We are now eleven weeks into the 2018 fantasy baseball season.
This week saw some fantasy mainstays hit the disabled list and some standout performances from some promising young pitchers.
Which under-the-radar players 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 17th, 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 – 49.4% owned – Wright has made the most of his shot to start again. He had two starts last week and only allowed one run in 13.2 innings of work. He has now had three starts replacing the injured Drew Pomeranz. He has only allowed one run in 20.2 innings, but is only 1-1 due to poor run support. His ownership percentage has shot up from single digits from just over a week ago. The Red Sox should keep Wright in the rotation until his knuckleball stops dancing as much. He’s a must-own right now as he will face Seattle again on Friday.
RP Zach Britton – Baltimore Orioles – 41.4% owned – Britton is in a weird spot right now. Baltimore is a god awful team and owning their closer may not get you a ton of fantasy value. On the other hand, they will be sellers at the deadline. He was once one of the best closer in the league. He pitched in three games since being activated from the disabled list for the first time this season. If Britton shows he still ‘has it’, chances are a contender will trade for him. Who knows, he could be added to a team with a struggling closer. In the meantime, he could get a handful of saves for Baltimore while you wait for him to be moved.
OF Randal Grichuk – Toronto Blue Jays – 4.4% owned – Grichuk looked like he was going to be a bust for Toronto, but then he suffered a minor injury to his knee. He spent time restructuring his swing path. He has gained the pop he had when he was just a prospect. He has hit five homers this month and is 13 for 34 over the last ten games. Teoscar Hernandez is dealing with an injury, so Grichuk has filled in for him admirably. He may only play consistently against lefties, but he did hit two homers in a game today and both were against righties.
SS/3B Matt Duffy – Tampa Bay Rays – 14.0% owned – Duffy has been a sneaky add this season. He’s batting .318 with four homers and 22 RBI this season. The Rays have a few underrated bats in their lineup and Duffy is definitely underrated this year. He is killing it in June and due to the lack of middle infielder depth, he’s becoming a must-add in all leagues.
C/1B John Hicks – Detroit Tigers – 21.5% owned – I’ve had Hicks in this section a few times this year, but now it looks like he has a permanent role (this season) moving forward. Miguel Carbrera ruptured his biceps and is out for the year. Hicks filled in for him earlier this season when he was nursing an injury and did very well. Something else that adds to his worth is while Cabrera came back, the Tigers put Hicks in more at catcher and earned fantasy-eligibility there. Now that he is playing everyday at first base, fantasy owners can use him at catcher now (which has been a disastrous position this season).
SS/1B/2B/OF Marwin Gonzalez – Houston Astros – 66.4% owned – I’ve been waiting on Gonzalez to get hot this season. He’s such a useful fantasy player since he’s eligible all over the diamond, specifically at both flex spots. He has been on fire his week. He’s 9 for 17 with a homer and three RBI in his last five games. He has some good match-ups this coming week against the Rays and Royals. It’s time to add Gonzalez now before he’s gone.
SS Ketel Marte – Arizona Diamondbacks – 31.5% owned – Marte had a slow start to the season, but has been one of the most productive middle infielders over the last two weeks. He bumped his batting average up to .245 and has scored 31 runs this season. There is where his value will be this season. He was a run scoring machine in early June. I expected him to steal more bases up to this point, but he hasn’t had the green light. Marte is a nice middle infield flex spot right now.
3B Rafael Devers – Boston Red Sox – 73.3% owned – Devers had a god awful May. He was dumped in many leagues during his slump. His bat has come to life the last two weeks. He has 15 hits since June 6th and has a hit 11 of his last 12 games. Devers is in a hot offense and he will get pitches to hit. He’s a young hitter and will have his highs and lows. It looks like he has finally shook off the slump and is seeing the ball well. It’s time to add Devers if you dropped him (if he’s available).
C Yan Gomes – Cleveland Indians – 9.8% owned – Gomes is really only playing about three or four games a week, but he’s right on the borderline of being just productive enough to own. He has made most of his opportunities and has hit over .300 in his last ten games. Catcher is really thin in fantasy, so guys like Gomes become options there. If you’re struggling at that position or want to put Gary Sanchez on the bench for awhile and need a short-term replacement? Gomes would be a great guy for that.
