As we begin to transition into the month of May, most fantasy owners are gearing up to make big changes to their rosters.
Whether it be with a big trade or a key acquisition from the waiver wire, fantasy owners are going to do whatever they can to improve their team.
Luckily, it’s still to early to completely ruin your team with a bone-headed trade, drop, or add. That said, don’t take these moves to lightly either.
Let’s take a closer look at key players that are being quickly added or traded for, and those that make you want to throw your smart phone out the window:
American League
Masahiro Tanaka- Japanese rookie Masahiro Tanaka has made a splash in New York so far this season. And there is no question that the Yankees got their money’s worth by bringing him aboard. Tanaka is 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA, 46 K’s and 5 perfect PQS starts. That’s right, five! Advice-If you were wise enough to draft Tanaka at a low price, or at least in a later round then you are reaping the rewards of his performance. Don’t be so quick to deal him, if he is this good already, what will he be like for the rest of the season!?
Danny Salazar- Now I know what you’re thinking. That we are bashing on Cleveland Indians pitching every week. It might seem that way, but honestly if the starting pitching doesn’t improve it might continue. Nonetheless, Danny Salazar has had a tough April (Except for today of course, in which he pitched a perfect PQS 5!). Salazar dazzled fantasy owners last season and many believed he had sleeper potential this season. In 2014, Salazar is 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA, 31 K’s, and has one perfect PQS start. What’s troubling? Salazar has 3 starts this season with a PQS score of zero. That’s awful. Advice- At this point it is still too early to pronounce him as a bust, but for now he should be riding the pine.
Melky Cabrera- Many fantasy owners completely wrote off Melky Cabrera after his 2012 PED suspension, but it would be to your advantage if you started paying attention to him again. Cabrera is 37/109, with 5 HR’s, 9 RBI, a .345 batting average and a .925 OPS. Advice- If for some reason he is still out there on your waiver wire, you better pick him up quick. Not only is he adding a bump in your team’s batting average, but also in HR, RBI, and even stolen bases.
Billy Butler- The Royals have a fairly balanced team, and normally have a very effective offense. One of those offensive weapons has almost always been Billy Butler. Unfortunately Butler is in one heck of a slump this month. Butler is just 18/86, with zero HR’s, 8 RBI, a .209 batting average, and a .278 OBP. Advice- Butler is a great hitter, that is in the middle of an awful slump at the moment. Your best option at this point is to sit him on your bench, and hope for the best. It also doesn’t help that he is only eligible as a utility player in most leagues.
National League
Tanner Roark- Despite the lack of offense, and sudden rash of injuries, the Nationals starting pitchers are performing quite well. Especially Tanner Roark. In 2014, Roark is 2-0, with a 2.76 ERA, 26 K’s, and one perfect PQS start. Just one perfect PQS start doesn’t’ sound that impressive. However, when you couple it with the fact that he has had only one start below a PQS score of 4, it looks very impressive. Advice- If you have a spot available, you might want to pick him up. He at least needs to be on your watch-list!
Tim Lincecum- The “Freak” has not been living up to his potential as of late. Three years ago Tim Lincecum was one of the best starters in fantasy baseball. Now he is mediocre at best. This season Lincecum is 1-1 with a 5.96 ERA, 27 K’s and a two starts with a PQS score of zero. Advice- It’s time to manage your expectations of Lincecum’s performance. Bench him or cut him. Yes, he will still have flashes of brilliance, every now and again. That being said, it is a mistake to expect that to happen every time he takes the mound.
Troy Tulowitzki- The Rockies might not be known for their starting pitchers, but their batters have been second to none as of late. One of the teams best hitters out of the gate this season has been Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki in 2014, is 27/79, with 5 HR’s, 17 RBI, a .342 batting average, and a .449 OBP. Advice- Tulowitzki is arguably one of the best SS in fantasy baseball right now, and has tremendous trade value. If you were interested in trading him ( and hopefully you have a good back-up or at least get another SS in the deal), you could probably improve your team significantly. That’s assuming of course that you actually want to trade him.
Allen Craig- One of the top batters in the Cardinals line-up last season, is off to a horrific start so far in 2014. Last season, Allen Craig was leading the NL in RISP AVG, and now he is batting below .200. Craig is just 16/92, with 1 HR, 5 RBI, a .174 batting average, and a .222 OBP. Advice- Give him some time, just make sure it’s on your bench and not in your line-up.
Well that wraps up the month of April in fantasy baseball. Check back with us on Thursday for a look back at all the highs and lows of the players we’ve covered so far, and how they have progressed/digressed since.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @SprayBall
