We are now thirteen weeks into the 2018 fantasy baseball season.

There are some elite bats on the disabled list. Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Josh Donaldson and A.J. Pollock still occupy many fantasy owners’ DL spot. It could be time to make a few tough decisions on long-term DL guys.

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 July 1st, 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 Shane Bieber – Cleveland Indians – 47.4% owned – The young Cleveland hurler is having a lot of success since his call-up in late-May. He is relying on sliders and curveballs to get outs. He may struggle if he doesn’t have command of those two pitches, due to his average fastball. His next two projected match-ups are favorable as he pitches at Kansas City on Tuesday and then at home versus Cincinnati early next week. He has won three-straight games and has only allowed two runs over those three starts. He’s a nice streaming option right now and should do well in fantasy.

RP Sergio Romo – Tampa Bay Rays – 16.4% owned – The Rays have a closer by committee situation, but Sergio Romo has been near-automatic when put in that role. He has been given most of the opportunities and was their best reliever in the month of June. Rays manager Kevin Cash still likes to use Romo is odd situations, but if they have the lead late in games, he tends to hold off on using Romo until the end.

OF Keon Broxton – Milwaukee Brewers – 4.8% owned – The Brewers outfield is banged up with Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun are all dealing with injuries. Milwaukee doesn’t have many options left, so Keon Broxton is now in the lineup every day. He has power and speed upside and think he could have some short-term success if you’re hurting in mixed leagues. He’s a smart add in NL-only league, especially if you already own one of the ailing Milwaukee outfielders.

SS/2B Paul DeJong – St. Louis Cardinals – 43.8% owned – DeJong was a trendy preseason middle-infield pick to have a breakout season. He injured his hand early in the season and has been on the DL for a lengthy stay. He is appearing in rehab games and could be called up late in the week. He could have been dropped in your league and is flying under-the-radar. I’d add him and drop a guy like Jonathan Schoop in favor of DeJong.

OF Avisail Garcia – Chicago White Sox – 13.8% owned – Garcia has been on fire since being activated from the disabled list. Since June 22nd, he has hit three homers and is on an eight-game hitting streak. The White Sox don’t have a very good offense, so a lot of his extra-base hits may not drive in runs, but he’s still a very good outfielder in all leagues. There are plenty of underperforming outfielders owned in mixed leagues. Garcia should be owned in way more than just 13% of leagues. I’d swoop in and add him before people realize he’s out there to be had. 

OF Jason Heyward – Chicago Cubs – 19.7% owned – It looks like Heyward has finally fixed his swing issues. He is hitting .291 with five homers and 37 RBI this season for the Cubs. He has a five-game hitting streak and has scored nine runs and dove in five RBI during his streak. The Cubs offense is on a roll and has been putting up crooked numbers on the scoreboard. It’s crazy that they are doing this while Kris Bryant is on the disabled list. Heyward is hitting near the top of the order and is getting on base. He isn’t stealing bases, but he will help your team in just about every other category.

SP Zach Eflin – Philadelphia Phillies – 40.9% owned – Eflin has put together a nice five-start stretch. He has won all five of those starts and hasn’t allowed more than two runs during those starts. He pitched seven scoreless innings at home against the Yankees last week. His next start is against the woeful Orioles. He should do very well against the swing-happy team. Eflin’s success is due to him just pounding the strike zone. He’s keeping the ball down on contact and has swing-and-miss stuff.

3B/OF Jose Bautista – New York Mets – 6.3% owned – Bautista had a cup of coffee with the Braves early this season and did not look very good. He was scooped up by the Mets soon after he was released and is hitting much better. His average isn’t pretty (.228), but he’s making hard contact with the ball. He has hit three homers since June 22nd and has a base hit in all but two games since that date. Yoenis Cespedes’s lower body injury isn’t healing very fast, so as long as he’s out, Bautista should be in the lineup most of the time.

C/1B John Hicks – Detroit Tigers – 33.2% owned – The catcher position is so God awful in fantasy this season that it doesn’t take much of a hot streak to appear in this section. Hicks has been a regular face as he is the best under-the-radar fantasy catcher option in baseball. He plays every, single day and has just bounced back from a short slump. I don’t know why people are adding guys like Austin Romine or Yan Gomes while Hicks is out there in most leagues. He will end the season as a top-seven fantasy catcher this year.

SP Tyler Skaggs – Los Angeles Angels – 77.4% owned – Skaggs was on a tear in June. In five June starts, he has only allowed three runs in 32 innings. He was 3-1 for the month with 36 strikeouts. He now has a 2.64 ERA on the year and 1.22 WHIP. He dominated on the road last week at Baltimore and at Kansas City. The Schedule Gods were on his side as those two teams aren’t hitting well. He does face a tough opponent at home on Friday. The Dodgers have been hitting all sorts of homers and he will need to keep the ball inside the park. He’s pitching so well that I think he should be fine.