SP Tyler Skaggs – Los Angeles Angels – 62.4% owned – Skaggs has been on a tear in June. In three June starts, he has only allowed one run in 20 innings. He is 3-0 this month with 18 strikeouts. He has been very good at home this season with nearly all his poor starts coming on the road. He now has a 2.81 ERA on the year and 1.23 WHIP. His next start is at home against Toronto, which is a good match-up for the lefty.
SS/OF Jurickson Profar – Texas Rangers – 46.7% owned – Profar has been a solid fantasy player over the last six weeks. He got off to a poor start, but has raised his batting average up to .239. He has hit eight homers this season and now has 40 RBI on the year. Having middle infield-eligibility helps him greatly as he is a very nice player to use in your lineup. This is the first time Profar has been able to get consistent at-bats in the Majors. He’s making the most of it and it showing everyone why he was once named the best prospect in the Majors (over guys like Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa).
SP Mike Montgomery – Chicago Cubs – 13.9% owned – Montgomery told reporters this offseason that he preferred to be a starter. He began the year as a reliever with some success, but was able to step into the rotation for the injured Yu Darvish, with a lot of recent production. He has made four starts and has only allowed three runs in 23.2 innings. He has been pounding the strike zone and has only given a total of three free passes in those starts. His next start is at home against the Dodgers, which is a tough match-up on paper. As long as he keeps throwing strikes, he should do well at home. Montgomery is a nice spot starter this week.
SS/2B/3B Asdrubal Cabrera – New York Mets – 86.0% owned – Cabrera is in a bad slump. He’s just 4 for 43 over the last fifteen games. The track record is still there with him and this should just be a slump. I don’t expect him to be in it for much longer as the Mets will have a series at Colorado to start to week. If anyone needs the thin air of the Rockies right now, it’s Cabrera. After that series, they are back home.
SP Carlos Martinez – St. Louis Cardinals – 97.3% owned – Martinez is the ace of the Cardinals rotation, but has fell in a little slump. His ownership dropped by a percent this week (which is a big deal for someone who should be 100% owner). His next start is at Milwaukee, a team that is dominated in back-to-back starts in early-April. The Brewers are hitting better than they were then, but they are still a free-swinging team. Martinez should fool them enough to come out with a decent fantasy performance.
OF Brandon Nimmo – New York Mets – 51.2% owned – Nimmon jumped into fantasy relevance a couple weeks ago when he was an extra-base hit machine. He cooled off a bit last week, but he’s back hitting well. He hit two homers last week and has back-to-back multiple-hit games. The Mets have a lot of issues on offense, but Nimmo has been one of the bright spots for their team. If you own Nimmo, there’s no need to drop him now. He’s getting in the lineup everyday and producing as well as expected.
C Wilson Ramos – Tampa Bay Rays – 76.7% owned – Ramos has been a consistent fantasy catcher this year. I’m not sure why his ownership dropped a bit this week, unless it was to pickup John Hicks, Evan Gattis or Yadier Molina. There aren’t many other conceivable free agent options I would want over Ramos. The list is small and as a side note, Kevan Smith is getting close to being in that group. I’d hang onto Ramos as he’s in the lineup most days
SP Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays – 89.1% owned – Archer’s ownership percentage took more of a hit after another week on the DL with an abdomen injury. He had some soreness after throwing a bullpen session, but the soreness has now went away. His return date is a bit murky, but he could get a rehab outing in the next week or two. You should hold onto him and let him occupy your DL spot. The Rays will be sellers at the deadline and Archer will be coveted by contenders. He could end up in a better situation on a good team.
1B Jesus Aguilar – Milwaukee Brewers – 58.7% owned – Now that Eric Thames is back (and hitting dingers), Aguilar’s playing situation took a hit, but he’s still making the most out of his playing time. He has hit three homers in his last six starts. He looks to be playing in two out of every three games. Thames actually played outfield today and got Aguilar in the lineup at first. Both guys hit homers in the game. As long as Aguilar is hitting, I think the Brewers will be creative with ways to get both Thames and Aguilar in games. He may not play every single game, like he was when Thames was on the DL, but he still have relevance in fantasy basetball.
RP Shane Greene – Detroit Tigers – 60.9% owned – I’m not sure why Greene isn’t owned in more leagues. Yes, he’s on a losing team, but losing teams do end up winning games by a three-run margin. Greene actually closed four games in four days-in-a-row this week. His ownership has bounced up and down, but had never been owned in much more than just half of leagues. I’d rather own Greene than any closer on the Astros or Phillies.
