We are now ten weeks into the 2018 fantasy baseball season.
This week saw some fantasy studs come off the disabled list…and we also saw some consistent fantasy contributors land on the dreaded DL.
Which hot hitters are we suggesting to pick up this week?
We look at some players who started out hot, some who are struggling and maybe a couple young guys who should be targeted in your free agent pool on June 10th, 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.
SP Steven Wright – Boston Red Sox – 12.3% owned – Wright made his first start of the season and pitched seven scoreless innings at home against Detroit. He has another nice match-up in his next start, which is at Baltimore. Wright was once an All-Star level starter and when his knuckleball is bouncing, he’s one of Boston’s best starting options. He’s taking Drew Pomeranz’s spot in the rotation and could get one or two more starts. Pomeranz hasn’t been very good, so there’s a chance the Red Sox could drag their feet on bringing him back. At the very least, Wright will be a nice streaming starting pitching option on Monday.
RP Blake Parker – Los Angeles Angels – 32.6% owned – After Kenyan Middleton went down with a major injury, the Angels really never came out publicly and named an official closer. Parker has converted his last four save chances and appears to be the guy for the Angels. Parker should get plenty of chances to close out games since the Angels are competitive in the AL West. There are plenty of good teams in their division, so many of the Angels wins should be close. I’d rather own Parker than Ryan Tepera or Joakim Soria.
OF Scott Schebler – Cincinati Reds – 18.8% owned – The Reds don’t have many fantasy studs on their team this season. Adam Duvall, Billy Hamilton and Schebler (until late-May) were all having disappointing seasons this year. Duvall’s batting average has becoming a huge liability and Hamilton isn’t on base enough to make a difference stealing bases. Thanks to a hot bat, Schebler has raised his season batting average to .288 and had an OPS of 1.076 the last two weeks. If Duvall or Hamilton get on base more, it would boost Schebler’s fantasy stock as well. I think he’s moving from an NL-only player to being in the mix in standard mixed leagues.
SS Brandon Crawford – San Francisco Giants – 66.8% owned – This is the fourth week in a row that I’ve listed Crawford in this section. He has one of the hottest bats in the middle 2B/SS roster spot. Crawford’s batting average continues to climb as he is hitting .326 with seven homers and 28 RBI. He is playing everyday and rarely takes a seat (an occasional rest when an elite southpaw starts). You should pick him up in all leagues while he’s hot. The Giants are getting healthy and their offense could start to catch fire. He is turning into a long-term guy as the middle infield is then at the middle infield flex spot.
1B/3B Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers – 24.9% owned – Muncy has been getting regular at-bats with Justin Turner dealing with a wrist injury. Over the last two weeks, he has hit six homers, drove in 11 RBI and hit .326. Before Cody Bellinger’s recent power surge, Muncy was beginning to take starts away from him. When Turner returns from injury, Muncy should still get regular at-bats due to Bellinger’s position-flexibility. Muncy can move from third to first and Bellinger would gets some starts in the outfield to help get Muncy’s bat in the lineup. I’m not sure how long Muncy will be fantasy-relevant, but ride him while he’s hot.
OF Adam Eaton – Washington Nationals – 72.8% owned – Eaton made his return from the 60-day DL on Saturday. He will be in the outfield every day with Bryce Harper and Juan Soto taking the other two spots. Michael Taylor appears to be slotted into reserve outfielder role. Eaton was an early-round selection in all fantasy drafts, but his ownership dropped down to near 50% during his lengthy stay on the disabled list. Eaton should be a fantasy difference maker since he can help you in every category. If he’s available in your league, swoop in and get him while you can.
2B Ian Kinsler – Los Angeles Angels – 43.8% owned – Kinsler was a mainstay in our fantasy ‘KILL’ section early this season. He was awful and wasn’t helping you in any fantasy category. He has turned things around and has his six homers in the last two weeks. He has jumped back into the leadoff role as well, which has greatly increased his runs production. He’s someone you should target to fill-in a need at 2B/SS short-term. I’m not sure how long this hot streak will last, but I’d add him in all mixed leagues for the time being.
3B/OF Derek Dietrich – Miami Marlins – 17.9% owned – Dietrich has been killing right-handed pitching. He is hitting .484 in his last eight starts. He is a great spot start at 1B/3B in NL-only leagues and you could make a case to start him in mixed leagues against a poor-performing righty. This isn’t a long-term play, but I think he’s worth a long look since he has put together five multi-hit games since May 31st.
C Evan Gattis – Houston Astros – 67.9% owned – I’ve mentioned Gattis many times in my weekly F/M/K article. I have placed him in this section for only the second time this year. He was hitting poorly and striking out like a mad man early this season. I said that he was VERY streaky and I would drop him until he catches fire. Well, I hope you were able to add him sometime in the last two weeks. He has hit nine homers in his last 22 games. He really needed to catch fire since he was being replaced at DH way too much early this season. How long will this hot streak last? He is red hot right now and he does have some nice upcoming match-ups, including the soft-pitching Royals.
