We are now a month into the 2018 baseball season.

Some of the early-season injury issues at middle infielder are starting to sort themselves out. Guys are returning and you may have to make some tough roster decisions. Do you drop an under-performing middle-round draft selection or wait another week? 

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 on April 29th, 2018.

I’ll be posting a weekly fantasy baseball F/M/K every Sunday this baseball season…so keep coming back!

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.

3B Miguel Andujar – New York Yankees – 60.7% owned – Everyone is currently jumping on the Gleyber Torres bandwagon, but Andujar might be the better fantasy player. Torres is a more toolsy baseball prospect, but he isn’t really expected to be a huge fantasy baseball stat filler right away. Andujar has had a nice track record in the minors and will at least hit for a nice average with some pop. He is currently hitting .292 with three homers and eleven RBI. He keeps racking up multi-hit games for the Yanks. I know you may want more power out of your corner infielder, but he should still hit around 20 this season.

1B Brandon Belt – San Francisco Giants – 44.5% owned – Belt is on an unbelievable tear. He currently has a ten-game hitting streak and has hit five homers during the streak. I know we’ve all had Belt on our fantasy teams over the years and he does have some mediocre stretches of production. He’s currently rated as the fourth-best fantasy first baseman. He is currently hitting .315 and six homers and 13 RBI. The Giants have an improved lineup (even if they aren’t scoring a ton right now)), Belt should have more RBI opportunities this season.

RP/SP Junior Guerra – Milwaukee Brewers – 25.0% owned – Guerra has been a pleasant surprise for the Brewers. They desperately needed one of their long relievers to turn into a full-time starter. In Guerra’s four starts, he’s 2-1 with only two earned runs in 22 innings. He’s also averaging nearly a strikeout per inning. He was making the Cubs swing and miss in his last start. His next start will also come against the Cubs. I usually frown upon starting a pitcher in back-to-back starts against the same team, but the Cubs were missing his pitches by quite a bit. I don’t foresee the Cubs fixing those issues by Saturday. He will be a nice spot start or streaming option. If he stays hot, he could become a full-time roster option…but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.

SS Marcus Semien – Oakland A’s – 51.4% owned – I don’t usually advise picking up a guy just for the Runs category, but Semien has changed my mind. He’s hitting in front of some red hot hitters. He has scored eleven runs in the past seven games…and has scored a run in ten of his last thirteen games. It sounds like I am giving all the credit to the guys hitting behind Semien, but he’s doing a great job of getting on base. In the last two weeks, he has had seven multi-hit games. There are still a few middle infielders dealing with injuries, so picking up someone like Semien could help bridge the gap until your regular middle infielder gets off the disabled list.

1B C.J. Cron – Tampa Bay Rays – 21.7% owned – I raised my eyebrows when Cron was traded to the Rays this offseason. He was a guy that I used from time-to-time and he had success for stretches with the Angels. His issues was that he never got consistent at-bats. I have always been curious how he would do if he played everyday. Well, he’s getting all the at-bats Tampa Bay can throw at him. He’s currently hitting .278 with six homers and 17 RBI. He has a six-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games. The Rays don’t have many things to cheer about right now, but Cron is one of those things.

OF Franchy Cordero – San Diego Padres – 8.4% owned – Cordero is owned in less than 10% of leagues, but his ownership would probably be over 50% if he played in a bigger market. He is only hitting .241, but he has hit five homers, drove in ten runs and has a pair of stolen bases. He has a ton of raw power potential and you are starting to see it in the Majors. The Padres have a little bit of a traffic jam in the outfield, but with Manuel Margot and Wil Myers both dealing with injuries early this season, Cordero has benefited with regular at-bats. Those guys are both healthy and Cordero is still getting opportunities. He has hit a homer in back-to-back games heading into Sunday. This guy will see a huge ownership increase by next Sunday, so don’t miss out.

C James McCann – Detroit Tigers – 8.4% owned – Here’s another deep cut. McCann’s ownership is low, but considering how poor the catcher position is, he should be owned in more leagues. Alex Avila is no longer stealing at-bats from McCann, so he’s suiting up four out of every five games. He’s only hitting .232, but is on a little tear as we speak. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine games. Detroit may not possess a killer offense like in year’s past, but could eclipse some poor performing catchers like Chris Iannetta and Jonathan Lucroy.

