.90 SIERA. He entered Monday with a better K% and BB% than last season, when he finished with a 1.95 ERA. Iglesias' 30.0 HR/FB% is the fourth highest among 187 qualified relievers. His average exit velocity is in the bottom 9% of the league one season after being in the top 3%. Iglesias' velocity is a bit down (94.8 mph), and it's possible he's suddenly become much more hittable at 35 years old, but the likelier bet is regression to the mean. Iglesias is seemingly on a shorter leash after three straight shaky appearances, but manager Brian Snitker has said he plans on sticking with him as Atlanta's closer. Iglesias is one of many buy-low fantasy opportunities in Atlanta.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy baseball's shocking No. 1 pitcher and other early season risers
Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don examines the starting pitching landscape, revealing five pitchers on the rise and one trending down. Go here for hitting risers. Greene's 2.75 ERA last season came with a 3.81 SIERA, but he's done anything but regress while looking like one of baseball's best pitchers in 2025. He's increased his K% (31.3) while cutting his BB% (4.0%) by more than half. A favorable schedule has helped, but three of Greene's four starts have come in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. Greene has averaged a career-high 99.4 mph with his fastball, which is a full 1.5 mph higher than the next best (Paul Skenes). His slider is an even better pitch. Greene leads all starters in CSW (34.2%), so he's been as legit as it gets (and fantasy's No. 1 pitcher). Greene owns a 1.00 ERA, a 0.58 WHIP and a 23.7 K-BB% since July 1 (13 starts). Over those last 80.2 innings, 75 of them have been scoreless. Greene's 0.98 ERA, .175 BABIP and 2.6 HR/FB% have nowhere to go but up (especially considering he owns the lowest GB% among all starters), but he looks like a massive fantasy win with an SP34 Yahoo ADP. Schwellenbach has allowed just one run over 20.0 innings with a 0.65 WHIP over three starts to open the season. His 0.45 ERA is a league low. He posted a 28:3 K:BB ratio over 21.0 innings during spring, and Schwellenbach now owns a minuscule 2.17 ERA since July 1 (112.0 innings). His K/9 (8.55) is a bit down compared to 2024, but his K% (26.8) is actually up (25.4). Schwellenbach has increased his splitter and sinker usage, which has led to the seventh-highest GB% (58.3) among starters. Schwellenbach obviously won't finish with numbers this good, but he looks like a fantasy ace. Strider struck out 13-of-21 batters faced during his final rehab start, and he's set to make his season debut Wednesday. Strider posted a 1.32 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP with 27 Ks over three dominant Triple-A starts (13.2 innings). His four-seamer appears close to normal, and let's not forget this was the best pitcher on the planet before getting injured. The track record has been ugly for pitchers undergoing multiple elbow surgeries, but science has advanced. And because the partial tear from the fragment was near the bone, Strider became a candidate for a relatively new InternalBrace surgery that promises a quicker return (11.3 months on average compared to 18.8 for Tommy John). OOPSY projects a 2.88 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and a 26.7 K-BB% rest of season. Strider was the SP32 in ADP, but it only took a few weeks of patience for fantasy managers to now have a top-five SP on their teams. Bubic is a former first round pick who became far more effective after moving to the bullpen last season. He's struggled when starting previously during his career, but Bubic has carried over last season's major gains into 2025 while moving back to the rotation. He owns a 0.96 ERA that's accompanied by a 2.87 SIERA that ranks top 20 among starters. Bubic's CSW (31.8%) ranks fifth best. The lefty has reverse splits throughout his career, and he'll continue to have to overcome pitching in hitter-friendly Kauffman Stadium (4.80 ERA at home compared to 0.59 on the road during last season's small sample). Bubic gets a tough matchup in Yankee Stadium his next time out, but his transition back to starting has gone better than expected to say the least. Bubic was the SP90 while going undrafted in more than 90% of Yahoo leagues, but he's been fantasy's No. 6 pitcher to start 2025. Baz tossed