Lineup Takeaways - Week 1 Lineup Trends

April 5, 2021

Mike Kurland takes a deep look at early fantasy baseball risers and fallers based on week one lineup trends, highlighting strong and weak platoons, and players who may benefit from lineup slot.

Week One is wrapping up and we already have a lot of different looks to dissect in lineups. I will be going through all the very early trends. This is to give us an idea of what to watch for going forward because it is too early to take anything as a set in stone.

Just a reminder, not all teams have anything of note (yet) so we will only discuss those that do. Also, the Mets and Nationals did not play any games due to COVID protocols. 

Please note, I have added a 'Fantasy Fallout' section to the team breakdowns. This is meant to highlight lesser rostered players who may have fantasy relevance. As we get more tangible info and stats, the notes will evolve with it. All roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues.

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National League

NL East

Miami Marlins 

• The Marlins have a few notable changes from their lineup against RHP to the lineup they posted against LHP

• This could be the Marlins way of getting Garrett Cooper mixed in.
• In weekly leagues, be mindful of Corey Dickerson likely sitting against most LHP.
• Something worth noting is that Jazz Chisholm remained in against the LHP and had a good game at that. Getting full run could do wonders for his confidence. He has hit sixth against RHP and seventh against LHP so far.

Fantasy Fallout:

• Jazz Chisholm started against both RHP and LHP and offers power and speed off the waiver wire. He stole two bases in a single game this week and had multiple steals and home runs in Spring Training as well. Currently just 17% rostered. Won't be long until that jumps up and I would go as far as to say you should prioritize him in your waivers this week.
• Miguel Rojas is boring and is mostly just help for batting average but at just 3% rostered, you could get an everyday player and in deeper formats like 15 -plus teams or NL-Only where his playing time carries value.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers

• We are seeing the outfield rotation in full effect. Avisail Garcia, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Lorenzo Cain are all expected to play two of three so it'll be a consistent rotation mixed with Christian Yelich getting rest days as well.
• Travis Shaw hit fifth in one game and second the next. He appears locked into a top five spot in the order.

Fantasy Fallout

• Travis Shaw has been fantasy relevant in the past and now with a top-of-the-order spot locked in and having Miller park to call home, really makes him interesting in deeper formats. He is currently 1% rostered and has a track to everyday at-bats.

St. Louis Cardinals

• Only worth noting they have stuck with Tyler O'Neill in the five-spot with Dylan Carlson remaining in the seven-spot but Carlson could earn his way up in short order if he performs well.
• Although he bats 8th, Justin Williams appears to be the starting outfielder now that Harrison Bader is out.

Fantasy Fallout

• Justin Williams is NOT flashy but there is playing time at the moment and he should be considered if you are in need of at-bats in NL-Only or VERY DEEP mixed leagues.
• Tyler O'Neill is only rostered in 10% of leagues and as long as he hits in the five-spot, there will be ample RBI opportunities as he will hit home runs in bunches. He hit one Opening Day. However, there is swing-and-miss so batting average can be a liability.

Chicago Cubs

• Against RHP we did see Javier Baez stick in the six-spot but against LHP we saw him move up to the four-spot.
• We could see some fluid movement of players out of the lineup against LHP. The first game we saw Ian Happ get benched in favor of Jake Marisnick.
• We also saw Joc Pederson remain in against LHP. That is encouraging but Jason Heyward also remained in and we could see them all get days off against LHP and this time happened to be Happ's day off is how I view it. Too early to tell but worth monitoring.
• Willson Contreras hit second against a RHP and led off against a LHP. It is safe to say his spot at the top of the order is safe.

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Ke'Bryan Hayes left the game after hurting his hand while swinging the bat. He initially remained in but ultimately left the game. This opens up a spot in the 2-spot of the lineup. Possibly Kevin Newman works his way up.

