Fantasy Baseball: A Weekly Snapshot
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Fantasy Baseball
Week number two is a wrap in many head-to-head fantasy baseball leagues and now is a good time to look back on the week that was in fantasy baseball. Several teams once again are dealing with cancellations due to coronavirus outbreaks. The St. Louis Cardinals had their whole week of games postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests. That affected the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs who were their two opponents this week.
While Major League Baseball continues to chug along hoping outbreaks like with the Miami Marlins a few weeks ago and the Cardinals this week are a thing of the past, fantasy baseball doesn't stop.
Some stars have been in extended slumps, some top prospects have arrived in the major leagues, and there are some new closers to snatch up on the waiver wire. Let's dig into each team with a look around the league.
AL West
New York Yankees
Young slugger Gleyber Torres is an All-Star caliber player but is off to a very slow start in this shortened season. He is hitting just .146 with one home run and two RBIs. Not what you would expect from your superstar that you spent a high draft pick on...Gio Urshela is giving the Yankees good production at third base with a .341 batting average and 13 RBIs. Urshela is owned in 72% of Yahoo leagues so he could still be available on your waiver wire.
Boston Red Sox
Outfielder Alex Verdugo has moved to the top of the Red Sox lineup and the switch has agreed with him. Verdugo has had a very productive week with three home runs, four RBIs, and a .417 batting average. Verdugo is a talented player in a prime lineup spot in what should be a good offense. He is owned in 61% of Yahoo leagues and is well worth a pickup...Starting pitcher Martin Perez has had two good outings in his last two starts including five innings of scoreless baseball against the Rays this week. Perez is only owned in 6% of Yahoo leagues so he could be worth a look as a streaming option when he has a favorable matchup.
Tampa Bay Rays
Rays star Austin Meadows returned this week after missing time due to the coronavirus. He hasn't been red-hot in his return, but he did have a two-RBI game against the Yankees in one game this week. He is still getting back in the swing of things and should be a very valuable asset hitting atop the Rays order...This week was more of what fantasy players expected in regards to Rays closer Nick Anderson as the hard-throwing right-hander picked up two saves in 1 2/3 scoreless innings. The Rays have a deep bullpen and could mix and match in save situations, but it was good to see Anderson nail down his first two saves of the season.
Toronto Blue Jays
Sticking with closers, the Blue Jays' Anthony Bass is filling that role with Ken Giles injured. Bass picked up two saves this week in two scoreless innings. He has looked strong in his new ninth-inning role and can be counted on. He is still owned in just 57% of Yahoo leagues...Cavan Biggio has flashed some power and speed so far and despite a quick start has stumbled to a .184 batting average this season. He hit just .150 over the last week. If you can deal with a low batting average, Biggio should be a solid provider of power stats and stolen bases.
Baltimore Orioles
Infielder Hanser Alberto has hits in each of his last four games including two multi-hit efforts. He has 11 runs scored on the season to go with two homers, six RBIs, and one stolen base. He is eligible at second and third base in Yahoo leagues. Fantasy owners are starting to warm up to Alberto as he is owned now in 49% of leagues. Bad teams produce fantasy-relevant players too and Alberto might be that option for the Orioles...Cole Sulser looks to have emerged as the Baltimore closer and he is pitching well in that role. He pitched three scoreless innings this week and picked up a save. His three saves lead the team.
AL Central
Cleveland Indians
Cleveland's starting pitching has been excellent as all five starters have an ERA under 3.25 and four have an ERA under 3.00. While Shane Bieber has hogged most of the headlines and rightly so, Zach Plesac has been outstanding. In two starts this week, Plesac racked up 13 strikeouts in 13 innings and is coming off a six-inning scoreless outing in a win over the White Sox. He has a 1.29 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. He is owned in 77% of Yahoo leagues so hopefully, you pounced on him early...Carlos Santana is off to a slow start with a .174 batting average, but he does sport a .424 on base percentage due to 20 walks on the season. Unfortunately, aside from an OBP league, those walks don't really help you.
