When is the appropriate time to panic about a particular player? Is there an exact date where you begin to think you’ve made an enormous mistake? Or maybe it is a certain amount of mediocre at-bats or innings pitched that triggers worry?
These are legitimate questions that fantasy owners wonder about, but these questions have no legitimate answers. I wish I was able to point to the calendar and proclaim that if this guy does not turn it around significantly by this date, I am done. It just isn’t that simple.
We are still at a point in the season where pitchers’ arms are not completely warmed up due to the cold weather and/or limited Spring Training, and hitters bats haven’t woken up because they were forced to face minor league-caliber pitchers all spring. While there have been some encouraging and horribly discouraging performances, the last thing we want to do is sell off our studs before they catch fire.
Batting Average (AVG)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | – |
2 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | – |
3 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | – |
4 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +1 |
5 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +2 |
6 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -2 |
7 | Joey Votto | CIN | 1B | -1 |
8 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | – |
9 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | – |
10 | Justin Turner | LAD | 3B | – |
11 | Michael Brantley | HOU | OF | – |
12 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | – |
13 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +1 |
14 | Charlie Blackmon | COL | OF | -1 |
15 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | +1 |
16 | Xander Bogaerts | BOS | SS | +2 |
17 | Whit Merrifield | KC | 1B/2B/OF | +4 |
18 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -3 |
19 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | – |
20 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | – |
21 | David Peralta | ARZ | OF | +1 |
22 | Robinson Cano | NYM | 1B/2B | -5 |
23 | Elvis Andrus | TEX | SS | +2 |
24 | Andrew Benintendi | BOS | OF | Unranked |
25 | Dee Gordon | SEA | 2B/SS/OF | -2 |
Off the List: Jose Abreu
Whit Merrifield just continues to hit and is returning the early round draft value. On the other hand, Mookie Betts continues his early season slide as he has simply not caught fire just yet. He is hitting the ball pretty softly so far this season and has an alarmingly low BABIP, so expect him to turn it around pretty quickly.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B | – |
2 | Jorge Polanco | MIN | SS | – |
3 | Nick Markakis | ATL | OF | +2 |
4 | Alex Gordon | KC | OF | Unranked |
5 | Avisail Garcia | TB | OF | Unranked |
6 | Jason Heyward | CHC | OF | Unranked |
7 | Ben Zobrist | CHC | 2B/OF | – |
8 | Manuel Margot | SD | OF | Unranked |
9 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | -1 |
10 | Jesse Winker | CIN | OF | – |
Off the List: Andrelton Simmons, Starlin Castro, Willians Astudillo, Yandy Diaz
I know what you are thinking: Nick Markakis, Alex Gordon, and Jason Heyward? What is this 2012? Well, these vets are off to excellent starts and it has gone on long enough to where you should consider making a move now if you need a little help in the AVG department.
Runs (R)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | – |
2 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | – |
3 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | – |
4 | George Springer | HOU | OF | +1 |
5 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | +2 |
6 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | – |
7 | Charlie Blackmon | COL | OF | -3 |
8 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | +1 |
9 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | +1 |
10 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | -2 |
11 | Andrew McCutchen | PHI | OF | – |
12 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | – |
13 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | – |
14 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | +2 |
15 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | +7 |
16 | Matt Carpenter | STL | 1B/2B/3B | -1 |
17 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | -3 |
18 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +1 |
19 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +1 |
20 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | -2 |
21 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | +2 |
22 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | -5 |
23 | Adam Eaton | WSH | OF | +2 |
24 | Mitch Haniger | SEA | OF | Unranked |
25 | Andrew Benintendi | BOS | OF | -4 |
Off the List: Kris Bryant
The Rockies’ terrible start has tempered Charlie Blackmon’s fantasy outlook. He is not getting on base and the team is struggling to produce runs, so he does need to be dropped a tad on this list. Still, he plays half of his games in Coors Field and that is the ultimate fantasy equalizer. His production should get better.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | – |
2 | Jorge Polanco | MIN | SS | – |
3 | Alex Gordon | KC | OF | Unranked |
4 | Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | OF | +3 |
5 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | -2 |
6 | Kevin Kiermaier | TB | OF | Unranked |
7 | Jason Heyward | CHC | OF | Unranked |
8 | Dwight Smith Jr. | BAL | OF | Unranked |
9 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | -5 |
10 | Leury Garcia | CHW | OF | -2 |
Off the List: Yandy Diaz, Ben Zobrist, Joc Pederson (ownership), Dansby Swanson (ownership)
Kevin Kiermaier is an interesting guy to monitor. He does not hit at the top of the Rays’ order, but here he is getting on base and scoring more runs than some of the elite sources of the category. He will also chip in a decent amount of power and speed so he makes for a nice little pickup.
