Byron Buxton, OF, MIN
It's been a rough first two games for Buxton, who has now struck out in 6 of his 10 PA's in 2017. Of course, it's only two games, but this can't be a pleasant sight for fantasy owners who were hoping that Buxton will improve upon his career 34.5% K%. A power surge could always come like we saw last September, but I wouldn't hesitate to sit him if you're fighting to keep up your BA.
Corey Dickerson, OF, TB
Once again hitting out of the leadoff spot, Dickerson had a big game going 2-4 with a HR on Wednesday. Without the aid of Coors Field, Dickerson's high K% will prevent him from hitting for a good BA, and he won't play much at all against LHP's. But batting leadoff against righties will still give Dickerson significant value. Last year, he compiled an .807 OPS with 22 of his 24 HR's coming against right-handers. He also was much better away from Tropicana Field posting an .860 OPS with 17 HR's on the road compared to .650 and 7 HR's at home. If you can afford to leave Dickerson on the bench when he has a bad matchup or isn't playing, he could be a nice add for a fantasy team.
Sam Dyson, RP, TEX
Dyson had his second horrible outing in a row to begin the 2017 campaign, this time blowing a save by allowing 5 ER's in the 9th inning, including a grand slam to Francisco Lindor. In his two outing this season, Dyson has combined to allow 8 ER's in 1 IP without striking out any of the 12 batters he's faced. Ultimately, he may be fine, but one would think that his closer job could already be in jeopardy. With Matt Bush and Jeremy Jeffress waiting in the wings, Dyson may have little room for error right now.
Michael Pineda, SP, NYY
Pineda's 2017 debut was like a microcosm of his 2016 season - a lot of strikeouts, not a lot of walks, and somehow very bad results. On Wednesday, Pineda struck out 6 without a walk in 3.2 IP but allowed 4 ER's on 8 hits including a HR. With such good peripherals, you would think things would have to improve for Pineda, even if he does give up a good number of HR's. Part of the problem may be Yankee Stadium, as his HR/FB at home last season was 23.3% compared to 9.6% on the road. But how do you explain his .335 BABIP over the past two seasons, the 2nd highest mark in MLB over that span? And the .636 BABIP that he posted on Wednesday? This may not just be bad luck, but I still have to believe things will improve for Pineda. I'm not letting go yet.
Joe Musgrove, SP, HOU
Musgrove had a decent rookie campaign in 2016, posting a 55:16 K:BB ratio through 62 IP for the season. On Thursday, he is the 2nd cheapest SP on DraftKings, and faces a Mariners lineup that has scored just 4 runs total in their first 3 games combined this season. DraftKings Value Play $7,000.
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