Pitchers:
Joe Kelly – Red Sox – SP – Y! 31% – ESPN 37%
Joe Kelly has looked great for the Sox so far this season, his fastball is reaching the upper nineties, while his off-speed pitches have been effective. Kelly is working with a 23.4% strikeout rate so far this year. He has allowed three earned runs in his first two starts, and is going for his second win tonight.
Edinson Volquez – Royals – SP – Y! 51% – ESPN 69%
The Royals are off to a hot start, and Edinson Volquez has been a big part of that. He could easily have three wins this season, but took a tough loss against Minnesota. He has worked seven innings or more in each start, with five plus strikeouts as well. He is carrying over the 2014 success he had in Pittsburgh.
Danny Salazar – Indians – SP – Y! 56% – ESPN 70%
The Salazar additions are piling up as I type, and for good reason, he offers massive strikeout potential for a fantasy team. He struck out ten in his first start versus Minnesota. He has struggled with location in the past, but had a 25.3% strikeout rate in 2014. Nobody has doubted his ability to ring hitters up. He has big upside, and is worth an add.
Miguel Castro – Blue Jays – RP – Y! 55% – ESPN 57%
For those who are still searching for saves, Castro is available in almost half of fantasy leagues. Even after blowing his first save, Toronto has their faith in Castro. He has electric stuff, and should have plenty of opportunities for saves. With a few closers about to return from injury over the next month, he will be a target for a fill-in.
Position Players:
Caleb Joseph – Orioles – C – Y! 39% – ESPN 41%
With Jonathan Lucroy and Travis D’Arnaud hitting the DL for an extended time, Joseph is a terrific fill in. He is hitting over .350 to start the season, and is a guy who got hot towards the end of 2014 with power. Baltimore has reported that he will remain the starting catcher when Matt Wieters returns within a few weeks.
Mark Teixeira – Yankees – 1B – Y! 42% – ESPN 33%
If you are chasing home runs and RBI, but willing to sacrifice average, Tex is your guy. He has four long balls already this season, and has driven in ten. As long as he stays healthy, he could return to being a great power bat in the fantasy world. He has always had slow starts, so it is good seeing him get a little production in early.
Luis Valbuena – Astros – 3B – Y! 48% – ESPN 60%
Valbuena is along the lines of Teixeira here, he already has jumped out of the gate here with five home runs. Houston was expected to have more fantasy worth this season, but things are off to a slow start. I love the potential for Valbuena, due to where he hits in the lineup, to drive in a fair share of runs this season.
