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For those of you who haven't drafted yet, here is a link to all of our position rankings, sleepers, players to target, players to avoid, and more.
2015 Rankings, Sleepers, Targets and more
2015 Consensus Position Rankings
Below are links to our consensus position rankings:
Starting Pitcher: Part 1 | Part 2
Adrian Gonzalez goes bonkers, hits three more home runs
Is there any player more locked in at the plate than Adrian Gonzalez? The Dodgers first baseman hit three more home runs Wednesday night, giving Gonzalez four five home runs in three games (and in four consecutive at-bats). Last year, Gonzalez hit 27 home runs (his most since 2011 with the Red Sox) and drove in 116 (three shy of his career high set in 2009 with the Padres). The 32-year-old has driven in 100 or more in seven of eight seasons, with his only sub-100 RBI season coming up one RBI shy at 99.
Gonzalez also started out last year on fire, hitting eight home runs in the opening month followed by seven home runs combined in May, June and July. But five home runs in three games to start the season? That's just crazy! Or maybe baseball. To take it a step further, all three came against Andrew Cashner, who allowed only seven homers last year.
And, according to ESPN Stats and Info, no Dodgers player has hit more home runs in the first three games of the season.
Another 25-home run season seems likely with full health, but if Gonzalez can put together his first 30 homer season since 2010, he could easily finish as a top-five player at first base. The only thing that might hold Gonzalez back of that feat is his lack of speed (six steals in career). I can't believe some people ranked Freddie Freeman above this guy.
If you could draft again, where would you draft Gonzalez?
Joe Nathan (elbow) to the DL, Joakim Soria to close
Nathan picked up a four-pitch save in the Tigers' Opening Day victory against Minnesota on Monday, but it was announced two days later that the 40-year-old relief pitcher would be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right flexor strain.
Nathan was awful in 2014, despite saving 35 games, posting a 4.81 ERA and 1.53 (!) WHIP in 58 innings. Nathan's replacement, Joakim Soria, will close while Nathan is out, but no one would be surprised if Soria kept the ninth-inning gig. The 30-year-old right-hander saved 18 games a year ago with a 48/6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 1/3 innings between the Rangers and Tigers.
It must be said: Soria wasn't good with the Tigers a year ago following a midseason trade to Detroit, posting a 4.91 ERA without a strikeout in 11 innings. Still, I think Soria has the prior skills to run with the gig. He should be owned in all formats.
For what it's worth, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Nathan will get the job back when he's ready to return. We'll see...
Brandon Belt pulls groin in loss to Diamondbacks; Jake Peavy to start Sunday?
Belt suffered the injury while chasing a foul pop-up in the fourth inning of the Giants' 7-6 loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. An MRI on Wednesday revealed Belt suffered a "very mild strain." Before their game Wednesday night, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Belt could be available to pinch hit, so it looks like the 26-year-old first baseman will avoid a trip to the disabled list for now.
Belt's teammate, Jake Peavy, already missed his first scheduled start of the season with a back injury, but it appears he's on track to start Sunday, according to CSN Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic. That's great news for the Giants, who already placed Matt Cain on the 15-day disabled list with a right flexor tendon strain. Peavy, who I picked as a two-start streamer in Week 1, would get the Padres on the road.
Jake Arrieta blanks the Cardinals
Arrieta was spotty in the first with a pair of walks, but otherwise held the NL Central favorites scoreless in seven innings, allowing three hits while striking out seven and walking three. The Cubs No. 2 was the 24th starting pitcher taken off the board, according to NESN.com's NFBC ADP, behind names like Jeff Samardzija, Garrett Cole and James Shields. I ranked Arrieta 16th in the Fake Teams Consensus Rankings, but can easily see him finishing in the top 10 and ahead of Cubs ace Jon Lester. Yes, it's only one game, but Arrieta, who posted a 2.54 ERA and 167/41 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 156 2/3 innings last season, had no-hit stuff in his first start of 2015, something Cubs fans got used to seeing a lot last year.
Fantasy Rundown
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