Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Drops: Elias Diaz, Tanner Scott, Dansby Swanson and More

Discussing some of the most-dropped fantasy players in the 12th week of the MLB season.

After going over some of the most-added fantasy baseball players yesterday, it’s time to discuss some of the most-dropped players.

I’m staying away from starting pitchers as they are mostly being dropped after being streamed. These players were all taken from the Waiver Trends section on FantasySP, which can be seen on any baseball-related page.

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Christian Encarnacion-Strand Fantasy Outlook

The most-dropped hitter is Cincinnati’s Encarnacion-Strand. He hasn’t played since early April because of a broken wrist.

It’s a bit odd to see him on the drop list right now (instead of this point a month ago), especially after recent news broke that Encarnacion-Strand got a good update on his wrist and is on the verge of returning to the field.

After a really strong first showing in the MLB in 2023, Encarnacion-Strand really struggled in his first 29 games of this season. He has a .190 average and .220 on-base percentage, with six doubles and two home runs among his 22 total hits. Encarnacion-Strand also has 16 RBIs, 13 runs scored, four walks and 35 strikeouts.

It’s not a huge sample size, but the beginning to the season was certainly a letdown for the fantasy owners who envisioned a breakout season for the Reds’ youngster. In standard leagues, he wasn’t worth stashing after his slow start to the season, and it still doesn’t make sense to roster him outside of deep leagues or dynasties.

When Encarnacion-Strand gets close to returning to the MLB team, he should be added again in a good share of leagues. I’d probably wait to see if he can heat up at the plate a bit before picking him up in a standard league, but he needs to be rostered at least in deeper leagues.

Elias Diaz Fantasy Outlook

Diaz had been part of some trade rumors recently, but is now trending because he got injured on Monday night. He’s dealing with a calf injury.

Hopefully, it’s not a serious injury for Diaz, because he’s been enjoying a great season at the plate. Across 55 games, Diaz has a .303 average and .352 on-base percentage. He’s got 12 doubles and five home runs among his 60 total knocks, with 28 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 13 walks and 38 strikeouts as well.

Diaz is a career .254 hitter with a .307 OBP, and he’s put up his best stats ever so far, so some regression was likely coming at some point, but it’s hard to argue with his performance so far. Even despite some lower RBI and runs scored numbers, Diaz is a top-10 fantasy catcher, and a trade to a new team would likely boost his fantasy value.

With all that in mind, I’d do my best to hang on to Diaz right now. If the injury turns out to be an extended absence, then fantasy owners can drop Diaz, but it’s also possible he doesn’t miss any games.

If Diaz avoids a serious injury, then I’d actually make the argument that he should be a waiver wire pickup instead of a drop candidate. The fantasy catcher position isn’t a very strong one, and he’s performing as a must-start player right now. Throw in that he could be traded and have his fantasy value bumped up and that’s plenty enough reason to at least stash him on your fantasy bench.

Evan Carter Fantasy Outlook

Carter has not played since April 26, and with his back injury being worse than expected, fantasy owners are dropping Carter to look for some immediate help.

Carter was a trendy sleeper pick in fantasy drafts this spring after hitting .306 and getting on base at a .413 clip across his 23 games in the big leagues in 2023. Things haven’t gone nearly as well in year two.

In 45 games so far, Carter has just a .188 average and .272 OBP. He’s got six doubles, five home runs and two triples among his 27 total knocks. Carter has 15 RBIs, 23 runs scored, two stolen bases, 15 walks and 43 strikeouts as well.

I don’t expect Carter to perform this poorly all season, especially if he can put his back injury behind him. But up until he hit the injured list, Carter wasn’t hitting well enough to stash on your bench.

In standard leagues where fantasy owners are struggling, Carter should be dropped for immediate help. He might get scooped up and stashed at the end of someone’s bench, but it’s too risky hoping for a big bounceback from Carter at this point.

Being only 21 years old, Carter is still a great option in dynasty leagues. Absolutely under no circumstance should Carter be dropped in a dynasty league.

I also would try to hold Carter in a deeper fantasy league. As I mentioned before, I expect Carter to start hitting once he returns to the field, and as long as your team is relatively healthy otherwise, Carter is worth stashing at the end of your bench. He could be a big-time asset for fantasy teams in the final half of the season.

If Carter ends up getting dropped in fantasy leagues, watch for news of his rehab, and try to beat your league’s other fantasy owners to him on the waiver wire a week or so before he returns to big league action.

Tanner Scott Fantasy Outlook

The last time Scott allowed an earned run was back on April 14, but because of the Marlins’ poor play overall, save opportunities are thin for the team’s closer.

In 25 games and 25 2/3 innings this season, Scott is 5-4 with a 1.40 earned run average, but only seven saves. He’s got 27 strikeouts to his name.

Fantasy closers in standard leagues need saves to have value, and Scott simply isn’t getting enough right now. I understand why fantasy owners are dropping him, and there’s probably at least a few relievers on the waiver wire who offer a better chance at saves right now.

One thing to keep a close eye on with Scott is if he gets traded to a contending team lacking a closer. He could instantly become one of the better fantasy relievers in the game, so if Scott gets dropped in your league, keep an eye on him.

Dansby Swanson Fantasy Outlook

Swanson is having one of his worst-hitting seasons in the big leagues, which explains why he’s on the drop list.

Across 55 games, Swanson has a .226 average and .300 OBP. He’s got nine doubles, one triple and six home runs among his 44 total hits, along with 18 RBIs, 28 runs scored, four stolen bases, 19 walks and 60 strikeouts.

He’s a career .252 hitter with a .321 OBP, so I do expect him to raise his level of play at some point. Swanson has been trending up of late as well, with eight hits over the past five games. He’s got three doubles, a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored over that span.

Swanson hasn’t had a great start to the season, but he’s also starting to hit a little bit more, so I’m a bit surprised to see him among the most-dropped players. I’m not saying Swanson is a must-own player, but now is also not the time to be dropping him.

If you really want to move on from Swanson, I’d think his recent surge at the plate could help you trade him for a decent return (and something better than what’s available on the waiver wire).

#drops #2024-fantasy-baseball