Fantasy Fallout

• Erik Gonzalez entered the game for Hayes and would seemingly be the replacement if Hayes is to miss time so he would gain relevance in NL-Only formats. It is hard to say how this will be handled. It will come down to the significance of this injury if we even need to worry about replacing Hayes in our fantasy lineups.
• We could see Todd Frazier called up possibly but little fantasy relevance from whoever fills in. I would look elsewhere.

Although since writing this, there has been positive news:

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks 

• As of now, Josh Rojas is the starting shortstop. He will likely shift to second base when Nick Ahmed returns. Rojas leads off against RHP and moves down towards sixth against LHP. We will see how this is affected by the return of Cole Calhoun.
• Tim Locastro had one start and it was against a LHP. Yes, he led off in that appearance but that won't be enough to carry any fantasy relevance.

Fantasy Fallout

• Josh Rojas is currently rostered in 24% of leagues and could be a great addition for help in batting average and steals.

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Three games and three-straight starts for Gavin Lux at second base. Lux snuck in as the leadoff man with Mookie Betts out. This has been against three RHP however. Need to monitor his playing time against LHP.
• Another playing time issue is at catcher with Will Smith playing just one of three to start the season. Not ideal considering where he was drafted this season.

Fantasy Fallout

• Austin Barnes plays enough to justify utilization as a number two catcher in deeper, two-catcher formats.

San Francisco Giants

• Austin Slater has started all three games and that includes a RHP. He is known for starting against LHP and he did start both games against LHP (leading off in the process)m but even got the start against RHP. Yes, the DH was in play due to facing an AL team, BUT he played the field with Mauricio Dubon sitting.
• Tommy La Stella (who was in as the DH) would have played second base or first base which wouldn't get in Slater's way. This is something to monitor.
• Mauricio Dubon started the first two games of the season (both were against LHP) and sat the third game which was against a RHP. Could be on the short side of a centerfield platoon but it is too early to say.

Fantasy Fallout

• Put Austin Slater on your watch list. He could be this year's late-career breakout for the Giants. He offers both power and speed but until we see consistent playing time against RHP, he is more of a watch list player in shallow formats. In deeper formats, his skillset warrants being added to your roster.

Colorado Rockies

• The Rockies are a mess to figure out. Facing both LHP and RHP pitching and the lineup shifts around.
• Ryan McMahon might just be in a platoon (strong side) and that will require monitoring matchups for weekly formats.
• Chris Owings is playing more than expected early on.
• Outside of Raimel Tapia, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon, the only everyday player at the moment has been Josh Fuentes. No one saw that coming.
• Sam Hilliard has yet to start a single game yet.

Fantasy Fallout

• Sam Hilliard becomes someone to consider dropping in formats he is rostered. Might want to see how he is utilized this upcoming week but there are a lot of interesting options on the waiver wire who are playing and have more secure situations to consider.
• In shallow formats, if the playing time is not consistent, then McMahon becomes droppable as well. I wouldn't say he is there yet.
• Chris Owings has NL-Only appeal as he might play more than anticipated (at least early on) but it is still a fluid situation. He did steal a couple bases already this year.

American League

AL East

Boston Red Sox

• They have done mostly what they showed us in Spring Training with their lineup, but today they sat Hunter Renfroe against a RHP and Marwin Gonzalez made a start. It could be Marwin Gonzalez platooning with two players simultaneously which ends up giving him full time at-bats. Very interesting and something worth watching over this next week.

Fantasy Fallout

• Hunter Renfroe might be droppable in formats he is rostered and Marwin Gonzalez and his multi-positional eligibility becomes an interesting speculative add in similar formats.

Baltimore Orioles

• Rio Ruiz made a late run at the second base job in Spring Training and he held it into the regular season. It is a path to regular playing time and he will hit in the bottom half of the lineup most of the time.

Fantasy Fallout

• Ruiz is a career .219/.295/.370 hitter and unless it is a deep, AL-Only format where every at-bat matters, he should remain on your waiver wire.

