Chris Meaney tours the league and finds 30 things you might have missed during Week 3 of the fantasy baseball season.
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Week 3 Fantasy Baseball
Arizona Diamondbacks
- Robbie Ray racked up 10 strikeouts in his third start of the season, but more importantly, he only walked two. He has a 32:12 K:BB ratio with a 3.52 ERA. I still don’t trust him and I won’t this week in Atlanta.
Atlanta Braves
- Sean Newcomb didn’t even make it out of the second in his third start of the season and his next one will come as a member of the Gwinnett Stripers. Newcomb allowed 15 hits, six runs, and eight walks in 12.1 innings and he only had five strikeouts. He can be dropped.
- Touki Toussaint made his first appearance of the season over the weekend and he only allowed four hits and struck out seven against the Mets. His first start will come this week against Arizona. He’ll take Newcomb’s spot in the rotation and should be added in 12-team leagues. Keep in mind, though, like the rest of the Braves’ young arms, walks will be an issue. Toussaint walked four in his only minor league start which only lasted three innings. He walked two in his six-inning relief appearance Saturday and he has 23 walks in 35 big league innings.
Baltimore Orioles
- Chris Davis finally ended his 0-for-53 streak by picking up three hits and four RBI over the weekend. He shouldn’t be owned, but you should definitely take advantage of the DFS discount.
Boston Red Sox
- Andrew Benintendi fouled a ball off his foot and left Sunday’s game. He missed Monday’s game and is considered day-to-day. Blame Jackie Bradley Jr., because Benintendi was scheduled to get the day off until JBJ became a late scratch.
- Eduardo Rodriguez had a strong showing last week which is more than you can say for the rest of this staff. Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello have yet to show us anything yet. This is a big week for Sale. I have some concerns. Porcello and Eovaldi should be on the wire in 10-team leagues, and soon to be 12-teams.
Chicago Cubs
- Yu Darvish has 10 strikeouts in 12 innings, but he’s allowed 12 hits, 10 runs, three homers, and 11 walks. I own zero shares and if I did, I’d be moving on if things didn’t get better this week with a start against Miami.
Chicago White Sox
- Tim Anderson hit a grand slam Sunday and pushed his average to .429 on the season. He has three home runs and five stolen bases on the season, but he may be the biggest sell-high candidate out there. He has a decent power and speed combination as he smashed 20 home runs and stole 26 bags in 2018, but hit .240 with a .281 OBP. Anderson has a rock-solid .314 average for his career against lefties, but he’s only hitting .245 against RHP.
- Leury Garcia has been hitting out of the leadoff spot. He has five stolen bases and racked up 12 in half a season last year.
Cincinnati Reds
- Jesse Winker finished week 3 on a five-game hit and run streak. He has four home runs eight RBI over this run and may be available on your wire. He’s still hitting leadoff, despite the .190 average.
- It was a great week for the Reds offense as they won four of their six games and scored 31 runs.
- Yasiel Puig hit his first home run of the season Sunday. Maybe he’ll get going now.
Cleveland Indians
- Carlos Gonzalez went 1-for-5 in his debut with Cleveland. He hit .276 with 16 home runs and 64 RBI last season. I’m thinking .260 with 10-15 home runs, which is worthy of an add if you play with more than 4 OF spots. Or you’re in need of help at the position.
- Buy-low on Jose Ramirez. He’s hitting .140 on the season.
- I wouldn’t buy low on Corey Kluber. He walked five and gave up six runs on six hits, which included three home runs in his latest start. He only lasts 2.2 innings and has allowed 10 walks and 13 runs in 19 innings this season.
Colorado Rockies
- Nolan Arenado hit his first home run of the season Sunday and his RBI brings his total up to nine. Sooner or later the buy-low opportunity on Arenado and Trevor Story will be gone.
- German Marquez took a no-hitter into the eighth and only allowed one hit over nine scoreless innings. He struck out nine Giants and has a 2.00 ERA through 27 innings.
Detroit Tigers
- Matthew Boyd’s strikeout total is at 29 now over his 17.1 innings. His 16.8 SwStr% is the second-highest among starters. I wouldn’t sell high, but the high fly ball rate will get him from time to time.
- Nick Goodrum has missed the last two games due to an illness, but keep an eye on him. He has a speed and power combo, plus he’s eligible at just about every position.
Houston Astros
- The window to buy Jose Altuve has closed thanks to six home runs in Week 3. His home run streak ended at five games Sunday and he’s up to seven on the season. Altuve only had three hits in his first five games, but he enters Week 4 with a .328 average and current seven-game run streak.
Kansas City Royals
- Jorge Soler hit his first three home runs of the year last week.
- No, I’m not buying into Homer Bailey. That’s just how bad the Indians are right now. He’ll provide strikeouts but he’ll blow up your ratios.
Los Angeles Angeles
- Mike Trout is expected to rejoin the Angels Monday in Texas.
- Jonathan Lucroy leads MLB with a 91.7 contact percentage. Trout ranks third (90.8%).
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Cody Bellinger hit two more home runs in Week 3 and he’s up to nine on the season. His 22 RBI are one behind the league lead and he’s still ranked first overall in fantasy. Bellinger reached base four times Sunday, scored twice, and picked up his second stolen base in the last three games.
- Clayton Kershaw will make his season debut Monday against Cincinnati. If all goes well, he’ll make his second start in Milwaukee later in the week.
- Hyun-Jin Ryu hit the IL, but he’s scheduled for a bullpen session Monday.
- Rich Hill is expected to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday.