another gem (11:0 K:BB) Monday night, and he now owns a 1.42 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and a 27:4 K:BB ratio over 19.0 innings. That comes with a 2.01 SIERA and a 32.4 K-BB% that both rank second among qualified starters. Baz dominated the Pirates' league worst offense during his season debut, but he's faced two above average lineups (Angels and Red Sox) since. Steinbrenner Field is going to be much more favorable for hitters than Tropicana Field, but Baz has made all three of his starts at home. Baz is a former top 15 pick who was once the top pitching prospect in baseball. His average fastball velocity has been up, and he looks much healthier now compared to last season. Baz was the SP66 in Yahoo ADP and is a clear fantasy riser. Burnes has surrendered three homers and nine walks over just 15.2 innings (three starts) to open the season. A strong spring (27.8 K-BB%) and a new cutter introduced late last season provided optimism for Burnes after joining Arizona, but his decline has only exacerbated to open 2025. Burnes has watched his K% (20.3) drop for the fifth straight season, while his WHIP (1.57) has increased over the last four. Burnes' short outings has him shy of innings needed, but his 4.63 SIERA would rank 74th among 85 qualified starters, sandwiched between Jake Irvin and Davis Martin. His CSW ranks outside the top 60 starters, and Burnes' SwStr% (9.8) is bottom five in the league. His average exit velocity allowed is in the bottom five percentile. Burnes is sure to pitch better after signing a massive $210 million contract during the offseason, but his sinking peripherals have suggested decline for a while. He now calls home to one of baseball's best hitter's parks in Chase Field, and THE BAT projects a 4.14 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP rest of season. Burnes was drafted as the SP6 in Yahoo leagues, but he's a fantasy faller.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball: Time is right to buy low on several struggling Braves stars
Atlanta dealt with numerous injuries and several players underperforming last season, but the Braves have seen anything but regression so far in 2025. The team is a disappointing 20-21 and has a roster filled with players who've failed expectations, presenting possible buy-low opportunities for fantasy baseball managers. The Braves' bad luck is likely to change at some point. Note: Each player's preseason ADP is listed below along with their current season-long Yahoo Fantasy ranking. Olson hit 25 fewer homers last season compared to 2023, and he's disappointing fantasy managers yet again. Olson may not return to 50+ home runs, but he's hitting far better than his fantasy rank suggests. Olson's average exit velocity, Barrel%, BB% and expected wOBA are all career highs. The difference between his wOBA and xwOBA is one of the widest among all hitters. Olson has also cut his K% down, but he sports a .252 BABIP. He's also seen his slugging percentage drop almost 200 points with runners in scoring position compared to the bases empty. Major regression is coming for Olson, whom OOPSY projects to be a top 15 fantasy hitter rest of season, hitting 28 homers with 90 RBI and a 136 wRC+. Acuña's rank is so low obviously because he's yet to make his 2025 debut while recovering from knee surgery. But he's slated to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, so his return is approaching. Atlanta is being patient in hopes Acuña comes back as close to full strength as possible. THE BAT X projects Acuña to be a top 10 fantasy player while hitting .302 with 18 homers and 30 steals over 90 games rest of season, although it remains to be seen how much he'll run. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Albies is batting just .207 with a 64 wRC+. His .218 BABIP ranks 151st out of 160 qualified hitters, although that's not all bad luck with a Hard-Hit% in the bottom 5% of the league. Albies' slow start has reportedly made his future in Atlanta uncertain. However, he's still on pace to go 20/20, and the 28-year-old is one season removed from going .280-96-33-109-13. Albies is plenty capable of performing far better, and OOPSY still projects him to be fantasy's No. 2 second baseman moving forward. Harris is batting just .234/.256/.354 over his first 170 plate appearances this season. Like Albies, Harris' .256 BABIP is well