Hitting. Hitting. Hitting.
That pretty much sums up the first couple weeks of baseball. If you are like me, your pitching staff has been completely battered and bruised through not only ineffectiveness, but injury as well.
It is very difficult to stick to your guns when your guns are looking very much like a Super Soaker that has a giant crack in the chamber and is leaking water everywhere. That’s right, a Super Soaker reference. I live Buffalo so I cannot help but dream about nice weather and all that comes with it.
That being said, while the fantasy baseball picture is beginning to take shape, it is still such a minuscule sample size. While there are certainly some changes to these rankings, no drastic measures need to be taken just yet.
Unless you own Chris Sale…
Batting Average (AVG)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | N/A |
| 2 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | +1 |
| 3 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | +1 |
| 4 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -2 |
| 5 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +1 |
| 6 | Joey Votto | CIN | 1B | -1 |
| 7 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +1 |
| 8 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | -1 |
| 9 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | N/A |
| 10 | Justin Turner | LAD | 3B | N/A |
| 11 | Michael Brantley | HOU | OF | N/A |
| 12 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | +2 |
| 13 | Charlie Blackmon | COL | OF | -1 |
| 14 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +5 |
| 15 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | +1 |
| 16 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | +4 |
| 17 | Robinson Cano | NYM | 1B/2B | -2 |
| 18 | Xander Bogaerts | BOS | SS | N/A |
| 19 | Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -6 |
| 20 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | +2 |
| 21 | Whit Merrifield | KC | 1B/2B/OF | +2 |
| 22 | David Peralta | ARZ | OF | Unranked |
| 23 | Dee Gordon | SEA | 2B/SS/OF | Unranked |
| 24 | Jose Abreu | CHW | 1B | -3 |
| 25 | Elvis Andrus | TEX | SS | Unranked |
Off the List: Buster Posey, Jose Ramirez, David Dahl (injury)
Jose Altuve was on thin ice at that top spot after about a week or so, but he has reassured us over the last handful of games just why he is so elite when it comes to batting average. I almost kept David Dahl on the bottom of the list as he is claiming he will be activated off the injured list when he is first eligible, but a core injury scares me a tad moving forward, so he got bumped off. Elvis Andrus is crushing the ball right now. In fact, he is hitting the ball harder than ever before. He has always been a steady source of AVG, but if he maintains this hard contact rate, he could be a difference maker in that department.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B | N/A |
| 2 | Jorge Polanco | MIN | SS | Unranked |
| 3 | Yandy Diaz | TB | 1B/3B/DH | N/A |
| 4 | Willians Astudillo | MIN | C/3B | +2 |
| 5 | Nick Markakis | ATL | OF | Unranked |
| 6 | Ben Zobrist | CHC | 2B/OF | Unranked |
| 7 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | Unranked |
| 8 | Starlin Castro | MIA | 2B | +1 |
| 9 | Andrelton Simmons | LAA | SS | -3 |
| 10 | Jesse Winker | CIN | OF | N/A |
Off the List: Gerardo Parra, Jeimer Candelario, D.J. LeMahieu (ownership), Kolten Wong (ownership)
This is do or die for Jesse Winker this week. He is consistently batting leadoff for the Reds and it is just a matter of time before their lineup clicks. But he is running out of patience from fantasy owners. Adam Frazier is a guy who in deeper leagues is developing into a nice source of AVG. He has hit very well at all levels of the minors and has shown very good ability to make contact, all the while hitting atop the Pirates lineup.
