Fantasy Baseball Week 5 Drops: Dansby Swanson, Tyler Anderson, Ryan McMahon and More
Discussing some of the most-dropped fantasy players in the fifth week of the MLB season.
After taking a look at some of the top waiver wire additions on Monday, it’s time to discuss some of the most-dropped fantasy baseball players in the fifth week of the season.
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Frankie Montas Fantasy Outlook
Cincinnati’s Montas hit the 15-day injured list with a right foreman contusion. His last three starts haven’t been that good, so it makes sense why he’s the most dropped fantasy player right now.
Montas earned wins in each of his first two starts, striking out nine while allowing just one run across 11 2/3 innings. He’s only pitched 7 2/3 innings in his past three starts, striking out five and allowing eight earned runs.
Montas will remain a streaming option when he returns from the IL, but there’s no reason to roster him right now outside of deeper leagues.
Ryan McMahon Fantasy Outlook
I was a little surprised to see McMahon on the drop list, and especially so after checking out some of his numbers.
McMahon is hitting .314 this season, with two homers, 13 RBIs and nine runs scored. He’s got a .390 on-base percentage.
Since a four-hit outing on April 12, McMahon has just four hits over the past eight contests. He’s scored just twice in that span and drove in just one.
While the production hasn’t been there of late, I think it’s too early to give up on McMahon. He was never going to hit over .400 (which he was after his four-hit game), but he’s been a pretty good fantasy option still. I’d give it another couple weeks before moving on from McMahon.
Thairo Estrada Fantasy Outlook
Estrada has struggled at the plate this season, which explains why he’s being dropped in a bunch of leagues.
Estrada has just a .222 average, but has homered three times, drove in 11 runs and scored nine times. His OBP of .245 is really lacking as well.
Estrada is a career .259 hitter (he hit .271 in 2023) and has a career .311 OBP, so this looks more like a slow start than anything.
The Giants’ infielder wasn’t a high draft pick, but if you did select him, I think it’s a bit premature to move on. He might not hit as well as he did in 2023, but I fully expect his average to be quite a bit higher by the time the season is over.
He could be a buy-low trade option right now, and is someone I wouldn’t mind stashing on my bench until he gets going at the plate again.
Tyler Anderson Fantasy Outlook
Anderson has been fantastic this season, but fantasy owners are still treating him as a streaming option.
He’s only allowed four earned runs over his first four starts and 25 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 14 batters, while walking nine. Anderson has reached seven innings in three of the four starts.
His next scheduled start is Wednesday against the Orioles, who are one of the better hitting teams in the league. I can understand if you don’t feel comfortable starting him, but based on how he’s pitched so far, I also wouldn’t want to drop Anderson either. I’d at least stash him to see how he performs in the next couple starts before moving on.
Bailey Ober Fantasy Outlook
Ober has been great since allowing eight runs in his first start, but he’s another streaming option for fantasy teams at this point.
In his past three starts, Ober has allowed just two earned runs and struck out 16 batters over 17 innings. He’s only earned one win in that span, but certainly has deserved more.
His next scheduled start is Thursday against the White Sox, who are the worst-hitting team in the league. I’d definitely want to stream Ober in that matchup, so I’m surprised his own percentage is going down instead of up. Add him now if he’s available in your league, even if it means rostering him for a couple days before that start.
Dansby Swanson Fantasy Outlook
Swanson is off to a slow start at the plate, so it makes sense that his own percentage is falling a bit. He was drafted around pick 130.
Swanson is hitting .231 for the season, with two homers, eight RBIs and 12 runs scored so far. He’s got a .307 on-base percentage and two steals.
Swanson had five hits over a three-game span, but has gone hitless in back-to-back games now. His numbers are certainly frustrating, and are even worse so far than in 2023. There was reason to believe Swanson could be a big bounceback candidate this season, but it looks like more of the same.
If I spent a pick on a player (outside the last few rounds), I try my best to hang on to them. Swanson still plays everyday and is an above-average fantasy player, so at most, I’d just bench him until he heats up a bit. He’s not the player he was in his final couple seasons in Atlanta, but I still believe he can hit better than he has this season. Have some patience, and hopefully at some point, Swanson can help some fantasy teams out.
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