The Fantasy Countdown

Don't start the week off without your fantasy news. Join us for the fantasy countdown- the easiest way to get ready to conquer the week.

Here is what we got for you today:

3 Winning waiver claims

2 Start starters

1 Story from around the league

3 Winning waiver claims

Myles Straw is following up his hot spring by hitting .344 with 11 hits and 6 SB's through 32 AB's to start the season. What he has been lacking in power has been masked by his ability to steal bases. Making him a great addition in category leagues. Historically he has not been a great hitter, with a .249 career average, but if you are looking for some stolen bases you may as well grab him while you can get some average as well. The 28 year old is rostered in 24.1% of ESPN leagues.

Garrett Cooper was named a first time All Star last season and is eager to make it back again this year. The 32 year old is off to a hot start hitting .324 with 3 HR's and 7 RBI's through 34 AB's. With a low performing fantasy first base class, Cooper is worth a flyer and is rostered in only 6.3% of ESPN leagues.

Seth Lugo has been one of the more surprising players so far this season. The veteran spent most of his time with the Mets in the bullpen but has shown great promise in the rotation to start the year. The 33 year old is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA and 12 K's through 13 IP with the Padres. Even when in the bullpen, he was always a consistent option. Rostered in 30.9% of ESPN leagues, anyone looking to add another starter should definitely consider Lugo.

2 Start starters

In order to get the most from your fantasy week it is important to map out your lineup. This can help ensure you are using all of your starts/innings in points leagues and maximizing your stats in category leagues. If a pitcher is making two starts in a week it can give your team an extra boost by giving you the flexibility of an extra roster spot or by being able to punish your opponent by starting a hot pitcher twice in a week. Here are all pitchers who are double dipping this week.

1 Story from around the league

After the first week of the season it is pretty obvious that one team has been standing out from the rest, the Tampa Bay Rays...

The Rays are on fire, starting off the year 9-0. They are the last undefeated team in baseball and only the 13th team in MLB history to ever start a season off 9-0. They haven't just been beating their opponents, they have been destroying them. The Rays have outscored their opponents 75-18 which is three times the next highest run differential of all teams in the league (Dodgers +21). This kind of start is exactly what the Rays needed in such a stacked division.

A start this dominant is pretty unheard of in baseball. A teams pitching may be lights out or their hitters may mash, but for them both to be playing to their best ability this quickly in the season is insane. Essentially any stat you want to look at the Rays are leading the league in it. Offensively, they lead the league in home runs (24), RBI's (74), runs (75), and strikeouts (58). On the pitching side they lead the league in ERA (1.89), hits against (56), earned runs (17), BA against (.193), and whip (0.94). Now this kind of dominance is not quite sustainable, but a team this well rounded is going to be a PROBLEM for the rest of the league this season.

Now it is definitely important to note that they have played three of the worst teams in baseball in the Nationals, Tigers, and Athletics. Playing three bottom feeders definitely makes it a little easier to accomplish this 9-0 feat, however it is hard to get series sweeps regardless of who you are playing. In a game where any team can beat any team on a given day it is hard for your whole squad to bring their A game everyday, which goes to show how impressive the Rays have been to start off the 2023 season.

High Heat 🔥:

Who was the first MLB pitcher to throw a pitch 100 MPH?

*see answer in next newsletter