Felipe Rivero
Don't be surprised if Rivero starts getting save opportunities, as Tony Watson blew his second straight save opportunity on Wednesday night. Watson was already on a wobbly chair in Pittsburgh, and Rivero has been excellent once again this season. He's sporting a spiffy 0.60 ERA with 9.60 strikeouts per nine. His FIP (2.59) and xFIP (2.83) suggest he's been getting a bit lucky, but what pitcher with a sub-1.00 ERA doesn't have the same gap (besides Kenley Jansen)? Rivero has just three saves in his career, so if he does get the gig, it's no guarantee that he handles the transition smoothly. There's definitely a difference between pitching in the seventh and eighth innings (as Rivero has been doing) and pitching in the ninth. Still, Rivero has the talent, so he's worth the pickup.
Scott Schebler
Schebler left the yard for the 17th time this season, continuing his breakout campaign for the Reds. The 17 homers rank in a tie for second in all of baseball, and they are tied for the league lead in the National League. Schebler isn't slowing down either, as he hit eight in each April and May. The only drawback with Schebler is a relatively low RuBIn total despite the lofty home run total. He has just 27 runs and 31 RBI, and that is due in large part to a .325 on-base percentage. Those numbers could actually improve though, as his .235 BABIP is bound for some positive regression. The bump in BA and RuBIns should be enough to cancel out any negative regression he's due for with a slightly (although not crazy) above-average HR/FB rate. Schebler is part of the Swing Elevation Revolution, and he has a fantasy breakout to show for it.
Ian Desmond
Desmond had his best game in a month, going 3-for-5 with two runs, an RBI, and a steal against Cleveland on Wednesday. It was only his second three-hit game of his abbreviated season, as the 31-year-old has struggled getting back into a rhythm in 2017. After the three-hit day, Desmond is slashing .274/.303/.385, not the type of numbers owners were hoping for when they took a mid-round gamble on the newly-acquired Rockie. Desmond is hitting the fewest amount of fly balls of his career, and his 60.6 percent ground ball rate ranks among the league-leaders. Again, not ideal for the type of hitter owners want Desmond to be. There's still time for Desmond to shake off a bit more rust and start elevating the ball, but there have definitely been seasons in Desmond's past where he has been a big fantasy disappointment. It might not be a bad idea to use the nice evening to sell on Desmond and just move on.
Daily Fantasy
Tyler Chatwood ($31)
Chatwood is once again experiencing severe home and road splits in 2017, making him a rough keep in year-long leagues but an excellent daily option. The stat lines from his home starts drive down the price for Chatwood, as he has given up 6, 5, 1, 5, and 4 runs in his past five home starts, while he has given up just 1, 0, 2, 5, and 0 in his past five road starts. For his career, Chatwood has a 5.27 ERA at home compared to just 3.17 on the road. His 2017 numbers fall into line with that pattern, albeit to even more of an extreme. Chatwood owns a 7.03 home ERA and 2.68 road ERA this season. The matchup isn't the best, as he has to go to Chicago and face the Cubs, but the aforementioned 2.68 road ERA shows he is an elite option on the road, not just a pedestrian one.
J.T. Realmuto ($14)
Usually batter vs. pitcher stats aren't the most reliable, the sample size is too small and there hasn't been a lot of evidence that there is any real long-term correlation. That being said, when a batter dominates a pitcher as thoroughly as Realmuto has owned Gerrit Cole, it's fair to read at least something into the numbers. Realmuto has nine hits in 11 career at bats against Cole, with a homer and steal included along the way. Realmuto is an excellent hitter regardless of who he is facing, so he won't come cheap, but the Marlins' backstop should prove worthy of the price tag, especially given the relative lack of production behind the plate in daily fantasy.
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