Brian Dozier (2B-MIN)
Brian Dozier went hitless with a strikeout in four at-bats on Wednesday, dropping his batting average to .236 and his OPS to .697. Dozier has one hit in his last 22 plate appearances. Things would look even worse if Dozier hadn't started the season on a 17-game hitting streak, the longest such streak in the majors this season. Dozier's home/away splits are quite distinct in 2018. He is surprisingly struggling at home (.258 wOBA with a 0.36 BB/K compared to .380 and 1.00 on the road). It's hard to make sense of that as he played better at home in 2017. That seems to be more of an issue of sample size than anything else. Yet there are still some slight concerns with Dozier's batted ball profile. While his contact rate is improved, it's mostly soft contact (15.9% in 2017 to 23.3% this season). Therefore, his ISO is down to .155, which would be the lowest since his rookie season. He has four home runs and two stolen bases so there's plenty to suggest he'll contribute the counting stats, but right now his 97 wRC+ simply suggests a run-of-the-mill second baseman. We know he's not that. Expect a rebound sooner rather than later.
Justin Upton (OF-LAA)
Upton turned on an 0-1 Dylan Bundy curveball in the 5th inning, his first home run since April 14 and fifth of the season. He finished Wednesday's game with four RBIs in five plate appearances. Upton is one of the more frustrating players to own in H2H leagues. In roto leagues, you just have to go with the flow. He's always been streaky and 2018 is no exception. Heading into Wednesday's game, since April 15, Upton has a 35.8% strikeout rate, a 5.7% walk rate and a .163 wOBA. That's "Slumpy Upton" (is slumpy a word?). Prior to that extreme slump, Upton had a much more acceptable 0.5 batting EYE with a .377 wOBA. That was Good Upton. He's currently slashing .229/.286/.390 with a .293 wOBA, but another bout of Good Upton will lift those ratios closer to career norms. With all that being said, it's still likely Upton's 2017 career year will never be matched. It was a contract year, and it led to a big deal in the offseason, but now he can settle back into his slightly underwhelming but overall acceptable fantasy contributions.
Luis Severino (SP-NYY)
Severino threw a masterpiece against the defending champs, striking out 10 Astros in his first career complete game shutout. He was touching 100 mph in the 9th inning and made the talented Houston lineup look silly. With a heavy dose of fastballs, the Yankees ace induced 17 swinging strikes and started all but one batter with a first-pitch strike. He's allowing more fly balls than usual and in Yankee Stadium that could turn into a problem, but other than that, Severino is a true Cy Young candidate.
Blake Snell (SP-TB)
Snell is quietly morphing into a fantasy stud. Wednesday's outing was his fifth straight start allowing two runs or less. Lackluster run support kept Snell from his fifth win in his last five starts. Instead he settled for a no-decision, and unfortunately it was also only his second start with less than five strikeouts. However, as he has throughout his young career, Snell is averaging more than a strikeout per inning. A big difference this year is he's reduced his walk rate by over a batter per 9 while increasing his velocity. He's only 25 years old, and his early-season success is the precursor to what could be a phenomenal season.
Mike Minor (SP-TEX); DraftKings: $5,300
I'll continue to beat this drum as long as I can, but START LEFTIES AGAINST THE RED SOX!!! Boston destroys righties but has the lowest wOBA in baseball against left-handed pitching. The last I checked Mike Minor is a lefty, and he costs a measly $5,300 pitching at home where he has a 2.25 ERA allowing a .193 opponents' batting average and striking out 10.13/9.
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