Pitchers:
Chris Heston – Giants – SP – Y! 25% – ESPN 32%
Chris Heston is a repeat pick from last week, his ownership has stayed put. Matt Cain and Jake Peavy are both on the DL, and Heston is making a case to stay even when they return, which is still up in the air. Outside of his game at Colorado, he has allowed two earned in three starts. He shut down that same Colorado team at home, not a lot of pitchers go into Coors and succeed. A few arms went down this week, Heston is a solid pickup.
Jeff Locke – Pirates – SP – Y! 18% – ESPN 22%
The Pirates have the second best ERA among starters in the majors this season, and Jeff Locke lumps into that stellar Pittsburgh rotation. He has two wins this season, and five plus strikeouts in two of the three starts. Still very under-owned in a lot of leagues.
A.J Burnett – Brewers – SP – Y! 55% – ESPN 48%
A.J. Burnett is the guy I want out of Pittsburgh right now, unfortunately he can’t get any run support. He has five earned runs in four starts this season. He has a 20% strikeout rate so far this season, and he pitches half of his games in one of the top pitcher’s parks in the game.
John Axford – Rockies – RP – Y! 36% – ESPN 30%
Adam Ottavino is heading to the DL with inflammation in his shoulder, and this creates some save opportunities for John Axford. He will close games for much of May, but it could be longer after the Rockies get an MRI back on Ottavino.
Position Players:
A.J Pierzynski – Braves – C – Y! 26% – ESPN 22%
A.J. Pierzynski has come out of nowhere, hitting .378 with three home runs this season. I am in a few two-catcher leagues and this was an immediate pickup for me. He has always been a decent hitting catcher, and right now he is better than three quarters of the catchers in the league offensively. A great fill-in if you are dealing with injuries from Mesoraco, Lucroy, Gomes, and D’Arnaud.
Denard Span – Nationals – OF – Y! 48% – ESPN 57%
Denard Span has not gotten back to his usual self just yet, but last season he hit .300 with 30 stolen bases. He is available in almost half of these leagues, and once he gets going, he will be an everyday outfielder. For now, I would stash him on the bench.
Zack Cozart – Reds – SS – Y! 42% – ESPN 65%
Shortstop is the weakest positions on the board, and actually a position I like to rotate based on hot streaks. Cozart fits that category, hitting .300 with four home runs this season. He is not a power bat, but hitting in Cincinnati gives him a giant boost. He has been moved up into the second spot in the lineup, which also increases his value.
