Emely Sharman 
There was a 15 game slate on Mother’s Day, May 12th. The Marlins – Mets game was postponed due to weather. I will go into some players who performed really well and some who underachieved. Points and salaries are based off of DraftKings.
Winners
George Springer ($5,700)
George Springer and the Astros played host to the Texas Rangers on Sunday and the Astros’ offense had a huge day, scoring 15 runs. Springer played a big part in that by going 5-for-5 with two home runs. He racked up four RBI and scored five times. If you paid up for him on Sunday, he rewarded you with 47 fantasy points. Springer is off to a huge start and is now hitting .321 with an whopping OPS of 1.060. He has 15 home runs and 37 RBI. He also has four stolen bases. In May alone, Springer has four home runs and nine RBI while batting .378.
Springer’s Outlook
Springer and the Astros head to Detroit for a three game series. Detroit’s pitching staff has not been very good this year, with a team ERA of 4.67 which ranks them 21st in the league. They also give up an opponent’s batting average of .258, which is in the bottom half of the league as well. They just gave up 17 runs in a four game series against the Twins and never gave up less than three in any game. I will be looking for ways to get Springer in my lineup, even at his extremely high price. He has been one of the most consistent and productive players over the last month or so. He has had a hit in 11 of his last 12 games.
Alex Bregman ($5,100)
Alex Bregman, also of the Astros, had a big game in the 15-5 win over the Rangers as well. Bregman went 3-for-5 and like Springer, hit two home runs. He had five RBI and scored two runs. He gave his owners 37 fantasy points. An Astros’ stack would have been very profitable on Sunday. Bregman’s batting average is now at .277 and he has an impressive OPS of .967. He has 12 home runs and 31 RBI. This was a big bounce back game for Bregman, as he only had one hit over his last four games.
Bregman’s Outlook
Bregman will face the same Tigers team I went into detail on above. I will also be looking to fit Bregman into lineups moving forward. He is a little more reasonably priced than Springer. So if you want a piece of the potent Astros’ lineup but want to save some money, Bregman might be the way to go. It will be popular after their big games, but stacking Bregman with Springer could again be profitable in the upcoming favorable series. I expect his next game to get Bregman out of his mini slump and back to a top hitter moving forward.
Hyun- Ji Ryu ($10,000)
Ryu and the Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals at home on Sunday. Ryu pitched eight innings and got the win. The Nationals were only able to get one hit and draw one walk against Ryu. He struck out nine while throwing 116 pitches. He racked up 38.8 fantasy points. Ryu has been sensational this year with an ERA of 1.72 and a WHIP of 0.73. He has been especially great in his last two games, giving up no runs over 17 innings. Ryu has now improved to 5-1 on the year. He is striking out just over one batter per inning as well.
Ryu’s Outlook
Ryu’s next projected start will come on Sunday May 19th against the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds’ offense has been below average this year, scoring only 4.15 runs per game while hitting only .214, worst in the bigs. They strike out 8.75 times per game, which is not terrible considering their low batting average. Ryu has been nearly unhittable in his last couple starts and I do not expect that to change against the team with the worst batting average in the league. Pay up for Ryu next Sunday and reap the benefits of his hot streak.
Losers
Steven Brault ($7,300)
Brault and the Pirates played at St Louis against the Cardinals on Sunday. Brault was only able to get through three innings and gave up six earned runs. The Cardinals racked up nine hits, two home runs, while also drawing two walks. Brault was only able to get two strikeouts. He has been off to a rough start, while working out of the bullpen for the majority of the season. He was moved into the starting rotation due to injuries. His ERA currently sits at a whopping 8.82 while his WHIP is at 1.84. His K/9 is at 9.94 through six appearances.
Brault’s Outlook
Brault will most likely make at least one more start with Chris Archer and Jameson Taillon on the shelf with injuries. His next projected start is Friday May 17th at San Diego against the Padres. The Padres are averaging only 3.9 runs per game and have a team batting average of .231. Brault has been off to such a rough start that even against a struggling offense I will be staying away in all formats.
Marcell Ozuna ($4,900)
Ozuna and the Cardinals lost to the Pirates on Sunday 10-6. Ozuna was no help, as he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts. He has struggled mightily lately and his batting average has dropped all the way to .236. His OPS is currently at .833. He has hit 11 home runs and has 34 RBI. Ozuna only has six hits over his last 11 games and has nine strikeouts in that same span. After a huge month of April in which his OPS was 1.017, he has struggled in May with an OPS of only .625.
Ozuna’s Outlook
Ozuna and the Cardinals now head to Atlanta for a three game series against the Braves. Atlanta’s pitching staff has been average with a team ERA of 4.41 and an opponent batting average of .244. Ozuna has been in an extended hitting slump and I will be staying away until he can find his form again. If you are looking to roster him soon, it may be in the next series against Texas, the team with the third worst team ERA in the league.
Injury Report
Nelson Cruz left Sunday’s game with a left wrist injury. He will have an MRI on Monday.
Jose Altuve has been put on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury.
