Matt Adams- Cardinals-1B
Matt Adams went 1-4 on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Adams has been hitting for average in the early going to the tune of a .348 AVG. Adams is known for his left handed power stroke, not his contact skills. He managed to hit 17 HR in 319 AB's last year. Adams has homered once and driven in five runs. The Cardinals would like to see Adams start driving the ball with some authority. His .404 BABIP will certainly come down to reality. So the power is going to have to show up, for his value to stay the same as his average comes down. The good news is that Adams has cut down on his strikeouts in the early going, which makes hitting for a higher average more of a possibility. It is only a matter of time until Adams starts to hit for power.
Anthony Rendon-Nationals-2B
Anthony Rendon continued his hot start by going 2-4 with a double and a RBI on Saturday. Rendon is hitting .324 with 3 HR and 14 RBI. Rendon has always had the pedigree to be a major league hitter. The only question has been his ability to hit for power. So it has been nice to see Rendon find his power stroke in the early going. However, there are some concerns as to whether his hot start is part of a growing trend or just that, a hot start.
Rendon has always had a pretty good eye going all the way back to his Rice days. Rendon has an above average 0-Swing % and Z-Swing%. This means that he hardly leaves the zone to attack pitches and when he does get one in the zone, he is going to make contact. Rendon's power numbers are a result of an increased FB%, which has raised his HR/FB ratio to 11.5%. It looks to me that Rendon is turning into an offensive force at 2B.
Starling Marte-Pirates-OF
Starling Marte went 2-4 with his seventh stolen base against the Brewers. Andrew McCutchen is the Pirate outfielder that gets all of the attention, but Marte is starting to make a name for himself, especially in the fantasy community. Marte is unusual in a number of ways. He is very good at stealing bases and getting hit by pitches. Marte is a leadoff hitter that hardly ever walks.
Marte in terms of fantasy does a little bit of everything. He hits for a respectable average (.270-.280), hits for some power (10-15 HR), scores runs (85-95 R), and his specialty, stolen bases (40+). This guy deserves more love from fantasy owners.
Justin Morneau-Rockies-1B
Justin Morneau went 1-3 with his third homerun of the season against the Phillies at Coors Field. The Rockies brought in Morneau to replace Todd Helton and he has batted .333 with 3 HR and 10 RBI. Playing half of his games at Coors Field will definitely benefit Morneau's power numbers. He does struggle against left-handers, but he is a very solid play against right-handers and a must start when playing at Coors Field.
Andre Ethier-Dodgers-OF
Andre Ethier is the odd man out in the Dodgers outfield. Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig seem to be locked into starting spots. That leaves Crawford and Either to battle it out for AB's. Either went 1-4 with a pivotal 3-run homer on Saturday night. Either will continue to get limited at-bats against right-handers. So if you know that Ethier is going to be in the lineup that night, he is more than likely going to have a good matchup and will make for a decent play.
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