Runs (R)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | +1 |
| 2 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | +1 |
| 3 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +1 |
| 4 | Charlie Blackmon | COL | OF | -3 |
| 5 | George Springer | HOU | OF | N/A |
| 6 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | N/A |
| 7 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | +1 |
| 8 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | -1 |
| 9 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | N/A |
| 10 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | N/A |
| 11 | Andrew McCutchen | PHI | OF | N/A |
| 12 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | +1 |
| 13 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | -1 |
| 14 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | N/A |
| 15 | Matt Carpenter | STL | 1B/2B/3B | N/A |
| 16 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | +2 |
| 17 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | N/A |
| 18 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | +1 |
| 19 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | Unranked |
| 20 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +3 |
| 21 | Andrew Benintendi | BOS | OF | -5 |
| 22 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | Unranked |
| 23 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -1 |
| 24 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -3 |
| 25 | Adam Eaton | WSH | OF | -5 |
Off the List: Joey Votto, Matt Chapman
Cody Bellinger has been the fantasy MVP through the first couple weeks of the year. And while his numbers to this point are not entirely sustainable, he’s realizing his prospect potential as an elite all around offensive player. The rearranging at the top of the list is nothing major, just a result of the early struggles of Charlie Blackmon and the Rockies lineup as a whole.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | N/A |
| 2 | Jorge Polanco | MIN | SS | +6 |
| 3 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | Unranked |
| 4 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | Unranked |
| 5 | Ben Zobrist | CHC | 2B/OF | +4 |
| 6 | Dansby Swanson | ATL | SS | Unranked |
| 7 | Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | OF | -2 |
| 8 | Leury Garcia | CHW | OF | Unranked |
| 9 | Joc Pederson | LAD | OF | -7 |
| 10 | Yandy Diaz | TB | 1B/3B | Unranked |
Off the List: Kolten Wong (ownership), Trey Mancini (ownership), Ian Kinsler, Kole Calhoun, Jeimer Candelario
Yandy Diaz just crushes the baseball. And while he has been moved all around the order by manager Kevin Cash, he has primarily remained towards the top, and deservedly so.
Home Runs (HR)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Khris Davis | OAK | OF | N/A |
| 2 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | +1 |
| 3 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | +1 |
| 4 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | -2 |
| 5 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | N/A |
| 6 | Joey Gallo | TEX | 1B/OF | N/A |
| 7 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | N/A |
| 8 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | +2 |
| 9 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -1 |
| 10 | Nelson Cruz | MIN | UT | -1 |
| 11 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | +1 |
| 12 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | -1 |
| 13 | Manny Machado | SD | 3B/SS | N/A |
| 14 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +2 |
| 15 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | -1 |
| 16 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | -1 |
| 17 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | N/A |
| 18 | Matt Chapman | OAK | 3B | +3 |
| 19 | Mike Moustakas | MIL | 2B/3B | N/A |
| 20 | Gary Sanchez | NYY | C | Unranked |
| 21 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -1 |
| 22 | Pete Alonso | NYM | 1B | Unranked |
| 23 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | N/A |
| 24 | Charlie Blackmon | COL | OF | -2 |
| 25 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | N/A |
Off the List: Jesus Aguilar, Jose Ramirez
Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso continues to impress at the big league level. Even with the inevitable AVG regression, Alonso has unquestioned power and appears to be a very solid source of dingers. Gary Sanchez has also looked like the guy we were buying in the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts heading into 2018 and may just very well run away with the top spot at the catching position. His power is on another level for the position, and even compared to the entire league is very much legitimate.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | +5 |
| 2 | Daniel Vogelbach | SEA | 1B | Unranked |
| 3 | Hunter Renfroe | SD | OF | +2 |
| 4 | Mitch Moreland | BOS | 1B | Unranked |
| 5 | Randal Grichuk | TOR | OF | -4 |
| 6 | Max Kepler | MIN | OF | Unranked |
| 7 | Yandy Diaz | TB | 1B/3B | Unranked |
| 8 | Rowdy Tellez | TOR | 1B | +1 |
| 9 | Kike Hernandez | LAD | 1B/2B/SS/OF | Unranked |
| 10 | Clint Frazier | NYY | OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Ryan Zimmerman, Christian Walker, Trey Mancini (ownership), Adam Jones (ownership), C.J. Cron, Maikel Franco (ownership)
Daniel Vogelbach has been a revelation. With Jay Bruce dealing with an achilles issue, it only solidifies Vogelbach’s playing time. As if his mashing hasn’t done it enough for him. The Statcast wonder boy Max Kepler has been seriously heating up and continues to hit the ball super hard, so keep an eye on him if he was dropped in your league.
