Fantasy Baseball Trade Value: Who’s Up, Who’s Down?
Contents
It’s time to start thinking about trades in your fantasy baseball league. Who’s trade value is up and who’s is down?
Introduction
fantasy baseball trade value is always in flux. Players get hurt, slumping players turn things around and role players emerge as fantasy stars. It can be tough to keep track of who’s up and who’s down in the world of fantasy baseball but we’re here to help.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some players who have seen their Fantasy Trade value rise and fall over the course of the season. Some of these players may be available in your league, while others may already be on your roster. Either way, it’s important to know what their trade value is so you can make the best possible trade for your team.
Who’s Up?
Some fantasy baseball players have seen their trade value rise over the course of the season. These are some names to keep an eye on if you’re looking to make a trade:
--Mookie Betts OF, Boston Red Sox Betts has been one of the best players in baseball this season, hitting .346 with 22 home runs and 60 RBI. He’s also stolen 15 bases, which makes him even more valuable in fantasy leagues that use stolen bases as a category. Betts is currently one of the top-ranked outfielders in Fantasy Baseball and his trade value has never been higher.
--Freddie Freeman 1B, Atlanta Braves Freeman is having another terrific season for the Braves, hitting .341 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI. He’s also scored 56 runs and stolen four bases. Freeman is one of the best first basemen in Fantasy baseball and his value has been on the rise all season long
--Zack Greinke SP, Arizona Diamondbacks: Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, going 10-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He’s also struck out 132 batters in 128 innings pitched Greinke is currently ranked as a top-10 fantasy pitcher and his value continues to climb.
Who’s Down?
Some fantasy baseball players have seen their trade value fall over the course of the season. These are some names to avoid if you’re looking to make a trade:
--Giancarlo Stanton OF/DH, New York Yankees Stanton was off to a great start this season but he’s missed significant time due to injury and hasn’t been productive when he has been on the field. In 66 games played this season, Stanton is hitting just .244 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI. He was once a top-10 fantasy outfielder but his injuries have dropped him down the rankings significantly. If you can get anything close to fair value for him in a trade, you should jump at the opportunity.
What is Fantasy Baseball?
fantasy baseball is a game in which people manage imaginary teams of real players. These teams compete against each other using statistical categories that are tracked and compiled by the fantasy league
What is Trade Value?
In Fantasy Baseball trade value is the relative value of a player in a trade. Trade value is affected by a number of factors, including but not limited to: the player’s skill, the depth of talent at that player’s position, the number of teams in the league, and the format of the league (e.g., head-to-head vs. roto).
To determine trade value, we first need to understand what we’re trading for. InUt most Fantasy Baseball leagues, there are two types of trades: one-for-one and two-for-one. One-for-one trades are simple: you trade one player for another player. The two players don’t have to be at the same position; you can trade a shortstop for a second baseman, or a starting pitcher for a relief pitcher Two-for-one trades are more complex: you trade two players for one player. The two players you’re trading away don’t have to be at the same position, but the player you’re getting back must be at the same position as one of the players you’re trading away.
Now that we know what we’re trading for, let’s look at how to determine trade value. There are a few different ways to do this, but the most common method is to use an approximation of each player’s “auction value.” Auction values are determined by taking a player’s projected stats for the season and multiplying them by a factor that is specific to that league’s format (e.g., 5x5 or 6x6). For example, if Player A is projected to hit .270 with 30 Home Runs and 100 RBIs in a 5x5 league, his auction value would be $27 (0.270 x 100 = 27).
Once you have determined each player’s auction value, you can then compare those values to determine who has more trade value. For example, if Player A has an auction value of $27 and Player B has an auction value of $22, then Player A has more trade value and would likely fetch a better return in a trade.
It’s important to note that auction values are just approximations; they aren’t set in stone and they can change over the course of the season as players’ performances change. However, they provide a good starting point for determining trade value.
Who’s Up?
--Mike Trout OF, Angels: He’s the best player in baseball and just entered his prime at age 27. He’s an annual MVP candidate who plays good defense and steals bases. He’s the total package.
--Mookie Betts OF, Red Sox Betts is a five-tool player who just won the AL MVP Award at age 26. He’s under team control for two more seasons before he becomes a free agent
--Christian Yelich OF, Brewers: Yelich is a two-time NL MVP who just turned 28. He has four more years left on his contract, and he should be in line for another big payday when it expires.
--Juan Soto OF, Nationals: Soto is one of the best young hitters in baseball. The 21-year-old slugger has already won an NL batting title and an NL Rookie of the Year Award
Who’s Down?
