Ronald Acuna-Braves-OF
Ronald Acuna made his much anticipated major league debut. Acuna was 1-5 with a run scored against the Reds. In Triple-A this year Acuna was hitting .232 with 1 HR, 9 R, 2 RBI, and 4 SB. This proves that despite having a massive fantasy ceiling Acuna is far from a finished product nor is he a slam dunk to hit the ground running. He owns a 24% strikeout rate in 321 Triple-A plate appearances, which is not likely to go down in the majors. Acuna does have a huge ceiling even for the rest of this season. It is not out of the question for Acuna to go 20 HR/20 SB the rest of the way. Only eight players last year (Altuve, Betts, Pham, Andrus, Gardner, Trout, Benintendi, Meyers) were able to go 20/20 and only one was a rookie. Only four out of those eight were able to do it with a .275 AVG or better, which is the projection for Acuna. This will be an exciting summer for both Acuna's fantasy owners and Braves fans.
Jon Gray-Rockies-SP
Jon Gray went 6 IP and gave up 0 ER on 3 H, 1 BB, and 11 K's against the Padres. Gray had been a major disappointment if you look at his surface stats. He was 1-4 with a 7.09 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP coming into today's game. However, if you look at his underlying stats there is reason to believe that he will continue to turn it around. Gray's strikeout rate has dropped to 20% from 24% last year but he is actually missing more bats this year with a 10.2% swing strike rate. He will see regression in his .372 BABIP and 58% LOB, which will help lower his ratios. Gray had trouble in Coor's this year with 13 ER and a .495 wOBA against over his first two starts but was excellent today. For the time being it would be wise to start Gray on the road until he gets fully back on track but there is an opportunity here to buy a pitcher whose skills are much better than his surface stats.
Michael Taylor-Nationals-OF
Michael Taylor was 1-3 with 2 R and 2 BB against the Giants. Taylor is hitting only .224 but he is filling the stat sheet with 15 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, and 9 SB. The .271 AVG from a year ago is unlikely but he does have the potential to go 20 HR/20 SB albeit with a low average. The good news is that Taylor won't have Victor Robles breathing down his neck for a while with Robles out for an extended period of time with his elbow injury. Taylor will continue to run with the Nationals leading the league in steals (27) to start the year. With stolen bases being down once again Taylor's value has risen tremendously the past two weeks. The high strikeout rate 33% will lead to slumps but the overall numbers are going to be there for Taylor.
Trevor Story-Rockies-SS
Trevor Story was 1-3 with 1 R and 1 RBI against the Padres. Story is hitting .253 with 6 HR, 12 R, 19 RBI, and 5 SB through 26 games. The batting average is not great but there is a lot to like for Story in the early going. He has shown an improved eye at the plate by upping his walk rate to 12% from 9% last year. His walk rate growth is supported by an increase in his zone swing percentage and a drop in swing out of the zone. The strikeout rate is still high at 31% but it is manageable given the counting stats that he is providing. Story is maddening to own in head to head leagues due to his home/road splits but in roto leagues the stats are going to be there. He is a career .282/.356/.594 at home compared to .224/.295/.421 on the road.
Tyson Ross-Padres-SP
Tyson Ross went 4 IP and gave up 4 ER on 6 H, 3 BB, and 7 K's against the Rockies. Coming into today's game Ross had a 2.81 ERA (3.50 SIERA) with solid strikeout numbers (24%), good control (7% BB), and 51% GB. These numbers fit in line with what he was doing prior to the shoulder injury in 2016. His fastball velocity has not returned but he is making up for it by using 47% sliders which would be a career high. Ross gets the benefit of pitching in the National League and in a good home park for pitchers. He was unlikely to maintain a sub three ERA and is a major health risk but his skills suggest that he can be an above average starter on your fantasy team. Ross will get a plus matchup next time out with the Giants in San Francisco.
DFS Value Plays: Rafael Devers ($3,800) and Chase Anderson ($6,600)
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