Runs Batted In (RBI)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Khris Davis | OAK | OF | +3 |
| 2 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | N/A |
| 3 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | -2 |
| 4 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | -1 |
| 5 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | N/A |
| 6 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | N/A |
| 7 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | +2 |
| 8 | Nelson Cruz | MIN | UT | N/A |
| 9 | Manny Machado | SD | 3B/SS | -2 |
| 10 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +3 |
| 11 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | -1 |
| 12 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +3 |
| 13 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | -1 |
| 14 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | N/A |
| 15 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | Unranked |
| 16 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | -5 |
| 17 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | -1 |
| 18 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | +1 |
| 19 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | -1 |
| 20 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +2 |
| 21 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | N/A |
| 22 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -5 |
| 23 | Pete Alonso | NYM | 1B | Unranked |
| 24 | Jose Abreu | CHW | 1B | N/A |
| 25 | Gary Sanchez | NYY | C | Unranked |
Off the List: Jesus Aguilar, Jose Ramirez, Charlie Blackmon
Khris Davis overtakes the top spot, for the time being, as he has powered his way through these first couple weeks, but ultimately it is nitpicking differentiating those top four guys. Really loving what I’m seeing from Rhys Hoskins to this point. Hitting behind an on-base machine like Bryce Harper appears to be really benefitting the 26-year-old first baseman.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Jay Bruce | SEA | 1B/OF | +4 |
| 2 | Josh Bell | PIT | 1B | +2 |
| 3 | Daniel Vogelbach | SEA | 1B | Unranked |
| 4 | Mitch Moreland | BOS | 1B | +4 |
| 5 | Randal Grichuk | TOR | OF | -4 |
| 6 | Hunter Renfroe | SD | OF | +1 |
| 7 | Ryan Zimmerman | WSH | 1B | -5 |
| 8 | Ryon Healy | SEA | 1B/3B | +1 |
| 9 | Chad Pinder | OAK | 2B/3B/OF | Unranked |
| 10 | Dansby Swanson | ATL | SS | Unranked |
Off the List: Albert Pujols, Maikel Franco (ownership), C.J. Cron
Dansby Swanson is hitting his way up the Braves lineup and currently finds himself in the sixth spot in the order. This is a former No. 1 overall pick so he very well may be in the midst of a post-hype breakout. Just keep tabs on him.
Stolen Bases (SB)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Whit Merrifield | KC | 1B/2B/OF | N/A |
| 2 | Mallex Smith | SEA | OF | +1 |
| 3 | Adalberto Mondesi | KC | 2B/SS | -1 |
| 4 | Dee Gordon | SEA | 2B/SS/OF | +2 |
| 5 | Jonathan Villar | BAL | 2B/SS | -1 |
| 6 | Billy Hamilton | KC | OF | -2 |
| 7 | Starling Marte | PIT | OF | N/A |
| 8 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | +3 |
| 9 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | N/A |
| 10 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | N/A |
| 11 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | -3 |
| 12 | Victor Robles | WSH | OF | N/A |
| 13 | Tim Anderson | CHW | SS | +3 |
| 14 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | +5 |
| 15 | Byron Buxton | MIN | OF | +6 |
| 16 | Jose Ramirez | CLE | 2B/3B | -1 |
| 17 | Jean Segura | PHI | SS | -3 |
| 18 | Jose Peraza | CIN | SS | -5 |
| 19 | Elvis Andrus | TEX | SS | +1 |
| 20 | Andrew Benintendi | BOS | OF | -2 |
| 21 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +1 |
| 22 | Ender Inciarte | ATL | OF | -5 |
| 23 | Javier Baez | CHC | 2B/3B/SS | +2 |
| 24 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | OF | N/A |
| 25 | Trevor Story | COL | SS | -2 |
Off the List: None
Tommy Pham is a big mover this week as he continues his great start to the season. It seems as if he has the green light any chance he’s on base so another 25-steal season is a real possibility, especially considering his ability to get on base.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Delino DeShields | TEX | OF | N/A |
| 2 | Leury Garcia | CHW | OF | Unranked |
| 3 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | Unranked |
| 4 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | N/A |
| 5 | Kevin Kiermaier | TB | OF | +4 |
| 6 | Jarrod Dyson | ARZ | OF | -1 |
| 7 | David Fletcher | LAA | 2B/3B | Unranked |
| 8 | Kevin Pillar | SF | OF | Unranked |
| 9 | Ramon Laureano | OAK | OF | +1 |
| 10 | Josh Harrison | DET | 2B | Unranked |
Off the List: Garrett Hampson, Eduardo Nunez, Anthony Alford, Kolten Wong (ownership), Greg Allen
Honestly, this is a pretty gross list. It is very difficult to find sources for SBs as you have to take into account ability and playing time. And a lot of guys available in deeper leagues are not worth rostering because they are so inept in other areas. Leury Garcia is the most interesting for me on this list. Garcia is a guy who is hitting leadoff for the White Sox and is only a couple years removed from a 30-steal season in the minors. He also had a 51-steal season in the minor leagues, albeit nine years ago.
