Eduardo Rodriguez (SP-BOS) - A lefty with deception, a solid change, and a 92-94 mph fastball who's still just 25 has some intrigue, but will Rodriguez ever put it all together. He entered Monday's action against the Royals coming off three consecutive QS's that took his ERA from 7.36 after his first 2018 start down to 3.63. The Royals though took him for five runs on five hits over just four innings. He walked three and did strike out six, but the inconsistency remains. For year, fantasy owners will no doubt be impressed by his 9.9 K/9, and if Rodriguez can avoid the knee issues that have plagued him in the past, perhaps he'll finally deliver on his perennial sleeper status. He's also doing a better job this year of keeping the ball on the ground (1.4 G/F entering Monday vs. .9 last year), so maybe there's still that breakout season in him.
Jacob Faria (SP-TB) - $20 if you can name the Rays' starting infield or outfield these days, but at least they continue to have solid starting pitching. Faria was off to a terrible start this year, posting a 6.33 ERA and 1.59 ERA through five starts, but he finally came up big on Monday, holding the Tigers to three hits over eight shutout innings with a 6:1 K:BB go lower his ERA to a more respectable 4.60. He entered the night with a poor 9.2% swinging strike rate, but Faria was more effective keeping guys guessing Monday, posting a 12.5% mark against Detroit. Faria has been uncharacteristically wild this year (5.9 BB/9 vs. 3.2 BB/9 in 2017), but that wasn't an issue Monday. Perhaps this one will get him back on track, as Faria was one of the league's more impressive young arms last year (3.43 ERA, 8.7 K/9). Incidentally, Faria came into this one having allowed 12 runs over six innings in two road starts, so that ERA has gone way down.
Lance Lynn (SP-MIN) - I never really bought the whole "he's just an NL guy" explanation for pitchers who switch over to the Junior Circuit and struggle, but maybe Lynn is just that guy. He struggled again on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits (two home runs) over five innings against the Blue Jays. Lynn also walked five and struck out four and now sits with an 8.37 ERA and awful 26:23 K:BB in 23.2 innings, though as we've seen with other pitchers, he's still maintained a strong strikeout rate (9.9 K/9) despite the struggles. Lynn could certainly be rusty after signing late, and perhaps the ankle he hurt in his last start isn't 100%, but he's now five starts into 2018 and he's been just plain awful. The Twins have already moved Phil Hughes to the bullpen, so Lynn will likely get additional opportunities in the rotation, but he'd better show something soon. Anything. On the plus side, his velocity is actually up a bit over last year, but obviously he's been all over the place and he's also allowed five home runs. Stay away please.
Charlie Morton (SP-HOU) - An eighth inning RBI single by Brett Gardner spoiled the shutout, but Morton was dominant yet again Monday against the Yankees no less. He allowed just two hits and the one run over 7.2 innings while striking out 10 and improving to 4-0 with a 1.72 ERA. He might be the best starter right now on a team that includes two more guys with sub-2.00 ERAs (Cole and Verlander), another with an 11.7 K/9 (McCullers), and a fourth that had a 2.90 last year and is a recent Cy Young winner (Keuchel). Morton through 36.2 innings has a 45:13 K:BB while averaging a career-high 96 mph with his fastball. Morton is 34 and has yet to make 30 starts or top 180 innings in a season in his career, but who said pitchers peaked in their early-30s anyway? He's pitching like a Cy Young contender right now and that breaking stuff is just devastating and he's learned to get left-handers out. Morton was rather pricey at $10,500 on Draft Kings, a number that likely scared a lot of people off when they saw the opponent was the Yankees. Congrats if you used him.
Jose Alvarado (RP-TB) - With closer Alex Colome having been used in three of the past four games, it was Alvarado picking up the save for the Rays on Monday. It is worth noting that Chaz Roe actually began the ninth in a 30 game, so he was in line for the save, but Roe hit two guys and allowed an infield single before Alvarado came in with one out. He actually allowed a hit to the first hitter to saddle Roe with a pair of runs before getting an out, walking a batter, and retiring the final hitter to record his first save. It wasn't pretty, but Alvarado has a 2.57 ERA and impressive 16:5 K:BB in 14 innings. Combine that with a fastball that averages 98.2 mph and a ground ball rate that sits at an unbelievable 75%, and Alvarado could be the next guy up should Colome get traded as many suspect he will. Colome also could lose the job given his 6.00 ERA, but he's been much better lately, having allowed just one run in his last five innings. Alvarado though is worth a look in deeper leagues as a potential saves option down the road.
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