below his career mark (.322) and sure to rise, but it also hasn't been all bad luck; Harris' Hard-Hit% has dropped nearly 10% this year. However, Harris is also similarly capable of performing better, and projection systems remain bullish on the 24-year-old. OOPSY projects Harris to be a top 20 fantasy hitter rest of season. Ozuna's new patient approach has led to a career high BB% and more walks than strikeouts but also less power. Still, he sports a 150 wRC+, and Ozuna's Statcast page reveals mostly the same highly productive hitter he's been over the last two years. More RBI opportunity will come once Acuña is back in Atlanta's lineup, and OOPSY projects Ozuna to be a top 25 fantasy hitter rest of season. Sale's 3.97 ERA comes with a 2.90 SIERA that ranks top 10 among all qualified starters. He also ranks top five in CSW (31.3%), with only Tarik Skubal (2.08 ERA), Logan Webb (2.60 ERA) and Hunter Greene (2.36 ERA) ahead of him. Sale's .392 BABIP is 30+ points higher than the second worst among starters this season. It's also nearly 100 points higher than Sale's career hit rate (.299), so his ERA will continue to decline. Sale's fantasy value has also suffered thanks to him recording just one win after he led MLB with 18 last year. Schwellenbach's also stuck on just one win this season despite producing quality starts in six of eight outings. He owns a 1.08 ERA over his four no-decisions. Atlanta is bottom 10 in runs scored per game, but Fangraphs projects them to be top 10 rest of season (thanks to Acuña returning and so many hitters expected to regress). Better run support will help Schwellenbach (and Sale) win more games. Strider has been limited to just one MLB start so far this season after returning from elbow surgery and later suffering a hamstring injury. He racked up 27 strikeouts over 13.2 innings during three starts in Triple-A, recording a 1.32 ERA. Strider wasn't overly dominant and averaged 95.5 mph — about 2.0 lower than 2023 — during his lone start with Atlanta this season. But he looked terrific this spring and was baseball's best pitcher when he went down early last season. Strider feels 'good to go' and could be activated off the IL later this week if Wednesday's simulated game goes well. OOPSY projects Strider to be fantasy's No. 6 pitcher rest of season. Iglesias' 6.06 ERA is accompanied by a 2.90 SIERA. He entered Monday with a better K% and BB% than last season, when he finished with a 1.95 ERA. Iglesias' 30.0 HR/FB% is the fourth highest among 187 qualified relievers. His average exit velocity is in the bottom 9% of the league one season after being in the top 3%. Iglesias' velocity is a bit down (94.8 mph), and it's possible he's suddenly become much more hittable at 35 years old, but the likelier bet is regression. Iglesias is seemingly on a shorter leash after three straight shaky appearances, but manager Brian Snitker has said he plans on sticking with him as Atlanta's closer. Iglesias is one of many buy-low fantasy opportunities in Atlanta.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball: Time is right to buy low on several struggling Braves stars
Atlanta dealt with numerous injuries and several players underperforming last season, but the Braves have seen anything but regression so far in 2025. The team is a disappointing 20-21 and has a roster filled with players who've failed expectations, presenting possible buy-low opportunities for fantasy baseball managers. The Braves' bad luck is likely to change at some point. Note: Each player's preseason ADP is listed below along with their current season-long Yahoo Fantasy ranking. Matt Olson, 1B: ADP = 25 vs. No. 204 fantasy rank Olson hit 25 fewer homers last season compared to 2023, and he's disappointing fantasy managers yet again. Olson may not return to 50+ home runs, but he's hitting far better than his fantasy rank suggests. Olson's average exit velocity, Barrel%, BB% and expected wOBA are all career highs. The difference between his wOBA and xwOBA is one of the widest among all hitters. Olson has also cut his K% down, but he sports a .252 BABIP. He's also seen his slugging percentage drop almost 200 points with runners in scoring position compared to the bases empty. Major regression is coming for Olson, whom OOPSY projects to be a top 15 fantasy hitter rest of season, hitting 28 homers with 90 RBI and a 136 wRC+. Advertisement Ronald Acuña Jr., OF: ADP = 35 vs. No. 1,312 fantasy rank Acuña's rank is so low obviously because he's yet to make his 2025 debut while recovering from knee surgery. But he's slated to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, so his return is approaching. Atlanta is being patient in hopes Acuña comes back as close to full strength as possible. THE BAT X projects Acuña to be a top 10 fantasy player while hitting .302 with 18 homers and 30 steals over 90 games rest of season, although it remains to be seen how much he'll run. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Ozzie Albies, 2B: ADP = 47 vs. No. 330 fantasy rank Albies is batting just .207 with a 64 wRC+. His .218 BABIP ranks 150th out of 165 qualified hitters, although that's not all bad luck with a Hard-Hit% in the bottom 5% of the league. Albies' slow start has reportedly made his future in Atlanta uncertain. However, he's still on pace to go 20/20, and the 28-year-old is one season removed from going .280-96-33-109-13. Albies is plenty capable of performing far better, and OOPSY still projects him to be fantasy's No. 2 second baseman moving forward. Advertisement Michael Harris II, OF: ADP = 48 vs. No. 274 fantasy rank Harris is batting just .234/.256/.354 over his first 170 plate appearances this season. Like Albies, Harris' .256 BABIP is well below his career mark (.322) and sure to rise, but it also hasn't been all bad luck; Harris' Hard-Hit% has dropped nearly 10% this year. However, Harris is also similarly capable of performing better, and projection systems remain bullish on the 24-year-old. OOPSY projects Harris to be a top 20 fantasy hitter rest of season. Marcell Ozuna, OF: ADP = 52 vs. No. 313 fantasy rank Ozuna's new patient approach has led to a career high BB% and more walks than strikeouts but also less power. Still, he sports a 150 wRC+, and Ozuna's Statcast page reveals mostly the same highly productive hitter he's been over the last two years. More RBI opportunity will come once Acuña is back in Atlanta's lineup, and OOPSY projects Ozuna to be a top 25 fantasy hitter rest of season. Chris Sale, SP: ADP = 39 vs. No. 478 fantasy rank Sale's 3.97 ERA comes with a 2.90 SIERA that ranks top 10 among all qualified starters. He also ranks top five in CSW (31.3%), with only Tarik Skubal (2.08 ERA), Logan Webb (2.60 ERA) and Hunter Greene (2.36 ERA) ahead of him. Sale's .392 BABIP is 30+ points higher than the second worst among starters this season. It's also nearly 100 points higher than Sale's career hit rate (.299), so his ERA will continue to decline. Sale's fantasy value has also suffered thanks to him recording just one win after he led MLB with 18 last year. Advertisement Spencer Schwellenbach, SP: ADP = 91 vs. No. 269 fantasy rank Schwellenbach's also stuck on just one win this season despite producing quality starts in six of eight outings. He owns a 1.08 ERA over his four no-decisions. Atlanta is bottom 10 in runs scored per game, but Fangraphs projects them to be top 10 rest of season (thanks to Acuña returning and so many hitters expected to regress). Better run support will help Schwellenbach (and Sale) win more games. Spencer Strider, SP: ADP = 120 vs. No. 452 fantasy rank Strider has been limited to just one MLB start so far this season after returning from elbow surgery and later suffering a hamstring injury. He racked up 27 strikeouts over 13.2 innings during three starts in Triple-A, recording a 1.32 ERA. Strider wasn't overly dominant and averaged 95.5 mph — about 2.0 lower than 2023 — during his lone start with Atlanta this season. But he looked terrific this spring and was baseball's best pitcher when he went down early last season. Advertisement Strider feels 'good to go' and could be activated off the IL later this week if Wednesday's simulated game goes well. OOPSY projects Strider to be fantasy's No. 6 pitcher rest of season. Raisel Iglesias, RP: ADP = 65 vs. No. 265 fantasy rank Iglesias' 6.06 ERA is accompanied by a 2.74 SIERA. He entered Monday with a better K% and BB% than last season, when he finished with a 1.95 ERA. Iglesias' 30.0 HR/FB% is the third highest among 188 qualified relievers. His average exit velocity is in the bottom 9% of the league one season after being in the top 3%. Iglesias' velocity is a bit down (94.8 mph), and it's possible he's suddenly become much more hittable at 35 years old, but the likelier bet is regression. Iglesias is seemingly on a shorter leash after three straight shaky appearances, but manager Brian Snitker has said he plans on sticking with him as Atlanta's closer. Iglesias is one of many buy-low fantasy opportunities in Atlanta.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Notebook: A slugger's strange season, an emerging MLB star and pickups to target
