Your fantasy baseball success is about opportunity as much as it is about a player’s talent. Not a player’s opportunity for at-bats, as that is a given, but more so about how you handle things as a team owner. Seizing the right opportunity for buy low sell high fantasy baseball trades is huge and at a time where MLB injuries are abundant and players are popping on and off the COVID-19 injured list, picking up players off your fantasy baseball waiver wire just isn’t enough. So as we look at the recent fantasy baseball news and catch up on all the action from yesterday’s MLB games, we’re going to highlight those players who are increasing their trade value with some recent hot streaks.

 

 

Fantasy Baseball News

 

Paul Goldschmidt Extends Hit Streak to 16 Games

 

 

Let’s kick things off with the hottest hitter in baseball as Goldschmidt extended his current hit streak to 16 games with a single in the third inning of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 8-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The night before, Goldy hit a 10th-inning, game-winning grand slam and he has been absolute fire over the past few weeks. During this streak, Goldschmidt is slashing .448/.472/.851 with five home runs and 22 RBI, single-handedly keeping the Cardinals on pace with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings. Prior to the shortened 2020 season, he posted three-straight 30-homer seasons and delivered another one in 2021. Based off what we are currently seeing, he should remain on-pace for another while maintaining his career averages in the other stat categories. His stability makes him tough to trade, so if other owners are knocking on your door, be sure to get back players who can provide you with similar consistency, no matter which categories you are chasing.

Trea Turner’s 16-Game Hit Streak Helps Dodgers win 9-of-10

 

 

If you were listening to Tuesday’s Fantasy Alarm Show, you heard me tout a Los Angeles Dodgers stack for MLB DFS contests and, oh baby, did that hit. Mookie Betts popped a pair of home runs to lead the charge, but it’s been Turners recent run that has allowed the Dodgers to win nine of their last 10 games and maintain the best record in the National League. Over this 16-game hit streak, Turner is slashing .349/.425/.540 with two home runs, 14 RBI and four stolen bases. Manager Dave Roberts has him batting third in the order so watch these RBI opportunities grow. Usually, we’re enamored with the steals and runs scored, but if we’re also going to get another 20 homers and an uptick in RBI, he’s going to push the big boys of the league for NL MVP. Unless you’re getting a ridiculously strong package of player in return, I do not recommend flirting with any trade ideas. His value continues to skyrocket.

Brendan Rodgers’ 12-Game Hit Streak Quietly Leads the Colorado Rockies

 

 

It feels like forever that we’ve been waiting for Rodgers to step in as a full-time infielder for the Rockies and flash those hitting skills that had fantasy baseball prospect hounds salivating over his arrival in Colorado. He’s only batting .242 on the season, but over this 12-game hit streak, he’s batting .367 with one home run and nine RBI. The numbers aren’t gaudy and, frankly, I’m still not 100-percent sold on the 25-year-old to be a consistent contributor. The bonus of playing half your games at Coors Field is going to be a strong allure for your fellow fantasy owners, so use this current streak as a way to sell high. Whether it’s pitching or hitting you need, this is your opportunity to cash out for a profit.

Marcell Ozuna’s Late-Game Single Helps Extend Hit Streak to 11 Games

 

 

Talk about a polarizing player! People have hopped off this guy’s bandwagon in droves over the past two years as injuries and off-field issues with domestic violence caused a massive drop-off in production. He only played 48 games in 2021 and was a complete bust for fantasy owners. A slow start to this season kept him off the radar for the most part, but this recent surge where he’s slashing .311/.340/.578 with four home runs and eight RBI seems to be turning some heads. The streak isn’t quite enough to say he’s back to his old form, but knowing how the Braves are currently struggling and knowing how great this lineup can be, I want to hold Ozuna for a little while longer because I think you can squeeze more value out of him on the trade front once the rest of the team heats up around him. Maybe if the Braves use yesterday’s win as a springboard, we’ll see some more immediate returns and the offers will come flooding in, but for now, keep hold of him and keep padding your stats.

Can You Cash in on Joc Pederson’s Three-Homer Game?

