Will Benson, OF CIN
Despite an absolute flood of red on his StatCast page, easy to count 5 SBs and an enormous physique, Will Benson continues to take the seat vs. LHP. As the Cincinnati Reds struggle to utilize talent, avoid injury or do much of anything right, Benson will continue to enrage fantasy baseball managers due to his salivary gland triggering 15.4% Barrel Rate, 13.3% BB Rate and near-elite speed. Until Buddy Bell's son and whomever calls the shots for owner Phil "where you gonna go" Castellini realize they have a cross of Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis in Will Benson, expect sporadic playing time. Target for trade in NL Only to prey upon frustrated managers like myself.
Bailey Ober, SP MIN
Your pitching stalled? Hire an Ober: his ERA is still a bit crooked (4.96), so if you can sneak a trade for the massive SP (6'9') order Ober before his rates go up. After one massive implosion start, Ober is over it: 17 IP, 1.06 ERA, 0 HR, 16/3 K/BB, .140 AVG over his last 3 starts. Saturday night was alright for whiffing: 14 whiffs over 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks. He induces weak contact (86 MPH average exit velocity) and keeps the walk rate tight (5.6%) so the damage tends to be minimal when he's hitting his spots. Ober encourages a 33% chase rate, so he can get away with unhittable pitching at times, further strengthening his floor.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B DET
What's cooler than being cool? Ice cold. Unfortunately, Torkelson's bat continues to cool after a brief flare up on Friday (3 for 4). Icicles form not only from his measurables (1.7% Barrels Rate and 28.3% Sweet Spot) but also his expected stats: look behind the frozen pizza and his .286 xOBA is .286 and .315 xSLG hide in the back of the freezer. This all begs the question: does the light in the fridge stay on when the door closes? I mean is there room for optimism? Yes, the man hit 30 HR last year but his OPS dipped below .800 by the end of 2023. He's a buy extremely low candidate if you're desperate at 1B and a "consider dropping" if the waiver wire is dangling the likes of Rhys Hoskins or maybe Mark Canha.
Francisco Lindor, SS NYM
Lingering worries over Lindor? Yes, say those who found Francisco draftable in the second round of both his NL-Only and 13-Team Mixed League. The good: he hit a home run and stole a base on Friday, He also continues to make great choices on his swings with a 11% K Rate that's elite and an extremely low 20% chase rate. The bad: his StatCast page is New York Met blue...average exit velocity (88 MPH) is low and so is both Barrel Rate (4.3%) and Hard Hit Rate (38%). So, what do I, I mean the people who drafted Lindor early, pinning their 2024 hopes on his sweet switch-hitting swing and equally enamoring smile? Hold steady and hope the skills he's demonstrated for years reveal themselves soon. If not, go ahead and panic (but wait another month first). For those not me, try to buy low.
Jesus Luzardo, SP MIA
Has he risen? His slider whiff rate has risen, indeed, to something you can believe in: Luzardo's 56% rate of whiff may keep the congregation from nodding off during his 2024 pitching service. Those hoping to have their faith rewarded didn't get a miracle, exactly, a Wrigley Field on Saturday, but according to (slightly Doubting)Thomas Nestico (@TJStats), Luzardo regained some command among the believers with a 62% strike rate and 96 MPH velocity on the 4-seamer only elicited 6.2% whiff rate. His holy trinity of slider, 4-seamer and change-up dominated his Chicago crusade, it's his changeup that's in ascension, converting an encouraging 29% Whiff rate. Luzardo is a good buy low candidate, especially if your league is dominated by non-believers.
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