On-Base Percentage (OBP)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Mike Trout | LAA | OF | N/A |
| 2 | Joey Votto | CIN | 1B | N/A |
| 3 | Bryce Harper | PHI | OF | N/A |
| 4 | Freddie Freeman | ATL | 1B | +1 |
| 5 | Aaron Judge | NYY | OF | -1 |
| 6 | Alex Bregman | HOU | 3B/SS | +1 |
| 7 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 2B | +3 |
| 8 | J.D. Martinez | BOS | OF | +3 |
| 9 | Mookie Betts | BOS | OF | N/A |
| 10 | Kris Bryant | CHC | 3B/OF | -2 |
| 11 | Anthony Rendon | WSH | 3B | +2 |
| 12 | Lorenzo Cain | MIL | OF | N/A |
| 13 | Paul Goldschmidt | STL | 1B | -7 |
| 14 | Christian Yelich | MIL | OF | +4 |
| 15 | Juan Soto | WSH | OF | +1 |
| 16 | Matt Carpenter | STL | 1B/2B/3B | -1 |
| 17 | Anthony Rizzo | CHC | 1B | +1 |
| 18 | Andrew McCutchen | PHI | OF | +1 |
| 19 | Rhys Hoskins | PHI | 1B/OF | +4 |
| 20 | Shin-Soo Choo | TEX | OF | +1 |
| 21 | Nolan Arenado | COL | 3B | +1 |
| 22 | Edwin Encarnacion | SEA | 1B | Unranked |
| 23 | Michael Conforto | NYM | OF | Unranked |
| 24 | Tommy Pham | TB | OF | Unranked |
| 25 | Cody Bellinger | LAD | 1B/OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Brandon Nimmo, Jose Ramirez, Josh Donaldson
Anthony Rendon just continues to produce without any sort of fanfare behind him, and I am not sure why. He is just so underappreciated and one of the best all-around players in the game.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Ben Zobrist | CHC | 2B/OF | N/A |
| 2 | Brett Gardner | NYY | OF | N/A |
| 3 | Niko Goodrum | DET | 1B/2B/3B/SS/OF | +4 |
| 4 | Joc Pederson | LAD | OF | -1 |
| 5 | Yonder Alonso | CHW | 1B | +3 |
| 6 | Nick Markakis | ATL | OF | -1 |
| 7 | Josh Bell | PIT | 1B | -1 |
| 8 | Yandy Diaz | TB | 1B/3B | Unranked |
| 9 | Jeff McNeil | NYM | 2B/OF | Unranked |
| 10 | Adam Frazier | PIT | 2B/OF | Unranked |
Off the List: Maikel Franco (ownership), Domingo Santana (ownership), Curtis Granderson
Niko Goodrum is getting on base at a rate that he has never even sniffed before. He has had decent on-base skills throughout his career in the minors, but he is seeing the ball really well at the moment so you might as well ride this one out.
