We are just over three weeks into the season.
A ton of guys are currently on the new 10-day disabled list. Some roster challenges are filling their spot and/or dropping someone who was just activated.
We look at some players who started out hot, some who are struggling and maybe some guys who should be targeted in your free agent pool.
Before I begin, let’s go over the F/M/K terminology. The guys that I list under “F*ck” are guys that are currently hot and you need to pick them up. “Marry”, are guys that you need to stick with the whole season, even if they are struggling a bit. “Kill”, are guys that need to be dropped for better players in the free agent pool.
Wade Miley – Baltimore Orioles – 46.9% owned – Miley is off to a hot start in Baltimore. He has a 2.08 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 26 innings over four starts. He also has nearly a strikeout an inning. I do worry about him walking six batters in his last start. I would ride Miley until he had back-to-back poor starts.
Steven Souza Jr. – Tampa Bay Rays – 74.0% owned – I’ve had Souza on my F*ck list since my first Fantasy F/M/K post. His ownership has increased by over 50% since then. Not only is Souza hitting for extra base hits, but he has a .349 average. He has also scored 14 runs and 17 RBI, which I didn’t expect from Souza. The Rays offense wasn’t expected to be very good, but they are getting guys across home plate. Keep riding Souza until he goes cold…which may or may not happen at this point.
Cody Bellinger – Los Angeles Dodgers – 22.5% owned – The Dodgers called up their top prospect after Joc Pederson was put on the disabled list. It’s unknown how long he will be on the Major League roster, but the dude has pop…and is deceptively fast. He’s worth an add just to see what he does. If he gets off to a hot start, he may never see the minors again.
Travis Shaw – Milwaukee Brewers – 66.9% owned – Shaw was expected to get plenty at-bats in Milwaukee, but many didn’t expect the kind of production he has given the Brewers so far. He is hitting for an okay average (.266) and he already has five homers and 18 RBI. He is eligible for both corner infield positions, so he can fill in for any injuries you have on your roster.
Luis Severino – New York Yankees – 60.8% owned – The Yankees have been waiting for Severino to put together some quality starts in the Majors. Some thought he could be a future ace or he could falter like a few past pitching prospects and end up in the bullpen. Severino currently has 27 strikeouts in 20 innings over three starts. He could be a nice source of strikeouts and his ERA shouldn’t kill you.
Chris Devenski – Houston Astros – 52.4% owned – ‘The Dragon’ is being used as a Swiss Army knife in the Astros bullpen. He pitched extended innings and is in a role Andrew Miller is in on the Indians. Devenski currently has 25 strikeouts in 13 innings with a 1.35 ERA. He ‘could’ eventually take the closer job from Ken Giles if he struggles, but I think the Astros like the role Devenski is in at the moment. The Dragon is a nice source of strikeouts and will help your team’s ERA…he even notched a save this week.
Austin Hedges – San Diego Padres – 31.4% owned – Hedges was once a top prospect, but has kind of plateaued in the Majors. He’s still only hitting .175, but he has hit six homers in his last eight games. The catcher position is a bit thin, so if you have a below average catcher, ride Hedges while he’s hot.
Chase Anderson – Milwaukee Brewers – 42.9% owned – Anderson has came out of the gate throwing darts. He currently has a 1.13 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over four starts. His next start is Friday against the Braves, so he should keep his numbers up.
Corey Dickerson – Tampa Bay Rays – 53.4% owned – Dickerson hasn’t been very fantasy-relevant since leaving Colorado. He changed that so far this season by hitting .324 with five homers and scoring 11 runs. He would be a great streaming outfielder if you have guys on your roster stuck in platoons or have off days.
Victor Martinez – Detroit Tigers – 61.5% owned – People are still bailing on Martinez. I know carrying a DH-only player in a standard league is rough, but Martinez will bounce back from his slow start. He’s batting .221 and he is still without a homer run, but he will finish the season with a very good batting average…trust me.
Eric Hosmer – Kansas City Royals – 85.2% owned – People are starting to bail from the Hosmer train. The entire Royals offense is a bit stagnant right now. I have faith Hosmer will get hot soon, he always does. May will be much kinder to him than April has been. Keep him on your roster for the time being.