SS/2B Jose Peraza – Cincinnati Reds – 48.9% owned – Players aren’t stealing as many bases this season, so it’s rare to find someone sitting in your free agent pool with 14 steals on the year. Peraza has a six-game hitting streak and has stolen four bases since June 22nd. He is getting on base for the Reds and has already scored 45 runs this year. Peraza is a must-have right now in all leagues. He will help you in just about every category and is batting before some good hitters in the lineup.

RP Keone Kela – Texas Rangers – 70.3% owned – Kela didn’t start the season very consistent, but he has been one of the best closers in the game during the month of June. He only allowed one run last month and converted all eight save opportunities. The Ragers aren’t a very good team, but as long as he gets seven or eight save opportunities a month, he should be owned in all leagues. I’d rather own him over Brad Boxberger or Shane Greene.

2B Ian Happ – Chicago Cubs – 34.2% owned – Despite increased playing time, Happ has seen his ownership percentage drop. I’m not sure why this happened, but he has had a hit in eight of the last nine games and scored eight runs and hit a homer during that stretch. The Cubs have a couple injuries and Happ has position-flexibility, so they have been plugging in him more often. Happ’s issue is with strikeouts, but he has been more patient in the last week. Happ is a very nice middle infield flex play in deeper leagues and he is becoming a solid streaming option in standard mixed leagues.

SP Kyle Hendricks – Chicago Cubs – 87.8% owned – Hendricks had a rough three-start stretch that were all on the road. He gave up 13 runs in those three games and only lasted 14.1 innings. He has allowed 16 HRs this season, only one shy of his career season-high. His next start is at home against Detroit, a team that don’t have many power hitters. The following start would be at San Francisco, a pitcher-friendly park. I like his next two starts and could re-establish himself as a top-tier fantasy starter.

OF Adam Eaton – Washington Nationals – 75.6% owned – Eaton is off to a slow start since being activated from the disabled list lat month. He’s getting contact on the ball, but there hasn’t been much hard contact. He’s also not stealing bases like he did in the past. His past injuries to his ankle is the main reason that isn’t happening. The Nationals outfield is crowded now thanks to the emergence of rookie Juan Soto. Eaton is taking a seat at least once a week. I still think Eaton should be owned in more leagues. I predict he will get his bat going and will have a great July.

C Salvador Perez – Kansas City Royals – 90.1% owned – Perez was one of the first catchers to be taken in fantasy drafts this preseason. He’s about as consistent as you can get…but not this year. He’s only hitting .212 and hasn’t driven in an RBI or hit a homer in over two weeks. Catcher is such a bad position and there’s still no way you can rationalize dropping Perez. He’s dealing with a hand injury that is clearly giving him trouble at the plate, but who would you pick up to replace him? You just have to stick with Perez during his slump. If you have a free spot, I’d move him to the bench and stream a catcher short-term. 

SP Rich Hill – Los Angeles Dodgers – 59.6% owned – Hill has his blister issue resolved (for now) and should be owned in all leagues. Owning him does get a little annoying as he rarely makes it to the sixth innings these days. He was dominate enough in his last outing against the Rockies that you can swallow an early exit. The Dodgers are a good team when they have all their pitchers, but most have been on the disabled list. As long as Hill pummels the strike zone, he’s a good fantasy starting pitcher. His next start is at home versus the Pirates, which is a nice match-up for Hill.

1B Brandon Belt – San Francisco Giants – 80.3% owned – Belt had a great May, but only hit .239 in the month of June. His overall numbers are still very good as he’s hitting .291 with 13 homers and 39 RBI. He got off to a roll at the start of the Giants road trip. He’s a crucial part of the Giants offense and Belt should have career highs across the board by the end of the year. He’s a great 1B/3B flex play and if someone dropped him in your league, I’d give him a long look.

RP Blake Parker – Los Angeles Angels – 35.8% owned – Parker still has a slight lead over Justin Anderson for the closer job. The Angels haven’t had any save opportunities this week, but they are still a solid team. Parker will have plenty save opportunities soon and he’s the man for the Angels. There aren’t a ton of saves out there on the waiver wire and you will just have to stick with Parker.

3B Justin Turner – Los Angeles Dodgers – 89.0% 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. His power stroke finally came back this week as he went yard in back-to-back games last week. He also had three multi-hit games last week. Turner’s overall numbers are about to really take off.

