Matt Moore (SP, TB): Moore shined against the White Sox Sunday, giving up two runs in six and one-third innings on five hits with no walks and ten strikeouts. The 26 year old lefty has looked dominant in his first three starts, posting a 2.95 ERA with 21 K's and 3 BB's in 18 1/3 IP. The biggest takeaway here is the much, much improved control; Moore has a career 4.7 BB/9, and this year has trimmed that down to an impressive 1.9 BB/9. That has always been his biggest flaw, and if he can maintain anywhere near this much improved walk rate he will be able to pitch much deeper into games since he won't be wasting pitches, all while maintaining the strikeouts. The early K/9 of 10.31 his also the highest mark of his career. His velocity is already up from last year as well, though not by much. All of the signs are pointing up here, aside from a potential innings limit; he threw only 114 1/3 last year in his return from Tommy John surgery, and the Rays would be wise not to push him too far this year if they aren't competing. So far though, fantasy players that took a late round flier on Moore after his hot Spring Training are looking like big winners. He gets the Yankees next.
Travis Shaw (1B/3B, Bos): Shaw hit his first homer of the season off Blue Jays' closer Roberto Osuna on Sunday, giving him his fifth run and sixth RBI. 40 plate appearances into the season Shaw is slashing .324/.425/.529 with a .206 ISO. The most noticeable change from his debut last year has been his plate discipline; he was basically walking at a league average rate last year at 7.3%, but this year has nearly doubled that early on, sporting a 12.5% walk rate. It's too early to count on that number to stick, but he did have multiple years in the minor leagues with low-to-mid teens walk rates, so a good eye at the plate is a skill he's shown before. His .476 BABIP is quite ridiculous however, and when his BABIP falls, his batting average will settle around the .270 mark where he was at in 2015. A third baseman with 20 HR potential and a strong on-base ability in a favorable park and lineup sounds like a pretty darn good profile, and with Sandoval's shoulder injury he's got all the playing time in the world right now. He's still only 52% owned in CBS leagues, a number that should go up. Go get him if he's available. He's also a decent bargain play on Monday at home against J.A. Happ. Shaw has a career .952 OPS vs LHP. He'll cost you $3,900 on Draft Kings.
Chris Bassitt (SP, Oak): Bassitt was stuck with a no-decision Sunday against the Royals. He allowed only two runs over seven innings, giving up five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 2.79 in the process, but despite his unexpected success against a solid Royals offense, he's not likely to continue putting up these solid outings. He's got a mere 13:9 K:BB ratio through his first 19 1/3 IP this year, and a .233 BABIP has masked his flaws. His FIP (4.53) and xFIP (4.69) scream regression like a damsel in distress, and without even league-average strikeout ability, he's a matchup based streaming option only. You'll want to avoid him for his next start at Toronto.
Michael Sanders (OF, Tor): Saunders has (at least temporarily) supplanted Kevin Pillar as the leadoff bat for Toronto, since Pillar has gotten off so such a bleak start. Saunders, like Pillar, presents home run and stolen base potential on any given day. Leading off for a historically great offense is about as good a spot as you can be in, and Saunders' value on Draft Kings hasn't yet changed to reflect that. He went 1-5 in the leadoff spot with a run scored on Sunday, and so far is slashing .270/.325/.459 with one homer. He'll be facing Clay Buchholz on Monday. Buchholz is off to a horrid start to the season, owning an ERA that Billy Bob from Varsity Blues would be proud of, sitting at an even 10.00 over two starts. Saunders makes for a nice bargain play on Monday. He'll cost you $3,400 on Draft Kings.
Jose Quintana (SP, CWS): Quintana delivered a quility start Sunday against the Rays, throwing six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts. His ERA actually rose with the outing, to 2.55. He's even been unlucky through his first three starts, sporting a .353 BABIP. His FIP (1.61) and xFIP (2.73) love him, and you have to love his 18:3 K:BB ratio through his first 17 2/3 IP. Never in his career has Quintana managed a strikeout per inning (career 7.3 K/9) but he's right there so far this year. His swinging strike rate hasn't changed much, sitting at 9.7%, slightly up from 9.2% from a year ago. His velocity is also the same, so where are these strikeouts coming from? The only noticeable change seems to be in his repertoire; he's all but scrapped the cutter and is throwing more fastballs (unless they've become so similar they're being classified together). He's always had above average command, so if there are more strikeouts with him than there's been in the past, he's got the potential to finish as a top 25 starter. If there's an anti-silver lining to be had here though, he's faced some weak offenses in the Rays, A's and Twins. He'll face the Rangers with his next time out.
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