Dexter Fowler – St. Louis Cardinals – 67.1% owned – Fowler is slowly getting his swing back in St. Louis. He has had a few multi-hit games in the last seven days. I realize people want to ride a hot bat and drop Fowler, but I would stick with Fowler right now.
Francisco Liriano – Toronto Blue Jays – 28.5% owned – I don’t usually take a lot of stock in Spring Training numbers, but Liriano looked like a beast in March. He’s 17 2/3 innings this season. He was shelled in his first start, but has pitched very well his last three starts. He will be worth keeping on your roster since he will get on a roll on a team with a good offense. He might be a good source of wins, eventually.
Kendall Graveman – Oakland Athletics – 48.6% owned – Graveman has been on the DL since April 14th with a mild shoulder ailment. He is due to be activated this week. He has a 2.00 ERA over three starts for the A’s. Some people dropped him when he was injured, but I think Graveman is going to have a very good year. He deserves a roster spot.
Aaron Sanchez – Toronto Blue Jays – 84.0% owned – Sanchez is in the same situation as Graveman. He comes off the DL this Sunday, so get him on your roster if he’s available. People dropped him and will regret it.
Mike Napoli – Texas Rangers – 49.3% owned – Napoli is a streaky hitter, but puts up solid numbers across the board. His batting average is very weak right now (.160), but he has shown signs of life over the past week. He is in a good offense, so RBI and hits will come his way. I wouldn’t bail on him right now.
Manuel Margot – San Diego Padres – 57.7% owned – Margot was thought to be a base stealing machine, but he only has one so far this season. He has hit three dingers and scored 13 runs. I’m not sure why people are dropping him. He’s currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Jason Heyward – Chicago Cubs – 51.5% owned – He looked like garbage late last season, but he worked the entire offseason on rehabbing his swing. He had success this Spring and he is hitting .282 early this season and has hit three homers over the last five games. Those who stuck with him are reaping the benefits.
Byron Buxton – Minnesota Twins – 24.3% owned – Buxton was once a prospect that was ranked above Kris Bryant. Buxton was never expected to be a stud fantasy player, but more of a better overall player with defense added into the equation. It’s time to cut bait with him who may end up in the minors again soon. I don’t know why people still own him right now. He’s hitting .133 and is getting benched against top pitchers. It’s a smart strategy to make sure Buxton doesn’t get his confidence shattered.
Dansby Swanson – Atlanta Braves – 47.7% owned – I know that he was a former #1 overall pick, but that draft was pretty weak. Also, the Braves rushed him to the Majors a little too fast. I don’t think he’s ready yet. He should get some more seasoning in the minors. He shouldn’t be on any roster right now.
Greg Bird – New York Yankees – 32.9% owned – Bird was a sexy sleeper pick this Spring after he was hitting the cover off the ball, but he has struggled so far. He is only hitting .104 with only one homer. Chris Carter and Aaron Hicks are starting to take at-bats away from him. I think he’s worthy of getting cut in most leagues.
Matt Moore – San Francisco Giants – 50.8% owned – I had high hopes for Moore coming into the year, but he has been getting rocked. He just can’t miss bats. He has a 5.87 ERA with a 1.57 WHIP. The Giants have their issues in the rotation and I’d avoid most of their starters.
Jeff Samardzija – San Francisco Giants – 65.9% owned – Just like Moore, the Shark is getting rocked. He has a 7.40 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. He’s just too unpredictable and inconsistent for my taste. He will still have a nice strikeout total at the end of the year, but you can get K’s elsewhere without the hit to your other categories.
Hisashi Iwakuma – Seattle Mariners – 37.4% owned – Iwakuma hasn’t really been good since 2014. He is off to another rough start with a 5.31 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. He’s getting rocked by teams in his division and that’s a bad sign. He might be an okay streamable option if he has a good match-up, but I’d drop him at this point.
Curtis Granderson – New York Mets – 43.3% owned – I will keep Granderson on this list until his ownership drops to less than 25%. He shouldn’t be owned in standard fantasy leagues. At this point, he might even be on the bubble in an NL-only league. He’s only hitting .149 and hasn’t been getting good contact on the ball. I’d drop him for an outfielder like Steven Souza Jr. or Manuel Margot.
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.