1. Yovani Gallardo (SP - Brewers) - Another QS for Gallardo gives him 12 out of his 15 starts for the season. His three non-QS were two against the Cardinals in April (as I wrote about in a previous post) and one random one against the Cubs where he allowed 5 ER in 6.0 IP. Gallardo has gone at least 6.0 IP in all but the two non-QS against the Cards and still has a K/I of 1.0 for the year. While he is just 6-5 and those 3 non-QS really inflate his numbers, Gallardo is probably a bit underrated in fantasy circles. Two starts next week for him against the Reds and the Diamondbacks.
2. Martin Prado (OF - Braves) - Prado hit his 5th HR of the season yesterday as the ball was flying out of Yankee Stadium. The key to Prado's fantasy value isn't his power, but his high OBP, average, and multiple position eligibility (3B/OF). The 7 steals he has on the year surely doesn't hurt either, but that is already at a career-high so don't expect consistent speed results out of him for the rest of the year. His line currently sits at .313/.374/.460 and has an impressive BB/K of 0.83.
3. Anthony Rizzo (1B - Cubs) - When Byan LaHair started in the OF two games ago, the hype machine for Anthony Rizzo kicked into full gear. LaHair was back at 1B yesterday, but that hasn't stopped fantasy owners from running to the waiver wires to make a claim for Rizzo. Before we get into his 2012 minor league numbers, let's not sweep his 2011 Big League numbers under the rug ust yet. Rizzo had 153 PA with the Padres last season and posted a .141/.281/.242 with 1 HR and 46 K's. At 21 years old, you can chalk it up to rookie jitters and lack of experience. After being traded to the Chicago Cubs, Rizzo has been mashing in Triple-A in 2012 with a .356/.419/.724 included 23 HR, 59 RBI, and a 173 TB in 239 AB. With numbers like that, he has to be a must-add for when he gets called-up. That decision looks like it could be any day and you'll want to be first to the wires now to make your claim.
4. Nate Eovaldi (SP - Dodgers) - Just another QS for Eovaldi who is now 5-for-6 since being called on by the Dodgers. That's good for a 2.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, but he still remains winless with an 0-3 record. While the string of QS has been nice, he is only posting a K/9 of 5.9 and a K/BB of 1.7. I'm a bit concerned that the lack of K's combined with a FIP of 3.77 (xFIP of 4.24) might mean some normalization in the near future, but I am still liking his upcoming 2-start week against the Giants on the road in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park and against the Mets back at home.
5. Ricky Nolasco (SP - Marlins) - "Risky" Nolasco had one of those starts that makes you want to cringe. He allowed 9 ER and 9 hits in just 3.1 IP for his 6th loss of the season. He has a history of getting his fantasy owners comfortable with a few QS in a row followed by one of these blow-ups. In 2011, he had two starts where he allowed 9 ER in one game and 11 ER in another. Why Nolasco at times has shown signs of serviceability for his fantasy owners, he just remains too risky to take a chance blowing an ERA or WHIP (especially in H2H leagues). He is just a few months away from turning 30 so his potential to turn the corner and become dominant is closing.
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