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RotoBeast's Week 1 Fantasy Baseball Recap

It's 1 am and the kids are tucked in and snoozing, as I should be, but visions of nasty off-speed offerings and mashed baseballs are dancing through my head. Naturally my instinct is to write about it. Week one of the fantasy season is coming to a close and there has been no shortage of fantasy relevant news. Closer conundrums, injury woes, instant replay, cold starts and moonshots a plenty; thank you baseball, we've missed you.

Let's start off by tossing out some National League "BOLD predictions/reactions." Because an old fashioned overreaction is better than gettin' no satisfaction.

 

National League BOLD Predictions

Jose Fernandez will win the NL Cy Young Award. The ridiculously talented Marlins ace is off to a blistering start with a 0.71 ERA and 17K's through his first two starts. His signature curveball, dubbed "the defector", has batters swinging and missing more than a drunk freshman at a frat party. His demeanor on the mound is Nolan Ryan-esque. He's a bulldog with the stuff to back it up.

Carlos Gonzalez will play 140+ games and top Mike Trout in fantasy production. CarGo has all the tools, always has, and with a full season of at bats he will win the NL MVP award. Hitting .368 (7-19) through the first 5 games with 17 total bases and a 1.349 OPS he's primed to explode for a 2010 type campaign where he hit .336 with 34 HR, 117 RBI and 26 SB.

Kris Bryant will be the NL Rookie of the Year. Bryant is marinating nicely in the minors with 2 HR already in 7 AB. He will arrive in Chicago before Javier Baez and hit exactly 20 HR. His ability to drive the ball is incredible and he has a much more complete approach at the plate. With very little blocking his way he could be up very shortly.  He definitely deserves a stash in all formats.

 

What I liked from Week 1: 

By Cathy T from Washington, DC area (2ND Uploaded by Muboshgu) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsGiancarlo Stanton is absolutely locked in and the lineup around him is also hitting which will force opposing teams to give him more pitches to hit. The artist formerly known as Mike is leading the Majors in RBI with 11 and looks like a ringer for an immensely productive season.

Johnny Cueto has been terrific over his first two starts. His velocity is back and as his 17 K through 14 IP suggests, he is making hitters miss. Unfortunately the bullpen is in disarray and he has an 0-1 record to show for it thus far. That will turn around once Chapman returns.

Chase Utley suddenly seems to have rediscovered his health. The Phillies veteran second baseman is punching the ball outta the park in the early going and his sweet short stroke [chuckle] is back in action.

Mark Trumbo is enjoying his new uniform as he has absolutley tattooed the baseball in the early going. Already with 4 Trumbombs; he could reach a new career high this season.

Felix Hernandez is still amazing. Leading the MLB in Ks is a great thing to see from King Felix.

Josh Hamilton is continuing his red hot end to 2013 with a scorching start to 2014. He's 9-for-18 with 2 HR through 5 games.

Brandon Belt is doing the damn thing! Finally! Belt has buckled down and jacked 3 bombs already.

Grady Sizemore has finally made his way back into fantasy relevance. This makes me happy. Hopefully he stays healthy.

I love, love, love Jenrry Mejia...and his hair.

 

What I Didn't like from Week 1:

Clayton Kershaw's lat issue holding him out a month is worrisome. That could be an issue that lingers like a bad Cranberries song.

To stay on the Dodgers...Yasiel Puig's circus act is becoming a distraction no matter what Donnie Baseball says. Having to bench a star in the opening week who has had issues with discipline is bad for business. His boneheaded head-first slide into first base on Saturday shows that his head is somewhere out there lost with that Malaysian flight.

Ryan Zimmerman's shoulder woes are plaguing him yet again. Zimm is off to a great start, but after being pulled Saturday he is scheduled for an MRI this week. Hope it's nothing, but plan for it being something. Snag Danny Espinosa if you have room.

I disliked Aroldis Chapman nearly losing his eye on that come-backer. I know it is part of the game but man...that was scary. At some point they have to do something to protect the pitchers no matter how dumb it looks, a helmet has to help some there.

Jim Johnson blew his first two save chances in convincingly unsettling fashion. Furthermore, he pitched the 8th inning with the A's down by 2 runs on Saturday. Ryan Cook is due back after another rehab start and Sean Doolittle has been very good thus far. A change could be brewing with the Athletics.

Ryan Braun once again is struggling with the same thumb issue which hampered him last season before giving way to the PED suspension. Given his not-so-optimistic comments this week regarding the thumb, it doesn't seem like a rosy path back to fantasy stardom for the Hebrew Hammer in 2014.

 

3 DFS Picks to Click for Sunday April 6th: Gone Fishin'

SP: Nathan Eovaldi, MIA: I gave you a golden nugget with Jenrry Mejia this week. Eovaldi could spell similar value. Erasmo Ramirez could also be nice versus the swing-happy Athletics. Was that a two-fer? YUP!

OF: Giancarlo Stanton MIA: Stanton is locked in like the Terminator on John Connor. He's going up against Ian Kennedy Sunday, off of whom Stanton boasts a .375 BA and 2 HR in 8 ABs. Yeah, you could say he sees him well. He's worth the price tag no matter the cost.

OF: Charlie Blackmon, COL: Blackmon is sizzling right now hitting .600 (12-for-20) with 6 RBI, 5 Runs and 2 SB. He will come on the cheap and allow you to stack your lineup.

That's all for now...I must sleep or I will be one grumpy Padre in the AM.

 




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Justin Jefferson

Not on Week 1 Injury Report
Omarion Hampton

to Start Against Chiefs on Friday
Will Smith

Unlikely to Play This Weekend
Shohei Ohtani

to Pitch on Monday
Najee Harris

Off the Final Injury Report, Will Play in Week 1
Jon Rahm

Looks to Prove His Importance on European Ryder Cup Team
Tommy Fleetwood

Among Leaders of European Ryder Cup Team
Christian Kirk

Expected to be Sidelined in Week 1, Could Miss More Time
Amari Cooper

Informs Raiders of Retirement
Jayden Reed

Returns to Practice
Brandon Sproat

to Start for Mets on Sunday
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
E.J. Liddell

Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

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