It's not easy to write any viable advice early in the season, and it's even harder to do with hitters. That said, there are certain stats that stabilize earlier, and a smart owner can not only identify hitters breaking out in visible ways, but also to acquire players breaking out behind the scenes. The latter helps you take advantage of other team's April panic and acquire the guys you wanted at the draft, now at a discount, who can lead your team to fantasy glory. I leaned more heavily on Plate Discipline metrics since they are far more reliable than batted ball data so early in the season with such tiny sample sizes. P.S. I swear I didn't mean to make this a nearly completely AL-only list, that's just how the players shook out this week.
BUY
Yasiel Puig (OF, Dodgers) – It's hard not to get giddy at seeing how Puig has started the year. Not only is his walking more than he is striking out, which seems impossible compared to last year's rates, but he's hitting 40% Hard Contact with a superb .458 ISO. With a player of his talent, while this is sure to regress, you can't just write off the whole thing as a fluke. He's owned in most leagues but he should be owned in every league, and if he is owned, don't be hesitant to pony up for him, within reason.
Sean Manea a good buy-low? He’s missing bats (11.12 k/9), keeping the ball in the yard (.79 hr/9), and his FIP and xFIP are decent (3.5/3.18). It seems he’s just walking too many guys and letting them score, 36.8% LOB. On the surface, his numbers may have his owners may be a bit worried.
While this article is only about hitter buy-lows, yes, I do definitely recommend buying Manaea if the owner is already antsy. What I love more than just the K rate (which is supported by the FILTHY Swstr% on his slider + change) is his 66% Groundball%, which combined with his Ks is awesome, even though the A’s infield defense sucks.