Fantasy Baseball Buy-Low Trade Targets: 5 Stars to Target Before They Heat Up
Use recent slumps to your advantage by targeting established fantasy producers before they bounce back.
After looking into players with rising fantasy baseball values (sell-high candidates), let's go over some players with falling values (buy-low options).
We will focus on heavily-rostered fantasy assets, not deep-league options. Let's dive right in!
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Corbin Carroll - Arizona Diamondbacks
Carroll is a high-end fantasy player, and it's rare to see him on a buy-low trade story. He's gone hitless in four straight games, so now is definitely a time to try buying him low.
He has a couple walks in that stretch, but not having hits and much other positive production definitely has him being a bit more attainable in a trade right now. Carroll has six strikeouts over that stretch, so he's been a negative fantasy asset of late.
That won't last long, as his .269 average and .356 on-base percentage over 83 games and 354 plate appearances suggest. Carroll has 83 total hits, including 17 doubles, 10 triples and 13 home runs. He also has posted 44 RBIs, 48 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 39 walks and 78 strikeouts.
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Carroll won't stay cold at the plate for long, so act quickly if you want to buy low on him. You'll still pay a hefty amount, but getting him after a few down games should make the asking price a tad more reasonable. Take advantage of it and go get yourself a high-end fantasy outfielder.
Joe Ryan - Minnesota Twins
He allowed six runs over just four innings in his last outing. Ryan's start before that was better, but still underwhelming - six innings pitched and four runs allowed.
Ryan has allowed three or more runs in three of his past four starts, with a five-inning gem thrown in there. A couple down performances is all it takes for a fantasy pitcher the caliber of Ryan to lose some value and become a buy-low option.
With a 3.61 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 97 1/3 innings this season, you can see Ryan is a high-end fantasy pitcher. He's 5-5, but most of his other stats are above average, or better.
If you need some starting pitching, see what Ryan might cost. He should be more affordable because of the results he's had over the past four outings, and he should bounce back and be a better option the rest of the way, meaning it'd end up being a win for you.
Alec Burleson - St. Louis Cardinals
Burleson has just one hit over his past six games. The hit was a homer, but with a walk, RBI, two runs scored and four strikeouts over that stretch, Burleson is trending down as a fantasy hitter.
He has a .274 average and .341 OBP over 83 games and 358 plate appearances this season, so he's otherwise been really good. Burleson has 20 doubles, 14 homers and a triple among his 88 knocks, plus 58 RBIs, 44 runs scored, two stolen bases, 30 walks and 53 strikeouts.
Burleson should be eligible at first base and the outfield, two stacked fantasy spots. He's delivered enough this season to roster and utilize in all leagues.
His recent struggles have him as a buy-low candidate, and I'd be all over the chance to add him. He's not a huge name, so you should be able to get him for an affordable price, and he should get back to producing better down the line, which will only improve your fantasy squad.
Cam Schlittler - New York Yankees
Schlittler has been stellar this season, but his past two starts have been a bit concerning. He allowed six runs (four homers) on seven hits and a walk over just four innings against Detroit. Before that, Schlittler allowed four runs (no earned) on five hits and two walks in five innings - nine strikeouts and all unearned runs made that look like a better start.
Schlittler is 8-5 with a 2.08 ERA over 18 starts so far, and he's in contention for the AL Cy Young honor as a result. He has 123 punchouts over 104 innings.
He doesn't have a long history of success, so some are wondering if he's hitting a wall and about to regress. I like what I see with Schlittler and would be trying to buy low on him after a couple down starts in a row.
At least entertain the ideas, because there's not too many great fantasy pitchers you can ever buy low on.
Cody Bellinger - New York Yankees
It's been a struggle for Bellinger of late. He has two hits over his past nine games and 37 plate appearances. Belli has five walks, but no RBIs or runs scored in that span, and nine strikeouts also are hurting him.
Over 84 games and 361 plate appearances overall, Bellinger has a .254 average and .352 OBP. He's popped 11 homers, 16 doubles and three triples among his 78 total knocks, plus has 49 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 49 walks and 51 strikeouts.
Belli is likely just eligible in the outfield, but could have first base eligibility, which would boost his fantasy value some more. He's capable of much more than he's shown of late, and better days should be ahead - in other words, it's a great time to buy him low.
He's a bigger name, so he might still cost a decent amount, but I think Bellinger is worth buying into now before his bat heats back up. He can be a high-end fantasy player, so try to add him today.
