It’s almost the end of Week 4 in the fantasy baseball season and as we make the final weekend push let’s take a look at the top added players of the past seven days and see how they can help you towards victory in Week 5. 

Catchers

Welington Castillo, ARI – I guess the fantasy world finally woke up in Week 4 and realized that Castillo is the top catcher in fantasy as his ownership level jumped nearly 45 percent over the past seven days.  During that seven-day stretch he hit .429 with five runs, one home run, five RBI and one stolen base.  Castillo plays in a very hitter friendly park and crushes left-handed pitching which has helped drive his production towards being the top ranked catcher in fantasy in standard leagues.  Overall this season Castillo is hitting .288 with11 runs, six home runs, 12 RBI and one stolen base and seeing as he is somehow still available in nearly 30 percent of fantasy leagues if you find him on your waiver wire he should be your number one add.

Yan Gomes, CLE- Gomes saw his ownership levels jump to 25 percent over the last seven days which is likely due to the consecutive games with a home run earlier in week.  The Indians catcher is hitting just .200 on the season with seven runs, three home runs and 11 RBI but fantasy owners still remember that it was just two seasons ago that he hit .278 with 61 runs, 21 home runs and 74 RBI over an entire season.  Gomes was limited to just 95 games last season due to injury but he is now healthy and playing pretty much every day for the Indians which makes his offensive upside very appealing at a position where most catchers offer below average production at the plate.

Carlos Ruiz, PHI- Ruiz is playing a few times a week as he and Cameron Rupp share time behind the plate for the Phillies but when he gets in the game he has produced.  Ruiz currently has a five game hitting streak in which he has scored five runs with two home runs and four RBI during that stretch.  On the season Ruiz is hitting .297 with seven runs, three home runs and six RBI while boasting a .381 OBP and an OPS of .976.  Seeing as he is just a part time player Ruiz is only worth a look in deeper mixed standard leagues and NL-only formats.

First Base

Chris Carter, MIL Carter continues to be a flavor of the week at the first base with his ownership finally creeping over 50 percent in most standard leagues this week.  Over the last seven days Carter has hit .294 with four runs, one home run, one RBI and an OPS of 1.047.  Fantasy owners are continually waiting for that stretch where Carter become a drain on their batting average but here we are almost four weeks into the season and he’s still hitting a very respectable .268 to go with 12 runs, five home runs and 15 RBI.  Carter is hitting in the middle of the Brewers lineup that has begun to show some life recently and with a healthy Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy hitting around him Carter should find himself with plenty of RBI opportunities.

Wil Myers, SD - The Padres may have finally found the answer at first base they have been looking for since trading away Adrian Gonzalez in 2011 to the Red Sox as a now healthy Wil Myers is looking like the player who was once regarded among the top prospects in baseball.  Myers' ownership levels increased to 70 percent over the past week as he continues to hit for a solid average and power.  On the year he is hitting .290 with 12 runs, five home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases while hitting in the middle of the Padres lineup which should create plenty of RBI chances. It seems like a lifetime ago that Myers made his debut with the Rays where hit .293 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI and five stolen bases over 88 games but that just three seasons ago and he has since lost two seasons due to injury and saw himself traded from the Rays to San Diego.  Now healthy Myers is looking to show everybody he still has what it takes to be an impact middle of the order bat which in turn should result in a solid fantasy season.

Mark Reynolds, COL - The power with Reynolds in undeniable as the veteran slugger had hit at least 20 home runs in every season from 2008 through 2014 before hitting just 13 last season over 382 at bats for the Cardinals. Reynolds is now in Colorado where he is playing nearly every day and should have little trouble reaching the 20 homer plateau once again.  The batting average has been an issue for Reynolds throughout his career but so far this season he is hitting .310 for the Rockies so it’s possible that the Coors effect will help him in that department as well.  Currently only owned in 4 percent of standard leagues if you find yourself looking for a cheap power source that plays half of his games in the league’s best offensive ballpark you should really give Reynolds a look.

Second Base

Chris Owings, ARI - Owings has been the primary beneficiary of the unfortunate A.J. Pollock injury as the Diamondbacks shifted him from the infield to center field.  Owings is enjoying a solid season as he hits .294 with 10 runs, six RBI and five stolen bases while getting to play every day.  The DBacks hit Owings towards the bottom of the lineup but that has allowed him to get a bit more aggressive on the base paths and while the pitcher hits behind him his ability to get on and swipe a base as helped drive his run totals.  Owings is owned in just under 10 percent of leagues and he is eligible at three positions which should only increase his fantasy value for those who need some cheap speed.