Wins (W)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 4 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | +2 |
| 5 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | +2 |
| 6 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | +2 |
| 7 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | -3 |
| 8 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | -3 |
| 9 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +1 |
| 10 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -1 |
| 11 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 12 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | +1 |
| 13 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | -1 |
| 14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +6 |
| 15 | German Marquez | COL | SP | N/A |
| 16 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | N/A |
| 17 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | N/A |
| 18 | Kyle Freeland | COL | SP | N/A |
| 19 | Miles Mikolas | STL | SP | -5 |
| 20 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | Unranked |
| 21 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | Unranked |
| 22 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | -3 |
| 23 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | Unranked |
| 24 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | Unranked |
| 25 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | -1 |
Off the List: Jon Lester (injury), Luis Severino (injury), Mike Clevinger (injury), J.A. Happ
Jose Berrios continues to impress so far on the young season and looks like he has improved upon his HR and BB rates. A few more good starts and we may be talking about him in the “ace” tier. Luis Castillo makes the list this week despite the Cincinnati Reds early struggles as a team. Castillo has given his team every opportunity to win thus far and is looking more and more like the breakout we wanted heading into last year.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Zach Eflin | PHI | SP | +2 |
| 3 | Jhoulys Chacin | MIL | SP | -1 |
| 4 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | +2 |
| 5 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 6 | Ryan Yarbrough | TB | SP/RP | -1 |
| 7 | Yonny Chirinos | TB | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 8 | Frankie Montas | OAK | SP | Unranked |
| 9 | Brett Anderson | OAK | SP | Unranked |
| 10 | Matt Strahm | SD | SP/RP | -3 |
Off the List: Matthew Boyd (ownership), Collin McHugh (ownership), Matt Shoemaker (ownership), Mike Fiers
Zach Eflin has looked superb to this point, yet we’ve seen this version of him before. This is the same guy who had a 3.15 ERA and about a strikeout per inning in the first half of last season. Hopefully it can stick, so keep riding this out knowing the wheels could fall off. Max Fried is also super interesting. He began as a fill-in starter for the Braves but has pitched himself into the rotation longterm. His velocity is up on his fastball, and while it hasn’t resulted in the Ks we would like, he has been very effective.
Earned Run Average (ERA)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | +1 |
| 4 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | +2 |
| 5 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | +1 |
| 6 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -3 |
| 7 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 8 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +1 |
| 9 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | -1 |
| 10 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 11 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 12 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | +5 |
| 13 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | +3 |
| 14 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | -2 |
| 15 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | +3 |
| 16 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | Unranked |
| 17 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | +3 |
| 18 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | SP | -5 |
| 19 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | +6 |
| 20 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +3 |
| 21 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 22 | Miles Mikolas | STL | SP | -8 |
| 23 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | Unranked |
| 24 | Jack Flaherty | STL | SP | Unranked |
| 25 | Shane Bieber | CLE | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Mike Clevinger (injury), Luis Severino (injury), Zack Wheeler, Zack Greinke
I am becoming a “Belieber.” Shane Bieber has been stellar and is incorporating his slider far more than last year. The results have been excellent to this point, so I do not see any reason why he would mix things up. Expect Bieber to pitch like a top-30 SP.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | +1 |
| 4 | Brad Keller | KC | SP/RP | +3 |
| 5 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 6 | Merrill Kelly | ARZ | SP | Unranked |
| 7 | Jeff Samardzija | SF | SP | Unranked |
| 8 | Matt Strahm | SD | SP/RP | -3 |
| 9 | Sonny Gray | CIN | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 10 | Trevor Richards | MIA | SP | N/A |
Off the List: Matthew Boyd (ownership), Eric Lauer, Caleb Smith, Pablo Lopez, Sandy Alcantara
I was admittedly not too high on Merrill Kelly heading into draft season and really did not have him on my radar whatsoever, but he’s looked pretty solid so far. He is able to work his fastball with some arm-side run as well as cut it away from right-handed hitters, and it works nicely with his changeup.
Strikeouts (K)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | N/A |
| 4 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | N/A |
| 5 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 6 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | +2 |
| 7 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | N/A |
| 8 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -2 |
| 9 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 10 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 11 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 12 | German Marquez | COL | SP | N/A |
| 13 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +2 |
| 15 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | +3 |
| 16 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | -2 |
| 17 | Walker Buehler | LAD | SP | -2 |
| 18 | Robbie Ray | ARZ | SP | +1 |
| 19 | Jack Flaherty | STL | SP | +1 |
| 20 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | +1 |
| 21 | Chris Archer | PIT | SP | +2 |
| 22 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | N/A |
| 23 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | +1 |
| 24 | Jon Gray | COL | SP | Unranked |
| 25 | Matthew Boyd | DET | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Mike Clevinger (injury), Luis Severino (injury)
Not a ton of change here as all the big K guys have been producing their usual share of strikeouts. Matthew Boyd makes the list as he is striking out everyone right now. Obviously his 40% strikeout rate is not sustainable, but if he can keep it in the upper 20% area, he will be a very solid source of Ks all year.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Freddy Peralta | MIL | SP | +2 |
| 2 | Corbin Burnes | MIL | SP/RP | N/A |
| 3 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | SP/RP | +7 |
| 4 | Jakob Junis | KC | SP | Unranked |
| 5 | Derek Holland | SF | SP | Unranked |
| 6 | Caleb Smith | MIA | SP | +3 |
| 7 | Dylan Bundy | BAL | SP | N/A |
| 8 | Matt Strahm | SD | SP/RP | -4 |
| 9 | Carlos Rodon | CHW | SP | Unranked |
| 10 | Zack Godley | ARZ | SP | -2 |
Off the List: Matthew Boyd (ownership), Collin McHugh (ownership), Brad Peacock
Pick a Brewer, any Brewer! All three of the young Milwaukee arms have not exactly been lights out, but they are all high end bat-missers.