Home Runs (HR)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Khris Davis | OAK | OF | – |
2 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | – |
3 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | – |
4 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | – |
5 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | – |
6 | Joey Gallo | TEX | 1B/OF | – |
7 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | +1 |
8 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | -1 |
9 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | – |
10 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +4 |
11 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | – |
12 | Nelson Cruz | MIN | UT | -2 |
13 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | -1 |
14 | Manny Machado | SD | 3B/SS | -1 |
15 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | – |
16 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | – |
17 | Mike Moustakas | MIL | 2B/3B | +2 |
18 | Matt Chapman | OAK | 3B | – |
19 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -2 |
20 | Marcell Ozuna | STL | OF | Unranked |
21 | Pete Alonso | NYM | 1B | +1 |
22 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | Unranked |
23 | Gary Sanchez | NYY | C | -3 |
24 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -3 |
25 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | -2 |
Off the List: Charlie Blackmon, Freddie Freeman
After he broke out in 2017 but disappointed in his first year in St. Louis, Marcell Ozuna is looking like an MVP candidate once again. With each dinger, the concerns about his shoulder coming into this season continue to wash away.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | – |
2 | Daniel Vogelbach | SEA | 1B | – |
3 | Hunter Renfroe | SD | OF | – |
4 | Mitch Moreland | BOS | 1B | – |
5 | Randal Grichuk | TOR | OF | – |
6 | Max Kepler | MIN | OF | – |
7 | Hunter Dozier | KC | 1B/3B | Unranked |
8 | Christian Walker | ARZ | 1B | Unranked |
9 | Yandy Diaz | TB | 1B/3B | -2 |
10 | Clint Frazier | NYY | OF | – |
Off the List: Rowdy Tellez, Kike Hernandez,
Clint Frazier is hitting his way into everyday at-bats at the moment, and with the plethora of injuries to the Yankees starting lineup, there’s no reason to think that he will lose any playing time.
Runs Batted In (RBI)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Khris Davis | OAK | OF | – |
2 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | – |
3 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | – |
4 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +6 |
5 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | – |
6 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | +9 |
7 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | -3 |
8 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | -1 |
9 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -3 |
10 | Nelson Cruz | MIN | UT | -2 |
11 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +1 |
12 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | -1 |
13 | Manny Machado | SD | 3B/SS | -4 |
14 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | – |
15 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +5 |
16 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | -3 |
17 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | -1 |
18 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | +3 |
19 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | -1 |
20 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | -1 |
21 | Marcell Ozuna | STL | OF | Unranked |
22 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | -5 |
23 | Pete Alonso | NYM | 1B | – |
24 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -2 |
25 | Domingo Santana | SEA | OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Gary Sanchez (injury), Jose Abreu
The insane start to the season for Domingo Santana is getting very difficult to write off. He is currently on pace for about 180 RBI. Obviously we cannot expect that but he should remain a very good source of the category now having an everyday role in Seattle.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | – |
2 | Josh Bell | PIT | 1B | – |
3 | Daniel Vogelbach | SEA | 1B | – |
4 | Mitch Moreland | BOS | 1B | – |
5 | Justin Smoak | TOR | 1B | Unranked |
6 | Hunter Renfroe | SD | OF | – |
7 | Randal Grichuk | TOR | OF | -2 |
8 | Dansby Swanson | ATL | SS | +2 |
9 | Chad Pinder | OAK | 2B/3B/OF | – |
10 | Jorge Soler | KC | OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Ryon Healy, Ryan Zimmerman
Justin Smoak missed some time with a neck issue but has been solid since returning. This is a guy who has driven in 167 runs over the past two years and hits in the middle of the Blue Jays’ order making him their biggest run producer. Even though Toronto is not exactly the best lineup in the league, the middle-of-the-order bats on the worst teams are even worth a look if you need help with RBI.