SP Marco Gonzales – Seattle Mariners – 30.8% owned – I mentioned Gonzales here last week and he got a win at Tampa Bay on Friday. Gonzales has been solid for the Mariners in 13 starts this year. He’s 7-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 74 innings. He has only allowed three runs in his last five starts (4-0 over 33 innings). He’s still a young pitcher, so he will have some ups and downs, but he’s placing the ball where he wants right now. His next start will be Wednesday at home versus the Angels. He didn’t have a good showing the last time he faced the Angels, but as long as he keeps the ball down, he should be worth being rostered.
SS Dansby Swanson – Atlanta Braves – 34.2% owned – Swanson raised his batting average to .271 and has hit three homers since the beginning of June. He’s been getting starts batting No. 2 in the lineup and has been getting on base. The Braves have an improved offense and as long as Swanson keeps making contact, he will score and drive in RBI. He’s barely owned in just a third of leagues, so it’s time to add him to your bench in standard mixed leagues.
SP Sonny Gray – New York Yankees – 60.9% owned – After a rough start to his career in the Bronx, Gray has settled down and is looking like his old self. In three of his last four starts, he has allowed a run or less. He has been having more success on the road, but he has been keeping the ball inside Yankee Stadium better. His next start is at home against the Nationals, which on paper is a rough start. I believe as long as he keeps pounding the strike zone, he will do well against Washington. The Nationals don’t strike out a ton against righties, but they haven’t faced many top-tier righties this season.
OF Kevin Pillar – Toronto Blue Jays – 63.3% owned – Pillar may not be stealing many bases right now, but he has a hot bat. He was dropped in nearly eight percent of leagues this week. He has had three-straight multi-hit games and knocked three balls over the fence since Tuesday. He was in a bad drought in May, but he snapped out of it. Pillar is holding off Randal Grichuk since his bat is keeping him on the bench. The speed may not be there right now, but he does have nine steals on the year. The entire league isn’t running as much as last year due to risk management, but Pillar will steal double-digit more bases this season. Be patient and hold onto him right now.
SP Nick Pivetta – Philadelphia Phillies – 54.2% owned – Pivetta’s ownership percentage took a hit this week after back-to-back mediocre road starts versus the Giants and Cubs. He struggles on the road, but his home numbers are outstanding. He has a 2.20 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 41 innings. His next two starts are forecast to be at home. Even though the Phillies ballpark is homer-friendly he has only given up two dingers there this season. I wouldn’t cut bait with him right now as he could have two good starts in the coming days.
3B Rafael Devers – Boston Red Sox – 73.8% owned – Devers was outstanding early this season, but he has struggled greatly over the last two weeks. His cumulative stats haven’t been great as he has only scored one run since May 30th and just snappped a long RBI futility streak today. There are signs that he is snapping out of his slump as he has a five-game hitting streak heading into Monday. The Red Sox have a good offense and Devers is still very young. He’s going to have these cold streaks. He is a talented hitter and he’s too good to struggle for much longer.
C Mike Zunino – Seattle Mariners – 41.3% owned – Zunino has only failed to get hits in just two games since May 30th. He is seeing the ball well and hit two more homers this week. He raised his batting average above the Mendoza line and is in the lineup nearly every day. Most catchers are stuck in a platoon, but Zunino gets more at-bats than all but a few catchers. He now has ten homers through 43 games this season. I don’t understand why his ownership percentage continues to plummet. At the very least, he should be owned in over half of eligible leagues.
SP Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays – 91.7% owned – Archer’s ownership percentage took a hit while he’s been on the DL with an abdomen injury. He is back to pitching and could throw batting practice early this week. There’s also a chance he could come off the DL on June 14 and pitch at Yankee Stadium. He could be in line for a nice strikeout total in that game if he starts. Archer was looking like his old self right before his injury. He has only allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. He has always been a nice source of strikeouts, but it looks like he’s not trying to force K’s as much this year, and it’s improved the rest of his fantasy numbers.
1B/OF Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers – 73.9% owned – Braun was a potential drop candidate just two weeks ago, but he was on fire this week. In his last three games at Philly, he had six hits, six runs, two homers and seven RBI. Some people may have prematurely dropped him when they activated Adam Eaton or picked up a trendy outfielder on a hot streak. The days of top-tier, elite fantasy production from Braun are over as he is roughly the third-best fantasy outfielder on his own team. Braun will still show flashes of his skills and he currently has a hot bat. His position-flexibility has helped his fantasy stock as well. I don’t quite understand the recent ownership drop.
RP Wade Davis – Colorado Rockies – 95.6% owned – Davis may not have been very good this week, but he still leads the league with 20 saves. He blew a save on Thursday, but it was his third day-in-a-row that he pitched. The other outing he had in which he gave up runs was last Sunday in a non-save situation. Davis would need to blow a few more saves before I would even think about dropping him.