Luis Robert Jr.'s strange season Robert is hitting just .188 and on pace to record only 72 RBI. His K% (31.4) is in the bottom 7% of the league. Robert is also somehow on pace to finish with 24 homers and 72 stolen bases, as he's been a borderline top 50 fantasy player despite the ugly BA. Robert leads the league in steals (despite a .302 OBP), as he's running more than ever during a contract year (while sporting a Sprint Speed in the 88th percentile). Robert's SB pace is sure to slow down, but he's one season removed from totaling 58 homers/steals in fewer than 550 ABs (with a 128 wRC+). Projection systems remained extremely bullish before the season despite Robert coming off a down 2024, and he's plenty capable of hitting much better moving forward. Robert's expected stats suggest he's been unlucky, and he's more than doubled his career BB% (14.7) this season. His Bat Speed is up while his max exit velocity is in the top 3% of the league. OOPSY projects Robert to record a 124 wRC+ rest of season. Robert remains a heightened injury risk, but a potential trade could help boost his counting stats (and possibly improve his home park). Robert also leads the league in being caught stealing (five), and his extreme aggressiveness on the base paths is big fantasy news. Robert looks like a steal (no pun intended) as the OF30 in Yahoo drafts. Pete Crow-Armstrong's breakout PCA was the OF37 and had an ADP of 140.2 in Yahoo drafts, but he's been the No. 3 fantasy player so far in 2025. He's batting .343 with nine homers and six steals over the last 18 games. He had 10 home runs over 372 at bats last season. Crow-Armstrong is on pace to go 42-120-120-56! Right around now is likely the time fantasy writers like me write about Crow-Armstrong just before the inevitable cold streak after such a hot run, but it's clear PCA is going to be a huge fantasy win. Crow-Armstong sports a 31:6 K:BB ratio, but he also has a .272 expected batting average and has lowered his K% (20.7). He also just turned 23 years old and is likely the best defensive player in baseball, so it's no surprise he's among the league leaders in WAR. PCA has 96th percentile Sprint Speed and ran wild throughout the minors, so he's going to remain incredibly valuable even when his performance at the plate regresses. [Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all] Waiver Wire Options Bubba Chandler, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates (27% rostered) Chandler owns a 1.42 ERA with a 31.9 K-BB% over six starts in Triple-A. He's one of baseball's best pitching prospects and appears ready to be called up by Pittsburgh. Chandler is dominating the minors, while the Pirates' No. 5 starter Carmen Mlodzinski has a 6.16 ERA and a 10.0 K-BB%. Chandler will be a coveted fantasy add as soon as he gets called up, which should happen soon. J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners (19%) Crawford isn't a big power/speed contributor, but he's hitting .294 and on pace to score 84 runs and record 84 RBI (with 15 homers). He's one season removed from posting a 136 wRC+ before injuries ruined his 2024, and Crawford's hot start has resulted in a move back to the leadoff spot (his .417 OBP is the fourth best in baseball). The Mariners' offense has surprisingly been the second best in baseball so far, so the counting stats should remain healthy. Crawford is a sneaky add if you need middle infield help. Lance McCullers Jr., SP, Houston Astros (24%) McCullers made his first MLB start Sunday since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. He's undergone multiple arm surgeries over the last few years, but McCullers has real upside if he's healthy again. He used to have one of the best curveballs in baseball, and McCullers posted a 2.84 ERA with a 30.2 K% and a 14.7 SwStr% over four rehab starts in the minors. The former first-round pick is locked in Houston's rotation, and he's worth adding given the SP landscape. Speed Round BONUS: TV Talk!