SS/3B Eduardo Escobar – Minnesota Twins – 15.4% owned – I’ve been waiting for Escobar to ‘go off’ this season. Jorge Polanco is serving an 80-game suspension, so Escobar still has some time to make the Twins think hard about replacing him when Polanco returns. He’s currently hitting .300 with three homers and 12 RBI. He may not be a ‘sexy’ corner infielder, but his shortstop eligibility increases his value. He has been getting on base and has hit safely in eight of his last ten games. He’s a must-own in AL-only leagues and should be considered for an injury-replacement in mixed leagues.

OF Michael Brantley – Cleveland Indians – 49.1% owned – This is the third or fourth time I’ve listed Brantley in this section. He has been very good when he’s in the lineup. It was only three seasons ago that he got some MVP votes and nearly had a 30/30 season for the Tribe. He has played in 16 games since being activated from the disabled list and is hitting .354 with ten RBI and a stolen base. He will be spelled by Rajai Davis from time-to-time, but Brantley should be guy who will help you in every fantasy category. I expect his workload to increase as he builds up strength in his ankle. This is a guy you need to add right now as his ownership percentage increases by double-digits every week.

SP Eduardo Rodriguez – Boston Red Sox – 41.4% owned – Rodriguez will be a two-start option in weekly leagues. He faces Kansas City on Monday and then at Texas later in the week. He’s currently 3-0 with a 3.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. I would like to see more swing-and-miss stuff from him, but he’s doing well pitching for more contact. The Royals and Rangers are two favorable match-ups for the lefty. He is giving up about a homer per start, so that’s something to be aware of going forward. The homers haven’t killed him yet, but could give a fantasy owner pause when starting him in smaller parks.

3B Matt Davidson – Chicago White Sox – 43.8% owned – Yep, time to jump back on the Matt Davidson train (again). He’s going to be a frustrating player to attach yourself to, as he’s streaky as hell. He went well over ten days without hitting a homer and then he hit two homers in back-to-back games. In his past five games, he has eight hits, four homers, and six RBI. He’s just going to be a guy you’re going to go back-and-forth with this year. Keeping riding him while he’s hot and drop him when he gets cold.

SP Ivan Nova – Pittsburgh Pirates – 32.7% owned – Nova has been throwing darts in his last four starts. He is 2-0 with 23 strikeouts and notched a quality start in all four of his last starts. He hasn’t walked a better since his second start of the season. He currently sports a 3.32 ERA and a sweet 1.03 WHIP. His next start is Wednesday against the Nationals, which will be a tall task. Washington hasn’t been hitting the ball well right now, so as long as he throws strikes, he should keep the Pirates in the game. Thanks to Nova’s low walk-rate, his WHIP should stay pretty low this season. It will be time to drop Nova when you start to see his walks increase.

OF Odubel Herrera – Philadelphia Phillies – 64.3% owned – Herrera was drafted towards the end of most mixed leagues, but was dropped from most leagues after a rough first week. He is making those fantasy owners kick themselves, as he is a multi-hit game machine. He is currently hitting .348 with three homers, 16 runs and 13 RBI. The Phillies offense is pretty good, so Herrera will get plenty of chances to cross home plate and drive in baserunners. If you dropped him early in the season, you may want to pick him back up before someone else in your league wakes up.  

C Mike Zunino – Seattle Mariners – 47.8% owned – I’ve had Zunino in this section the last couple weeks in anticipation of his activation from the disabled list. Zunino finally came off the disabled list last week and I said he would ‘knock a few over the fence this week’…and he hit three homers. Catcher has been a very weak position so far this season and Zunino could help just about every team. His batting average could be an issue, but his power could be worth the batting average hit. He’s playing everyday, so he is a must-own in nearly all leagues. I’m not sure why his ownership percentage continues to decrease.

1B Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals – 62.4% owned – Zimmerman has finally started to make contact the last two weeks, but his ownership keeps dropping. He was on our list the last two weeks and he hit three homers and drove in eight RBI since being listed. You shouldn’t cut bait on him as he is just warming up. The Nationals offense hasn’t been as stout this season, but it’s only a matter of time before the entire lineup heats up. I would pounce on him if he’s available in your league.