3B/DH Miguel Sano – Minnesota Twins – 76.1% owned – Sano was on the disabled list for most of the season and he hasn’t been very good since activated. He does have seven homers on the year, but his .212 batting average has deterred some fantasy owners. He has also sat a few times in favor of Eduardo Escobar and Logan Morrison. It could be routine rest, but I doubt he would sit two games already this month if he was hitting like his career average. He occupied your DL spot for awhile and it’s too early to cut him right now. I have faith he will get hot soon since he had a series at Detroit this week.
2B Yoan Moncada – Chicago White Sox – 63.6% owned – Moncada was one of the hottest young hitters before landing on the DL in early-May. He has been mediocre since being activated. He’s a talented player and should eventually help you in all categories as he also has seven steals on the season. He’s cold right now and is striking out in nearly half of his at-bats this month. I would give him another week to turn it around. He has a homestand to fix his contact issues.
SP Alex Wood – Los Angeles Dodgers – 79.7% owned – Wood failed to go five innings in back-to-back starts. He hasn’t went more than six innings since his first start of the year. I don’t feel like he’s worth a permanent roster spot right now. I want my rostered starters to get quality starts and Wood isn’t even going long enough into games to be eligible. I’d drop him and free up a streaming spot or thinking about adding Marco Gonzales or Mike Leake to your team.
2B Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles – 80.3% owned – I was all-in on Schoop this offseason. I thought he was going to continue to be the player he was last season. He landed on the DL early this year and has been a shell of himself since being activated. He did manage to snap a hitless streak with a homer today, but it’s a tad too late for me. It was his first RBI since May 25th. The Orioles offense is really bad and it’s contagious. Baltimore isn’t in win mode and players are phoning it in. I’d drop and Schoop and pick up Ian Kinsler, Yairo Munoz or Dansy Swanson.
3B Maikel Franco – Philadelphia Phillies – 36.5% owned – Franco appears to have lost his starting job at third base. He has sat for four games-in-a-row with J.P. Crawford starting in his place. Crawford is a better defender, but Franco is a much better hitter. Franco needs regular at-bats and if he’s not getting them, it’s time to drop the former top prospect. It’s time to think about adding Miguel Andujar, Jeimer Candelario or Derek Dietrich to replace Franco.
RP Ken Giles – Houston Astros – 76.3% owned – Over the last two seasons, the Astros have been creative in the ways they use their relievers. Ken Giles has been a constant as he has been a traditional closer for the Astros. That recently changed due to some poor outings. It has gotten to the point that Hector Rondon is now vulturing saves away from him. Giles has now been bypassed in two straight save opportunities. Houston knows their bullpen is talented enough to mix some roles around without missing a step. I don’t like the prospects of Giles getting many save opportunities going forward. I’d rather own Blake Parker or Fernando Rodney than Giles.
C Brian McCann – Houston Astros – 20.1% owned – McCann was activated from the disabled list this weekend, but has only played in one game since his return. Max Stassi had success while McCann was nursing a sore right knee. McCann hasn’t been very good this season and he could drop down the depth chart if Stassi keeps hitting lefties well. There’s no need to keep McCann on your fantasy team.
OF Gregory Polanco – Pittsburgh Pirates – 74.4% owned – Austin Meadows is taking a bite out of Polanco’s playing time. He’s not doing himself any favors by struggling when he does get some at-bats. He hasn’t been the same since returning from the disabled list. He took a seat for three games last week. He’s the fourth outfielder right now. It might be a little premature to outright drop Polanco, since you could probably shop him around for a couple days. I don’t see his playing time improving much while Meadows has a hot bat.
1B/OF Matt Adams – Washington Nationals – 58.6% owned – Adams was a godsend when the Nationals were dealt numerous injuries. He hit for power in the middle-of-the-order and no doubt helped them win a few games. Adams’s fantasy stock took a hit when they signed free agent Mark Reynolds. He has been in a platoon with him ever since. He has been able to stay in the lineup most days since the Nationals were still dealing with injuries in their outfield. The Nationals activated OF Adam Eaton this weekend, which will take away the opportunity to get extra at-bats when Mark Reynolds is at first base. There are better fantasy options out there getting regular at-bats. I’d drop Adams and look to add Max Muncy, Matt Olson or Jesus Aguilar.
SS/2B/3B Zack Cozart – Los Angeles Angels – 43.3% owned – Cozart has been one of the mainstays in this section. I just don’t get why so many people have Cozart on their fantasy team. His ownership finally just dropped below 50% for the first time this season. I wish him the best of health, but you should dump him in favor of guys like Ian Kinsler, Ketel Marte or even Charlie Culberson. Cozart isn’t doing anything to help you in fantasy and either one of those guys would be a huge improvement.
OF Odubel Herrera – Philadelphia Phillies – 86.3% owned – Herrera is a streaky player, but his latest cold is beyond freezing. I believe he is at-risk of losing some at-bats to Aaron Altherr and, now that he’s off the DL, Rhys Hoskins. There are better outfielders out there that you won’t experience these huge slumps. Sometimes you just need a little consistency, especially in head-to-head leagues. Herrera’s streakiness is more suited for roto leagues. I’d dump him in favor of Carlos Gonzalez, Juan Soto or Franmil Reyes.
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.