Please note that the order in which players are listed is not indicative of how much their trade value has changed, but rather is sorted by position.
As the season wears on and we get a better idea of which teams are contenders and which are pretenders, we start to see a clearer picture of the trade landscape. Certain players become more valuable as their teams fall out of contention and they become potential rentals for contenders, while other players see their value drop as their teams climb in the standings and they become less likely to be traded.
Here are some players whose trade value has decreased over the past few weeks:
Pitchers:
- Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies Hamels was recently placed on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation, and while it’s not considered to be a serious injury, it’s still concerning for a pitcher who is already struggling this season. His ERA has ballooned to 4.72 and he’s given up 14 home runs in 16 starts, so he’s not exactly an attractive trade target at this point.
- Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros Keuchel got off to a great start this season, but he’s come back down to earth over the past few weeks. He’s given up four or more earned runs in three of his last five starts and his ERA has risen from 2.92 to 4.12 as a result. He’s still a good pitcher, but his recent struggles have diminished his trade value somewhat.
- Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays Archer has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over the past few years, but he’s really struggled this season. His ERA is currently sitting at 4.66, which is quite a bit higher than his career mark of 3.75, and he’s given up 19 home runs in 18 starts. He could turn things around eventually, but right now he doesn’t have much trade value.
Hitters:
- Dexter Fowler, St. Louis Cardinals Fowler had a great first half for the Cardinals last season, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success this year. His batting average has dipped below .250 and he doesn’t have many stolen bases or home runs either. With other outfielders like Marcell Ozuna and Harrison Bader playing well for the Cardinals, Fowler’s days as an everyday starter could be numbered.
- Tim Anderson Chicago White Sox Anderson was one of the breakout stars of last season, hitting .257/.281/.432 with 17 home runs and 15 stolen bases as a 23-year-old rookie shortstop. However, his production has fallen off sharply this year as he’s hitting just .241/.269/.372 with six homers and nine steals through 70 games. His struggles have been especially pronounced lately as he’s batting just .200/.231/.293 over his last 30 games dating back to May 25th.
How to Use this Information
This fantasy baseball Trade Value Chart is based on a 10-team standard roto scoring format, with 23-man rosters and the following categories: R, HR, RBI, SB, AVG and W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP. It assigns a point value to each stat category, with the intention of measuring a player’s total value across all categories. For example, a player who is avg. in all five offensive categories but below average in pitching would have a lower trade value than a player who is slightly below average offensively but above average in pitching. The values are meant to be used as guidelines during trades; they are not set in stone and should not be taken as gospel. There will always be exceptions to the rule (e.g. trading for aces in baseball) but this should give you a starting point when valuing players in trades.
Conclusion
As the season progresses, so too does the fantasy baseball trade market. Players who started the season hot may see their value decline as they cool off, while others who got off to a slow start may find their value on the rise.
To help you keep track of who’s up and who’s down in the fantasy baseball trade market, we’ve compiled a list of the biggest risers and fallers over the past month.
Risers:
Trevor Bauer, SP, Cleveland Indians Bauer has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past month, posting a 2.42 ERA and 0.96 WHIP while striking out 46 batters in 37 innings. He’s also picked up four wins over that span. Bauer’s strong showing has vaulted him into the top 10 of our trade value rankings.
Jake Odorizzi, SP, Minnesota Twins Odorizzi has been red-hot since coming off the disabled list in early May, posting a 1.78 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 40/9 K/BB ratio in 40 2/3 innings over six starts. He’s also picked up four wins over that span. Odorizzi’s recent run of success has seen his trade value jump from outside the top 50 to inside the top 25.
Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers Kershaw finally appears to be healthy after dealing with shoulder and back issues early in the season and he’s been pitching like his old self over his last seven starts. In 45 innings during that stretch he has a 2.00 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 49 strikeouts (10 per nine innings). Kershaw is once again one of the best pitchers in fantasy baseball and his trade value has shot up as a result.
Fallers:
References
-Keeper League Trade Values: Who’s Up, Who’s Down? (espn.com)
--fantasy baseball Trade Value Chart (rotowire.com)
--fantasy baseball Trade Values (CBS Sports com)
The fantasy baseball Trade Value Chart is brought to you by ESPN senior fantasy analyst Tristan H. Cockcroft. The chart is designed to help you make the best trade possible in standard ESPN 10-team mixed leagues.
See also
See also:
Fantasy baseball
List of Fantasy baseball trade values
