Fantasy Baseball
Todd Zola, Fantasy 5y

Daily fantasy notes: Pitcher projections and hitter ratings for Monday

Fantasy, Fantasy MLB

Only 20 of the 30 MLB clubs are in action, leaving most fantasy lineups with holes to fill. The good news is there is a nice array of bats to reinforce your offense. The arms, however, are bleak with several teams requiring to call up a lower-level starter or resort to the ever-growing bullpen game.

Here are Monday's picks to click, helping get a leg up on your competition to start the fantasy week.

Pitching

Luke Weaver (R), rostered in 59 percent of ESPN leagues, Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres: Due to the sparse nature of the pitching inventory, Weaver's inclusion bends the 50 percent available cutoff normally used to identify streaming options. Be it a change in scenery, or just general maturation, Weaver is taking well to the desert. He's not dominating, but he's exhibiting consistency and doing what you want him doing: fanning about a batter an innings, limiting walks and keeping the ball in the yard.

Brad Peacock (R), 37 percent, Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox: On paper, Peacock caught a break, changing Sox from Red to White as he was initially slated to work Sunday's affair in Fenway Park. That said, the White Sox aren't a pushover, sitting midpack in terms of runs scored.

Brett Anderson (L), 8 percent, Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Indians: The Indians are beginning to snap out of their season-long malaise, but they're still not to be feared. On a different day, Anderson would be an afterthought, but this could be the weakest slate for streaming I've seen in my many years of doing this.

Bullpen

Both closers have been mentioned in recent days, but with such a scant supply of spot-starters, perhaps adding Luke Jackson (70 percent availability) or Steve Cishek (90 percent availability) is a more efficient use of an open pitching spot. Both are in action Monday and in good shape for a save.

Hitting

Catcher -- James McCann (R), 19 percent, Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros (RHP Brad Peacock): McCann opened the season as Welington Castillo's backup, but the script has been flipped. Castillo played in Sunday's contest, virtually assuring McCann will be in Monday's lineup. His ascent back to Earth has begun, but for the season, McCann is posting his career-best average exit velocity and hard-hit rate, fueling a .941 OPS.

First Base -- Mitch Moreland (L), 30 percent, Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (RHP Edwin Jackson): The extra-base hits continue to mount for Moreland with 12 homers and seven doubles among his 29 hits. Jackson had what appears to be a renaissance last season in Oakland with a 3.22 ERA, but a 5.75 xFIP and 5.22 SIERA tell a different story.

Second Base -- Howie Kendrick (R), 9 percent, Washington Nationals at New York Mets (Bullpen game): Coming off a sweep by the Marlins, the Mets will likely deploy a parade of relievers, with Drew Gagnon the likely first out of the chute. With Wilmer Difo sent to Triple-A, Kendrick lines up for regular duty on the right side of the infield. Thus far, he's posting a .903 OPS which would be a career high.

Third Base -- Austin Riley (R), 38 percent, Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants (LHP Andrew Suarez): Suarez is slated to make his 2019 debut after beginning the season with Triple-A Sacramento. His call-up is need-based, as the lefty has recorded a 6.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP for the River Cats. Riley's prolific power has already been on display as he has jacked two homers in his first five games.

Shortstop -- Tim Beckham (R), 48 percent, Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers (LHP Mike Minor): Minor has pitched very well for the Rangers, though the road could get tougher as the weather warms in Arlington. That said, shortstop is extremely tough to fill on this card, so let's take a chance the Mariners sit J.P. Crawford against the southpaw, turning to Beckham, who enjoys the platoon edge in a hitter's park.

Corner Infield -- Miguel Sano (R), 26 percent, Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels (Bullpen game): The Angels will open with Taylor Cole followed by Felix Pena. This isn't the best setup for Sano, however this serves as a reminder the slugger is back and has a clear path to playing time. In his first three games back, Sano clubbed a pair of doubles along with big fly.

Middle Infield -- Logan Forsythe (R), 5 percent, Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners (RHP Mike Leake): With Danny Santana hobbled, Forsythe has been playing shortstop as Elvis Andrus is still on the mend. While he might be out of position, the move keeps Forsythe's productive bat in the lineup, as he has posted a 1.249 OPS in May, through Friday's action.

Outfield -- Kole Calhoun (L), 28 percent, Los Angeles Angels vs. Minnesota Twins (RHP Jake Odorizzi): Fresh off the paternity list, Calhoun is slashing .348/.407/.630 this month, with most of the damage against right-handers. Odorizzi is tough but is vulnerable the third time through the order.

Outfield -- Stevie Wilkerson (S), under 1 percent, Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees (LHP J.A. Happ): Though it's understandable why the Orioles are riding the hot hand, Wilkerson isn't likely to be part of the club's future. However, he's playing regularly and contributing, with a pair of homers and a couple of doubles the past week.

Outfield -- Oscar Mercado (R), 8 percent, Cleveland Indians vs. Oakland Athletics (LHP Brett Anderson): Despite throwing left-handed, Anderson isn't adept at controlling the running game. Mercado's sole stolen-base attempt since his recall went down as a caught stealing, but it was a case of having the bag secured easily but over-sliding. Look for his to record his first bag soon, perhaps on Monday.

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