The Fantasy Countdown

April 17, 2023

Get your matchup started with this weeks Fantasy Countdown, giving you a quick dose of fantasy insight!

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

Harold Ramírez has gotten off to a nice start in his 5th MLB season hitting .333 with 3 HR's and 7 RBI's. He finished last year with a .300 batting average so the hitting in general is no fluke. What has been more of a surprise is the power. The 28 year old only hit 6 homers last year. There's a chance the power numbers may fall off but if things have finally clicked and the homers are here to stay, Ramírez is rostered in only 9.9% of ESPN leagues.

Tylor Megill has been overshadowed by a star studded Mets roster but the righty has been effective so far this year. He's 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 13 K's through 16 IP. He starts tonight against a tough Dodgers lineup but he has already had a couple tough matchups under his belt this season. The main question with him is if he can go deep enough into games as he has pitched more than 5 innings just once this year. Megill is rostered in 19.6% of ESPN leagues and is worth a look as long as he continues to stay effective on the mound.

Brent Rooker has been just about the only bright spot on a horrendous A's roster this season. The outfielder is hitting .333 with 4 HR's and 11 RBI's in his first season in Oakland. While he hasn't made much noise in his career, the 28 year old did flash some power in 2021 with the Twins where he hit 19 extra base hits in 58 games. If you have an extra spot, Rooker is rostered in only 7.7% of ESPN leagues, so it could be worth riding the hot wave however long it lasts.

2 Start starters

To fully leverage your fantasy week, it is crucial to strategize your lineup. Doing so can guarantee that you are utilizing all of your allotted starts or innings in points leagues, and optimizing your statistics in category leagues. If a pitcher happens to be scheduled for two starts during the week, it can provide your team with an added edge by allowing you the flexibility of an extra roster spot, or the ability to punish your opponent by starting a sizzling pitcher twice. Without further ado, here are the pitchers who will be "double dipping" this week.

1 Story from around the league

Baseball is currently being played at the highest level it has ever been played at. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic. But what is also so awesome about today’s game is how young some of these impact players are. There are talented youth all around the league playing big roles for their teams.

This year's rookie class has not disappointed in the small sample size we have seen. Guys are contributing to their teams in all types of statistical categories, both on the mound and at the plate. Some of these young studs are:

  • Corbin Carroll OF (.288 BA, 17 hits, 4 HR’s, 8 RBI’s, 6 SB’s)

  • James Outman OF (.261 BA, 12 hits, 3 HR’s, 10 RBI’s, 10 BB’s)

  • Spencer Steer 3B (.320 BA, 16 hits, 2 HR’s, 6 RBI’s, 8/9 K/BB)

  • Estuary Ruiz OF (.308 BA, 16 hits, 8 RBI’s, 4 SB’s)

  • Hunter Brown SP (2-0, 1.93 ERA, 18.2 IP, 17 K’s)

  • Drey Jameson SP (2-0, 1.46 ERA, 12.1 IP, 12 K’s)

  • Kodai Senga SP (2-0, 3.83 ERA, 16 IP, 21 K’s)

Some of these guys are in big roles trying to help contenders stay on top and rebuilding teams work their way up. Hunter Brown is one of those guys as the Astros need someone to step up after losing Verlander to free agency. So far he has done exactly that as he has dominated some impressive lineups (Rangers and Twins) and has an impressive 17 K’s through 3 starts. Corbin Carroll has impressed the most offensively as he leads all rookies in home runs and is 1 off of the stolen base rookie lead (Volpe 7). He continues to help the rebuilding Diamondback as they are off to a solid 9-7 start.

These rookies have a ton of talent and will be a lot of fun to continue watching this season and for the rest of their careers.

High Heat 🔥:

Who was the first player to have his number retired in the MLB?

*see answer in next newsletter