Stephen Strasburg (SP, WAS) - Strasburg is performing at ace level so far in 2017. The only problem is, he is the second-best pitcher on his team, as Max Scherzer has asserted himself as the best in the game up to this point. On Wednesday, Strasburg struck out 13 Cubs as the Nats beat the Cubs 8-4. In addition to the pile of K's, Strasburg went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits while walking just one. The victory pushed his record to 9-2 on the year. Much like teammate Anthony Rendon no one has questioned his talent. The knock has been the health, which so far in 2017 has held up for the veteran righty. The 3.19 FIP is an excellent indicator of Strasburg's ability to pound the zone, and get strikeouts. The K% of 27.5% is actually down from where he ended 2016, but further shows how he attacks batters. At this point, keep starting him, and hope you do not see the red DL distinction next to his name, as we have seen with so many players this season. When healthy, you have an ace on your hands.
Danny Santana (OF, ATL) - Santana makes the list as a cheap bat to target if you decide to go with Kershaw and his hefty price tag. Atlanta will face Dinelson Lamet at home on Thursday, and the youngster has been lit up by lefties in his six starts in 2017. Lamet owns an eye-popping .466 wOBA against lefties, and they are slugging .763 against him. Of the eight homers he has allowed, six have come from righties. Santana owns an ISO of .192 against righties. Not great, but a solid number for a guy who will have a cheap price. Add in the whopping 45.5% hard contact rate against righties and it lines up for a nice matchup, especially at his $2200 price tag. Of course, Atlanta lefties Matt Adams, and Ender Inciarte are in play here as well, but rostering them will make it tough to roll with Kershaw.
Nolan Arenado (3B, COL) - Arenado was being Arenado Wednesday in the Rockies' 5-3 loss to the Giants. The stud third baseman went 2 for 4 with two RBI on the day. On the season, the 26-year-old is slashing .294/.347/.549 with 15 homers and 61 RBI. Coming off consecutive 40 plus home run seasons, he is a bit off that pace in 2017 as he is currently looking at 30 bombs and 122 driven in at the end of the year. Whether you are looking at counting stats or metrics, there are few holes in Arenado's game. The .314 BABIP, the .256 ISO, the .369 wOBA, are all a notch above the pack. I could go on and on with the numbers that solidify his status as an elite player in fantasy. Plus, he already owns four Gold Gloves at the hot corner, with many more figuring to come. He is the real deal in all aspects, and if you own him, especially in a dynasty, pat yourself on the back, you are most likely contending for a championship.
Travis Shaw (3B, MIL) - Shaw hit home run number 17 Wednesday as the Brewers came up short in a 4-3 loss to the Reds. Even though he ranks as the sixth best 3B in fantasy, it does not seem he is getting the credit he is due. On the season, Shaw is hitting .294/.353/.565 with the 17 homers, to go along with 57 RBI and seven stolen bases. Currently he is pacing himself for a 34 home run, 115 RBI, 14 steal season, which are marks that would far surpass what owners expected. His .263 ISO ranks 20th in all of baseball, and his hard contact is at 37%. His 20.3% K% is high, but is down nearly 5% from last year, and his other numbers make the strikeouts a small issue. If you took Shaw in drafts, enjoy the rewards.
Ryan Braun (OF, MIL) - The 33-year-old veteran launched his eighth home run Wednesday in the Brewers' 4-3 loss to the Reds on Wednesday. It was Braun's second game back from a calf strain that kept him sidelined for a month. On the season, his slash reads .259/.341/.536, as the batting average is 44 points lower than his career mark of .303. So far in 2017, it is a down year for Braun, as his numbers are lower than his career marks across the board. His .362 wOBA is 26 points lower than his career mark of .288, while the ISO is up from .240 for his career to .259. The K% is high at 21.3%, but his OBP of .344 is still useful for owners. Braun could be a potential buy low candidate based upon his numbers, and could be a sneaky veteran add for your outfield in most formats. I have to proceed with caution however since it is a 33-year-old outfielder who is having calf issues.
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