10-Team leagues
Matt Chapman , OAK 3B (61% ownership), FAAB Bid - $20 - Talk about someone I want and will try to acquire on all my teams going forward. Chapman is a budding star and it’s understood that the season just began, but it’s just a plain fact. He’s posted two hits in five straight games and in six of his last seven. He’s deposited three pitches into the outfield seats and driven in seven runs as well. He’s doing it all offensively for Oakland and with where Oakland has him hitting in the lineup almost every night -- sixth -- he’ll continue to have PLENTY of run producing opportunities. He’s a must own now and for the remainder of the season.
Eric Thames , MIL 1B/OF (49% ownership), FAAB Bid - $9-10 - The very powerful Eric Thames has woken up, homering in two straight games and three times over his last six. Thames’ 30 home run potential, ability to swipe a few bases and multi-position eligibility makes him very valuable in all formats. However, the most I’m willing to spend getting him is around a tenth of my FAAB money.
Josh Hader , MIL RP (59% ownership), FAAB Bid - $15 - Hader is flat out electric and despite the fact that Craig Counsell said he won’t close, he still remains an extremely valuable asset. In just five innings this year he’s struck out 10 opponents while allowing just one run. He notched a 12.84 K/9 last season for the Brew Crew and his 18.0 mark this year makes him one of the most valuable middle relievers in the game. He also has a hold on his ledger, something he could be accruing more of with all of Milwaukee’s moving parts in it’s bullpen.
12-Team Leagues
Mike Foltynewicz, ATL SP (25% ownership), FAAB Bid - $10-12 - Although he hasn’t gone deep into his first two outings this year, Foltynewicz is showing he can generate plenty of swings and misses. He has a 9.5-percent swinging strike rate for his career which is very solid. He’s struck out 15 opponents in his 10.1 innings this year, again, very solid. The inconsistent outings and his struggles at SunTrust Park is what keeps Folty a good pitcher, not a great one. He still deserves the recognition in many 12-team formats.
Jacob Barnes , MIL RP (31% ownership), FAAB Bid - $11 - With Corey Knebel sidelined for an extended period of time, the question on everyone’s mind is who will the Brewers turn to for saves? They have about four guys in the mix but nobody is the clear-cut favorite. Jacob Barnes can probably emerge from that group as “the guy”, however. He’s thrown six scoreless innings to start this 2018 campaign and has also already picked up a save earlier this season. Barnes seems like the guy you want for the interim.
Christian Villanueva , SD 3B (16% ownership), FAAB Bid - $7 - If there is one thing we know about the Padres young three-bagger, it is that he can hit for power. At Triple-A just last season he hit 20 home runs and slugged .528. He has three home runs already this year, granted they all came in one game, but he still showed the type of upside he can bring. As long as he continues to play everyday, Villaneuva could hit somewhere from 20-to-25 home runs, which is more than viable in a boatload of formats. Oh yeah, he hit .296 at Triple-A last year too, so he’s not just hitting home runs and doing nothing else.
15-Team Leagues
Jed Lowrie , OAK 2B (6% ownership), FAAB Bid - $3 - Jed Lowrie isn’t a sexy, household name, but man he’s a consistent hitter. He’s hitting .351 with a homer and six RBI and what may be more impressive, especially with the pop that Oakland has in their lineup, is that Lowrie continues to hit in the three-hole. Lowrie no longer has the multi-position eligibility he had for many years, but he has a chance to be a top-10 fantasy second baseman this year and he’s available in essentially every format there is.
Colin Moran , PIT 3B (4% ownership), FAAB Bid - $2 - This pick up is going to cost you essentially nothing and at the end of the day if it doesn’t work out, it won’t hurt you. Moran is locked in as the everyday third basemen in Pittsburgh and has gotten off to a quick start to the year hitting .318 with a homer and eight RBI, and the eight RBI puts him tied for fifth in the National League. Moran was very, very good at Triple-A in the Astros system last year and it’s clearly translated early on in 2018. Who knows if he can be a consistent source of production, but why not see where this road takes you if you have the available roster spot in 15-team league formats.
Miguel Andujar , NYY 3B (16% ownership), FAAB Bid - $4 - With Brandon Drury now on the disabled list, we will get an extensive look at the Yankees 23-year old third baseman. Andujar has raked at every stop on his journey to the bigs, hitting .312 at Double-A and .317 at Triple-A in 2017. He also can hit for some power as well, posting a .502 SLG% at Triple-A. This is a pickup not only for the immediate future, but one you can use down the line. If he’s available and you have a roster spot not being utilized, he can be stashed and if he eventually steals the third base job from Drury, you’re ahead of the curve.
*ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo
** FAAB bids based on $100 budget