 

 

It’s not a hit streak, but a three-home run night is always a good time to try and sweeten a fantasy baseball trade with a guy like Pederson. His performance last night gives him 10 home runs on the year and pushes him closer to that 25-30-homer threshold that many fantasy owners are coveting this season, given the deadened ball. He moves in and out of the lineup as the San Francisco Giants seem to like rotating their outfielders, but you can try to sell high on him now as his at-bats in May are up. His batting average is typically low and he doesn’t offer much in the way of speed, but if you’re good with your team’s power, have depth in your outfield, he could be the add-on that helps facilitate a better deal for you, regardless of target. Savvy fantasy players might balk which is why you don’t feature him in the deal but can still elicit a better return overall.

More Home Run Shout-Outs

Gleyber Torres, 2B NYY – Cash your tickets if you had Torres mashing against the Orioles. He’s like the Sex Panther of Yankees hitters when facing their division rivals as sixty percent of the time against Baltimore, he homers every time.

Danny Jansen, C TOR – He doesn’t see consistent at-bats in Toronto, but Jansen is quietly hitting .310 on the season and his two-homer night yesterday gives him five on the season. He’s missed so much time this season that he’s off everyone’s radar, but keep a watchful eye to see if his at-bats continue to increase. If he’s seeing more plate appearances, even if it’s at the DH spot, Jansen could present value in two-catcher leagues.

Sonny Gray Dominates the Tigers for Second-Straight Win

 

 

After back issues plagued Sonny Gray last year and forced the Twins to ease him back into the fray this season, the veteran right-hander looks to be getting back on track. He blanked the Tigers last night for seven innings while striking out 10 and has now thrown back-to-back quality starts, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 15 over his last 13 innings. All well and good, but as much as I used to like Gray when he first arrived in the majors, his performance over time has me wanting to capitalize on his recent success. Let’s remember, the Tigers and the Oakland A’s, the team he beat the start before, are bottom-feeding lineups and Gray’s success probably has as much to do with that as it does his back is feeling better. He’s getting the Royals, his next time out which should give him a third-straight strong start, making him a fantastic sell-high candidate.

The Mighty Thor Gets His Hammer Back

 

 

Noah Syndergaard looked absolutely spectacular last night as he limited the Texas Rangers to one run on four hits over eight innings. He didn’t walk a single batter and struck out five. It was a far cry from the Thor we watched just one start ago against these same Rangers where he failed to get out of the first inning. I’m truly on the fence with him as I would love to capitalize on this recent start, but the jury is still out and I’m wondering if I can squeeze out more if I trade him. He’s only thrown three quality starts this year, but also hasn’t allowed more than three runs in six of his seven starts. I think the thing to do is find that Mets fan in your league who quietly still pines away for the Syndergaard of old. He’s in a good spot with the Angels here, but if someone wants to overpay because they think he can be the pitcher he once was, I’ll take it.

Shane McClanahan Continues to Dominate for the Rays

 

 

One of the hottest names in fantasy baseball trade talks has been Rays starter Shane McClanhan and his six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against the Marlins keeps him front-and-center on people’s radar. I’ll just say it right now. Do NOT trade him. Ride him all season long. Through nine starts this season, McClanahan has posted four wins, a 2.06 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and 74 strikeouts over just 54.1 innings. He looks phenomenal and his command has been 100-percent on-point. Having tossed 123 innings last year, the Rays have no reason but to ride him for 150 at the minimum this season and you’re going to want to be onboard every step of the way. Maybe some tries to make you an offer you can’t refuse and if that’s the case, then fine. But this kid is slated to finish the season among baseball’s elite and should be in contention for the AL Cy Young award.

 

 

MLB Injuries

 

New York Yankees Send Giancarlo Stanton for MRI on His Calf

 

 

Well, you knew this was coming at some point this season, so hopefully we can get this out of the way and get Stanton back to bopping in the Bronx as soon as possible. The Yankees DH left last night’s game with tightness in his calf and the team is immediately sending him for further tests. Don’t expect to see him in the lineup for Wednesday’s action and check back with us to find out if there is an IL stint coming.

