Ian Desmond - OF (+SS?), TEX - 2016 is looking like 2015 a bit, as Ian Desmond is trying to crawl out of a statistical chasm created by an abysmal first few weeks of the year. Desmond is 14-34 with 3 2B and 3 HR over his last 10 games, and he's scored 12 runs and swiped 4 bases over that span as well. The 30 year old is really starting to look a bit more comfortable finally, as his chase rate is way down compared to prior years, which of course has him walking more than ever before. The few homers he's hit have been bombs as well, showing that the excellent power is still intact when he can make use of it. With the bat speed there, the foot speed there, and a more patient approach at the plate, Desmond should continue to have value regardless of the AVG.....which of course has been the case the past few years anyway. Even as an OF, Desmond should remain a viable play in all formats.
Ian Kennedy - SP, KC - Kennedy continued to miss bats on Sunday, but pitch inefficiency limited him to 5-plus innings in a win over the Mariners. He allowed 4 hits and 1 run with 2 walks and 6 K's on 103 pitches in the 4-1 victory. Kennedy is indeed missing bats at his usual excellent rate, but the average to average-minus control and extreme flyball rate have me concerned, and the hugely favorable BABIP that he's sporting right now adds to the issue. I loved him in San Diego and his stuff hasn't deteriorated a bit, but I think it would be wise to limit his exposure to power-laden teams and hitters' ballparks even with the success that he's shown thus far.
Seth Smith - OF, SEA - Smith finished the series against the Royals 5-10 with 3 walks and 2 homers, and fueled by the best contact rate of his career by a sizable margin, Smith is now batting 317/440/550 through his first 60 ABs of the season. The numbers against RHP are even sillier, as he's 0-4 with a BB against LHP. He's been underrated for so long it's just part of life...he's owned at under 4% in ESPN leagues. He should be owned and used (whether you have daily or weekly transactions) as much as you can against RHP. Yes, there's a lot of good fortune in this line to start the year, but a career 275/358/480 hitter against RHP (in 2463 AB) should be playing in most formats regardless.
Joe Mauer - 1B, MIN - Mauer had two singles and a double Sunday, and he's now reached base in 25 straight games to start the year. A notoriously patient hitter, Mauer is swinging at only one of three pitches this season, and his chase rate is one of the lowest I've ever seen at just 19%. He's hitting .337, and would it make sense if I told you that his BABIP is UNfavorable by 50 points or so? His hard contact rate is up near 40%, but as always, he doesn't elevate the ball, so it's going to be singles and doubles. He does look locked in for sure, and a .300+ AVG at the end of the year wouldn't surprise me one bit. I still believe him to be a solid CI choice in standard formats even at age 33, and he's unowned right now in about 50% of leagues as far as I can tell. Like Mark Twain, reports of his demise appear to be greatly exaggerated.
Edwin Encarnacion - 1B, TOR - EE has slipped right back into another slump, going 0-15 over the past four games. There's certainly some skill slippage here, but I'm not as worried as the line would lead you to believe. Yes, pitchers are challenging him more (zone% of 47 vs. 42-45 the past 6 years), and he's swinging and missing quite a bit. His hard contact rate is stable, however, and he isn't chasing any more pitches either....he's just missing in the zone. He also has a LD rate of over 29%, yet his BABIP is barely over .300. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, his strained oblique prevented him from having a spring training this year, so he's probably still a week or two away from where most players start the season. I'm willing to gamble that his decline (he is 33, after all) will be more gradual than what we are seeing. I think that he makes for an excellent play in daily on Monday, as he's facing regression candidate A.J. Griffin, and Encarnacion has been a reverse-split (better against RHP) hitter for most of his Blue Jay tenure. Priced at just $3800 on Draftkings, I think he's probably about $1000 under where he ought to be for the day.