Tampa Bay Rays

• Yoshi Tsutsugo has actually led off like they suggested he would in Spring Training. Both were against RHP.
• Manuel Margot has played two games and hit as high as second but that was in a lineup with most the starters out.

Fantasy Fallout

• Margot could earn his way up if he keeps hitting. The Rays showed a willingness to hit him towards the top of the lineup late in Spring Training and so far this season he is batting .500 (4-8) with three runs, a home run and two RBI so the production has spilled into the regular season and he could earn that better lineup spot sooner than later. Only 18% rostered to boot.

New York Yankees 

• With Luke Voit hitting the IL, Jay Bruce entered the lineup and has hit sixth and eighth in his two starts.

Fantasy Fallout

• Bruce becomes someone to target for cheap power as he has an expiration date but should have plenty of favorable matchups while hitting in the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium.

AL Central

Cleveland

• Towards the end of the Spring Training, Cleveland actually started hitting their centerfield platoon partners (Ben Gamel and Jordan Luplow) in the leadoff spot. I thought it was simply to get them reps but no, it has bled over into the regular season so far as well.

Fantasy Fallback

• You would have to be desperate to roster either of these players but know, there are at-bats here and Gamel is on the strong side of this platoon.

Chicago White Sox

• With Eloy Jimenez out, they have filled the five-spot with Yasmani Grandal
• Luis Robert has hit seventh against RHP and second against LHP so far
• Adam Eaton has flip-flopped with Robert in the lineup against LHP and RHP
• We are seeing Zack Collins and Yermin Mercedes get a lot of the DH duties and Collins catching some as well.

Fantasy Fallout

• Adam Eaton is still available in many leagues (only 14% rostered) and considering he is batting second majority of the time while batting .500 with a home run, three RBI and three runs already, there is plenty of use for Eaton in 15-team mixed type formats. He is still a fringe 12-team player.
• Yermin Mercedes is getting all the hype right now after starting off the year with eight straight hits. The 28 year old journey man has bounced around three different clubs before finally sticking with the White Sox. He has always flashed good plate discipline all through the minors (never striking out above 20% of the time) while flashing power at various levels. He hit double digits from 2016 through 2019 with the highest being a 23 home run season in 2019. There is not much upside here but he is relevant in 15-team mixed formats and AL-Only formats on the chance he earns enough playing and maybe gains catcher eligibility this season.

Kansas City Royals

• The trends at the end of Spring Training showed it, but Kyle Isbel did take the job and although he is hitting at the bottom of the order, he should play every day for the Royals.
• Andrew Benintendi left the game early of Saturday but if he misses time, we could see Isbel or Michael Taylor move up the lineup to fill the spot in the lineup.

Fantasy Fallout

• Michael Taylor and Kyle Isbel have both been on fire to start the season and with playing time on their side, they should get a chance to play no matter what. Given both having similar power and speed potential, both are worth a flyer in most formats. At least formats that are 15-teams or deeper. Maybe you can take a shot in some deeper 12-team leagues but that is pushing it given the likely names on the waiver wire. Regardless, both have skillsets that should be targeted off the wire and both are deserving of a chance entering week two.

Minnesota Twins

• Josh Donaldson has an injured hamstring and as of now is it difficult to say just how long he will be out.

• With this move we see Luis Arraez move to third base and likely just landed himself everyday playing time in the process. He was leading off on Opening Day and has led off both games so far. We have yet to see him hit in a lineup against LHP so he could move down against LHP possibly but it is too early to tell.
• Jake Cave moved to LF the game Donaldson got injured and went on to start there again the next game as well and this was after recalling Brent Rooker to the roster. How long it takes Alex Kirilloff to come up is the question now.

Fantasy Fallout

• Luis Arraez leading off most days now paired with secure playing time boosts his value. Just 19% rostered, you have a player in Arraez that can score upwards of 100 runs and hit over .300 (even fight for a batting title). Assuming he holds onto the leadoff spot. The hit tool is as good as it gets.
• Jake Cave is not of much interest to me. Either is Brent Rooker. We should see Kirilloff sooner than later to take over that spot.