Stolen Bases (SB)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Whit Merrifield | KC | 1B/2B/OF | – |
2 | Mallex Smith | SEA | OF | – |
3 | Adalberto Mondesi | KC | 2B/SS | – |
4 | Dee Gordon | SEA | 2B/SS/OF | – |
5 | Jonathan Villar | BAL | 2B/SS | – |
6 | Starling Marte | PIT | OF | +1 |
7 | Tim Anderson | CHW | SS | +6 |
8 | Billy Hamilton | KC | OF | -2 |
9 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | -1 |
10 | Victor Robles | WSH | OF | +2 |
11 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | +3 |
12 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | -3 |
13 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | -3 |
14 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -3 |
15 | Jose Ramirez | CLE | 2B/3B | +1 |
16 | Byron Buxton | MIN | OF | -1 |
17 | Elvis Andrus | TEX | SS | +2 |
18 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | -1 |
19 | Delino DeShields | TEX | OF | Unranked |
20 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +1 |
21 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | +4 |
22 | Andrew Benintendi | BOS | OF | -2 |
23 | Ender Inciarte | ATL | OF | -1 |
24 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | -1 |
25 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | -1 |
Off the List: Jose Peraza
Tim Anderson’s wickedly hot start has been quite the story over the first couple weeks of the regular season, due in large part to his speed. Anderson is a former top prospect who has a 40-steal season under his belt in the minor leagues. While his batted ball data to this point is not sustainable, if he can manage to improve his on-base skills from his first three seasons in the majors, he could finish at the top of the list in swipes come season’s end.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Delino DeShields | TEX | OF | – |
2 | Leury Garcia | CHW | OF | – |
3 | Kevin Kiermaier | TB | OF | +2 |
4 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | – |
5 | Jarrod Dyson | ARZ | OF | +1 |
6 | Kevin Pillar | SF | OF | +2 |
7 | David Fletcher | LAA | 2B/3B | – |
8 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | -5 |
9 | Garrett Hampson | COL | 2B/SS | Unranked |
10 | Dwight Smith Jr. | BAL | OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Ramon Laureano, Josh Harrison
Garrett Hampson keeps finding himself on and off this list due to varying reasons. But it appears he is now getting full-time ABs and has speed that definitely plays.
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | – |
2 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | +1 |
3 | Joey Votto | CIN | OF | -1 |
4 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | – |
5 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | – |
6 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | – |
7 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | – |
8 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | – |
9 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +2 |
10 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +4 |
11 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | +1 |
12 | Mookie Betts | BOS | BOS | -3 |
13 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -7 |
14 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | +11 |
15 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | +1 |
16 | Andrew McCutchen | PHI | OF | +2 |
17 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -7 |
18 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | +1 |
19 | Matt Carpenter | STL | 1B | -3 |
20 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | +1 |
21 | Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | OF | -1 |
22 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | -5 |
23 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | -1 |
24 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | – |
25 | Michael Conforto | NYM | OF | -2 |
Off the List: None
The apparent changes that Cody Bellinger has made to his approach are paying major dividends. If he can even somewhat maintain this type of plate discipline, he will be a first round selection in drafts next year.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Ben Zobrist | CHC | 2B/OF | – |
2 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | – |
3 | Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | OF | Unranked |
4 | Joc Pederson | LAD | OF | – |
5 | Nick Markakis | ATL | OF | +1 |
6 | Josh Bell | PIT | 1B | +1 |
7 | Yonder Alonso | CHW | 1B | -2 |
8 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B/OF | +1 |
9 | Dansby Swanson | ATL | SS | Unranked |
10 | Niko Goodrum | DET | 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF | -7 |
Off the List: Yandy Diaz, Adam Frazier
Shin-Soo Choo has always been a great source of OBP in his career and he’s off to a great start to begin the season. As long as he continues to hit, and even when he inevitably regresses, he is always going to be useful in OBP leagues.
