Good morning, gamers! This may be my first article for FantasyPros, but it’s my second year at the NFBC. I play primarily in the draft and hold format, but I also partake in a few FAAB leagues, including TGFBI, WHARF, RazzSlam, and others. In short, I’ve been around the block in various spaces in the fantasy sports industry, but my current focus is high-stakes baseball on NFBC.
Even if YOU don’t play at the NFBC, I still believe some of the following names will apply in your league. And since it’s my first time in this space, I’m open to suggestions about how to structure this overview, which will be a weekly effort to drop on Sunday mornings. If I’m spending part of my weekend on this, I want it to mean something.
I’ll touch on closers, high-K relievers, pitching streamers, corner infielders, middle infielders, and outfielders. I figure if I structure this by position, it’s easier to jump to your chosen position. Will I ever discuss catchers? Hopefully not…
Closers
Josh Staumont (RP – KC), Hector Neris (RP – HOU)
Closers need their own space, and they are that dysfunctional.
Some obvious names with a recent boost are Josh Staumont and Hector Neris. Staumont looks like the top option in Kansas City, and Neris is getting the closer’s seat in Houston due to Ryan Pressly‘s knee inflammation. You can rent Neris for another week (maybe two), and Staumont is the long-term play.
Jorge Lopez (RP – BAL)
Jorge Lopez appears to have solidified himself as the closer in Baltimore. You might be a week too late if your league jumped on Lopez last week. But he’s still available in some places where he shouldn’t be. We’ve seen this story before, after all. A guy struggles as a starter but moves to the bullpen and sees a significant increase in velocity. Lopez is throwing his sinker more than ever before, 47.5% of the time. He’s averaging 98.0 MPH on the pitch while weaving in a changeup, curveball, and slider (and effectively ditching his four-seamer). He’s got a worm-killing 61.1% ground ball rate thus far and a K-rate north of 30 percent. His double-digit walk rate is bound to be a roller coaster at times, but if he can continue to suppress home runs and strike out many hitters, he’ll have a chance to stick in the role long-term. I’m into Lopez as an RP3 type who could hold value for longer than some in the industry seem to think.
Chris Stratton (RP – PIT)
Chris Stratton looks like the guy in Pittsburgh after back-to-back saves this Thursday and Friday. From what we know right now, David Bednar should operate in more of the ‘fireman’s role.’ Stratton is firmly on my FAAB radar heading into Sunday night, and I’m prepared to shell out some dough for a guy who had this role in part last year and appears to have it this year. He’s also a good enough pitcher to remain in the role.
Emilio Pagan (RP – MIN), Jhoan Durn (RP – MIN)
Emilio Pagan looks to be in the mix for saves for the Twins, but that doesn’t mean Jhoan Duran isn’t a great longer-term stash. Both make sense if you’re speculating for saves heading into this week, though Pagan is a better short-term option. I don’t think Pagan’s volatility makes sense to go wild on FAAB, while Duran’s lack of a closing role also means you shouldn’t go crazy. But the upside for both is a clear path to saves, so throw those darts.
Anthony Bender (RP – MIA), Cole Sulser (RP – MIA), Dylan Floro (RP – MIA)
Given Anthony Bender‘s rocky ride to begin 2022, Cole Sulser could get the next save opportunity in Miami. That’s purely my conjecture, so don’t blame the messenger if this goes awry. But with Bender suffering a blown save this week and already having a couple of losses, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Sulser get a shot at the ninth sometime before Dylan Floro returns. Speaking of Floro, he embarked on a rehab assignment this weekend (Friday) and shouldn’t be too far away from rejoining the big league club. I’d imagine he’s eased in to start, but he’s worth a sneaky add this week if you can afford to stash him and wait. For now, though, this bullpen seems murky.
Speaking of murky…for my part, I’m staying away from the Reds, Mariners, and Giants bullpens. Those ninth-inning options continue to revolve, and I’m not going wild with my FAAB dollars if I’m speculating on any of those arms.
High-K Relievers
Michael King (RP – NYY)
Michael King is probably a hot add in plenty of spaces this week. He’s up to a whopping 18 strikeouts over just 10.2 frames, and the Yankees continue stretching him out (1.0 IP, 2.0 IP, 3.0 IP in three appearances). Who knows what this turns into, whether he’s a multi-inning weapon with gobbles of strikeouts–or even a candidate for a rogue save here and there if Aroldis Chapman falters. But adding a talented pitcher is never a bad thing. I’d be willing to insert King into the back end of my rotations this week in spaces where I’ve lost pitchers to injury.
Wil Crowe (RP – PIT), Keegan Thompson (RP – CHC)
Guys like Wil Crowe and Keegan Thompson are sneaky relievers to consider if you miss out on King. Both are multi-inning weapons out of their respective bullpens, and both have yet to allow a run this season. The Pirates have six games on tap (MLW, SD), while the Cubs also have six (ATL, MLW). Who can tell how many appearances each will get–I’m not a psychic–but I’d lean Crowe if I had to rank these two for the Week 4. After all, the Atlanta Braves rank second in ISO in the early going. If you do roll the dice against Atlanta in any fashion this week, the good news is Ronald Acuna Jr. still looks to be at least one or two weeks away from rejoining the team.