SS Andrelton Simmons – Los Angeles Angels – 89.2% owned – Simmons spent a couple weeks on the DL and was just activated on June 16th. He was still finding his bat and struggled immediately after being activated. He turned things around this past week and was seeing the ball well against Boston and Baltimore. He even had a four-hit game at Baltimore on Friday night. Simmons should be owned in all leagues.

SP Sonny Gray – New York Yankees – 61.3% owned – The Yankees should chalk-up Sonny Gray as a bad acquisition. He has a 5.44 ERA and 1.51 WHIP through July 1st. The make things worse, he has a 7.10 ERA at home. If a pitcher can’t pitch at your home ballpark, he’s a bad fit for your team. That’s also one of the issues with playing at a hitter-friendly stadium. Gray can’t keep the ball inside the park as he gave up a first inning grand slam versus the Red Sox on Saturday. He does have a much better ERA on the road, so at the most, he’s just a streaming spot starter in fantasy.

2B Jonathan Schoop – Baltimore Orioles – 64.2% owned – I was all-in on Schoop this offseason. I fear that the entire Baltimore team has caught malaise. No one on the team is hustling and nearly everyone is hitting for their career worst. Schoop is a young player that had a breakout season in 2017. He’s hitting .197 with eight homers and just 21 RBI. Baltimore is broken in nearly every facet of the game. Schoop showed so much promise last year, so it’s just disappointing that he regressed this much.

3B Josh Donaldson – Toronto Blue Jays -85.1% owned – This suggestion is for fantasy owners that are struggling with injuries. You only have one DL spot in standard leagues and sometimes you need to make some tough decisions. Donaldson has been on the DL for weeks and weeks, and he had a recent setback. He will be reevaluated in three weeks. It would put Donaldson’s earliest possible activated at early-August. There are 1B/3B guys out there that can help your team now. You can drop Donaldson and be just fine. You can add Max Muncy, Jesus Aguilar or Matt Duffy and never miss a beat. It might be time to make a hard decision with Donaldson.

SP Jakob Junis – Kansas City Royals – 31.8% owned – It’s time to write-off Junis as a potential streaming option for the rest of the year. He has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts. He was 0-5 in the month of June with a 7.14 ERA. He hasn’t registered a win since May 18th. You can do better than Junis and I would avoid him like the plague.

C Yasmani Grandal – Los Angeles Dodgers – 84.4% owned – Grandal is in a bad slump and is losing playing time to backup Austin Barnes, who is struggling just as much. Grandal has been a solid fantasy catcher this year, but his playing time is being cut down more week-by-week. There aren’t very many good replacements for Grandal, so you’re stuck with him unless John Hicks is available. He’s really the only guy I would feel comfortable as a long-term replacement.

OF Brandon Nimmo – New York Mets – 63.3% owned – Nimmo’s hot streak has come to an end. He was one of the hottest hitters in baseball for a few weeks. His ownership percentage nearly hit 75% at his peak. He is in a 1 for 19 slump and hasn’t driven in an RBI since June 21st. It’s time to cut bait. I’d rather have Stephen Piscotty, Jason Heyward or Albert Almora.

1B/DH C.J. Cron – Tampa Bay Rays – 34.3% owned – Cron has been hot and cold in his first year with a full-time role. He is only hitting .233, but has smacked 16 homers. The reinstatement of Kevin Kiermaier threw a wrench in the DH rotation mix. Cron now plays about four games a week as the DH. The Rays have more quality bats at his exposure for DH and Cron is mired in an awful slump. I don’t like Cron’s long-term prospects as the Rays full-time DH. I think his days of being a good fantasy option are numbered this season.

SP Luis Castillo – Cincinnati Reds – 37.6% owned – Castillo has nasty stuff, but he can’t put together five or six straight innings of solid work. He recorded 11-straight outs to start the game in his last start at Atlanta. He then blew up in the four inning and allowed four runs and didn’t even factor in the decision. Castillo has strikeout upside, but he only has 85 K’s on the season. He’s not going deep enough in games to really put up big numbers. He’s not worth the roster spot.

1B/2B/SS/OF Marwin Gonzalez – Houston Astros – 66.0% owned – It kills me to put Gonzalez in this section since I love his position-flexibility so much. He’s getting plenty of at-bats with Carlos Correa on the shelf, but he’s just not producing. He only has two hits since June 18th. He’s not getting contact and his average has dropped to .231. Gonzalez has been a great middle infield flex play the last two years, but he’s failing this year. I’d rather have Johan Camargo, Tim Anderson or Addison Russell right now.

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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.