Wins (W)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | – |
2 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | – |
3 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | – |
4 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | – |
5 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | – |
6 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | – |
7 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | +1 |
8 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | -1 |
9 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | – |
10 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | – |
11 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | – |
12 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | +1 |
13 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | -1 |
14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | – |
15 | German Marquez | COL | SP | – |
16 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | +1 |
17 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | -1 |
18 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | +2 |
19 | Kyle Freeland | COL | SP | -1 |
20 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | +1 |
21 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | +1 |
22 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | +2 |
23 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | – |
24 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | +1 |
25 | Tyler Glasnow | TB | SP/RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Miles Mikolas
Not a ton of change here this week, especially at the top of the list. Tyler Glasnow is the newest addition to the top 25 as he has looked like every bit of the high-end prospect that we have been talking about for years now. He has greatly improved his control and if he can keep that up, sky’s the limit.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | Unranked |
2 | Frankie Montas | OAK | SP | +6 |
3 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | +2 |
4 | Zach Eflin | PHI | SP | -2 |
5 | Brett Anderson | OAK | SP | +4 |
6 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | -2 |
7 | Yonny Chirinos | TB | SP/RP | – |
8 | Ryan Yarbrough | TB | SP/RP | -2 |
9 | Domingo German | NYY | SP/RP | Unranked |
10 | Jhoulys Chacin | MIL | SP | -7 |
Off the List: Matt Strahm, Marco Gonzales (ownership)
Mike Minor is becoming more than just a streamer in mixed leagues right now. His velocity has looked good and he’s generating a lot more swinging strikes in the early going. He is definitely going to be a trade candidate as the season moves on and could move to a contender, so his outlook in terms of earning more victories could improve if he continues to pitch well.
Earned Run Average (ERA)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | – |
2 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | – |
3 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | – |
4 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | – |
5 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | – |
6 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | – |
7 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +1 |
8 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | -1 |
9 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | – |
10 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | – |
11 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | – |
12 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | +1 |
13 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | -1 |
14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +2 |
15 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | – |
16 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | +1 |
17 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | -3 |
18 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | +1 |
19 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +1 |
20 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | SP | -2 |
21 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | +2 |
22 | Shane Bieber | CLE | SP | +3 |
23 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | -2 |
24 | Tyler Glasnow | TB | SP/RP | Unranked |
25 | Madison Bumgarner | SF | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty
As I am typing this, it has been reported that Jacob deGrom is experiencing a bit of discomfort in his elbow and will be sent for an MRI early next week. While that does not sound great for the Mets and fantasy owners alike, we do not have enough info to jump to any conclusions at the moment. So, for the time being, he remains at the top. But this could change very quickly.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | – |
2 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | +1 |
3 | Brad Keller | KC | SP/RP | +1 |
4 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | +1 |
5 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | Unranked |
6 | Jeff Samardzija | SF | SP | +1 |
7 | Sonny Gray | CIN | SP/RP | +2 |
8 | Trevor Richards | MIA | SP | +2 |
9 | Merrill Kelly | ARZ | SP | -3 |
10 | Frankie Montas | OAK | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Matt Strahm, Marco Gonzales (ownership)
The fact that Marcus Stroman is still unowned in about 35-40% of leagues (Yahoo! and ESPN) is pretty silly. Even if his sub-2.00 ERA is not sustainable, he is very much looking like the 3.50 ERA guy his xFIP indicates.
