in BASEBALL, FANTASY, MLB Major League Baseball

7 Bats Your Fantasy Baseball Roster Needs Right Now

Rick Osentoski - USA TODAY Sports

We’re just over a week into the regular season, and the injury bug has already taken bites out of many fantasy baseball rosters. Big sticks like Nelson Cruz, Jake Lamb, Will Myers and Jedd Gyorko are all on the 10 day DL. If you’re looking for ample replacements for those guys or just trying to improve your lineup, make it a point to trade for or pick these seven bats up off the waiver wire. It’s possible one of them sticks and leads you to the championship.

OF Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh Pirates) – The Buccos have been one of the bigger surprises in baseball early on. Polanco is one of the main reasons why. This kid killed a number of fantasy teams last season by failing to live up to lofty expectations. Injuries played a big role. Because of it, his draft stock plummeted from the previous season. Those that capitalized on the reduced ADP are grinning from ear to ear right now with Polanco batting .280, collecting six XBH to go along with 11 RBI. He’s also walked eight times while striking out only six. He has the look of a completely different and determined player. Though the cost to trade for him right now is high, he’s a difference maker when playing to his true abilities. Something he’s no doubt doing right now.

3B Christian Villanueva (San Diego Padres) – Any time you launch three home runs in a single game and explode for one of the biggest fantasy baseball tallies of the young season, I’m going to take notice. He didn’t have another big game since blowing up against the Rockies until he went 2 for 4 with a double and RBI Friday night in Houston. He’s batting .294 with an OPS of 1.251 through 17 at-bats. Situated in the No. 4 or No. 5 slot of the Padres batting order, it only makes perfect sense to take a flier on this kid if you’re down one of those big bats mentioned up above. Who knows, he could end up giving you excellent output from a utility spot when it’s all said and done.

SS Dansby Swanson (Atlanta Braves) – For all intents and purposes, Swanson has been nothing short of a bust. Both from fantasy baseball and actually playing the game perspectives. Atlanta possesses a young up and coming team brimming with uber talent. Swanson was considered to be one of them years ago. He’s playing like it now having raked 10 hits in 27 at-bats with four XBH to go along with six RBI. Though he’s hitting at the tail end of the Braves’ lineup, he’s batting .318 and has plated at least one RBI in four of his last five games. If 2018 is this kid’s coming out party, you’re going to want to have tickets to the show!

SS Tim Anderson (Chicago White Sox) – Right now, Anderson ranks out ahead of guys like Elvis Andrus, Paul DeJong, Jean Segura, Trea Turner, Javy Baez and Francisco Lindor. Most of those guys were drafted very early. Anderson is probably still sitting on your waiver wire. Why? Two reasons. It’s very early in the season, and he took a major step back last season a year removed from putting forth a credible rookie campaign. Six games into the season, he’s batting .304 and launched 3 HR while swiping four bases. You could do a lot worse than plugging him into one of your middle infield slots and seeing if the hot start is legit or not.

DH Matt Davidson – (Chicago White Sox) Though he only has 1 HR since blowing up for three on Opening Day, the Palehose DH has been a consistent force batting clean-up. He’s raked 8 RBI and is batting a healthy .318 through six games. The most impressive aspect of his start is a 6:4 K/BB ratio. He fanned 165 times and only took 19 walks in 414 at-bats a year ago. That right there lets it be known he just might not kill your batting average nearly as much this fantasy baseball season. Pair that with a big bat that could launch 30 home runs and 100 RBI, and the picture becomes that much clearer. His ownership is currently at an all-season high, so if he’s somehow sitting on yours, snatch him up!

3B Matt Chapman (Oakland A’s) – The A’s third sacker really turned some heads a year ago. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to sustain it in 290 overall at-bats batting .234 and getting on base at a .313 clip. That said, he’s exploded out of the gates and enters the weekend Oakland’s best hitter. He’s collected 12 hits in 30 at-bats, plated 5 RBI and slugged .633. Those outputs will no doubt regress at some point, but Bob Melvin has already shot him up the batting order. Might as well take advantage. If he continues doing what he’s doing, he can get bumped up even higher. If his owner has him riding the pine for bigger names ahead of him, try to land him on the cheap and get rewarded handsomely.

1B Colin Moran (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Moran logged many miles before getting an everyday shot in the majors. He was traded from Miami to Houston and then to Pittsburgh in the Gerrit Cole deal this past offseason. So far, the return on investment has paid off big time with the left-handed stick helping lead the Buccos to a surprising 6-1 start. Nearing his career high for at-bats in a season, Moran is batting towards the bottom of the order but will no doubt force Clint Hurdle to move him up if he keeps doing what he’s doing. He’s tallied at least one hit in four of his last five games, and just blew up for a big fantasy baseball tally on Friday night against the Reds. He’s more or less been all or nothing, but is still worth taking a flier if looking for an injury replacement.

Written by Mike Rose

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