This article is part of our The Daily Duel series.
With teams starting to call up their prospects and give them immediate playing time, I'm going to scrap the "Tip of the Week" and instead go with a section entitled "Newbies." These players are likely recent additions to the Fanduel database and typically come with a nice discount if you are looking for players to round out your team.
Newbies
Third Base
Anthony Rendon, WAS, $2700 - Right now Rendon is listed as a third baseman but he should switch over to second base soon enough. Danny Espinosa was a huge disappointment and with his injury coupled with the lack of production, Rendon should be a regular for the Nationals. He's an even bigger bargain with the Nationals hitting in Coors Field, arguably the best hitter's park in baseball. Before his callup, Rendon was raking at Double-A with a 1.064 OPS and a sparkling 30:25 BB:K ratio.
Outfield
Tyler Colvin, COL, $3300 - A rough spring landed Colvin at Triple-A instead of the Rockies bench as the fourth outfielder as many thought he would. He's finally getting his shot and the clock may be ticking for the former first-round pick. The Rockies will likely give him playing time in both the outfield with Michael Cuddyer banged up and the occasional start at first base in place of Todd Helton (.748 OPS). In 446 plate appearances last season, Colvin hit 18 home runs and 10 triples while batting .290 so the potential is there for him to make an impact.
Giancarlo Stanton, MIA, $3100 - A slow start coupled with an injury that just saw him come off the DL has Stanton's price a little depressed right now. Stanton appears to be back to full health and was able to play back-to-back games since being activated Monday. While he was out, the Marlins have played Marcell Ozuna and Derek Dietrich (at second base in place of Donovan Solano) who have given some life to the Marlins' offense. Remember that Stanton started off slow last season before going on to hit 36 home runs in 102 games (after April), a number that would pro-rate to 55 home runs over a 155-game season.
Value Players Looking To Rebound
Here are some players who have seen their value drop significantly due to poor production in the season thus far. You might be surprised at some of the names and how much their stock has fallen. That being said, for most of these players there is either a track record of success or enough pedigree that they should be able to turn their season around sooner rather than later. As a result, they should provide good value in the near future.
Catcher
Wilin Rosario, COL, $3100 - It's a little odd to take a look at Rosario's splits this season considering his breakout season of 2012. Not surprisingly, Rosario had an OPS 235 points higher at home than on the road. This season is the opposite with Rosario posting an OPS 144 points higher on the road. That number should change as the season goes on and the weather warms up in Colorado. Rosario still has shown good power so far with 10 home runs, ranking fourth at the position.
First Base
Nick Swisher, CLE, $2900 - Swisher entered Tuesday night's game mired in a bad slump going 3-for-39 (.076) over his last 12 games. The good news here is if you look back over the last two seasons, Swisher has been a very streaky hitter. It seems as though he goes back and forth between hitting in the low .200s one month and sitting at .320+ depending on how he's feeling at the plate. He'll continue to hit in the heart of the Cleveland order and while it's a small sample size, he's hit better at home (.888 OPS) as opposed to the road (.669) this season.
On Fire
These players have been some of the hottest hitters in the league recently. They are worth considering putting into the lineup regardless of the price they cost. Hot streaks do not always last, but there is no reason to sit a player down if he is smoking the ball.
Outfield
Jason Heyward, ATL, $3400 - It's been a disappointing season to date for Heyward, who missed three weeks due to an emergency appendectomy. Since he's come back, however, he's been completely on fire. Over his last eight games he's gone 14-for-34 (.412) with three home runs and six multi-hit games. Lost in the Mike Trout and Bryce Harper hype is that Heyward is only 23 while already being in his fourth season in the league. There's still a ton of upside with Heyward, who should continue to be a good daily fantasy option.
Jeff Baker, TEX, $3700 - With what Baker has done this season against left-handed pitching, he's almost a must-start against southpaws going forward. Albeit in only 44 at-bats, he has an 1.491 OPS with eight home runs in 56 plate appearances. Baker has always killed left-handed pitching and his new home ballpark should agree with his stroke. Look for Ron Washington to continue getting his bat into the lineup whenever the Rangers are up against a lefty.
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