SS Andrelton Simmons – Los Angeles Angels – 86.0% owned – Simmons is dealing with some forearm soreness and has been limited in a few games over the last two weeks. His ownership continues to take a nosedive. He’s hitting .315 with three homers, 17 runs and 15 RBI…there’s no reason to drop him. I have a feeling the recent call-up of Gleyber Torres has thrown a wrench in middle infielder ownership percentages. Fantasy owners get ‘prospect drunk’ and do weird things like drop a guy like Simmons in hopes that Torres will become the next Alex Rodriguez (that’s not happening). Don’t be silly, guys.

OF Michael Conforto – New York Mets – 80.1% owned – Odds are that if you have Conforto on your team, you probably drafted him. His average draft position was 125, so that would be somewhere in the middle of the draft. It would be dumb to drop him right now after he occupied your DL-spot for the first two weeks. He’s coming off shoulder surgery and has beaten every expected return timetable. He’s building strength and he’s clearly not 100%. He’s only hitting .211 and has just one home run. I would give him two more weeks. If he’s not producing by then, maybe you should think about dropping the young outfielder.

SP Michael Fulmer – Detroit Tigers – 77.1% owned – Fulmer’s ownership has no doubt been affected by the Tigers poor overall team performance. He’s not going to be in line for a ton of wins, but he has pitched great in four of his first five starts. He has outstanding numbers on the year, 2.76 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP over 29.1 innings. His next start is against Tampa Bay, which ‘should’ be a nice match-up, but they’ve been hitting the ball well over the last week. Fulmer should be a rostered starting pitcher in every league. 

2B Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles – 87.1% owned – Schoop has been on the disabled list for a couple weeks and it looks like he could start his rehab assignment in a couple days. He hit 30 homers and nearly hit for .300 last season, so why are people dropping him for short-term gain? He’s a guy you will rely on for an entire season. Be patient and he should be in your lineup by this time next week.

RP Brad Boxberger – Arizona Diamondbacks – 75.7% owned – Thanks to two somewhat poor appearances over the last two weeks, Boxberger has seen his ownership percentage drop to 75.7%. He’s still getting save opportunities and converting them. I wouldn’t look into those two bad outings as they were not in save situations. He has eight saves on the season and should be owned in all leagues. 

RP Hector Neris – Philadelphia Phillies – 63.3% owned – I’ve had Neris in this section the last three weeks. He’s an undervalued closer and has converted his last four save opportunities. He hasn’t given up a run in his last six appearances. The Phillies are using their bullpen in odd ways, but Neris will still get many save opportunities this year. He should be owned in way more leagues.

1B/OF Ian Desmond – Colorado Rockies – 78.8% owned – Desmond is a tricky player to figure out. He’s actually hitting better away from the thin air of Colorado. I’ve been waiting for him to ‘go off’ since he signed with Colorado a year ago. Injuries killed a large portion of last season and he’s not seeing the ball well this year. That being said, he can still be an asset on your team. Yes, he’s only hitting .183, but he has double digit runs and RBI and will probably finish the year with double digit steals and homers. I would hold onto him for another week. I want to see what the Rockies do with David Dahl when Carlos Gonzalez is healthy. If Dahl sticks with the Major League squad, he could start taking away at-bats from Desmond…then it might be time to drop him.

OF Michael Taylor – Washington Nationals – 34.8% owned – This recommendation is more of a ‘don’t bend over backwards to pick this guy up’ warning. Taylor is nine for nine in stolen base attempts, but he’s striking out in nearly a third of his at-bats. He’s filling in for injured Adam Eaton, who should be activated from the disabled list soon. Also, Taylor’s power numbers has taken a hit and hasn’t been making hard contact. I just don’t like where his numbers are trending right now. Maybe hold onto him for another week, but I wouldn’t bequeath a long-term roster spot for Taylor.

SP Sonny Gray – New York Yankees – 67.5% owned – Gray has been bad, bad, bad this season. He has lost his control and is walking guys at an alarming rate. He’s also giving up way too many homers. He has a 7.71 ERA and a 2.14 WHIP through his first five starts of the year. He also has an embarrassing 19:16 K to BB ratio. I would drop Gray immediately and open up a spot to streaming pitchers. His mechanics are terrible and there is no quick fix to his issues. 

