We have made it through another week of action and have some stats to give us an idea of players’ production. At this point of the season, it is all about playing the hot hand and great matchups in the coming weeks. The season is still young, so there will be a few players to track due to injuries, increased playing time, streaming starting pitchers and some new closers.
- Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Assistant
- Fantasy Baseball Trade Tools
- Weekly Fantasy Baseball Content
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Each week, I will highlight a few players to target in your weekly free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) process, but know there are many others available and, more importantly, others who may be better fits for your teams. If you have any questions, please ask me on Twitter.
Note: We use Yahoo for player percentages and recommend players rostered in no more than 60% of leagues.
Fantasy Baseball FAAB & Waiver Wire Targets: Week 4
Hitters
Rostered: 50%
Suggested Bid: 6%
Jose Siri has been off to a solid start to the season. He entered Friday hitting .268 with one home run and six stolen bases. He brings 20 home run upside and a ton of speed. The contact quality is excellent, as he has a 13.6% barrel rate and a 50% hard-hit rate. There are a few red flags, as Siri is striking out 38% of the time with a .476 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). It’s good he plays Gold Glove-caliber defense, as that keeps him in the lineup daily. If you need speed, Siri should be on your radar.
Rostered: 20%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Alex Kirilloff has been locked in to start the season. He has hit safely in eight out of 10 games for a .324 batting average. Kirilloff has six extra-base hits to start the season with one home run. He has a 13.3% barrel rate but a measly 36.7% hard-hit rate. He is showing excellent plate discipline by only striking out 12.8% of the time. Kirilloff does sit versus left-handed pitchers, which is a bummer, but his production still makes him fantasy-relevant on the solid side of the platoon. The Twins face five right-handed pitchers in their six games next week, so Kirilloff should see plenty of run. He needs to be on more than 20% of rosters.
Rostered: 19%
Suggested Bid: 12%
Charlie Blackmon might be 37 years old but he’s playing like age is not an issue. He has started the season hitting .326 with six extra-base hits, including one home run. Blackmon is walking 10.4% of the time while only striking out 10.4%. He’s even tossed in a stolen base, which shocked many. Blackmon is leading off nearly every day and playing at a high level, making him very fantasy-relevant for the time being.
Pitchers
Rostered: 42%
Suggested Bid: 6%
Spencer Turnbull has been one of the surprising pitchers to start the season. In his first two starts, he has thrown 11 innings without allowing an earned run. He has only walked one while striking out 13, due in large part to his development as a sweeper. Turnbull has a 29.3% K-BB with an 11.4% SwStr. He faces the White Sox next week, which should be another great start.
Rostered: 23%
Suggested Bid: 6%
Martin Perez is not flashy by any means but he continues to prove boring can be beautiful. Martin has thrown 19 innings through three starts with four earned runs and 15 strikeouts. He has a 1.89 ERA, 3.64 xFIP and a 55.2% ground ball rate. Perez does not strike out many but he keeps the ball in play with the ground balls. Perez has an enticing two-step this week versus the Mets and then a Red Sox team struggling versus left-handed pitchers to start the season.
Rostered: 20%
Suggested Bid: 3%
Reese Olson threw 5.2 shutout innings in his first start but allowed six earned runs over 4.1 in his second start. That’s baseball in a nutshell. The only reason Olson is intriguing this week is the two-step he has on tap. He faces a tough Rangers lineup to start the week but finishes the week with a favorable matchup versus the Twins. You may want to take a chance on Olson this week if you feel risky.
Closers
Rostered: 58%
Suggested Bid: 18%
Kevin Ginkel took over closing duties for the Diamondbacks with Paul Sewald was on the injured list (IL). After a couple of shaky outings, Ginkel has collected two straight saves. He has nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings with only two walks. The Diamondbacks are playing great baseball, so save chances should be available often, making Ginkel a solid closer option.
Rostered: 28%
Suggested Bid: 12%
After a few rocky outings, Michael Kopech was phenomenal in his recent outing. He struck out four for a two-out save, his second save of the season. The White Sox are a horrible team, so saves may not be widely available, but when they are, Kopech should be the reliever called on. Kopech should provide an occasional save with a ton of strikeouts.
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