Saves (SV)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Edwin Diaz | NYM | RP | N/A |
| 2 | Blake Treinen | OAK | RP | N/A |
| 3 | Kenley Jansen | LAD | RP | N/A |
| 4 | Aroldis Chapman | NYY | RP | N/A |
| 5 | Roberto Osuna | HOU | RP | N/A |
| 6 | Brad Hand | CLE | RP | N/A |
| 7 | Felipe Vazquez | PIT | RP | N/A |
| 8 | Kirby Yates | SD | RP | +1 |
| 9 | Josh Hader | MIL | RP | +1 |
| 10 | Jose Leclerc | TEX | RP | -2 |
| 11 | Sean Doolittle | WSH | RP | N/A |
| 12 | Ken Giles | TOR | RP | +1 |
| 13 | Wade Davis | COL | RP | -1 |
| 14 | Jordan Hicks | STL | RP | N/A |
| 15 | Greg Holland | ARZ | RP | N/A |
| 16 | Alex Colome | CHW | RP | +2 |
| 17 | Jose Alvarado | TB | RP | N/A |
| 18 | Cody Allen | LAA | RP | +1 |
| 19 | Will Smith | SF | RP | +3 |
| 20 | Raisel Iglesias | CIN | RP | N/A |
| 21 | Shane Greene | DET | RP | +4 |
| 22 | Pedro Strop | CHC | RP | +2 |
| 23 | Arodys Vizcaino | ATL | RP | -2 |
| 24 | A.J. Minter | ATL | RP | Unranked |
| 25 | David Robertson | PHI | RP | -2 |
Off the List: Craig Kimbrel
Until Craig Kimbrel signs somewhere, which is looking increasingly likely to be after the draft in June, I cannot put him on this list.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-Team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | A.J. Minter | ATL | RP | +2 |
| 2 | Blake Parker | MIN | RP | -1 |
| 3 | Anthony Swarzak | SEA | RP | -1 |
| 4 | Ryan Brasier | BOS | RP | +6 |
| 5 | Sergio Romo | MIA | SP/RP | N/A |
| 6 | Mychal Givens | BAL | RP | -2 |
| 7 | Brandon Morrow | CHC | RP | +2 |
| 8 | Jeremy Jeffress | MIL | RP | -1 |
| 9 | Seranthony Dominguez | PHI | RP | -1 |
| 10 | Richard Lovelady | KC | RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Ian Kennedy
Brandon Morrow and Jeremy Jeffress are both nearing activation, with the latter returning sooner. Both are worth a stash if you are in need of some speculative saves once they return to their respective bullpens. Richard Lovelady is not just a sexy name, but an interesting guy to keep an eye on in Kansas City. Their bullpen is an absolute mess right now and Lovelady has been lights out at every level of the minors, so it’s worth monitoring his usage in the coming weeks.
