MLB FANTASY PLAYS: Pivetta, Nimmo among players to pick up
With teams more than a quarter of the way through their season, sample sizes are becoming larger and more reliable. That makes it more clear which players to buy into and those that are showing signs of turning their seasons around.
PLAYERS TO PICK UP
Ervin Santana, SP, Minnesota (20 percent owned in Yahoo) - Santana is eyeing an early June return to the Twins, which means now is the time that you should pick him up. He doesn't have high upside, but he's an innings-eating pitcher who will provide a stabilizing floor to your pitching staff.
Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets (2 percent) - The Mets always have too many outfielders, it seems, and this year it's Nimmo who is being left out of the fun. With Yoenis Cespedes on the disabled list, Nimmo will have his shot to play regularly for the Mets. In limited at-bats, Nimmo has shown the ability to get on base with his high walk rate.
Nick Pivetta, SP, Philadelphia (33 percent) -What else does Pivetta have to do to be owned in 80 percent of leagues? He should be a fixture in your rotation each week, regardless of the matchup. After striking out 11 Orioles Wednesday, Pivetta now boasts a 10.37 K/9 and a 3.72 ERA. He's a legitimate fourth starter in fantasy leagues.
Domingo Santana, OF, Milwaukee (55 percent) - There were reasons to be down on Santana after his breakout last year, but with Ryan Braun and Eric Thames both on the disabled list, Santana is going to get plenty of playing time to try to turn his season around. A home run on Wednesday was a good start, as Santana is hitting .308 with four home runs in May. Get him on your roster.
TWO-START PITCHERS TO STREAM
Kevin Gausman, SP, Baltimore (65 percent) - Good Gausman or bad Gausman? Throughout his career, it's been a start-by-start guess. But Gausman has been a solid fantasy contributor besides his first start of the season and his most recent start, where he allowed six earned runs in each. With starts against the White Sox and Tampa Bay, Gausman should get back on track.
Trevor Cahill, SP, Oakland (19 percent) - After a brief stint on the disabled list, Cahill struggled against the Red Sox Wednesday, which isn't a surprise given the plethora of talent up and down the lineup. But Cahill gets the Mariners without Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano next week, as well as the Diamondbacks without A.J. Pollock, Jake Lamb and a slumping Paul Goldschmidt. He's a sneaky streamer.
Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Washington (41 percent) - Hellickson is never a commodity during draft season, but he's consistently putting up solid fantasy numbers year after year. He faces off against two poor offenses in San Diego and Miami next week, making him a trustworthy two-start option.
HITTERS TO STREAM
David Dahl, OF, Colorado (21 percent) - He's not getting the regular playing time that he deserves, but in a home series against the terrible, no good Reds pitching staff, Dahl is an attractive streamer this week.
Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati (5 percent) - No home runs. No stolen bases. What's so special about Winker? His peripherals say he's due for positive regression. There's no place like Coors Field to help turn a season around.
Ryon Healy, 1B/3B, Seattle (63 percent) - Healy has been one of the hottest hitters in the league as of late. In the month of May, Healy is hitting .302 with five home runs and 10 RBI. He gets to feast on the average Oakland and Minnesota rotations this upcoming week.
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