Chicago White Sox
Mega prospect Luis Robert is already delivering gaudy fantasy numbers in his rookie season. He is currently the 24th ranked player in Yahoo leagues thanks to an elite power-speed combination. He has two homers, six RBIs, and four stolen bases this season while sporting a .322 batting average. He looks like he is the real deal and owners who took a shot on him are glad they did...Lucas Giolito picked up his first win of the year by holding the Brewers to two runs in six innings with nine strikeouts. Giolito has had two good outings in a row after a disastrous start against the Twins in which he lasted just 3 2/3 innings. He should be back on track to deliver on his promising potential.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers began the week with no games because of a scheduled series with the Cardinals, but in two games against the Pirates, Detroit got a week's worth of offense with 17 and 11 runs respectively in the opening games of the series...CJ Cron now has four homers on the season as does Miguel Cabrera for a Tigers team that struggled to produce home runs last year...Spencer Turnbull earned his second win of the season on Sunday, giving up one run in seven innings of a 2-1 victory over the Pirates. In three starts, Turnbull has nearly as many wins as he did all of last season when he went 3-17. Despite his struggles last season, he has a 2.00 ERA this season and could be worth a look on the waiver wire.
Minnesota Twins
Mitch Garver, a breakout star at the catcher position last season, is off to a rough start to 2020. He is hitting .094 with 15 strikeouts at the plate. He has just three hits on the season. There is still time to turn things around but in a shortened season he will have to make some adjustments at the plate or he will not be much of a help to fantasy owners...For those looking for a solid, high-strikeout middle reliever in a roto league, Tyler Duffey may be your guy. Duffey has five scoreless innings to his name with 10 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.20. He should excel in a set-up role. He's coming off of a season of 82 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings.
Kansas City Royals
Adalberto Mondesi is starting to pick things up in the stolen base department with three in his last two games. He hasn't provided much of anything in the power department, so it is important that he keeps up his recent pace swiping bags...If it's possible to quietly hit 48 homers and drive in 117 runs in a season, Jorge Soler may have done so last season on a bad Royals team. He is picking up right where he left off with five homers and 10 RBIs so far. He is he hit two homers on Saturday against the Twins and is hitting a respectable .267. He is a great option to have moving forward.
AL West
Oakland A's
Jesus Luzardo made his first-ever major league start this week and went five scoreless innings in his debut. On Sunday, he limited the Astros to two runs over 5 2/3 innings to pick up his first win as a starter. He had already posted some nice numbers out of the bullpen to begin the season and is looking like a nice option as a starting pitcher...Matt Olson continues to provide power from his first-base spot with four homers and 10 RBIs, but he has sputtered to a .157 batting average. He has a track record of a low average to go with his power-hitting so this isn't too much of a surprise, but his fantasy owners will be looking for him to provide a little bit more than he is now.
Texas Rangers
Isiah Kiner-Falefa has provided some nice fantasy numbers this season and had a very productive week. He hit .440 this past week with two RBIs and two stolen bases. On top of that, he is catcher and third base eligible in Yahoo leagues. His four stolen bases provide an edge if you are playing him at catcher, which is obviously a position where you don't normally rack up steals...Rafael Montero appears to have taken a hold of the closer role with back-to-back saves on Friday and Saturday. He is owned in just 29 percent of Yahoo leagues and is a priority add if you are in need of saves.
Houston Astros
After appearing in a couple of games out of the bullpen, Brandon Bielak made his starting debut this week. He fired five scoreless innings. He only struck out one batter but was effective nonetheless. Bielak could stick in the rotation in the spot of struggling starter Josh James. He would be an intriguing add if he retains that role...Carlos Correa is off to a great start to the season after he came at a relative discount in drafts this season. He is hitting .373 with two homers and six RBIs and could be in line for a big year.
