Jacob Barnes, RP, MIL (CBS: 23% owned): Okay, the debut was an unmitigated disaster, but for the next two months until Corey Kneble returns, someone has to man the ninth inning in Milwaukee. The price has definitely dropped, but Barnes is still the go-to guy.
Yonny Chirinos, RP/SP, TAM (CBS: 8% owned): Chirinos has gotten out of the gate strong, tossing nine shutout innings (in two starts) against the Red Sox, allowing only four hits and one walk. Take a look at his 2017 numbers. A 2.73 ERA is not too shabby. 26 walks in 168 1/3 IP is outstanding. Jose DeLeon and Brent Honeywell aren’t part of the equation. What’s not to like?
Shin-Soo Choo, OF, TEX (CBS: 45% owned): Three homers in his first 35 at-bats and an OPS of 1.013. It’s not like we haven’t seen valuable contributions from Choo in the past.
Ryan Flaherty, 2B/3B, ATL (CBS: 5% owned): All it took was a move out of Baltimore, and Flaherty immediately becomes semi-relevant.
Dustin Fowler, OF, OAK (CBS: 16% owned): It appears as if Mark Canha is going to get the first look, replacing Boog Powell who hits the DL with a sprained right knee, but the player you want to own and who will eventually be a factor in center field for Oakland is Dustin Fowler. Buy him now, stash him on your bench, and wait for the eventual arrival.
Shane Greene, RP, DET (CBS: 59% owned): Yeah, I know it’s the Tigers, and they might only win 65 games, but someone has to get saves. It’s worth a quick scan, to see if you happen to be playing in one of the 41 percent of Leagues where Greene is available.
Yuli Gurriel, 1B, HOU (CBS: 51% owned): Gurriel is currently rehabbing at Double-A Corpus Christi and has gone 4-for-8 with a pair of RBI. He should be ready to roll when he is eligible to come off the DL at the end of this week.
Joey Lucchesi, SP, SD (CBS: 14% owned): The big southpaw upped the ante in his second start against the Rockies, tossing five innings of one-hit ball, with seven strikeouts. His next start is at Mile High, so a spot on your bench is the safe route to take. Those Minor League numbers do jump out at you, don’t they?
Victor Martinez, DH, Det (CBS: 8% owned): The problem has never been his ability to hit. It was his ability to stay healthy. He’s still healthy and worthy of a bit more love than an eight per cent level of ownership.
Keynan Middleton, RP, LAA (CBS: 18% owned): The path to saves keeps getting more and more blurred in Anaheim. Six shutout innings and a save in the early-going is a good way to get Manager Mike Scioscia’s attention.
Mike Minor, SP, TEX (CBS: 43% owned): The debut against the Astros was solid, the second game against the Jays, even better. The current “ace” in Texas has another tough start just around the corner, going up against Gerrit Cole and the Astros, but needs to be owned in all formats.
Chris Owings, 2B/SS/OF, ARZ (CBS: 41% owned): 9-for-21 with a homer, stolen base and seven runs scored is a nice way to get out of the gate. The multi-position eligibility is a huge bonus.
Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, BOS (CBS: 57% owned): In an unusual set of circumstances, ERod is actually ahead of schedule and will be making his 2018 debut today. His success will go a long way in determining the Red Sox eventual fate (not to mention mine) in 2018.
Preston Tucker, OF, ATL (CBS: 30% owned): It’s a small sample size, but so far the 10-for-26 with two homers and nine RBI performance is a bit more than just keeping a spot warm for the eventual arrival of Ronald Acuna.
Christian Villanueva, 3B, SD (CBS: 13% owned): You won’t get credit for that three-homer barrage against the Rockies, but who knows what magic lurks in that bat moving forward. In deeper Leagues, my curiosity has been perked.
Kirby Yates, RP, San Diego Padres (CBS: 7% owned): Brad Hand has been anything but stellar in the early going. The leash will be long, but if the struggles continue, expect at some point to see Mr. Yates move into a bit more of a prominent role for the Friars.
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