Gyorko has been on a tear in May. But can he help your fantasy squad? The experts have a resounding answer…
With Memorial Day upon us, we’ve officially reached the first major milestone of the baseball season. Among other things, it means we’re past the one quarter mark of games. It’s also a reminder that now is a good time to evaluate your fantasy squad to see what improvements can be made. There’s still plenty of time to make a move up the standings, after all.
This week’s Featured Pros are here to help with their waiver wire advice. As in our previous articles, the Pros have ranked a list of top Batters and Starting Pitchers available in most leagues. Read on to see who they recommend picking up this week.
COMPETE: Play fantasy baseball AND win cash with FanDuel’s daily contests
Featured Pros
Neil Parker (The Fake Baseball)
Alan Harrison (The Fantasy Fix)
Jonathan Stulberg (FFLockerRoom)
Batter Rankings (Waiver Wire)*
| Player | Position | Team | Ownership | Best Rank | Worst Rank | Consensus Rank |
| Jedd Gyorko | 2B/3B | SD | 46% | 1 | 11 | 3.0 |
| Yonder Alonso | 1B | SD | 21% | 2 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Nolan Arenado | 3B | COL | 36% | 1 | 7 | 4.0 |
| Pedro Alvarez | 3B | PIT | 46% | 1 | 7 | 4.3 |
| Dayan Viciedo | OF | CHW | 29% | 2 | 11 | 4.8 |
| Domonic Brown | OF | PHI | 29% | 2 | 10 | 5.2 |
| Jon Jay | OF | STL | 23% | 3 | 8 | 6.3 |
| Michael Brantley | OF | CLE | 28% | 5 | 14 | 7.8 |
| David DeJesus | OF | CHC | 12% | 3 | 12 | 8.5 |
| Didi Gregorius | SS | ARI | 24% | 7 | 13 | 11.0 |
| Eric Chavez | 1B/3B | ARI | 19% | 8 | 13 | 11.0 |
| Brandon Crawford | SS | SF | 46% | 10 | 15 | 11.5 |
| Luke Scott | 1B | TB | 2% | 9 | 15 | 12.3 |
| Raul Ibanez | OF | SEA | 10% | 9 | 15 | 12.7 |
| Yan Gomes | C/1B/3B | CLE | 15% | 13 | 16 | 14.5 |
*List consists of relevant players with at least 50% availability in Yahoo! leagues
Batter Advice
Each expert was asked to share advice about a hitter they like along with any other waiver wire suggestions they have. Here’s what the pundits had to say:
Somehow, Jedd Gyorko is still available in half of all leagues. He got off to a slow start, but he’s red hot at the plate right now, with an OPS of .974 over the last two weeks. He’s shown plenty of power and a hint of speed in the minors. Gyorko has eligibility at both 2B and 3B, giving you plenty of opportunities to work this mini-Machado into your lineup.
If you’re looking to stream hitting, it’s generally a wise idea to play the matchups. Don’t look into hitter vs pitcher history, as the sample size is too small, but play park and handedness matchups. Jon Jay is a great stream against right handed pitching since he slugs an extra 70 points vs righties.
Neil Parker – The Fake Baseball
During his recent 3 week surge, Jedd Gyorko has been a top 2nd base option. He brings plus power, a respectable batting average and has been crossing the plate. The position is riddled with injuries and Gyorko will finish the season as a fringe fantasy starter, so he should be owned everywhere. That 3B eligibility is a nice little bonus too and if you’re patient through his rookie ups and downs you’ll be rewarded.
Dayan Viciedo: The kid can mash and is coming off a 25 home run campaign. He is dialed in since returning from injury, with 8 runs and RBIs, 2 bombs and all to the tune of a .357 batting average and .453 OBP. He is only 24 too, which means there could be more power upside, but the .300 average isn’t sustainable. The potential for .260 with 20 bombs and 70 RBIs from here out is there, though, and that is some nice fake baseball!
Alan Harrison – The Fantasy Fix
My love for Jedd Gyorko knows no bonds. I initially wrote about Gyroko’s potential during the preseason and suggested owners target him in the late-rounds of their draft or for a buck-or-two in their auction. At this point, he’s triple slashing .284/.350/.451 with five homers 16 RBI and 23 runs scored. Nothing incredible, but more-than-serviceable in 12-team and deeper leagues — especially with multiple position eligibility.
Jonathan Stulberg – FFLockerRoom
Coming into his own with a .333/395/.623 triple slash in May, Jedd Gyorko is a buy for people looking for excellent middle infield return. We can’t forget this is a kid coming off a 24 homer campaign at Triple-A last year so the pop is real.
First basemen who don’t hit 30 homers are often overlooked. Yonder Alonso’s .299 BABIP would indicate there’s even more upside room to hit a .288 batting average. On pace for 19 homers, that could rise with the summer heat and the good news is 4 of his 6 homers are at home. While Petco dimensions aren’t as bad as previously, it’s still a pitcher friendly park.
Jedd Gyorko is finally coming around at the dish, pushing his slash line to a respectable .284/.350/.451 with a strong May that has included 5 home runs and 15 runs scored in 19 games for the red hot Padres. Still, Nolan Arenado gets the slight edge for me. He does a great job of putting the ball in play and has already flashed solid pop at Coors field with three home runs in 13 games there. There’s not much more you could ask for from a Colorado bat.
