Daily Dr. Roto—April 13, 2018
First Look at FAAB
Hitters:
Jefry Marte — I consider Marte to be a specialist in hitting LHP. He went 5 for 9 earlier this week in two starts against mediocre lefties and I think he will clearly be part of a platoon situation with the Angels. If your league allows daily moves, I think it might be a wise idea to stash Marte onto your reserve squad and play him whenever he is active. For those Fantasy owners in weekly moves leagues, I would only consider rostering him in 15 team leagues or deeper.
Jose Lobaton — Travis d’ Arnaud looks like he is going to miss the next few months if not the entire season with a tear in his UCL. Backup Kevin Plawecki just found out that he has a broken hand and could be out until the All-Star Break. This means that the Mets will bring up Jose Lobaton from Triple A (along with Tomas Nido from Double A). Lobaton is a light hitting catcher, but unless the Mets make a trade (which seems unlikely) he will get the bulk of the starts in the coming weeks. I would not dare pick him up in a mixed league format, but he might be useful in NL-only leagues.
Pedro Severino — The Nationals think so highly of Severino that they designated Miguel Montero for assignment earlier this week. Matt Wieters, the Nationals starting catcher, has never been the pillar of health, so it would not shock me to see Severino get about 300 at bats this season.
Joey Wendle — Wendle flew under the Fantasy radar prior to the season, but he might be turning into the Rays new second baseman. Wendle was with the A’s until he was traded this past offseason. With the A’s minor league organizations, he showed some pop and speed but also showed a propensity to strike out. Wendle seems more confident at the plate now and the Rays are giving him a shot against RHP (the strong side of the platoon), so keep your eye on his progression.
Yolmer Sanchez — I brought up Sanchez’s name last week and I will bring it up again because he is the type of player who always gets overlooked due to his lack of power. However, Sanchez is a decent contact hitter who “won’t kill you.” Sometimes that’s a compliment when you are looking at the waiver wire and there is not much available.
Franklin Barreto — Barreto is one of my favorite prospects and the A’s called him up this week with Chad Pinder and Boog Powell going on to the DL. Barreto is primarily a SS, but he can also play 2B and the A’s seem willing to give him a shot in the outfield. Regardless, his bat is loaded and one day he will be a 15/30 player for the A’s. Grab him now in all dynasty formats.
Brian Goodwin — With Adam Eaton not so shockingly going on to the DL, Goodwin should get most of the starts in the outfield in the coming few weeks. Even more interesting is that Victor Robles, the Nationals top minor league OF, is dealing with an elbow injury. This should make Goodwin the 4th OF for at least the next two months which should give him value especially in NL-only formats.
Albert Amora — No one likes a platoon situation more than Cubs Manager Joe Maddon, and right now he is in the midst of creating a platoon in CF with Ian Happ (vs RHP) and Almora (vs LHP). At the very least this should give Almora about 300-350 at bats this season. However, if Jason Heyward should continue to struggle, it would not shock me to see Almora get a few starts in RF as well. Keep him on your short list as one to watch.
Franchy Cordero — How can you not love a guy named Franchy?! Cordero is a five-tool talent who started the year on the DL but was recently activated when Manuel Margot was placed on the DL with a rib injury. At the very worst, Cordero is the 4th OF for the Padres, however, if he hits well, I can easily see the team finding a spot for him as a starter (possibly over Jose Pirela in LF).
Pitchers:
Nick Pivetta — Ronis and I talked about Pivetta as our Phillies pitching sleeper this season, and thus far he hasn’t disappointed. His WHIP is a paltry .96 after three starts and while I know he won’t keep that up, it also suggests to me that he is not nibbling around the plate and putting free runners on base. Get Pivetta now as I fully expect him to slide into the SP3 spot permanently.
Yonny Chirinos — How many of you knew that Chirinos was the Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year back in 2017? He won that award mainly due to his amazing K:BB ratio. Chirinos has kept that ratio alive and well thus far in the majors (12K:2BB) and has let up only eight hits in 14 1/3 IP. I love his upside and this week might be the last time to get him cheaply.
Joey Lucchesi — How many rookies can go into Coors Field and dominate the Rockies? That’s exactly what Lucchesi did earlier this week and he now has my full attention. As with any young pitcher, there will be some bumps in the road, but with 16 K compared to 4 walks thus far, I am intrigued and will be bidding on him this weekend.
Jarlin Garcia — Garcia has been dominant in two of his first three starts this season. While I am not sure he has the pedigree to continue pitching like this, there are kernels here that portend future success. If he figures out how to cut down on the walks, he might stick in the Marlins’ rotation. However, even if he does, his chance to win games is somewhat limited as he is not a pitcher who can go deep into games.
Zack Wheeler — How happy must the Mets be after watching Wheeler’s last start? He went seven innings and let up only two hits to go along with seven Ks. I have zero confidence in Wheeler long term, as he cannot stay off the DL, but the ability is there if he can stay in the Mets’ rotation. I recommend a small bid on Wheeler but be careful not to overpay for one tremendous start.
Trevor Williams — For the better part of last year Williams was getting battered until something finally clicked for him in the last few months. Whatever he’s been doing has obviously worked for him and now he seems like a much more confident pitcher. I still think he will be prone to a blow-up game here and there, but I also think Williams has turned the corner and might be worth throwing a few bucks his way in FAAB.
Click here to view our Week 3 Closer Depth Chart by Shawn Childs!
A.J. Minter — Tick tock, it’s only a matter of time until Minter becomes the closer of the Braves. He is so dominant on the mound that he has only let up two hits in six innings this season. Vizcaino will keep the job for now, but if he continues to be ineffective, Minter might step up and steal the job.
Kenyan Middleton — Say goodbye to Blake Parker as closer and hello to Kenyan Middleton. Middleton got his second save of the season on Wednesday and could be in line for more opportunities with Parker struggling. Watch this bullpen closely as it seems like the team is willing to go with a committee, but for now Middleton might have the edge.
