FAAB FRIDAY | April 5th 2019 | SPs & Dingers – Fantasy Front Office Podcast

It’s Friday, meaning it’s time to get serious & dig into some names worthy of a pickup in your FAAB runs this weekend. Whether you gauge it by hottest bat of the week, 2 good starts, or just someone to get me by until so-and-so is healthy it can be a make or break moment.

Here’s 4+ Players to kick off your search to inject some life into your fantasy baseball squads from the Front Office Writing Staff (ESPN % Owned):

Christian Walker – 1B – 20% Owned

[@CubbyNole]

At 28-years-old, Diamondback, Christian Walker, has left a sidewinding path on his way to (perhaps) Major League starter. I promise that is the only rattlesnake pun in this write-up.

2009: Selected by the Dodgers in the 49th round of the amateur draft (didn’t sign).
2012: Selected by the Orioles in the 4th round of the amateur draft (signed).

2012-2016 (Orioles)
A-, A, A+: PA per HR: 35.6, BB%: 8.2, K%: 15.3
AA: PA per HR: 24, BB%: 9.1, K%: 19.3
AAA: PA per HR: 31.7, BB%: 8, K%: 24.2

February 25th, 2017: Selected off waivers by the Braves (from Orioles).
March 6th, 2017: Selected off waivers by the Reds (from Braves).
March 28th, 2017: Selected off waivers by the Diamondbacks (from Reds).
2017 (Diamondbacks) – AAA: 592 PA, 32 HR, 104 R, 114 RBI, 10.3 BB%, 17.6 K%
2018 (Diamondbacks) – AAA: 359 PA, 18 HR, 68 R, 71 RBI, 7.2 BB%, 24.0 K%

Thanks for reading Walker’s resume and welcome back to 2019.

I suppose I should get to the part about why you should add him to your fantasy baseball team. Through 20 PA (small sample size alert), Walker’s slash line is .368/.400/.947, which is supported by a similarly absurd 97.4 MPH average exit velocity, a 25.0 Barrel% and a 50% hard contact rate. With Jake Lamb expected to be placed on the IL, Walker should be the everyday man at 1B and likely batting out of the 4th or 5th spot. Some industry folks are calling him, “2019 Jesus Aguilar.” Like Aguilar, Walker could be the type of add that supplements the loss of an Olson or Stanton, and keeps your team in contention. He’s a must add in 15-team leagues and worth consideration in 12-teamers.

Ride the snake. Ok, so one more pun.

Michael Pineda – SP – 14% Owned

[@FantasyAid1]

Remember Michael Pineda? That name brings up memories of potential dashed by injuries. Well Pineda has resurfaced in Minnesota this year. In his first start since 2017, Pineda went four innings with five strikeouts, one hit, one walk, and no runs. The Twins obviously being cautious with him, pulled Pineda after 40 pitches. He won’t go long in games for the time being, but if he continues to produce people will notice him. Don’t expect him to get you quality starts if you are in that sort of league, but he has always been a good source of strikeouts. He gets a tougher lineup after facing the injury-ridden Indians with the Philadelphia Phillies this next go round.