Strikeouts (K)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | – |
2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | – |
3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | – |
4 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | – |
5 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | – |
6 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | – |
7 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | – |
8 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | – |
9 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | – |
10 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | – |
11 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | – |
12 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | +1 |
13 | German Marquez | COL | SP | -1 |
14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | – |
15 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | – |
16 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | – |
17 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | – |
18 | Robbie Ray | ARZ | SP | – |
19 | Jack Flaherty | STL | SP | – |
20 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | – |
21 | Chris Archer | PIT | SP | – |
22 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | – |
23 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | -1 |
24 | Matthew Boyd | DET | SP | +1 |
25 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Jon Gray
Minimal movement here. Haven’t seen much over the past week to make any huge moves to the overall top 25. Clayton Kershaw breaks into the top 25 after returning to the mound this past week with an overall encouraging start. Obviously health is a huge question for the veteran southpaw, but he should remain around a strikeout per inning as long as he is on the bump.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | SP/RP | +2 |
2 | Derek Holland | SF | SP | +3 |
3 | Caleb Smith | MIA | SP | +3 |
4 | Jakob Junis | KC | SP | – |
5 | Carlos Rodon | CHW | SP | +4 |
6 | Spencer Turnbull | DET | SP | Unranked |
7 | Domingo German | NYY | SP/RP | Unranked |
8 | Luke Weaver | ARZ | SP/RP | Unranked |
9 | Lucas Giolito | CHW | SP | Unranked |
10 | Dylan Bundy | BAL | SP | -3 |
Off the List: Corbin Burnes, Zack Godley, Matt Strahm, Freddy Peralta (injury)
Some of the names on this list are not the most desirable, but offer good strikeout numbers. With the right matchups, guys like Dylan Bundy and Lucas Giolito are going to at the very least give you solid Ks.
Saves (SV)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Edwin Diaz | NYM | RP | – |
2 | Blake Treinen | OAK | RP | – |
3 | Kenley Jansen | LAD | RP | – |
4 | Aroldis Chapman | NYY | RP | – |
5 | Roberto Osuna | HOU | RP | – |
6 | Brad Hand | CLE | RP | – |
7 | Felipe Vazquez | PIT | RP | – |
8 | Kirby Yates | SD | RP | – |
9 | Jose Leclerc | TEX | RP | +1 |
10 | Sean Doolittle | WSH | RP | +1 |
11 | Ken Giles | TOR | RP | +1 |
12 | Josh Hader | MIL | RP | -3 |
13 | Jordan Hicks | STL | RP | +1 |
14 | Wade Davis | COL | RP | -1 |
15 | Greg Holland | ARZ | RP | – |
16 | A.J. Minter | ATL | RP | +8 |
17 | Alex Colome | CHW | RP | -1 |
18 | Jose Alvarado | TB | RP | -1 |
19 | Cody Allen | LAA | RP | -1 |
20 | Shane Greene | DET | RP | +1 |
21 | Will Smith | SF | RP | -2 |
22 | Raisel Iglesias | CIN | RP | -2 |
23 | Blake Parker | MIN | RP | Unranked |
24 | Pedro Strop | CHC | RP | -2 |
25 | Anthony Swarzak | SEA | RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Arodys Vizcaino (injury), David Robertson (injury)
With the season-ending injury to Arodys Vizcaino, A.J. Minter now becomes a must-own. He is somehow available in 50 percent or more of leagues in both Yahoo! and ESPN.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-Team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | A.J. Minter | ATL | RP | – |
2 | Blake Parker | MIN | RP | – |
3 | Anthony Swarzak | SEA | RP | – |
4 | Ryan Brasier | BOS | RP | – |
5 | Jeremy Jeffress | MIL | RP | +3 |
6 | Hector Neris | PHI | RP | Unranked |
7 | Brandon Morrow | CHC | RP | – |
8 | Michael Givens | BAL | RP | -2 |
9 | Sergio Romo | MIA | SP/RP | -4 |
10 | Richard Lovelady | KC | RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Seranthony Dominguez
With David Robertson sidelined for the near future, and struggling to start the year before the injury, Hector Neris could run away with the closing job. Neris is definitely worth a speculative add if you are in need of some saves, especially with the Phillies having a full schedule next week.
WHIP (Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | – |
2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | – |
3 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | – |
4 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | – |
5 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | +1 |
6 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +1 |
7 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -2 |
8 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | – |
9 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | – |
10 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | – |
11 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | – |
12 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | – |
13 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +2 |
14 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | -1 |
15 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | -1 |
16 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | – |
17 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +1 |
18 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | -1 |
19 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | +4 |
20 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | -1 |
21 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | – |
22 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | SP | -2 |
23 | Shane Bieber | CLE | SP | +2 |
24 | David Price | BOS | SP | Unranked |
25 | Madison Bumgarner | SF | SP | -3 |
Off the List: Miles Mikolas
The ease at which German Marquez limits baserunners is pretty remarkable. Not only is he avoiding putting guys on, but hitters just aren’t able to square him up right now. He is turning into the exception to the rule of “don’t trust Rockies’ pitchers.”
