Whew boy, what a week, huh? We were once again buried under an avalanche of injuries plus had to deal with all the rubbernecking at the prospect call-ups. *
But you know what that chaos in our player pool creates? All the fodder we ever needed to fuel this piece for another week. As we enter the fourth (Or fifth? Or more?!? Already forgotten the Korea Series?) week, there are plenty of options to help your team whichever way you need.
Looking for some season-long options to replace Spencer Strider or Trevor Story, or come on, be honest, Bobby Miller? I got you.
Looking for an option to plug in a few weeks for Ozzie Albies or Jake Burger? I got you.
Hey, I know your attention span is shot after chiefing that suspiciously strong preroll today before reading. Let’s just get to the main show.
* Already too high and need to catch up on both easily via audio format? I’ve already got you covered at this week’s Cards & Categories.
The stats and ownership percentages below are updated as of noon central time on 4/19.
As always, if you want advice on specific roster decisions you might have, feel free to leave a comment. You can also find me on twitter (X) (@mcouill7) and bluesky (@mcouill7.bsky.social).
CATCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Elias Diaz (COL, 34% CBS Ownership) – The time has come for the Rockies stream. No matter the league, Diaz (and all of the Rockies lineup sans Michael Toglia) is relevant this week as Colorado gets four games in Coors against San Diego before traveling to Mexico City for two games with the Astros for the highest elevation baseball bonanza imaginable. The cherry on top is that Houston’s rotation sports the second-highest ERA in the league (behind the Rockies, of course), so there’s a chance that we see some absurd scores during that Mexico series. Now, get ready for the deluge of Colorado bats I’m about to throw at you in this week’s piece. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Ryan Jeffers (MIN, 38% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Travis d’Arnaud (ATL, 35% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Alejandro Kirk (TOR, 29% CBS Ownership, 1%), Shea Langeliers (OAK, 27% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Connor Wong (BOS, 11% CBS Ownership) – So Wong is the starting catcher again? He has started the last three games (as of Friday afternoon), all against righties, including one crack at the DH spot. From a skills perspective, I like Wong better than McGuire because he can chip in a few steals, but honestly, both get just enough at-bats and provide just enough production to both be usable. If you are in a deep two-catcher league, you can even consider starting both together. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Danny Jansen (TOR, 19% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Patrick Bailey (SFG, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Reese McGuire (BOS, 11% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Miguel Amaya (CHC, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
INFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Ty France (1B, SEA, 45% CBS Ownership) – This is a retread from last week, but France’s Savant page still looks glorious. He’s underperforming all of his expected stats across the board right now. I’m writing this before France and the M’s visit Coors Field for the weekend, so it’s possible those actual stats are much more aligned with the expected ones by Monday morning. Patience, my friend, the France breakout is nigh. (3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Brett Baty (3B, NYM, 43% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Orlando Arcia (SS, ATL, 42% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jared Triolo (2B/3B, PIT, 36% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luis Rengifo (2B/3B/SS/OF, LAA, 35% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Vaughn Grissom (SS, BOS, 37% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Masyn Winn (SS, STL, 33% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Brendan Rodgers (2B, COL, 20% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Amed Rosario (2B/SS/OF, TBR, 20% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Josh Smith (3B/SS/OF, TEX, 19% CBS Ownership) – After Josh Jung went down with his wrist injury, I thought Ezequiel Duran was to be anointed as the starting third baseman in Texas. Maybe I’m just really poor at reading what’s inside Bruce Bochy’s giant noggin (we’ll get to this further in the reliever section), because Josh Smith has totally run away with the job and is locked in right now. After entering the season with a career .191/.306/.287 (71 wRC+) line over 163 games, he’s opened 2024 to the tune of .320/.433/.400 (151 wRC+). Improved plate discipline is driving a lot of that improvement, as he sports a 13.3% K-rate compared to 21.6% in his career before 2024. And yeah, this is a bit of a BABIP-fueled hot streak as Smith’s stands at .381, but he’s just absolutely scorching line drives and playing every day in a top ten offense. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Wilmer Flores (1B/3B, SFG, 19% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Blaze Alexander (SS, ARI, 17% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Curtis Mead (3B, TBR, 14% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Luis Garcia (2B, WSN, 13% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Gio Urshela (1B/3B, DET, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Rowdy Tellez (1B, PIT, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Miguel Vargas (2B, LAD, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B/3B/OF, TOR, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Gabriel Arias (1B/3B/SS, CLE, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Elehuris Montero (1B, COL, 5% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jose Miranda (3B, MIN, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Emmanuel Rivera (3B, MIA, 0% CBS Ownership) – The search for warm bodies in Only leagues hit a goldmine this week as we have two new starters in the NL thanks to Ozzie Albies and Jake Burger hitting the IL. That brings Luis Guillorme (subbing for Albies) and Rivera (subbing for Burger) into the fantasy fold. Of the two, I prefer Rivera as he sports a 42.7% hard-hit-rate for his career and should have a longer leash than Guillorme. That’s enough to help you tread water at an infield spot if your NL-only team was hit by one of those aforementioned injuries. (3% FAAB)
