Stock Watch: 6 players trending up, down in fantasy
We'll identify three players each week whose fantasy stocks are rising, and three others whose are falling.
Trending Up
Russell Martin: The Toronto Blue Jays catcher has homered in four consecutive starts and is adjusting well to his new home at the hitter-friendly Rogers Centre. The veteran is hitting a blistering .522 in May, and is on track to be one of this year's most productive fantasy backstops. The retractable roof was peeled back for the first time Wednesday in Toronto, and with more warm weather expected this weekend, fantasy owners can expect the home-run parade to continue.
Joc Pederson: To say the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder is hot would be a huge understatement. Pederson's last seven hits have all left the ballpark, and he's coming off a two-dinger performance Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 23-year-old rookie is slashing .272/.423/.667 with nine homers through 27 games.
Dallas Keuchel: Fantasy owners that rolled the dice by drafting the Houston Astros lefty in the early rounds are laughing straight to the top of the standings. Keuchel is 3-0 with a microscopic 0.80 ERA and 0.76 WHIP through six starts, and is showing no signs of slowing down for the red-hot Astros. American League foes are fearing the beard as he emerges as the early favorite to capture a Cy Young Award.
Trending Down
CC Sabathia: The veteran southpaw fell to 0-5 after taking the loss in Wednesday's 5-1 defeat to the Blue Jays, and isn't impressing fantasy owners with his 5.45 ERA. The New York Yankees hurler was identified as a potential bounce-back candidate prior to the season, but he's showing no signs of turning things around. It might be time to cut ties with Sabathia, and seek replacement options on the waiver wire.
Jimmy Rollins: Fantasy owners were expecting a boost in production from Rollins after he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the shortstop isn't living up to expectations. Rollins' .162 average is exactly 100 points lower than his career mark, and his three stolen bases to this point suggest he won't even come close to replicating his 28 thefts from a year ago. Rollins is, however, providing owners with the occasional home run, but his overall production is disappointing considering he's now part of a stacked Dodgers lineup.
Jason Heyward: How much longer are we going to talk about Heyward's potential? The hulking outfielder was praised as the second coming of Hank Aaron by former manager Bobby Cox when he broke into the league with the Atlanta Braves, but he's never materialized into a legitimate power threat. A move to St. Louis this season had owners optimistic a change in scenery would light a fire under the 25-year-old, but his two home runs and five RBIs to this point project him to be an early bust once again.