Los Angeles Angels
Jo Adell made his major league debut this week. Considered one of the top prospects in baseball, Adell had two hits this week with a run scored. He battled a quad injury that caused him to miss a few games, but he is back in the Angels lineup. He is owned in 52% of Yahoo leagues and is worth at least monitoring...Dylan Bundy has been excellent this year and is coming off a nine-inning, one-run win over the Mariners this week. He is striking out batters at a high rate and it looks like a change of scenery from Baltimore may have done the trick for this former top prospect.
Seattle Mariners
Utility man Dylan Moore had a red-hot week for the Mariners with two homers, three RBIs, three steals, and a .304 average. He is eligible at second, third, shortstop, and outfield in Yahoo leagues. He could be a great player to have on your bench or in your lineup as an injury replacement. His Yahoo ownership is up 27% in the last week so savvy owners are beginning to take notice...The Mariners haven't gotten great results from their starting pitching, but Marco Gonzales has clearly been their best option. He is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. He looks like the Mariners pitcher to own as he is coming off of a 2019 season in which he won 16 games and had a 3.99 ERA.
NL East
Atlanta Braves
The Braves and fantasy owners were dealt a big blow when Mike Soroka suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a start this week. He was emerging as the Braves ace and a reliable top of the line fantasy starter...Max Fried is off to a good start for Atlanta with a 2-0 record and 2.04 ERA in three starts coming into Sunday. He gave up one run in six innings in a win over Toronto this week...Catcher Travis d'Arnaud is back in the Braves lineup and is hitting .364 in his six games back from injury. He has eight hits and seven RBIs and could be a good option this year in a very good Braves' lineup.
New York Mets
Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis are heating up a bit in the Mets outfield. Both are hitting above .300 with three home runs on the season. Davis has a homer and five RBIs this week, while Conforto has two homers, five RBIs, and a stolen base...Seth Lugo picked up two saves this week for the Mets and looks to have overtaken the struggling Edwin Diaz in the ninth-inning role. Lugo is a very good reliever and with new-found save opportunities, he should be owned in all leagues.
Philadelphia Phillies
J.T. Realmuto has shown why he is the consensus top-ranked catcher in fantasy by hitting four home runs and driving in nine runs in just seven games. He is hitting .333 and is no doubt the best catcher to own...Rhys Hoskins has started off very slowly in the Phillies eight games played, hitting just .120 without a home run and just one RBI. The Phillies have dealt with some cancellations and their stats come from a much smaller sample size than most teams, so Hoskins has plenty of time to turn things around.
Miami Marlins
Jesus Aguilar is off to a nice start with his new team. He has three homers and six RBIs in the Marlins' nine games. He is a nice power option at first base and has an every-day role with the Marlins...In two starts this week, Pablo Lopez went 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 10 innings. Lopez is an intriguing option on the Miami staff and is owned in just 23% of Yahoo leagues. He could provide nice value for the rest of the season.
Washington Nationals
Daniel Hudson has emerged as the closer for Washington but had a messy outing this week against Baltimore when he allowed three runs and recorded just two outs. He had not allowed a run before that. Hopefully for his fantasy owners that was just a blip on the radar...It was a rough week for Victor Robles as the talented outfielder went 1-for-13. These kind of slumps happen over the course of the season, but they are definitely magnified in a shortened season like this one. He has too much skill to stay this cold at the plate.
NL Central
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds feature three of the top strikeout pitchers in the league with Trever Bauer (32), Sonny Gray (28), and Luis Castillo (26). Bauer and Gray have been dominant so far this year, while Castillo hasn't been as sharp. Despite his high strikeout numbers, Castillo is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in his three starts this season. Castillo has the talent to turn things around while maintaining his strikeout pace...The other Reds' starters Anthony DeSclafani and Tyler Mahle have given up just two runs combined, with both of those coming from Mahle. Both could be streaming options moving forward.
