Good morning, FA Nation!

As the season marches on, we’re already starting to see some of our hot starts cool down and cold starts heat up. The law of averages can be a cruel thing, but as a seasonal player, you’ve learned to understand, accept and, at times, embrace the notion. My man Yasiel Puig may have hit in three-straight recently, but since his torrid four-game start to the season, he’s just 5-for-24 (.208) with just one extra-base hit and six strikeouts. On the other side of the coin, Miguel Cabrera didn’t get his first 2017 hit of until the fifth game of the season but has since gone 6-for-21 (.286) with a home run in each of his last two games and four RBI. I’d say one up, one down, but that holds a much different meaning to me.

But while things start to balance out, I wanted to talk about the weekend games with regard to your bench and working the waiver wire. While MLB is far from the NBA, we definitely see a number of regulars, catchers in particular, get the day off either Saturday or Sunday with the morning starts. On the Fantasy Alarm SiriusXM show earlier in the week, I mentioned the Four Questions of Fantasy Baseball which every seasonal player should be asking him/herself on a weekly basis and here are two of them in action:

  1. Does everyone on my bench serve a purpose?
  2. Am I using the waiver wire appropriately?

With the majority of seasonal leagues using daily roster moves, your bench and how you use the waiver wire become increasingly important. While it’s always good to stay proactive and continually looking ahead, too many owners burn bench spots with speculative adds and leave productive players sitting on the wire. I love the idea of stashing Lewis Brinson for his eventual call-up, but if I’m limited to a five-player bench and the league has daily roster moves, I’m putting myself at a disadvantage by not having someone I can use right now to replace guys who are sitting. I usually speak out against micro-management of rosters, but this isn’t so much micro-management as much as it is maximizing your at-bats during the weekends and off-days like Monday and Thursday which traditionally have shorter slates.

Now keep in mind, you’re not going to always field a full active roster. Not only is that a near-impossibility, but even an attempt to do so will cause far too much roster turnover and you’ll be losing waiver priority for just three at-bats. That’s not the way to work this. Go check your waiver wire and look for players who see, at least, a decent amount of playing time and could be used with some regularity.  For example, Trayce Thompson, who I mentioned in yesterday’s Daily Bender. He’s not the be-all, end-all of outfielders, but the Dodgers are going to use him against lefties. If you look at the team’s upcoming schedule and see they are facing three lefties in six games, he could be a nice addition to your team, especially if those starts fall on days with shorter slates.

Obviously it depends on your league – the size, the waiver process, how deep your bench is, how competitive it might be – but a few names who could/should fit the bill here include: Danny Espinosa, Andrelton Simmons, Howie Kendrick, Jorge Polanco, Freddy Galvis, Alex Gordon, Josh Reddick, Michael Saunders and even Nick Markakis. These guys aren’t going to light it up for you on a regular basis and sometimes you’ll even get an 0-for-4 from them. But overall, you’re increasing your chances to augment your offensive totals and considering that’s your goal in any league format, it’s a no-brainer.

Other Random MLB Thoughts

Anyone else concerned with Noah Syndergaard here? First there was the blister issue and last night it happened again. Only later did we find out it wasn’t a blister, but that he tore back one of his fingernails. Now I don’t know about you, but even hearing the phrase “torn fingernail” makes the tips of my fingers hurt. They say he’s going to make his next start, but is it going to affect his grip at all? Between the blister, the fingernail and the larger-than-life persona developing, I’m wondering if the mighty Thor is going to remain both focused and effective regarding the task at hand. I’m all for him having fun, but his time on the mound is the No. 1 priority. Last thing we need is a hybrid of Rich Hill and Yasiel Puig.

The Jon Gray news is certainly a bummer. Apparently the toe issue has manifested into a full-blown stress fracture and he is going to be out for at least a month before he even gets re-evaluated. I’m still a fan of the overall skill set and will stash him on my DL where I can, but while tracking the progress, should I need that DL spot for another player in order to pick up someone I really want, I won’t be afraid to cut him. For a full work-up on the injury and its effects on the young hurler, check out the video posted by our resident fantasy doc, Dr. Selene Parekh.

This lingering groin issue for Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco is becoming annoying. I don’t mind him sitting out, but if he’s going to be back and forth in the lineup because of it, wouldn’t a 10-day DL stint be better for the long run? Groin and hamstring issues, just like the calf issues we see for Adrian Beltre and Josh Donaldson, tend to linger and if not treated properly, can be a burden throughout the season. I know these guys want to play and manager want their bats in the lineup, but haven’t we learned that “better safe than sorry” is a much more sensible approach here in April where the weather is crappy in most places? Cold, damp weather is not good for these types of injuries and you don’t need to be a doctor or stay at a Holiday Inn Express to know that.

Owners of Rick Porcello – how many “I told you so’s” did you get after last night’s debacle? I won’t add to it, because I don’t want to rub salt in the wounds. You can throw a nice F-off to those who did it and DON’T own Justin Verlander. They’re probably the only ones allowed.

The games are about to start for the day, so get those last-minute lineups set. We’ve got a great show planned for me and Lisa Ann today on Sirius, so if you’re around from 3-5pm ET, you’re going to want to tune in!

Good luck today and I’ll see you all in the money this year!