Jonathan Singleton (1B, HOU, 0% CBS Ownership) – As Jose Abreu is off to another dreadful start, donning a -21 wRC+ (yep, that’s a negative sign there), Singleton has slowly been accruing a few extra at-bats in Houston. The Astros first-base job is likely to be filled by Joey Loperfido soon as the prospect has blasted 10 homers in Triple-A, but his call-up requires a 40-man roster move. Until Houston is ready to DFA someone, Singleton is Abreu’s reprieve, it’s hard to pass on the possibility of him having a monster game (or two) against Colorado pitching in Mexico City next weekend. (1% FAAB)
OUTFIELDERS
10/12 Team Adds
Daulton Varsho (TOR, 50% CBS Ownership) – Varsho was absolutely dreadful over his first 11 games through April 8, slashing .133/.235/.167 with just four hits, five runs, and no RBI. That led to this preseason darling (he changed his plate approach and looked spectacular in spring training with a .286/.400/.408 slash line and eight stolen bases) to start hitting waiver wires again. However, now is the time to pick him back up as the 27-year-old as he’s turned a corner, hitting .320/.370/.840 with four homers, a 10.5% barrel-rate and 57.9% hard-hit-rate since April 9. He’s regularly batting at the bottom of the Blue Jays order but could move up to the five-hole in place of the Cavan Biggio/Davis Schneider platoon. (3-5% FAAB)
Charlie Blackmon (COL, 31% CBS Ownership) – This one is too easy, the 37-year-old Blackmon is still hitting leadoff for the Rockies (and will for all eternity, I think) with the juiciest one week schedule any team will possibly get all season. (3-5% FAAB)
Brenton Doyle (COL, 29% CBS Ownership) – Please, I’m begging you, every starting Colorado bat needs to be owned this upcoming week. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Mitch Haniger (SFG, 50% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Brandon Marsh (PHI, 50% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jurickson Profar (SDP, 47% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), James Wood (WSN, 42% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF, MIN, 39% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jose Siri (TBR, 39% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Andy Pages (LAD, 33% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Ryan O’Hearn (1B/OF, BAL, 32% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Nelson Velazquez (KCR, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Bryan De La Cruz (MIA, 31% CBS Ownership Rate, 1% FAAB), Jesse Winker (WSN, 27% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Mark Canha (CI/OF, DET, 26% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Jonatan Clase (SEA, 19% CBS Ownership) – Clase joined the Mariners this week from Triple-A after Dominic Canzone was shelved with a sprained AC joint. He was off to a fast start in Tacoma with a .311/.396/.622 slash line, two homers and three stolen bases. Speed is Clase’s main calling card as he swiped 79 bags across two levels in the minors last year. The Mariners have a lot of faith in him as he was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, a year earlier than required to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. The problem with Clase’s game will be the swing-and-miss (he struck out at a 28% clip in Double-A last year), which limits his batting average. I think the ZiPS rest-of-season projection of a .204 average, 12 homers, and 31 stolen bases is just about right with the upside being a .230-ish batting average. I’ll admit, my bid suggestion here is possibly light just cause I’m wary of the batting average risk, so feel free to push it up to 7-9% of your budget if desperate for steals. (3-5% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Leody Taveras (TEX, 19% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Harrison Bader (NYM, 14% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Gavin Sheets (1B/OF, CHW, 13% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), J.J. Bleday (OAK, 12% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Tyler Freeman (3B/MI/OF, CLE, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Hunter Renfroe (KCR, 8% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), LaMonte Wade (1B/OF, SFG, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Austin Martin (2B/OF, MIN, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Jacob Young (WSN, 5% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Tommy Pham (CHW, 4% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jesse Winker (WSN, 3% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Sean Bouchard (COL, 3% CBS Ownership) – The Rockiest play of all Rockies plays. Bouchard was a fantasy darling this draft season after slashing .304/.429/.563 (158 wRC+) in 140 plate appearances over two cups of coffee in 2022 and 2023. He held serve in spring training and looked to be marching his way to a starting Colorado outfield job, until the Rockies did their thing and used Michael Toglia to squash all our hopes and dreams. Because you know, when you can play someone like Toglia and his career 35.2% K-rate, you must, right? Well, with Kris Bryant’s injury, Bouchard received the call back to the majors. It doesn’t take much of a talent evaluator to see that Bouchard is better than Toglia at pretty much every facet of baseball, the question is whether Bud Black will grant our wishes and let him cook this upcoming week. Bouchard is the blind dart throw for this week; I’ve added him in a few 12-teamers to see how much playing time he gets this weekend before deciding whether he enters my lineups on Monday. (1-3% FAAB)
Richie Palacios (TBR, 2% CBS Ownership) – Palacios was the suggestion here last week, and his ownership level hasn’t budged. He’s currently the strong side of a platoon and has hit second or third when he appears while slashing .282/.404/.385 over his first 47 plate appearances. The Rays are slated to face five righties in their six games next week, and this feels like finding free money. (1-3% FAAB)
STARTING PITCHERS
10/12 Team Adds