DJ LeMahieu is Day-to-Day Following Cortisone Shot for Wrist Injury

 

 

He was a late scratch from Tuesday’s lineup with wrist soreness and the Yankees wasted no time in running tests and assessing the damage. The MRI came back clean on LeMahieu’s wrist, but the team opted to give him a cortisone shot to help ease the pain and shorten the recovery process. It is doubtful he will be available for Wednesday’s game against the Orioles, but if all goes well, he could be back on the field for this weekend’s series against the Rays. It’s a four-game set so he may be held out from Thursday’s action, but the weekend is still in play.

Oakland Sends Ramón Laureano for More Tests

 

 

There seems to be some lingering concern regarding Laureano’s bruised hand as he’s now been scratched for two-straight games and doesn’t seem to be healing quickly. Initial x-rays came back negative and they were simply calling it a bruised hand, but the team thinks there might be something else. He’ll miss Wednesday’s game as they run more tests, so be on the look-out for additional updates.

MRI Results Come Back Clean for Taylor Ward

 

 

While the Los Angeles Angels medical staff hasn’t cleared Ward for throwing, Taylor Ward is still just being considered day-to- day with his neck and shoulder issues after the MRI came back clean. There is no structural damage following his crash into the wall Friday which is encouraging, but the Halos want to be careful with him. Unfortunately, with Shohei Ohtani Locked in as the team’s regular DH, there is no spot in the lineup for Ward to at least keep hitting. Bench him for now and monitor the situation. We should receive some clarity soon.

Milwaukee Brewers Put Hunter Renfroe on the 10-Day IL with Hamstring Injury

 

 

We saw this one coming as Renfroe left Monday’s game immediately after he scored all the way from first and felt some tightness. He went for tests, but before we even got the results back, he seemed to indicate that this could be more serious than expected. We reminded you to add Tyrone Taylor yesterday and now it looks like he’ll be a little more than just a band-aid for a few games.

 

 

Wednesday’s MLB Best Bets for Today

Yesterday’s Best Bets: 2-1

MLB Season Best Bets: 41-26-1

 

 

Have you seen how hot the Los Angeles Dodgers bats have been lately? We’re talking about a .359 wOBA with a .203 ISO and an average of 6.7 runs per game over a 9-1 run over their last 10 games. Mookie Betts and Trea Turner are absolutely on fire and they get to face Eric Fedde of the Nationals whose 4.08 ERA and 1.46 WHIP show you just how hittable he is. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are throwing Julio Urías who has been fantastic, but does have some minor issue with lineups that handle left-handed pitching well. The Nationals aren’t great, but they do have a .309 average against southpaws this season. I mention this, because, I think the score jumps a little in this one.

Pick: Dodgers/Nationals Total Runs OVER 8.5 (-115 on Caesars Sportsbook)

 

 

We’re going back to another win from yesterday as we enjoyed a solid money line win for the Brewers over the Padres. Today, we get a solid pitchers’ duel between Yu Darvish and Aaron Ashby who finds himself in the rotation with Freddy Peralta on the injured list. Darvish was a beast his last time out, blanking the Phillies for seven innings and has tossed five quality starts in his last six outings. Ashby has fantastic stuff and should be able to handle a Padres team that has a .282 wOBA over the past week and, outside of Manny Machado, hasn’t been able to hit for any power. And even if the Brew Crew limit Ashby to five innings, their bullpen has been absolute fire with a 1.59 ERA over its last 22.2 innings.

Pick: Padres/Brewers Total Runs UNDER 7.5 (-115 on BetMGM)

 

 

How about an unheralded pitching duel for our final bet? Obviously Robbie Ray is a high-profile guy, but he’s been beaten up a little in his last two starts. Does this game against Oakland, a team with a .294 wOBA and 23.4-percent strikeout rate against lefties scream bounce-back? I believe it does. But on the other side, few people are talking about Paul Blackburn who hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any start this year and is sporting a 1.91 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP. Seattle bats have been solid lately, but they’ve just been middle-of-the-road against righties all season. I think Blackburn does enough to keep their bats in check. At least to help keep the score down.

Pick: Mariners/A’s Total Runs UNDER 7 (-115 on BetMGM)

 

 

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