Miami Marlins
- Trevor Richards and Caleb Smith are the only two Miami starting pitchers I’d carry in a standard 12-team league.
- Smith tossed six scoreless innings in his latest start against the Phillies and he struck out six. He has 21 strikeouts in 17 innings with a 2.65 ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Freddy Peralta has been lit up in two of his first three starts this season, and he gets a tough Cardinals team in his fourth start. I’d let him work things out before cutting loose.
- Corbin Barnes and Brandon Woodruff should be on short leashes.
Minnesota Twins
- Michael Pineda has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings and two wins on the season. He’s still getting stretched out and has a plus matchup this week against Toronto.
- Jorge Polanco is Minnesota’s best-ranked hitter and isn’t owned in enough leagues. Max Kepler is their third best and is also available in way too many leagues.
- Byron Buxton is getting dropped in leagues, but he’s hitting .324 on the season, so there’s that.
- C.J. Cron hit his first home run of the season this weekend, but I cut my ties days ago.
New York Mets
- Pete Alonso crushed four more home runs last week and has six already. He’s hitting .345 on the season and looks comfortable in the two-hole.
- What does this team look like when Jed Lowrie returns? J.D. Davis likely takes the biggest hit. It’s hard to take Jeff McNeil’s bat out of the lineup right now.
New York Yankees
- Gary Sanchez joins a long list of Yankees who are on the IL.
- Luis Severino will be shut down for at least another six weeks. If you don’t have enough IL spots you move on and take this as a lesson: stay away from pitchers who have injuries during or before spring. Unless of course there is value at the draft, and there wasn’t with Severino.
Oakland Athletics
- Khris Davis crushed five home runs last week and has 10 already. One day he’ll get the respect he deserves.
Philadelphia Phillies
- Zach Eflin got rocked in Miami and I wouldn’t trust him in Colorado this week.
- Seranthony Dominguez has four strikeouts over 3.2 straight scoreless innings. He may be available in leagues and should be viewed as the Phillies’ closer. If not right now, eventually.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Chris Archer was suspended five games and will return Sunday against San Francisco.
- Melky Cabrera may be able to help those in deep roto leagues with a poor average.
San Diego Padres
- Will Myers missed the last two games due to a thumb injury. Owners should be worried because it always seems to be something with Myers. It looks like he’ll be back soon, though, and he’s off to a great start.
- Manuel Margot has started three of the Padres’ last four games as the leadoff hitter. He’s hitting .333 and picked up his second home run of the season Sunday.
- Ian Kinsler has moved all the way down to seventh in the order and he’s only played two of the last four games.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. hit three home runs last week and have five on the season.
San Francisco Giants
- I’m not sure what’s going on with Kevin Pillar, but I’m not buying it. He has four home runs and 12 RBI in his past seven games. A very deep league add only, but he won’t keep this up.
Seattle Mariners
- Daniel Vogelbach is the latest Seattle Mariner to get in on the fun. The first baseman has six home runs and four doubles in 37 at-bats. There’s no question he has power, but he also has a .103 career average against southpaws. He’s nothing more than a platoon player unless Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion suffer serious injuries. Vogelback also has 12 strikeouts and fanned four times Sunday. I see the excitement in deeper leagues.
- Seattle leads baseball with 38 home runs.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Paul DeJong is available in too many leagues.
- Tyler O’Neil and Jose Martinez are starting to get more at-bats as Dexter Fowler continues to struggle.
- I’m not surprised Miles Mikolas is busting. He has an 81.5 contact percentage last season and provided very little strikeouts. Both those ratios are worse this season and he’s allowing home runs (38 percent fly ball rate). If you want to hold in deep formats just to see if he can turn it around, go for it, but I’d be hesitant. He just doesn’t miss enough bats for my liking.
Tampa Bay Rays
- Austin Meadows picked up 12 hits over a four-game span last week, four of which were home runs. He has finished the week with 11 RBI and six runs from the leadoff spot. I wouldn’t sell high as I believe in the breakout.
- Also, the Rays are playing great ball. They are beating up on weaker teams, but they are doing it. With guys like Brandon Lowe: three home runs last week and has a current nine-game hit streak.
Texas Rangers
- Like last season, Rougned Odor is awful to an awful start. He’s hitting .167 and was placed on the IL due to a knee injury. Hold if you can, otherwise move on.
Toronto Blue Jays
- The Blue Jays have the highest team strikeout rate in the Majors.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is playing AAA ball, so it’s only a matter of time now.
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was optioned to Buffalo so you can move on.
- Freddy Galvis is Toronto’s best hitter and I would roster him. He’s hitting .351 on the season and has a firm spit in the two-hole. That’ll be a great spot for him to score some runs when Vlad gets in the lineup.
Washington Nationals
- Anthony Rendon is the second-best player in fantasy and he enters Week 4 with a .400 average. He leads baseball with 14 extra base hits and he has eight multi-hit games over his current 13-game hit streak. Rendon failed to reach base in one game this season, and it was the first game of the year.
Chris Meaney is a contributor for FantraxHQ, covering fantasy football, baseball, and hockey. Chris covered NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB as a producer, writer, and host at FNTSY Sports Network. He was the lead host of the daily live shows, “Home Ice Advantage” and “Fantasy Sports Today.” Meaney has several years of radio and television experience both in the sports world and music industry. He’s written for The Athletic, Associated Press, New York Daily News, Fantasy Footballers, NBA Fantasy, Play Picks, NewCap Radio and more. You can follow him @chrismeaney.
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