3B Justin Turner – Los Angeles Dodgers – 89.4% owned – Turner suffered a wrist injury in Spring Training and he has landed on the DL twice because of it. His batting average is a huge perk of owning Turner, but you can’t be a consistent hitter with an injured wrist. Things are looking better for Turner as he has a four-game hitting streak. He is also starting to generate some power from his wrists. You should stick with him as things can only go up for Turner from this point foward.
2B Cesar Hernandez – Philadelphia Phillies – 70.9% owned – Hernandez isn’t as productive as he was early this season, but he’s still a guy who should be owned in nearly every league. He already has double-digit steals and should end the year with 100+ runs and 20-ish homers. Where else are you going to get those numbers on the waiver wire? Hold onto him, there are many middle infielder available that will equal Hernandez’s production.
SP Daniel Mengden – Oakland A’s – 46.0% owned – It was only a couple weeks ago when I suggested picking up Mengden. He was throwing strikes and keeping the ball down. He has since lost control and is giving away three or four walks per start. He failed to go five innings in two of his last three starts. He could still be worth something in fantasy at times this season, but it would take a lopsided match-up. He has a start at Chicago White Sox this week and he could be a streaming option then…but he’s not a full-time rosterable starter in mixed leagues.
2B Yoan Moncada – Chicago White Sox – 59.9% owned – I’ve been patient with Moncada this year. He started off great, but ended up on the disabled list for a couple weeks. I’ve been waiting on him to get back going, but he has been mediocre. He needs to get on base more and cut down his strikeouts. Until he shows he can do that, he’s nothing more than an AL-only fantasy option.
3B/DH Miguel Sano – Minnesota Twins – 53.7% owned – The Twins shocked the baseball world when they demoted Sano to High-A to fix his issues at the plate and on the field. It’s unknown how long he will be down there. My guess is that he will be there for a few weeks since you don’t make a move this bold unless it’s for a significant period of time. He can’t occupy your DL-spot and you cannot afford for him to take up a roster spot for weeks. It’s time to cut him and hope for him to still be there when they bring him back. You should target Miguel Andujar, Ryan Healy or Eduardo Escobar to replace Sano on your team.
RP Alex Colome – Seattle Mariners – 47.7% owned – Colome was traded to Seattle in May and was not expected to get many save chances as Seattle’s closer Edwin Diaz is entrenched in his role. Colome has been the setup man for Diaz and has done pretty well in that role. He hasn’t done well enough to be held onto in nearly half of leagues. His overall numbers aren’t fantasy worthy as he hasn’t even registered a strikeout in his last four appearances. If you’re looking to add a setup reliever that will help you in fantasy, I’d add Justin Miller, Jose Castillo or Seranthony Dominguez. Those guys pickup wins and strike out more batters.
C Brian McCann – Houston Astros – 17.9% owned – McCann was activated from the disabled list early this month, but has only played sporadically 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, he could be done.
OF Gregory Polanco – Pittsburgh Pirates – 68.4% owned – Polanco is not doing himself any favors by struggling when he does finally get consistent at-bats. Austin Meadows continues to take at-bats away from him, but Polanco can’t even take advantage of Meadows’ recent slump. Polanco hasn’t been the same since returning from the disabled list. You should have tried to trade him when I first suggested getting right of Polanco a month ago. You can’t get much for him now, so you should just drop him. I’d rather have Ian Desmond, Joc Pederson or Jurickson Profar over Polanco.
1B/OF Matt Adams – Washington Nationals – 51.2% 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 last weekend, which took away the opportunity to get extra at-bats when Mark Reynolds is at first base. Adams also hurt his hand and is considered day-to-day as we speak. There are better fantasy options out there getting regular at-bats. I’d drop Adams and look to add John Hicks, Yuli Gurriel or Ryon Healy.
SS/2B/3B Zack Cozart – Los Angeles Angels – 33.7% 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 was put on the disabled list this weekend, so it will give fantasy owners even more incentive to drop him. He’s been overrated all year and his ownership should drop down to AL-only league level.
1B Greg Bird – New York Yankees – 37.1% owned – Big things were expected when Bird was finally healthy this season. He smacked a pair of homers soon after being activated from the DL, but has been average since. It has gotten to the point where veteran Neil Walker is taking at-bats away from the young first baseman. I’m sure you added him in hopes of getting in early on Bird, but we have now seen enough from him. You should drop Bird and look to add Brandon Belt, Ian Desmond or Dominic Smith.
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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.