Detroit Tigers

• With Miguel Cabrera playing first base on Opening Day, and said to be playing it a bit this year, that opens up the DH and allowed Victor Reyes to get into the lineup against a RHP - compared to being strictly a weak side platoon partner.

Fantasy Fallout

• This isn't much but it does help Reyes possibly get a few more starts each week. Unless there is an injury or someone gets benched, Victor Reyes is not someone I would plan to start in the near future unless there is a run of LHP on the schedule.
• With Cabrera playing first base, he should gain eligibilty sooner than later in leagues he does not have the first base eligibility.

AL West

Houston Astros

• Michael Brantley was hit in the wrist with a pitch today. X-Rays came back negative but he may sit out a few days as he allows the wrist to heal up. He was replaced by Chas McCormick.

Fantasy Fallout

• This could lead to McCormick filling in for the short term. But this seems like a very short term issue and McCormick should remain on the waiver wire for the time being.

Oakland Atheltics

• Ramon Laureano (without much of a hint in Spring Training) opened up the year batting second for two straight games. He jammed his wrist sliding into first base and that caused him to be out of the lineup of late. This could cause him to miss a few games as he recovers.

• With Laureano out, we saw Mark Canha (who has led off three straight) shift to centerfield while Chad Pinder started in left field and hit fifth.
• Jed Lowrie has earned the starting second baseman job and has started two of three games so far. He has batted sixth in both.

Fantasy Fallout

• Jed Lowrie is 15-team relevant. He will play majority of the time at a position where depth lacks. He is not flashy but will compile a bit of everything (other than stolen bases) over the season. He is not a must-add rather a fallback if you miss on the rest of your targets.
• Chad Pinder could hold some short term value as he likely fills in most the time with Laureano out. However long that may be. He does have a home run and is 3-for-10 on the season so far.

Seattle Mariners

• Mitch Haniger and Ty France have started and remained batting first and second in the lineup so far.
• This is with J.P. Crawford firmly planted in the nine-spot.
• With Kyle Lewis out, Evan White has hit fourth consistently.
• Taylor Trammell has played centerfield in Lewis' absence.

Fantasy Fallout

• Evan White has been okay, nothing special, after ending Spring Training hitting well. Now sitting at 3-for-13 through three games with three runs and two RBI, that won't be enough to hold onto the four-spot.
• Trammell has not faired much better with just one hit through three games so far. He is going to have to pick it up to hold onto his spot once the team is healthy around him and Jarred Kelenic comes up. Yes, there is still PLENTY of time for that but it is something to say out loud (or type) just to keep it top of mind.
• With Crawford seemingly hitting at the bottom of the lineup for the foreseeable future, the upside he once was thought to have takes a hit. And unless he gets going (just one hit so far on the year) he won't be forcing their hands to move him up either.

Texas Rangers

• Through two games we have seen Eli White start twice but Ronald Guzman has yet to start.
• Nate Lowe was named the primary starting first baseman and as a lefty himself, he started against one already. Has hit fifth both games.
• Leody Taveras is batting consistently at the bottom of the lineup so far.
• David Dahl is the two-spot hitter.
• Nick Solak is batting cleanup.

Fantasy Fallout

• The team has been high on Eli White and this has pushed Ronald Guzman aside for the time being. After going 2-for-4 on Opening Day he followed that up with an 0-for-3 day. More of an AL-Only add but could be considered for 15-teamers.
• Nate Lowe has started off the year going 3-10 with six RBI so far. A quick turnaround from the rough Spring Training. The manager backing him could've helped his confidence. Confidence matters in young players.
• Leody Taveras is 0-for-9 so far and if he does not pick it up, we could see Eli White and Ronald Guzman push for playing time in the outfield and Taveraas get sent down. At the very least, this will not help him move back towards the top of the order.

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