Sure Brandon Crawford is an attractive option with 5 HR/22 RBI to go along with a .282 Batting Average at the SS position. But let’s be real. Crawford is an average power hitting SS who will be lucky to hit over 15 HRs in 2013. His last HR came April 27th, and playing at AT&T Ballpark automatically decreases your power potential to another level. Unless your name is Barry Bonds. Go ahead and hit the panic button if Brandon Crawford is a player you are counting on for anything more than an injury replacement.
Starting Pitcher Rankings (Waiver Wire)*
| Player | Team | Ownership | Best Rank | Worst Rank | Consensus Rank |
| Chris Tillman | BAL | 41% | 1 | 4 | 2.0 |
| A.J. Griffin | OAK | 50% | 1 | 3 | 2.2 |
| Brandon McCarthy | ARI | 46% | 1 | 11 | 4.7 |
| Francisco Liriano | PIT | 50% | 1 | 8 | 4.7 |
| Zach McAllister | CLE | 32% | 3 | 12 | 6.0 |
| Julio Teheran | ATL | 34% | 5 | 14 | 7.5 |
| Bronson Arroyo | CIN | 38% | 4 | 12 | 7.7 |
| Jorge De La Rosa | COL | 25% | 2 | 12 | 8.0 |
| David Phelps | NYY | 20% | 6 | 12 | 9.0 |
| Scott Feldman | CHC | 47% | 6 | 14 | 9.5 |
| Kevin Gausman | BAL | 31% | 3 | 14 | 10.0 |
| Mike Leake | CIN | 11% | 8 | 13 | 11.0 |
| Jeff Locke | PIT | 30% | 9 | 14 | 11.2 |
| Jerome Williams | LAA | 14% | 9 | 14 | 11.7 |
*List consists of relevant players with at least 50% availability in Yahoo! leagues
Staring Pitcher Advice
Last season Chris Tillman took many teams to their Fantasy Baseball Championships thanks to his September where he recorded a (2-0) record to go along with his 1.57 ERA. For that reason alone, I ranked him higher than every expert at #56 in my preseason rankings. 8 INN shutouts came naturally for the rookie who finished the season with a (9-3) record to go with a nice 2.95 ERA. The Orioles offense has enough firepower to beat any team, and Tillman has the stuff to be a Fantasy Baseball force consistently this season. The K Rate is shaky, but he does have the potential to get a 7 strikeout game. Do not be afraid to put him on your roster and start him consistently.
Neil Parker – The Fake Baseball
Chris Tillman has allowed more than 4 earned runs only twice since the end of June 2012. 20 times he has gone good for 3 earned runs or less. The Orange Birds are a solid ball club and at only 25 Tillman already has 60 starts at the highest level. He isn’t a K artist, but he’ll rack up 7 on occasion and most importantly, he is a solid and safe pitcher, who’ll keep your ratios in check and settle in as a respectable fantasy arm.
Alan Harrison – The Fantasy Fix
Braves fans and fantasy baseballers alike have been waiting for Atlanta’s Julio Teheran to break out for some time now. This Spring — yes, I’m bringing up Spring Training performances — Teheran dazzled to the tune of a 3-1 record, 1.04 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and a 3.88 K/BB, providing much promise to us all. Naturally, he had a difficult start to the regular season, but is 3-1 with a 9.0 K/BB and has four quality starts in his last five outings. He makes for a fine add for now, but with Brandon Beachy on the mend, he could be the odd man out of the rotation in the near future.
A.J. Griffin sits right on the borderline of even being on this list, and rightfully so. He likely should be owned in all competitive leagues. Despite a 4-3 record for the season, Griffin has registered a quality start in seven of his nine outings this season.
Finally, a cautionary tale from a former Francisco Liriano owner: the strikeouts are wonderful and the National League is a much more forgiving environment, but he will punish your ratios at some point… perhaps as soon as Monday in Detroit.
Jonathan Stulberg – FFLockerRoom
With a 25/6 K/BB ratio in 18 innings, I’m a buyer on Francisco Liriano. His .311 BABIP indicates it’s not just a question of getting lucky. He’s still only 29 years old and things are happening in Pittsburgh. Just look at the rebirth of AJ Burnett for proof.
Zach McAllister hasn’t allowed more than 3 earned runs in a start this year but his .260 BABIP is telling me he’s been very lucky. With a FIP of 4.29, the luck may begin to run out soon. I’m taking his positive stats and turning seller to convince the market we are offering Cleveland’s ace.
Kevin Gausman made his Orioles debut in Toronto on Thursday, and he looked pretty good. He got roughed up a bit the second time through the order, but he impressed for a player with such little minor league experience. His stuff and control is incredible. When building a fantasy pitching staff, the goal should be to collect as many aces as possible. Gausman has ace potential that is freely available.
—
Thanks to this week’s Featured Pros for sharing their advice. You can visit each expert’s site and follow them on Twitter for additional fantasy insight.
We hope everyone has a great Memorial Day holiday. Special thanks to those past & present who have served in the Armed Forces!
