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There has been a lot of upheaval going on lately in terms of players losing playing time and entering slumps. Every point and win matters, and there's no point in hanging on to dead weight anymore.
If you have someone who is really becoming a waste of roster space, it's time to get rid of them. The longer you hang on, the lower your chances of making the playoffs and winnings your leagues. So let's take a look at who can be cut.
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Week 19 Players to Consider Cutting
1) Yasiel Puig (LAD, OF)
Droppable in All Leagues
It's crazy to think that Puig-mania was a thing not too long ago. His cannon arm and power bat made waves upon his arrival to the big leagues, but he's always been a headcase. Unfortunately for him, his fundamentally unsound style of play has finally caught up to him. Puig was recently demoted to AAA by the Dodgers and can be safely dropped in all leagues.
2) Melvin Upton Jr. (TOR, OF)
Droppable in Most Leagues
The artist formerly known as B.J. has really been blowing it as of late. Even before his trade to the Blue Jays, he was not playing as well as he played in the first half. He was looking like a lock for a 20-20 season, but that looks far from a sure thing now. He hasn't been hitting well, going three for his last 28, and the trade to Toronto isn't helping his value. It's a good lineup, sure, but the playing time situation is very muddled to say the least and I think that makes Upton droppable in all but the deepest of leagues.
3) Steve Pearce (BAL, 1B/2B/OF)
Droppable in Most Leagues
Pearce is another player hurt by trades as his new home with his former team in Baltimore might not be a great situation for him. Pearce was having a strong start to the season for the Rays, but a DL stint and now a trade have really hurt his fantasy value. Pearce now looks like he will be entrenched in a platoon with Pedro Alvarez, with Alvarez facing righties and Pearce handling the southpaws.
More Options (Redraft Leagues): Wade Davis, Will Harris, Brad Ziegler, Huston Street, Steve Cishek, Jonathan Papelbon, Hector Rondon, Tyler Clippard, Jeremy Jeffress, Taijuan Walker, Sonny Gray, Jason Heyward, Trevor Story, Howie Kendrick, Jung Ho Kang, Rajai Davis, Michael Saunders, Nick Castellanos, Jurickson Profar, Aaron Nola, Jimmy Nelson, Danny Valencia, Brian McCann
Hot Seat - Sending Warning Signals?
So these are some guys you shouldn't cut just yet, but who may be sending out warning signals (either obvious slumps, or more under-the-radar concerns):
1) Tommy Joseph (PHI, 1B)
Ahh the ebb and flow of your classic streaky slugger. Joseph had gotten back in the flow of things recently and was tearing the cover off the ball for a bit. However, much like my house last weekend, there is a power outage in effect now. He's five for his last 31 and is in a very soft platoon with Ryan Howard. The good news here is that Joseph is still seeing the ball well, as evidenced by the increase in walks and his OBP. In shallow leagues he's a cut for the flavor of the week pickup. In deeper leagues though, he's worth hanging onto on the chance that he heats up and helps you storm into the playoffs.
2) Josh Harrison (PIT, 2B/3B/OF)
Harrison has struggled after a strong start to the season, but looks to be righting the ship. Honestly if you've held onto him this long, like I have, you might as well stick it out a little longer. He was moved into the leadoff spot, which seemed to spark his offense and also will do wonders for his fantasy value. If he reverts to his funk, you can ditch him. However, I seriously dig his versatility and the fact that he could start to rack up the runs scored and steals in the leadoff role. Hang tight for now.
Reverse Jinx - Brighter Days Ahead?
Odubel Herrera (PHI, OF)
Herrera has hit a wall lately, and has seen his number dropoff from what they were earlier. I'm not terribly concerned, because I feel like he's just been banged up and needs some rest. That said, I'd like to cast the reverse jinx on him as a formality to spark his offense. He's five for his last 27, with no steals and one RBI in that span.
Graveyard - Previously Disposed Of
Jeff Samardzija, James Shields, Francisco Liriano, Leonys Martin, Kendrys Morales, Lucas Duda, Matt Harvey, Joe Panik, Trevor Rosenthal, Travis Shaw, Jhonny Peralta, Trayce Thompson, CC Sabathia, Jung Ho Kang, Steven Moya, Tyler Glasnow, Trevor Bauer, Danny Espinosa
Zombies - Resurrected and Living Well
Yasmany Tomas (ARI, 3B/OF)
I know I've trashed him before, but Tomas has been absolutely killing it lately. Tomas has six homers since July 27 and has 11 RBI in that span too. That pace won't last, but you might as well ride him until the wheels fall off.
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