Fantasy 5 Up 5 Down: Disabled list building up? Try these for size
With almost one third of the season out of the way, the heavy workload is starting to take its toll both on major league teams and fantasy teams who have to deal with plenty of injuries. Trying to find viable replacements is never easy, and sometimes a player who won’t hurt your team is a valuable fill-in option. With more prospects called up this week, it can be tempting to go for the young, flashy name, but experience is underrated in fantasy, and an old head like David Murphy or Kevin Youkilis can be a useful asset.
1. Mark Teixeira
Teixeira made his long-awaited return to the Yankees line-up on Friday night, going 0-3 with a run scored. Whilst his return is undoubtedly a boost to the Yankees line-up, I wouldn’t be too upset if I didn’t manage to pick him up in any leagues. The wrist injury he suffered is known to hamper hitter’s power after they return (see Jose Bautista last season) and even without that potentially impacting his production, Teixeira has been on the downward slope for a while. He has hit no higher than .256 in any of the past three seasons and is an infamously slow starter. If the power is sapped because of the injury, there is little upside from Teixeira, so whilst he may be worth a flyer if you need a first baseman, don’t expect vintage production.
2. Domonic Brown
Brown finally earned a spot in the everyday line-up in Philadelphia this season, and has taken his opportunity with both hands. His 15 homers lead the Phillies, and whilst he doesn’t have much patience, the .267 average won’t kill you. He has six homers in his last five games and is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, so make sure he’s in your line-up whilst this continues. Don’t be fooled into thinking Brown is something he’s not however, so he could be a good sell high candidate if the right offer comes.
3. Michael Wacha
Last year’s first round draft pick, Michael Wacha made a big impression in his first start on Thursday. He pitched six perfect innings around the one run he gave up, and looked every part of the 2.05 ERA he owned at AAA. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that he was facing the Royals, whose offense is likely the worst in baseball at the moment. Wacha has some upside, but he’s not a power pitcher who will generate tons of strikeouts, and there will always be some kind of adjustment period for rookie pitchers. He’s worth a speculative pick-up if still available in your league, but don’t get carried away by his early success.
4. Jeff Locke
Entering the season, Jeff Locke was a popular name if only because he’s the only left-handed pitcher in baseball to throw a knuckle-curve. Now, however, he’s generating buzz for other reasons, as his past three outings have been outstanding. Shutting out the Astros over seven innings may not sound impressive, but you can only beat the team put in front of you. He followed that up with a more impressive six inning shutout of the Brewers, striking out seven before trumping them both with 5.1 scoreless innings against the Tigers. He’s not a dominant strikeout pitcher, and probably isn’t yet a must start in most leagues, but he’s a good streaming option who has proven he can be effective this season, and he’s yet to record a truly disastrous start, which is a plus in my opinion.
5. Vinnie Pestano
After Chris Perez hit the DL last week with a shoulder injury, Terry Francona quickly named Pestano his interim closer. Pestano had just returned from his own injury, and did nothing to show he was back to dominant form after allowing four runs on four hits and two walks against Boston, with his velocity down too. He bounced back a little, at least in the velocity department in his next outing, but still gave up a run. When he’s healthy, Pestano can be outstanding (2.57 ERA last season, 2.32 in 2011) but he appears to still have some kind of lingering elbow issue which needs caution. He’ll get save opportunities, which makes him ownable in most leagues, but don’t expect dominance from the start.
1. Matt Kemp
Kemp had struggled through the early goings of this season, hitting just .251 with two homers and he has now been placed on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. It’s hard to blame all his problems on this one injury, but Matt Kemp hasn’t been himself so far this season and he’s been a massive disappointment for fantasy owners. At this point, there’s no point trying to trade him away because his value is so diminished, so you just have to wait and hope he can rediscover his 2011 form. If anyone can, Kemp can. In the meantime, there may be an impending call-up for top prospect Yasiel Puig, so he could be worth a flyer in deep leagues.
2. Vernon Wells
With players beginning to return from injury, the Yankees outfield may be squeezed in the near future, but whilst Wells line-up spot seems secure for the time being, his production has once again fallen off. He has just three hits in his last 30 at-bats, and may begin to lose playing time against right-handers to Brennan Boesch or Ichiro. His hot start was a nice surprise for owners quick enough to jump aboard, but this looks like being a regression to the mean for Wells – don’t be afraid to drop him if you need the roster spot.
3. Zack Greinke
Greinke has had a season to forget so far, from the freak injury against the Padres to a series of inconsistent performances. He’s yet to go more than 6.1 innings in a start and has given up nine runs in his past two outings without showing the strikeout upside we’ve come to expect. It may be that the collarbone injury is still nagging him a little, but Greinke should improve as the season goes on. His next start at Colorado is far from ideal, so if he gets hit around in that game he could be an excellent buy-low candidate.
4. Tim Lincecum
After last year’s horror show, some owners felt Lincecum was due for a bounce-back season this year. The two-time former Cy Young winner has been similarly awful this year so far, with a 5.12 ERA and 1.48 WHIP as he has been hit around by almost every team he’s played. At this stage, he can be considered no better than a streaming option, and even then it’s hard to be confident as he has been so inconsistent so far this year.
5. Brandon League
League started the season on a short leash with Kenley Jansen breathing down his neck, and he has done nothing but make that leash shorter so far this year. His 5.31 ERA is very ugly indeed for a 9th inning man, and with just 9 strikeouts he doesn’t even possess much upside. The Dodgers are beginning to have their patience tested, and so are fantasy owners. It’s only a matter of time until Mattingly makes the switch to Jansen, and he could be a great saves option if given the role full time.
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