1B/3B Matt Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals – 77.5% owned – Carpenter has seen his offensive numbers decline since his terrific season in 2014. He currently has a .163 AVG and doesn’t have a single extra-base hit against a lefty this season. He is playing his way into a platoon role. He is starting to share time with Jedd Gyorko. Carpenter shouldn’t be owned in standard mixed leagues. I don’t see his end-of-the-year numbers being anywhere near his career average. If you drop Carpenter, I’d target Miguel Andujar, Eduardo Escobar or Christian Villanueva.

SS Zack Cozart – Los Angeles Angels – 64.8% owned – I was very down on Cozart this offseason. I didn’t see him recreating the elevated production he had last season. He was a replacement-level player for a couple years before last season. He started off this year with solid numbers, but has been on the bench a few too many times to be owned by 80% of teams. Now that Ian Kinsler and Luis Valbuena are both healthy, Cozart became a super utility player. If you drop Cozart, I would target Marcus Semien, Daniel Robertson or Jose Peraza.

C Chris Iannetta – Colorado Rockies – 32.0% owned – Iannetta started out the season with very good numbers, but he has fallen off a cliff the last two weeks. Backup catcher Tony Wolters is getting more playing time and is taking some at-bats away from Iannetta. Neither catcher is hitting well at all, but Colorado is opting to play Wolters more. Both guys have a prospect breathing down their necks as Tom Murphy is currently hitting .312 with four homers in Triple-A. It’s time to drop Iannetta and pick up Wilson Ramos, James McCann or Tyler Flowers.

SP Luis Castillo – Cincinnati Reds – 62.0% owned – Thanks to Castillo’s performance last season, he was selected in the middle rounds in nearly every fantasy draft. He has been a disaster so far this season. He is 1-3 with a 7.85 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. He only lasted one inning in his last start (at Minnesota). It stinks that you’re going to eat a bad pick, but dump him now. Don’t consider picking him back up until he can string together a couple starts in a row.

SP Jon Gray – Colorado Rockies – 59.0% owned – It’s a bad week for starting pitchers with the last name of Gray. The reason Gray was so intriguing was his strikeout numbers and the fact that he was a better pitcher at Coors Field than on the road. It looks like he had the secret formula to pitch effectively in the thin air. Well, things haven’t went so well for Gray at Coors Field this year. In his first two starts at home, he has given up 12 runs and allowed 18 hits in 10.2 innings. He bounced back this week by pitching six scoreless innings at home against Padres, but his next start is at the Cubs. He could fix some issues going forward, but Gray is always at risk of being shelled. He will have a few outstanding starts, pull you in to add him to your team, then gets embarrassed in the next game. I can deal with a streaky pitcher, but his vary by a wider margin than any other team’s #1 starter. 

C Evan Gattis – Houston Astros – 74.1% owned – Gattis is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball. He can go a month hitting lower than .200, but then can heat up and hit a dozen homers the following month. The issue I have with Gattis right now is that he isn’t making hard contact. He only has one home run and we are almost into May. Also, Houston has been rotating the DH-spot around the lineup giving everyone at least one day off from the field every nine games. Catcher is thin as hell, so it’s shocking that I’m recommending to drop Gattis. There are better options out there, so at the very least, put him on the bench.

RP Fernando Rodney – Minnesota Twins – 29.9% owned – Why are you still holding onto Rodney? Before this weekend’s save over the Reds, he blew his last three chances. The Twins have Addison Reed waiting in the wings and is a better overall closer than Rodney. I’m confident enough to drop Rodney right now and pick up Reed. He won’t kill your ERA while you wait for the Twins to name him as their closer.

OF Jay Bruce – New York Mets – 76.5% owned – I haven’t been a fan of Jay Bruce for a few years. He has turned into an all-or-nothing hitter with a ghastly uppercut swing. He may still hit 30+ homers, but there are better outfielders out there with a wider range of fantasy baseball skills. He might be a little too valued to just drop, so try to find a trading partner to unload Bruce. He has hit safely in his last few games, so it might be time to sell high. If you can’t find a trade partner add Odubel Herrera, Scott Schebler or Michael Brantley  off the waiver wire.

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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.