Dodgers Acquire Curtis Granderson: Fantasy fallout

The Dodgers are looking towards the playoffs as they added outfield depth by trading for Curtis Granderson. How does this affect fantasy going forward?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an abundance of outfielders, but with three of them currently on the disabled list, they needed to add some depth. Anthony DiComo, Mets beat writer for MLB.com, tweeted that Curtis Granderson will finish the season on the West Coast with a potential World Series champion.

However, with the acquisition of Granderson, the Dodgers may have too many outfielders. Also worth nothing is that veteran Adrian Gonzalez is back from the DL, likely moving rookie sensation Cody Bellinger to the outfield.

Who’s playing time and fantasy value is going to get cut in the final five weeks this season?

Looking at the Dodgers’ page on Roster Resource, the starting outfielders are Yasiel Puig in right field, Logan Forsythe in left and Granderson in center. They still have Bellinger at first base with Gonzalez on the bench. Also on the bench is Enrique Hernandez.

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Pederson is the unfortunate receiver of a demotion as he will lose playing time. I would drop him in standard leagues.

As I mentioned, the Dodgers have three more outfielders on the DL, Andre Either, Franklin Gutierrez and Andrew Toles. Even without the addition of Granderson, these three didn’t have a big role with the team.

Back to Granderson, he’s been on a big decline since joining the New York Mets. In 111 games this season, he is hitting .228 with 19 home runs, 52 RBI and 58 runs scored. He also has a .334 on-base percentage with a 90:53 K:BB ratio.

If Granderson is the starting center fielder, I think the move gives him a boost in value. While he does leave the National League East and their poor pitching, the NL West features some hitter-friendly ball parks.

We know all about Coors Field, but Chase Field in Arizona ranks No. 4 in home runs this season. Dodger Stadium ranks No. 15, Petco Park and AT&T Park rank 29th and 30th, respectively.

The Dodgers lineup is also widely better than the Mets’ lineup. Bellinger, Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Yasmany Grandal among others. The Mets have only Yoenis Cespedes after trading Lucas Duda and Jay Bruce.

Speaking of the Mets, Brandon Nimmo joins Michael Conforto and Cespedes in the outfield, according to Roster Resource. He doesn’t do anything for me from a fantasy aspect. The Mets are clearly rebuilding their offense while keeping their rotation in tact, so their offensive stars will lose value with the lack of good support.

Next: Reds Tucker Barnhart gaining fantasy value

This is clearly a better real-life baseball move than fantasy move. The Dodgers add depth and another veteran presence with Granderson. Though, the NL West does have its benefits and Granderson should see an increase in pop in the final weeks. He is owned in just 19.3 percent of ESPN leagues.

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