Starting Pitchers
Nick Martinez (SP – SD)
Nick Martinez should find his way into more NFBC lineups this week. His matchup against the Reds is one of the best in the majors. The Reds have the worst strikeout rate (28.3%) and the second-worst ISO (.094) in 2022. Only the Orioles and Nationals have been comparably awful. As for Martinez, he’s had three tough matchups to begin in 2022 (@ SF, vs. ATL, and vs. LAD). Logic says the anemic Reds lineup should be much easier sledding. Martinez has struggled with control this year, but the Reds walk at the fifth-lowest rate in the majors. I like the symmetry.
Dylan Bundy (SP – MIN)
Dylan Bundy might be back in the circle of trust, for now. He wasn’t drafted aggressively this season after a disastrous 2021. But a new pitch mix seems to be paying dividends. So far, he’s reduced his curveball usage by 5% and his sinker usage by 5.5%. He’s continuing to employ a splitter, which he debuted in 2021. He’s bumped his use of the pitch up to 20.3%, and he is throwing a tad more four-seamers. He’s not throwing hard, averaging 90 MPH on his heaters. But the results have been impressive, including three straight victories to begin the year. By my count, he’ll host the Detroit Tigers this coming week, a team with some excitement in the form of Spencer Torkelson. But despite Tork’s recent heroics, Detroit is fourth-worst in MLB with a .101 ISO, and the 24.4% K-rate is inside the bottom third of the league. If you drafted Bundy in a deep league, you’re starting him in Week 4.
Corner Infielders
Alec Bohm (3B – PHI)
Alec Bohm isn’t a defensive wizard, but he is raking. He’s done enough with the stick to have garnered “everyday third baseman” status from skipper Joe Girardi–though I think you can take that with a grain of salt given Bohm’s affinity for soul-crushing errors. The Phillies aren’t exactly the MLB version of the ’85 Bears, and the free-agent signings of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos are proof of this. If Bohm wants to stick in the lineup, he’d better rake. Currently, he is slashing .440/.455/.640, with four walks against a mere two strikeouts. With Bryson Stott floundering and Johan Camargo playing above his head, I think you can safely insert Bohm into lineups this week. The Phillies get a full seven games (four games vs. COL, three @ NYM). Bohm is your guy if you need help at a thin third base position or coverage for your CI slot.
Ji-Man Choi (1B – TB)
Ji-Man Choi might get benched against Marco Gonzales mid-week, but he reads as a solid weekend play with three right-handers on tap in Bundy, Chris Archer, and Chris Paddack. He’s got four hits (including a pair of doubles) against lefties, but the Rays will probably Ray and continue to bench him against southpaws given his career .193/.284/.302 slash in the split. Still, this is a player with value in the right matchups. Given his strong start, you can at least consider him this week over the weekend.
Josh Bell (1B, OF – WAS)
Josh Bell left Saturday’s game with a hamstring strain. The Nats have an off day on Monday, followed by a rough week of starters to face in the form of the Marlins and the Giants. If we don’t get good news on Sunday, I won’t blame you for sitting him in the first half of the week if you had a viable alternative.
Middle Infielders
Thairo Estrada (2B, SS – SF)
Thairo Estrada is the primary beneficiary of Evan Longoria‘s absence. If he can continue hitting, it would seem to have at least another solid month of playing time ahead of him. He doesn’t strike out much, and he’s got 71st percentile speed, so the two homers and two stolen bases aren’t a complete mirage. He can play up the middle but has also seen a smattering of time at the hot corner and in the outfield during his brief MLB career. All 14 of his games this year have come at the keystone, but you never know what fortune holds. He looks like a strong play this week, considering the Giants catch six games against MLW (1), OAK (2), and WAS (2). Yes, Patrick Corbin should pitch for Washington, and that might be enough to utilize Estrada in your MI slot all by itself.
Sheldon Neuse (2B, 3B – OAK)
Sheldon Neuse has worked himself into the No. 2 spot in the batting order for the Oakland Athletics, on the strength of his .341./.413/.439 start. His .481 BABIP is destined to plummet, but his .277 xBA is 71st percentile, and Neuse has shown an ability to produce high BABIPs historically. This may not be just a flash in the pan for a guy who is still just 27 years old. Neuse has played at both corners and second base for Oakland, a team that should continue to roll him out there as long as he is rapping out hits. The only downside is Oakland only has five games on the docket for Week 4, so don’t go wild with those FAAB dollars.
