Buy Buy Buy - Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
There really hasn't been any reason to root for the Diamondbacks as of late. The team plays poorly and, until the regime change last season, were poor sports to boot, beaning guys like Andrew McCutchen in retaliation for Goldschmidt's season-ending wrist injury from a HBP. Well, Goldy's back at full power this year, and he could give Cutch another run for his money in the MVP voting. Even though he missed 53 games last season, he still managed to launch 19 baseballs into orbit one year after hitting nearly twice as many (36, to be exact) in 2013. Equally important is his ability to get on base, as his OBP has flirted with .400 in both of the last two years. Playing half of his games in the hitter-friendly Chase Field will certainly boost Goldschmidt's counting numbers, but make no mistake: with that expertly-timed swing of his, he could hit on an airport runway and knock a plane out of the sky. As long as nobody seeks him out for unnecessary revenge, it's not crazy to expect 40 home runs out of big Paulie G this year.
Sell Em If You Got Em - Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Man, 2013 really does seem like a long time ago. Davis followed up a season in which he led baseball by a mile with 53 homers and 138 RBI (as well as an MVP runner-up finish) with an absolutely abysmal 2014 that saw his batting average dip below the Mendoza line and ended with a 25-game suspension, the last game of which was Opening Day of this year, for a failed drug test for Adderall. Although he managed to secure a TUE this year, it's still unclear which version of The Slugger Formerly Known As Crush will show up to OPACY this year. The power should remain intact, as he still notched 26 homers in limited action last season, but to post a .196 batting average in a year when his swinging percentage dropped to a career low is a very troubling sign. Don't hang on to the mirage for too long.
Hurlers In The Stream - Jason Vargas, SP, Kansas City Royals
It's hard to make a case for owning Vargas, even if only for a day. He pitches to contact, which isn't a good thing when you consider that his fastball rarely breaks 90 MPH. He's become increasingly reliant on his curve and changeup, neither of which are considered plus pitches. Curiously, he tends to induce roughly as many fly balls as grounders. So why stream him? Because he's facing the Twins, tantamount to facing a Little League team at this venture. Don't expect a lot of strikeouts tonight, even if Minnesota's offense is so weak that manager Paul Molitor could suit up and hit better than his entire roster. That's just not Vargas's style. What you can expect is 6 solid innings with a fairly low WHIP, which could be enough to make the difference in your matchup (I know it certainly could in mine). Thursdays are always the day of the week wherein streaming options are scarce, so unless you'd rather take the guy Vargas is facing (Tommy Milone, ehh), it's either him or nobody. Enjoy.
Sleeping To Success - Lucas Duda, 1B, New York Mets
For our third first baseman of the post (I swear, this was not planned...), Duda may not have the name recognition of the two guys above him, but that doesn't mean that he can't help your team out in a significant way. The 29 year old Duda played in a career high 153 games in 2014, wherein he delivered 30 long balls to a Mets team that was hard up for power. This year, he should be the offensive spark plug in a lineup that includes David Wright, Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson. A metric buttload of things would have to happen for these 4 guys to combine for 100 homers, but why couldn't they give you at least 80? This is surely what the Mets are hoping for, and it starts with Duda. If he can get rolling, it'll be hard to pitch around him with those other guys looming large.
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