Chris Paddack (MIN, 35% CBS Ownership) – Things have been unsightly for Paddack so far as the erstwhile Padre sports an 8.36 ERA and 2.07 WHIP after his first three starts. But hey, facing the Dodgers, Orioles and Brewers, all top-six offenses, will do that to a pitcher. The schedule looks much more favorable for Paddack this week as he gets a two starts against two bottom-half lineups, at the Angels (100 team wRC+) and home against the White Sox (67 team wRC+… yes, you read that right, a fucking 67). (3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Dean Kremer (BAL, 50% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Patrick Sandoval (LAA, 46% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Clarke Schmidt (NYY, 45% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Yariel Rodriguez (TOR, 38% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Erick Fedde (CHW, 27% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Louie Varland (MIN, 27% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ryan Weathers (MIA, 24% CBS Ownership, 3% FAAB), Trevor Rogers (MIA, 23% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Keaton Winn (SFG, 20% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Matt Waldron (SDP, 12% CBS Ownership) – I know what you are thinking, “Is this joker really about to suggest I pick up a knuckleballer with a 59 Stuff+ fastball?” Yes, yes, I am. That knuckleball is the key to Waldron’s total package as the pitch keeps all batters off-balance being the only knuckler getting steady usage in the league right now. I mean, watch this arsenal in action, if Waldron can locate his pitches at a league-average rate (which he is doing with a 102 Location+), then the arsenal keeps hitters guessing constantly. I also love that he’s making half his starts in Petco Park, where the thick marine layer during night games should help suppress homers on top of his 72nd percentile average exit velocity. Am I starting Waldron this week in Coors? No. But I do think he has viability going forward. (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Ben Brown (CHC, 19% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Steven Matz (STL, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Alec Marsh (KCR, 17% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Wade Miley (MIL, 11% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Nick Nastrini (CHW, 9% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jake Irvin (WSN, 7% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Cole Irvin (BAL, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Cade Povich (BAL, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Ross Stripling (OAK, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Adrian Houser (NYM, 6% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Cooper Criswell (BOS, 1% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)
Only Team Adds
Landon Knack (LAD, 6% CBS Ownership) – Knack enters the rotation in place of Bobby Miller and looks to get at least a few times through the rotation. But Walker Buehler might be toast as his rehab from that second TJ is looking wobbly. We also haven’t received much information on Miller’s shoulder other than it’s inflamed, and Emmet Sheehan doesn’t have a schedule for return. That could all add up to Knack making 20-ish starts for the Dodgers rest-of-season. He can be a nice starting pitcher with league average-ish strikeouts and ERA on a super team that will prop him up for wins. (5% FAAB)
Jonathan Cannon (CHW, 2% CBS Ownership) – Cannon looked sharp in his debut against the Royals Wednesday in which he went five strong with three Ks. Nick Nastrini also debuted for the Sox and looks to be a much more valuable fantasy pitcher going forward due to his strikeout potential, but Cannon lines up for a nice two-start week against Minnesota and Tampa this week. Cannon also looks improved from last year, so I think he can outperform his projections and produce something like a 4.30 ERA and 7.5 K/9 with no wins because of the whole White Sox of it all. (5% FAAB)
RELIEVERS
10/12 Team Adds
Kirby Yates (TEX, 47% CBS Ownership) – Gross, I guess we have to do this. It’s clear that Bruce Bochy has handed the closer role to Yates (for now) as the 37-year-old has locked down the last two Rangers saves. I’m just not sure how long the role lasts for Yates as his 93.2-mph fastball is not good for a closer. Once batters adjust to laying off his splitter (Yates is throwing just 38.5% of his pitches in the zone), you can see how this pitching approach can unravel quickly. (5% FAAB)
James McArthur (KCR, 44% CBS Ownership) – McArthur is the de facto closer for a solid Royals team, garnering the last four Kansas City saves. I think he’s locked into the role for rest-of-season and could reach 25-30 saves. (7% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Daniel Hudson (LAD, 35% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Griffin Jax (MIN, 33% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Alex Lange (DET, 33% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Aroldis Chapman (PIT, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), A.J. Minter (ATL, 31% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Yennier Cano (BAL, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Hunter Harvey (WSN, 29% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Joel Payamps (MIL, 29% CBS Ownership, 3-5% FAAB)
15 Team Adds
Trevor Megill (MIL, 11% CBS Ownership) – Just when we thought the Milwaukee bullpen situation was settled, Abner Uribe has started looking more like a high-leverage guy, opening a save opportunity for Joel Payamps on Wednesday. Megill has been shelved on the concussion IL and is already rehabbing in Triple-A Nashville. He was always my favorite for the closer role in the Brewers bullpen because of his 99-mph fastball. With Megill looking to be activated soon, here’s another chance to enter the fray for Milwaukee saves. (PS – After drafting this originally Friday morning, Megill was activated.) (1-3% FAAB)
QUICK HITS: Jason Adam (TBR, 19% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Jeff Hoffman (PHI, 19% CBS Ownership, 1-3% FAAB), Shelby Miller (DET, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Hector Neris (CHC, 18% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Justin Lawrence (COL, 9% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Chris Martin (BOS, 7% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB), Nick Mears (COL, 1% CBS Ownership, 1% FAAB)