Chicago Cubs
Ian Happ is off to a good start for the Cubs and has good positional flexibility being eligible at second, third, and the outfield. He has three homers, six RBIs, and a stolen base so far this season. He is only owned in 55% of Yahoo leagues so he could be a pickup if he continues his solid play... Another great waiver wire option is starting pitcher Alec Mills who is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. His ownership is up 35% in the last week so people are starting to catch on. See if he is still available in your league.
Milwaukee Brewers
Starting pitcher Adrian Houser was a popular preseason sleeper in deeper leagues and he has shown why this season. This week, he pitched seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn a 1-0 win over the White Sox. On the season, Houser has an ERA of 0.75 to go with a 0.92 WHIP. He is 61% owned in Yahoo leagues and if he is available is a priority add...Corbin Burnes is an interesting case because he is a high-strikeout pitcher but has only made one start this season. In 5 1/3 innings of relief on Saturday against the Reds, he struck out eight batters and gave up one run. The Brewers still consider him a starter and if he is given the chance to stick in the rotation, he has very nice potential.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Phillip Evans was having a nice start of the season for the Pirates but is lost for the year after a collision left him with a broken jaw and a concussion. He was hitting .359 before the injury...Things have not gone well for Derek Holland this season as the lefty starter has given up 15 runs in 16 1/3 innings. His ERA is 8.27 and he's already surrendered six home runs. Fantasy owners should probably just stay away from Pirates pitching this season.
St. Louis Cardinals
Unfortunately, there is nothing to review this week for the Cardinals because an outbreak in coronavirus cases within the team caused the whole week of games to be postponed.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Outfielder David Peralta leads Arizona in RBIs with nine so far. He had a productive week with a homer, five RBIs, and a .333 batting average. He is someone to keep an eye on if he is available in your league...Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly has been very effective for the Diamondbacks with a 2-1 record and a 2.29 ERA. He is not a super high-strikeout guy (has 15 in 19 2/3 innings) but his 0.97 WHIP is stellar and he is only owned in 29% of Yahoo leagues. Now may be the time for a speculative add.
Colorado Rockies
Jairo Diaz is the new Rockies pitcher holding down the ninth inning. After taking over the closer role from Wade Davis, Diaz nailed down three saves this week. He looks like the Rockies reliever to own moving forward...A lot of Rockies are hitting (big surprise) and Daniel Murphy was on an absolute tear this week. This week alone, he has three homers, 10 RBIs and a .462 batting average. Scoop him up while you still can.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dustin May, the young right-hander, has been excellent in the Dodgers starting rotation this year. He is 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in three starts. He was a highly-touted prospect and looks ready to contribute at the major league level...Outfielder AJ Pollock had a productive week with three homers and eight RBIs. He doesn't run like he used to and he has a long injury history, but as long as he is healthy, he is worth owning.
San Diego Padres
What a week for Jake Cronenworth. He hit .350 with two home runs and three RBIs for the Padres. He has multi-position eligibility and is only owned in 6% of leagues, so there might be time to see if he can maintain his current pace...Starting pitcher Zach Davies has been a nice surprise for San Diego. He is 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. He is owned in 14% of Yahoo leagues and is another guy where a change of scenery may have sparked his production.
San Francisco Giants
Donovan Solano's torrid RBI pace slowed down this week as he only drove in one run (has 14 RBIs on the season), but his bat remained red-hot as he racked up 12 hits in 26 at-bats (.462 average). He is 71% owned in Yahoo leagues and looks like a must-own this season...Trevor Gott has four saves on the season for San Francisco and has given up just one earned run in five innings pitched. He looks like he will be a good source of saves this season and is owned in just 39% of Yahoo leagues.
Brian Buckey
Brian Buckey is an avid fantasy sports player dating back to his first fantasy baseball league in junior high school, with fantasy experience in all four of the major sports. Brian currently is a sports writer for The Toledo Blade newspaper in Toledo, Ohio where he grew up. Brian is a proud Indiana University graduate, with a degree in journalism and is excited to provide fantasy analysis for FantasyData.