Jorge Mateo (2B, SS, CF – BAL)
Jorge Mateo continues to defy gravity for Baltimore, slashing .250/.313/.295 despite an absurd .393 BABIP. He’s managing a .045 ISO and has a whopping 32.7% strikeout rate. Among qualified hitters, that’s a bottom 15 strikeout rate. Yes, he’s got speed to burn–85th percentile, to be exact. But that’s arguably his only positive attribute. His 27.6% hard-hit rate is in the bottom 15% of the league, and he’s now settled into the nine-hole for a lousy offense. You’re only starting him for steals, and I hate starting players who are deficient in so many areas. Pass for me.
Jose Altuve (2B – HOU), Javier Baez (2B, SS – DET)
Jose Altuve (hamstring) isn’t eligible to return until Friday, April 29th. So you can safely find an alternative for him for the first half of this week. On the flip side, we may see Javier Baez in Sunday’s game against the Rockies. If that happens and goes smoothly, you could insert him for the first half of the week against the young Twins hurlers (Paddack, Ryan, Ober). If Baez returns but doesn’t look like himself from the jump, you may want to consider benching him for the weekend series against the Dodgers. He’s projected to see Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler on Saturday and Sunday.
Jonathan India (2B – CIN)
Jonathan India (hamstring) ran the bases on Friday and could come off the IL as soon as Tuesday of this week. Let us hope he makes it back. After a three-game set against the Padres to open up Week 4, the Reds travel to Coors Field. In a daily format, maybe you can afford to wait and see if India looks right when he returns. But in my weekly leagues, I’m getting him back into my lineups as soon as India is activated. He’s known as a guy who consistently plays through pain, so if the Reds say he’s good to go, I’m getting him in there.
Outfielders
Brandon Marsh (OF – LAA)
Brandon Marsh‘s arrow is trending upward for the Halos, while Jo Adell‘s is pointed directly downwards. Marsh hit his second homer of the season on Saturday night, giving him a stout 13 RBI in the early going. I’ll confess to missing the boat on Marsh. I was unaware of the blazing speed (96th percentile) and the batted ball quality. Traditionally a line-drive hitter with a compact swing, Marsh’s .403 BABIP from 2021 doesn’t read as a complete mirage. Of the 286 hitters who have managed 300+ plate appearances since the beginning of 2021, Marsh has the second-highest line drive rate, at 33.1%. Notable names inside the top 15 are Yoan Moncada, Michael Brantley, Nick Castellanos, Joey Votto, and Jeimer Candelario. Yes, Marsh must show growth against left-handed starters. But what makes him a potential unicorn is his blazing speed. This week, the Angels have seven games on tap, with six of the seven starters projected to be of the right-handed variety. Get Marsh into those lineups, gamers.
Brandon Nimmo (OF – NYM)
Brandon Nimmo returned to the Mets this week after a stint on the COVID-19 IL, and since then, he’s batted leadoff in every game. He’s doing what he does best so far, getting on base at an absurd .426 clip. Despite being a fan favorite and easy to root for, Nimmo has plenty of skill to be fruitful in your fantasy baseball outfields. He also stays humble by driving a 2010 Nissan Altima. What’s not to love? This week, the Mets have six games on tap, with five of six starters projected to be of the right-handed variety (his more robust split). Ride the wave.
Raimel Tapia (OF – TOR)
Raimel Tapia has already managed a homer and a pair of swipes for Toronto while filling in for Teoscar Hernandez (oblique). The downside is Tapia has bounced all around the order, but the upside is it’s a deep lineup, Toronto is a prime park to hit in, and Tapia’s already seen a couple of starts in the leadoff position. Hernandez’s timeline isn’t widely known, but he just resumed hitting on Friday. Therefore, Tapia looks to have at least another week of everyday playing time, with maybe as much as two weeks. If you drafted him, you did so for this moment. You’re hoping he gets on base at around a .330 clip and swipes you a few bags. This week, the Blue Jays have a whopping seven games at home, so he should see plenty of at-bats.
Catcher
Austin Nola (C – SD)
Okay, fine. I’ll give you some catcher love. Austin Nola isn’t a guy I drafted aggressively–or at all, honestly. But he’s batting either first or second with regularity for San Diego, so we can’t ignore his ability to hit for a decent average and chip in with a steal now and again. Remember, Nola converted to catcher from infielder, so he’s a tad lighter on his feet than the average backstop. His 26.2 ft/s sprint speed is merely 37th percentile, but that’s a top 5 mark among catchers. If you drafted him for essentially nothing this draft season, odds are your catching duo is looking pretty solid right about now.
Jonah Heim (C – TEX)
Jonah Heim is a name to keep on your radar in your deep league tilts. He’s seeing enough playing time to justify starting him as a second catcher. I expect Mitch Garver‘s stick to wake up soon enough, but while he has been floundering, Heim has been stupendous (.381/.458/.714). And there’s some validity to Heim catching and Garver filling the DH role for Texas…I’m just sayin’. The Rangers have seven games on tap this week, so give Heim some consideration if you’re desperate for a second catcher. He’s putting a lot of balls into play and has three walks against only two strikeouts. You could do worse.
What say you, gamers? Whose arrow is trending upward or downward for you in your deep leagues? Who did I miss?
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