Jed Lowrie, OAK - The A’s have Lowrie hitting in the middle of the batting order which should present plenty of RBI opportunities.  Over the last seven days he is hitting .409 with three runs, three RBI and an OPS of .940.  He is currently eligible at third base and second base in most leagues but has also played two games at shortstop which could make him eligible there as well depending on your league settings which only adds to his value.  Health has always been the downfall for Lowrie but given that he is currently healthy he should certainly be owned in more than just the 12 percent of leagues that he currently is.

Jedd Gyorko, STL- Yep that’s right.  Jedd Gyorko is cracking the Flavor of the Week list after a solid week which has seen him hit .286 with five runs, two home runs and four RBI. His ownership sits at just over five percent but seeing as he is playing relatively every day in one of the higher scoring offenses in baseball he is certainly worth a look.  Gyorko has plenty of power in his bat but has struggled to make consistent contact during his career to this point but he turned things around a bit in 2015 as he hit .247 with 34 runs, 16 home runs and 57 RBI over 421 at-bats which is really all the production fantasy owners expect out of him.  Jhonny Peralta’s pending return from the DL could see Aledmys Diaz moved to second base which would really cut down on Gyorko’s playing time and could force the Cardinals to find a new position for him if they want his power bat in the lineup.

Shortstop

Zack Cozart, CIN - Cozart is currently hitting leadoff for the Reds which should provide him with plenty of run scoring opportunities and given his ability to hit for some power at the shortstop position is ownership levels should continue to rise.  Over the last seven days Cozart is hitting .364 with five runs, one home run and three RBI.  Overall on the season he has been even better, hitting .373 with 13 runs, two home runs and eight RBI.  Costart was off to a fast start in 2015 before an injury derailed him so with better health we could finally see that breakout season from him that some have been expecting for a few years now.

Ketel Marte, SEA - Marte was a popular sleeper heading into the season but after struggling over the first three weeks of the year many had cut bait for more immediate production.  His ownership levels sit at about 30 percent in standard leagues but they figure to once again be on the rise after an impressive week which saw him hit .417 with five runs and two RBI.  Ideally, Marte will be the Mariners' everyday leadoff hitter which should create ample run scoring opportunities given that Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager all hit behind him.  Marte should also eventually start stealing bases which is somewhat of his calling card and increase his value even further.

Aledmys Diaz, STL - Diaz saw his largest ownership spike of the season over the last week as he is sitting at just around 70 percent in standard leagues and to get there all he had to do was pace the league in batting average at .420 with 18 runs, four home runs, 13 RBI and one stolen base.  What more impressive about his production is that it has all come while hitting at the bottom of the Cardinals lineup.  While it’s certainly unlikely that Diaz hits .400 forever he is showing the ability to make solid contact and his for extra base power which is why he is the number one ranked shortstop in fantasy at this time.  Jhonny Peralta’s return from the DL is coming but it would seem unlikely that Diaz and his .400 batting average would be sent to the bench which could lead to him eventually earning eligibility at a secondary position.

Third Base

Nick Castellanos, DET – Castellanos has been a mainstay on these waiver flavor articles as he is off to the best start of his career and is owned in just over 50 percent of fantasy leagues.  The 24 year old is hitting .355 with 10 runs, three home runs, 14 RBI and one stolen base over the first four weeks of the season and finds him hitting sixth in one of the most productive lineups in baseball.  As a prospect Castellanos was one of the tops in the Tigers organization and it looks as if he is finally realizing that potential in his third full year in the league.  In 2015 Castellanos set career high in home runs (15) and RBI (73) and with good health he should have little trouble meeting those numbers again this season with a great chance of surpassing them.

Martin Prado, MIA - The Dee Gordon suspension while bad news for Gordon owners and the Marlins could be good news for Martin Prado as he hits second in the batting order and could be moved into the leadoff spot which will only increase his run scoring potential.  Over the last seven days Prado has been impressive, hitting .556 with two doubles, three runs, three RBI and an OPS of 1.246.  The veteran third basemen is far from flashy but throughout his career he has been a very steady player and in deeper leagues is certainly worth a look.

