Leonys Martin owners haven’t had a lot to smile about so far.

Erik Johnson- Chicago White Sox- Starting Pitcher

Johnson had a lot of helium in early drafts before Alex Wood and Yordano Ventura stole all the pre-draft hype.  Through his first two starts Johnson looked like he was going to prove that his draft stock deserved to be falling by looking very hittable.  Those who dropped him may be kicking themselves after watching him dominate the Red Sox lineup yesterday to the tune of 9 strike outs in 6 and a 1/3 innings.  Johnson is a fringe pitcher in 12 team mixed, but is a must roster in any larger leagues.  His strike out upside is just better than what you probably have at the bottom of your rosters.

Dexter Fowler- Houston Astros – Center Fielder

Fowler started out of the gates hot and owners were patting themselves on the back just like last year that they took him late in drafts, but an illness has really sapped Fowler for the last few weeks and owners are starting to panic.  He has been dropped in a ton of leagues for streaming types like David Murphy or Dayan Viciedo and that was a mistake. I am not a huge fan of Fowler.  I’m not one of these guys that think he will all of a sudden put it all together and be a premier outfielder. (some people actually believe that.) I think he’s a serviceable fourth or fifth outfielder to have who can fill power and speed categories when you’re in a pinch.  He should be rostered in in all 12 team mixed leagues with at least 5 bench spots.

Kyle Seager- Seattle Mariners- Third Baseman

Seager is off to another slow start this year.  Last season he was dropped almost everywhere in 12 team mixed leagues only to see him become a valuable asset down the stretch.  He no longer holds second base eligibility,  but third base isn’t the deepest position in the league.  With players like Moustakas, Sandoval, Lawrie and Freese struggling and Middlebrooks and Beltre hurting it makes hanging on to Seager that much harder.  The reason I say harder is because owners see third-baseman like Marcus Semien and Trevor Plouffe flying off the waiver wire while they sit on their hands.  I believe owners should just keep Seager on the bench if they can.  He’s too valuable as a third-baseman that has the ability to hit 20+ homers and steal 10 bases.

Khris Davis-Milwaukee Brewers-Left Fielder

Davis being dropped is an example of expectations being too high in the fantasy draft process.  People were punting homers in the middle of their drafts thinking they were going to grab Davis late and get a potential 25-30 homer guy.  That is a lot to ask of a young player.  I still like Davis a lot, but I wasn’t banking on him as my steady 3rd Outfielder.  Don’t cut bait on Davis just yet, unless there’s something crazy on the waiver wire.  Keep him on your bench until he gets his feet under him and starts to get better pitches to hit.  In leagues of 14 or bigger I wouldn’t think of dropping him yet.  The Jason Kubel’s of the world will always be there to pick up if Davis is still struggling in a month or two.

Leonys Martin-Texas Rangers- Center Fielder

Martin is caught up in the downward spiral that is the Texas Rangers.  The injuries to the pitching staff and lineup have lumped a lot of pressure on players that aren’t used to shouldering it.  Martin’s spot in the lineup was always going to keep his numbers somewhat down, but he has gotten off to much slower start than I would have thought.  He’s got zero extra base hits and only two steals so I can understand the frustration.  Martin is another one I am holding on to with all my might and I’m even trying to target as a secondary throw in in trades.  When the Rangers get healthy and the heat picks up in Texas I expect Martin to break out.

Some studs that I have seen or heard hit the waiver wire.  Allen Craig (Dan Strafford just told me about this one), Wilin Rosario, and David Ortiz.

Some other guys people might be losing patience for that you should pick up.  Brett Lawrie, Danny Salazar, Homer Bailey, Billy Butler and Xander Bogaerts.  I wish I played in more leagues where they hit the wire!