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | – |
2 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | +6 |
3 | Jeff Samardzija | SF | SP | +1 |
4 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | Unranked |
5 | Yonny Chirinos | TB | SP/RP | Unranked |
6 | Sonny Gray | CIN | SP/RP | +1 |
7 | Frankie Montas | OAK | SP | Unranked |
8 | Brad Keller | KC | SP | Unranked |
9 | Zach Eflin | PHI | SP | -4 |
10 | Domingo German | NYY | SP/RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Marco Gonzales (ownership), Steven Matz, Matt Strahm, Jhoulys Chacin, Jakob Junis
Yonny Chirinos has looked pretty legit. He is getting a lot of soft contact while keeping his walk rate under 6%. If he can maintain this uptick in velocity too, we might be looking at a top 40 SP even with him only making a handful of starts this year.
Quality Starts (QS)
Top 25
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | – |
2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | – |
3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | – |
4 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | – |
5 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +1 |
6 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | -1 |
7 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | – |
8 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | – |
9 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | – |
10 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | – |
11 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | – |
12 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | – |
13 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | – |
14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | – |
15 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | +1 |
16 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +1 |
17 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | -2 |
18 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | – |
19 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | +4 |
20 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | -1 |
21 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | -1 |
22 | Madison Bumgarner | SF | SP | -1 |
23 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | +1 |
24 | Tyler Glasnow | TB | SP/RP | Unranked |
25 | Kyle Freeland | COL | SP | -3 |
Off the List: Miles Mikolas
Patrick Corbin has picked up right where he left off last year in terms of overall results. He is, however, throwing his slider less than he did a year ago but it appears to still be enough to be effective. Corbin is looking as safe as they come moving forward.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
1 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | +2 |
2 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | – |
3 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | +4 |
4 | Trevor Richards | MIA | SP | – |
5 | Mike Leake | SEA | SP | +4 |
6 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | – |
7 | Frankie Montas | OAK | SP | Unranked |
8 | Steven Matz | NYM | SP | -3 |
9 | Brett Anderson | OAK | SP | Unranked |
10 | Brad Keller | KC | SP/RP | – |
Off the List: Marco Gonzales (ownership), Jordan Zimmermann
This is certainly a mixed bag of arms; some intriguing and some boring. But that is pretty much what you need to look for when searching for quality starts. You need a guy you can expect to be efficient enough to get through six innings, and have the stuff and ability to limit and strand baserunners. The majority of these names fit that bill.
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)
With Tatis now leading off, when is he gonna make that runs list?
Hey Joseph,
As I was writing this, Tatis had only the one game hitting leadoff under his belt. Therefore I was a tad apprehensive to put him in there. But obviously if this is something that will stick, and there is no reason it shouldn’t, I could see him firmly being in there as soon as next week.
He’s the perfect fit for the top of that lineup. Good on-base skills and an aggressive baserunner. He’s fun to watch!
Hey Colin,
Great work here very helpful. Interested in your views on Vogelbach for ROS? I have him in my Farm system in Dynasty League and wondering if I should promote him now and start his 4 year salary clock? I will have to promote or lose him at the end of the year anyway. I already have Carpenter and Olsen at 1b but kind of hate seeing his production go to waste! Thoughts?
Thanks!
Hey Terry,
I appreciate the feedback, thanks! And as for Vogelbach, I would probably feel the same way. Don’t want to let this possible breakout slip away. If I am you I would pull the trigger on him. The way I look at it.. the Mariners have gotten off to a pretty improbable start to the season. Due in large part to the team not really having anything to lose after trading away so many pieces in the offseason. I think the big dude is gonna stick in this lineup for as long as seemingly possible because… well, Seattle just doesn’t have anything to lose.
I know he has had his share of stops n starts in his career but he looks like he will be given every opportunity to stay in that lineup.
Thanks Colin – appreciate your detailed thoughts.