Fantasy Baseball Trade Tips: These 8 batters are off to hot starts — should you sell or buy high?

Andy Pages, OF, Dodgers: Here comes the latest Dodgers superstar. After all, Pages ranks eighth in baseball with a .324 average and sixth with 25 RBI while also on pace for roughly a 30-25 season. Not so fast. The elite batting mark stems from an unsustainable .380 BABIP. And even with the homer-happy nature of Dodger Stadium, Pages will struggle to maintain a 15.2% HR/FB rate unless he improves his 6.0% barrel rate. He could be swapped for a more established outfielder who is off to a less impressive start.

Buy High

Michael Harris II, OF, Braves: After years of teasing fantasy managers, Harris may finally be ready for a breakout season. And really, we are at a sensible time for a major leap, given that he is just 25 years old and is already playing in his fifth season. Harris has quickly gone from someone with an average quality of contact to posting elite marks in average exit velocity (94.5 mph) and barrel rate (18.5%). He has also cut his strikeout rate to 16.3%. Harris could be a .300 hitter with 30 home runs. And although his steals total (2) is unimpressive, he already has a trio of 20-steal seasons on his résumé.

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers: Wise fantasy managers may be able to market Freeman as a veteran in decline. After all, the 36-year-old is posting his lowest OPS (.774) since 2010. He has been terrific this year, as his 11.4% strikeout rate is a lifetime-best mark, and his batted-ball data points, including a 92.1 mph average exit velocity and a 14.4% barrel rate, are the second-best marks of his illustrious 17-year career. The Dodgers’ vaunted offense has yet to kick things into high gear, and Freeman could collect counting stats in bunches when they do.

Dillon Dingler, C, Tigers: I promise this is the last time I’ll write about Dingler, who I have found various ways to mention on a weekly basis this season. The 27-year-old leads all catchers in xBA, xSLG and xwOBA. His actual stats are decent, but they don’t fully represent how well he’s playing. I would like to get Dingler, who is just 43% rostered, as a throw-in from a trade where I part with a top-shelf catcher for a significant player at a different position.

Daylen Lile, OF, Nationals: Lile is a solid all-around talent who doesn’t dominate one category but contributes across the board. The career .291 hitter maintains the necessary strikeout rate and quality of contact to consistently post a helpful batting mark. He has enough power to produce 15-20 homers and enough speed to swipe 10-15 bases. And at his age (23), his skills should continue to improve. The icing on the cake is that the Nats, who rank fourth in baseball in runs scored, seem to have turned the corner as an offense. Like Dingler, Lile (63% rostered) can be thrown into a larger deal.