It’s already Week 4 of the fantasy baseball season and with it comes the next edition of the Fantasy Alarm Stock Watch. This week I break down some players who have seen their stock rise and fall over the past week. In the Buy & Sell section I highlight a pitcher I truly believe has returned to Cy Young form and a young catcher who is displaying a home run ability that I do not believe will last.

Stock Watch Risers

Jedd Gyorko 3B, STL

The Cardinals experiment of Jhonny Peralta at third base did not last very long as the team announced last week that Gyorko will be the team’s starting third basemen going forward. Gyorko had a breakout season with the Cardinals in 2016, hitting .243 with 58 runs, 30 home runs and 59 RBI over 400 at bats. Gyorko has gotten off to a hot start to 2017, hitting .310 with eight runs, three home runs and six RBI. The batting average with Gyorko will fade but another 30 home run season is not out of the question if he is getting everyday at bats.

Kevin Pillar OF, TOR

Pillar was moved into the Blue Jays leadoff in place of the struggling Devon Travis and he has taken off, hitting  .340 with five runs, three home runs, five RBI and two stolen bases over the last 12 games. Pillar has proven to be a solid fantasy asset, dating back to his 2015 season which saw him hit 12 home runs and steal 25 bases. His 10+ home run/20+ stolen base upside in the leadoff spot should make him an appealing pick up this week off the waiver wire.

Bud Norris RP, LAA

Things are getting ugly in the Angels bullpen with Huston Street, Andrew Bailey and Cam Bedrosian all on the disabled list. The injuries have led to Bud Norris being moved into the closers role where he has notched two straight saves. Norris hasn’t finished a season with an ERA below 4.00 since 2014 and he seems unlikely to hold onto the closers role for long but for the time being he offers value in all league formats.

Stock Watch Fallers

Starling Marte OF, PIT

The biggest blow of Week 3 was the news that Starling Marte tested positive for PED’s and would be suspended for 80 games. Marte was owned an ADP of 26 heading into the season meaning many players just lost their second/third round draft pick for half of the fantasy season. Before injury Marte was struggling, hitting just .241 with seven runs, two home runs, seven RBI and two stolen bases over the first 13 games. For fantasy owners, holding onto a player like Marte in leagues with shallow bench spots is a real killer. With that said Marte’s ownership has dropped nearly 50-percent in standard leagues since the news came out.

Kevin Gausman SP, BAL

2016 was a breakout season for Gausman as he finished the year 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA while striking out 174 over 179.2 innings. Unfortunately 2017 has not been as fruitville for Gausman or his fantasy owners who took him around the 10th round of their standard league drafts. The Orioles starter is 1-2 with a 7.50 ERA and a 2.04 ERA over five starts. Gausman’s last two starts have been even more dreadful as he has allowed 13 earned runs over eight innings while allowing four home runs over the stretch. The talent with Gausman is certainly in his right arm but fantasy owners have to be weary of starting him right now until he shows signs of improvement.

Brad Brach RP, BAL

Brach has been lights out since taking over as the Orioles closer in place of the injured Zach Britton, notching four saves over his last four appearances. Unfortunately for those who own Brach, Britton is eligible to come off of the disabled list on Wednesday and could be back for the Orioles weekend series which would bump Brach back to a set up role in the O’s bullpen. Those who own Brach will want to monitor Britton’s status but know his role as closer is coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Buy or Sell?

Dallas Keuchel SP, HOU

The injuries that hindered Keuchel in 2016 are a thing of past as the former Cy Young award winner looks stronger than ever. In 2016, Keuchel went 9-12 with a 4.55 ERA over 26 starts. He was eventually shut down with arm troubles which many blamed for his porous numbers. A deeper look into his production however would show that, while struggling, Keuchel was also getting relatively unlucky. His 4.55 ERA came with a 3.87 FIP and a 3.77 SIERA which indicate he was pitching better than his ERA. Through four starts this season Keuchel is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. He has struck out 22 over 28 innings and has allowed just three earned runs this season. Keuchel’s command has returned to his Cy Young form as he owns a 1.93 BB/9 which is down from his 2.57 BB/9 from the previous year. Keuchel also owns a 70-percent ground ball rate which is huge given his usually unimpressive strikeout rate of 7.07 K/9. I am buying into Keuchel’s return to form and those who took the chance on a Keuchel bounce back season just might have nabbed themselves a top 10 starter.

Austin Hedges C, SD

Many were interested in Hedges heading into the 2017 season after the Padres catcher went on to hit a career high 21 home runs over 82 games for Triple-A El Paso in 2016. Previously Hedges had totaled just 22 career minor league home runs since 2012 so to see him hit 21 in just 82 games is certainly a surprise. As the Padres starting catcher in 2017 Hedges is showing impressive power at the plate, having already hit six home runs which leads all major league catchers. Unfortunately, I just do not believe this power is here to stay. First off, six of Hedges’ 11 hits this season have gone for a home run. He owns a .272 ISO which would rank him among the top power hitters in baseball and his 31.6 HR/FB rate is not sustainable. Hedges is also striking out at a clip of 28.8-percent while walking just 4.5-percent of the time. It is looking like Hedges is selling out for power at the cost of his batting average which sits at a lowly .183. I do believe that Hedges is a better hitter than his .183 average given that he owns a .139 BABIP but his power numbers should eventually decline as he just never profiled as this type of power hitting backstop.