WHIP (Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | +2 |
| 4 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | -1 |
| 5 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -1 |
| 6 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | +1 |
| 7 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | -1 |
| 8 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 9 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | N/A |
| 10 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 11 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | +2 |
| 12 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | -1 |
| 13 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | +3 |
| 14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +3 |
| 15 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | -1 |
| 16 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | -4 |
| 17 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | +3 |
| 18 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +3 |
| 19 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | +5 |
| 20 | Kyle Hendricks | CHC | SP | -1 |
| 21 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | Unranked |
| 22 | Madison Bumgarner | SF | SP | Unranked |
| 23 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | Unranked |
| 24 | Miles Mikolas | STL | SP | -1 |
| 25 | Shane Bieber | CLE | SP | Unranked |
Off the List: Mike Clevinger (injury), Luis Severino (injury), Zack Wheeler, David Price
Madison Bumgarner has done a nice job limiting baserunners so far this year, which is a pleasant sight a year removed from posting the highest WHIP since his rookie year.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Jhoulys Chacin | MIL | SP | N/A |
| 4 | Jeff Samardzija | SF | SP | Unranked |
| 5 | Zach Eflin | PHI | SP | +1 |
| 6 | Jakob Junis | KC | SP | -1 |
| 7 | Sonny Gray | CIN | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 8 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | N/A |
| 9 | Steven Matz | NYM | SP | Unranked |
| 10 | Matt Strahm | SD | SP/RP | -1 |
Off the List: Matthew Boyd (ownership), Pablo Lopez, Matt Shoemaker (ownership)
Remember Jeff Samardzija? The veteran right-hander has looked very sharp in the early going and as recently as 2017 posted a 1.14 WHIP. He is able to limit free passes and plays in a great pitchers park.
Quality Starts (QS)
Top 25
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Max Scherzer | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Jacob deGrom | NYM | SP | N/A |
| 3 | Justin Verlander | HOU | SP | N/A |
| 4 | Trevor Bauer | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 5 | Corey Kluber | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 6 | Gerrit Cole | HOU | SP | +2 |
| 7 | Aaron Nola | PHI | SP | N/A |
| 8 | Chris Sale | BOS | SP | -2 |
| 9 | Blake Snell | TB | SP | N/A |
| 10 | Noah Syndergaard | NYM | SP | +2 |
| 11 | Carlos Carrasco | CLE | SP | N/A |
| 12 | Jameson Taillon | PIT | SP | +1 |
| 13 | Zack Greinke | ARZ | SP | -3 |
| 14 | Jose Berrios | MIN | SP | +3 |
| 15 | James Paxton | NYY | SP | -1 |
| 16 | Patrick Corbin | WSH | SP | +1 |
| 17 | German Marquez | COL | SP | +1 |
| 18 | Clayton Kershaw | LAD | SP | +2 |
| 19 | Stephen Strasburg | WSH | SP | N/A |
| 20 | Charlie Morton | TB | SP | +4 |
| 21 | Madison Bumgarner | SF | SP | +4 |
| 22 | Kyle Freeland | COL | SP | N/A |
| 23 | Luis Castillo | CIN | SP | Unranked |
| 24 | Masahiro Tanaka | NYY | SP | Unranked |
| 25 | Miles Mikolas | STL | SP | -2 |
Off the List: Mike Clevinger (injury), Zack Wheeler
Amidst all of the injuries and early season struggles in the Bronx, Masahiro Tanaka has stepped up and looked brilliant. Until Luis Severino returns and James Paxton shows some consistency, the Yankees will have no choice but to rely on Tanaka to eat innings.
Deep League Top 10 (>12-team leagues/65% owned or less)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Change |
| 1 | Marco Gonzales | SEA | SP | N/A |
| 2 | Marcus Stroman | TOR | SP | +1 |
| 3 | Trevor Williams | PIT | SP | Unranked |
| 4 | Trevor Richards | MIA | SP | Unranked |
| 5 | Steven Matz | NYM | SP | +3 |
| 6 | Max Fried | ATL | SP/RP | Unranked |
| 7 | Mike Minor | TEX | SP | N/A |
| 8 | Jordan Zimmermann | DET | SP | +2 |
| 9 | Mike Leake | SEA | SP | -3 |
| 10 | Brad Keller | KC | SP/RP | Unranked |
Off the List: Matthew Boyd (ownership), Matt Shoemaker (ownership), Matt Strahm, Jakob Junis
Brad Keller is the furthest thing from a name you come across on your waiver wire and thing “Ah yes! The hidden gem!”. But the guy continues to limit damage. The Royals need guys to eat up some innings and Keller will get every opportunity to do so. While you cannot expect much in the strikeout department, he is a pretty solid bet for a matchup-dependent QS in just about any league.
Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@freshmeatcomm on Twitter)