Brandon Drury, ARI – Drury has done a little bit of everything for the Diamondbacks this season as he has played third base, outfield and three games at second base as well.  The rookie is hitting .297 with seven runs, three home runs and eight RBI so far on the season and while he may not have one main position the Diamondbacks are willing to find him at bats which adds to his value.  The Diamondbacks sit Jake Lamb against lefties and start Drury at third base and bat him second which makes him an interesting stream play given his favorable spot in the lineup when a southpaw is on the mound and given his pending dual position eligibility he’s worth an add.

Outfield

Odubel Herrera, Phi – Herrera has been a spark plug for the Phillies offense and over the last seven days he is hitting .450 with eight runs, one home run, three RBI and two stolen bases which resulted in his ownership jumping nearly 25 percent.  He still is available in just over 35 percent of fantasy leagues which is a bit surprising seeing as he turned in a solid 2015 campaign where he hit .297 with 64 runs, eight home runs, 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases.  Herrera is leading off for the Phillies and given his ability to hit for some power and steal a bag he should certainly be owned in most formats.

Michael Saunders, TOR - Whelp Michael Saunders is healthy and producing so now is the time to grab him before his next muscle pull lands him on the shelf.  Over the last week he is hitting .333 with three runs, three home runs and four RBI.  His ownership levels are just under 15 percent which is likely due to that injury history I previous alluded to but he is hitting atop one of the most potent offense in baseball and that upside cannot be ignored.  With a full season Saunders can be a 20 homer/20 stolen base threat but it’s very unlikely that he avoids the DL for the remainder of the season.

Gerardo Parra, COL– It’s a bit surprising to see Para’s ownership sitting at just above 55 percent seeing as he plays at Coors field and has proven in the past that he can produce outside of Coors field which should help stabilize his production.  Add to the fact that against righties he has been leading off for Colorado and his ability to hit for some power as well steal a base and you would figure he would be a sure fire fantasy starter.  Over the last week Para is hitting .379 with three runs, one home run, eight RBI and two stolen bases and for the year he’s hitting .292 with 13 runs, two home runs, 12 RBI and five stolen bases.  If Para is available in your league he should be picked up and plugged in, especially when the Rockies are playing at Coors and the runs are aplenty.

Pitchers

Rick Porcello, BOS - As a Red Sox fan I am not 100 percent certain if Porcello’s recent production is really because of him or because catcher Christian Vazquez is a magician.  Either way you can’t deny that Porcello is off to a great start to his season, going 4-0 with a 3.51 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP while striking out 30 over 25.2 innings. His next start comes on Saturday against the Yankees which will certainly be a tough test given their stacked left-handed lineup however they also strikeout a lot which is good news for Porcello who is enjoying his highest K/9 total of his career to this point.

Tanner Roark, WSH– Roark has tossed three shutout performances this season but they have been against the Phillies, Twins and Braves who all rank among the league’s worst offenses but nonetheless you can’t deny his effectiveness when on the mound.  His next start will be a real test against a Royals team that makes solid contact and rarely strikeouts which will make for a true measuring stick on Roark’s season.  It wasn’t too long ago that Roark impressed as a starter when he went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 2014 but 2015 was a rough year as he moved in and out of the bullpen and his production suffered.  If he can hold down the Royals it might be time we start believing that another breakout season from Tanner is in the works.

Rich Hill, OAK – Hill came out of nowhere at the end of 2015 to make four starts for the Red Sox and go 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA while striking out a ridiculous 36 over 29 innings which included finishing the year with three straight 10 strikeout games.  He signed with the A’s in the offseason and is quickly proving that his strikeout ability is no joke as he already notched a pair of 10 strikeout performances over his first five starts to go with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.  His next start will come on Sunday against the Astros who have really hammered lefties over the past two seasons but also boast plenty of swing and miss potential which makes Hill an interesting play for those looking for pitching help.

Joe Smith, LAA – With Houston Street landing on the DL with an oblique strain the Angels will turn to Joe Smith to close out games for them.  Smith converted his first save off on Wednesday and has been a solid bullpen arm for them for the past few seasons.  In 2014 Smith saved 15 games for the Angels before they went and traded for Street at the deadline and returned Smith to a setup role.  If you find yourself needing help in the saves department Smith is certainly a reliable guy to own.