Sleeper hitters for Week 3 (April 6-12)
Because he sat against Jesus Luzardo over the weekend, we now have a pretty good idea that the Rockies view as a platoon player, but it's a moot point this week with nothing but right-handers on the schedule. The Yankees castoff has piled up hits in the early going and will benefit from having the most favorable hitter matchups.
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Speaking of piling up hits, Daylen Lile heads into Week 3 batting .300, once again thriving on high contact and line drive rates. The Nationals fell just short of placing among the five best hitter matchups, scheduled to face pitchers like Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy and Brandon Sproat.
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The Phillies' reclamation of Adolis Garcia is going well so far, with him already hitting a couple home runs and impacting the ball with an average exit velocity of 94.6 mph. That pop should play well against fly-ball and/or homer-prone pitchers like Robbie Ray, Tyler Mahle, Michael Soroka and Brandon Pfaadt.
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Despite his slow start, TJ Friedl continues to lead off every game for the Reds and has the sort of matchups this week that could help him find his footing finally. Not only is he facing hittable pitchers like Janson Junk, Max Meyer, Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson, but everyone on the schedule throws right-handed, which, at least in recent years, has made a difference for him.
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Even all the lefties the Phillies have faced early on haven't prevented the left-handed-hitting Justin Crawford from piling up hits the way he did in the minors. Five of the six pitchers on the schedule this week are righties, and between Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle, Brandon Pfaadt and Zac Gallen, they're not the most bat-missing bunch.
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Jordan Walker's early exit velocity readings are off the charts, verging on a 98 mph average, and he's doing a better job of elevating the ball than in years past as well. Those could be early indicators that the 23-year-old is finally on the verge of maxing out his potential, small though the sample is, and the Cardinals' matchups this week are favorable enough for you to put that idea to the test.
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Colt Keith has been one of the biggest gainers in bat speed so far, and though it hasn't translated to more home runs yet, his batting average has been hovering right around .400. The Tigers face nothing but righties in their seven games this week, which matters for a guy who hit .163 with a .403 OPS against lefties last year.
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Otto Lopez has been an early standout for the Marlins, collecting multiple extra-base hits and showing a willingness to run, which makes him the likeliest choice (among those widely available, anyway) to take advantage of the team's fourth-best hitter matchups. You could make a case instead for Owen Caissie or Liam Hicks if not for the fact that three of the seven pitchers on tap throw left-handed.
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Kyle Isbel probably won't amount to much in the long run, but it's hard to dismiss him as a hot-hand play given that he's batting .478 (11 for 23) with two homers and three steals so far. He's primed to take advantage of this week's fifth-best hitter slate, particularly with only one scheduled left-hander to bump him out of the lineup.
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Jake McCarthy's early struggles have knocked him out of the leadoff spot for the Rockies, but the team is about to begin only its second home series of the young season. From a Fantasy perspective, Coors Field was the main appeal for McCarthy, who also has the benefit of facing seven right-handers this week.
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