This section takes a look at who is heating up and who is cooling down. Check it out to help tweak your fantasy baseball lineup. Also, be sure to check out WalterFootball.com’s 2014 Fantasy Football Rankings articles, which will include sleepers, busts, tons of 2014 Fantasy Football mock drafts and other material. Follow @walterfootball for updates.
By Bill Williams
Updated May 7, 2014
Detroit Tigers
Stock Up:
OF Torii Hunter – Goes to show you that hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera can do wonders. Hunter is having another throw-back-the-clock year batting over .300 with a handful of homeruns.
Stock Down:
CL Joe Nathan – Has a higher ERA than saves as of Sunday. Detroit signed FA Joel Hanrahan, which may only give Nathan a month to turn it around.
Injuries:
SS Jose Iglesias – He’s out for the season.
RP Bruce Rondon – He’s out for the season.
OF Andy Dirks – Had back surgery; don’t expect him back until the all star break
SP Anibal Sanchez – lacerated his middle finger; likely out to mid- to late May
RP Joel Hanrahan – Recently signed; Hanrahan should be up around June
Oakland A’s
Stock Up:
RP Jim Johnson – Neither of the guys who tried to take his job has been successful, while Johnson has had a few solid outings. Look for him to be reinserted as the A’s closer soon.
Stock Down:
OF Josh Reddick – While he has been warming up a bit against righties, he has pretty much fallen into a platoon and won’t be playing much against left-handed pitching.
Injuries:
SP AJ Griffin – Griffin is out with flexor tendinitis. He will be back in May.
SP Jarrod Parker – Parker tore his UCL and will miss the season.
Atlanta Braves
Stock Up:
OF Jason Heyward – Over the last 12 games, Heyward is hitting .292 and has raised his average from .136 to .223. He is also on a five-game hitting streak. Heyward has been known to get streaky so jump on if you can.
Stock Down:
3B Chris Johnson – Those who bought into Johnson last season have been highly disappointed with his sole home run and four RBIs this season thus far.
Injuries:
SP Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, Cory Gearrin – These three are out for the year with Tommy John surgery. That’s a tough break for the Braves.
Milwaukee Brewers
Stock Up:
SP Wily Peralta – Once a solid prospect, Peralta has put it together so far this season with four wins and an ERA just north of two. 32 strikeouts isn’t bad either.
Stock Down:
SP Matt Garza – A 1-3 record with an ERA of five is not what the Brewers were hoping for when they acquired this former ace.
Injuries:
RP Jim Henderson – Hit the 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation.
OF Ryan Braun – Hurt his oblique and should be back til mid-May.
P Tom Gorzelanny – Rehabbing from shoulder surgery. He should be back in about a month.
L.A. Dodgers
Stock Up:
SP Josh Beckett – Has been lights out since coming off the DL – outside of one hiccup against the Marlins. He has an ERA around three with 30 strikeouts in 28 innings.
Stock Down:
OF Carl Crawford – Drafted too high in many leagues, Crawford is currently hitting under .200 and may start to lose playing time.
Injuries:
SP Clayton Kershaw – The No. 1 pitcher in the game hit the DL after one start. The Dodgers ace should be back shortly.
C AJ Ellis – He’s out until mid-May due to knee surgery.
SP Chad Billingsley – Had Tommy John Surgery last summer and is trying to make it back by the all-star game.
San Francisco Giants
Stock Up:
SP Tim Hudson – Looking healthy after injuries wrecked his 2013 season, Hudson has a record of 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA. In 45 2/3 innings, Hudson has struck out 31 and walked only two.
Stock Down:
3B Pablo Sandoval – Scuffling to start the year; Kung Fu Panda is batting an anemic .175 with over 20 strikeouts.
Injuries:
2B Marco Scutaro – Scutaro’s troublesome back flared up again. Currently, there is no word on when he may return.
Washington Nationals
Stock Up:
RP Rafael Soriano – Has started off not allowing a run through 11 innings while striking out 12. Possibly the best closer so far this season.
Stock Down:
SS Ian Desmond – Still here from my last report; he’s up to 36 strikeouts with his .233 average, Owners appreciate the four home runs, but he really needs to improve his contact rate or he is going to end up a total bust this season.
Injuries:
C Wilson Ramos – Remember when I told you in the fantasy advice that this guy gets hurt a lot? He is already out util late May to early June
SP Doug Fister – He’s a major league pitcher who is way better in real life than in fantasy.
OF Bryce Harper – Sprained his left thumb and isn’t expected back until late June
3B Ryan Zimmerman – Fractured right thumb; not expected back until early June
New York Yankees
Stock Up:
1B Mark Teixeira – Has smashed three home runs since coming off the DL with his traditional high walk rate. Enjoy it while it lasts, as he is likely to get hurt again any day now.
Stock Down:
C Brian McCann – A .228 average just isn’t going to get it done in New York.
Injuries:
SP Ivan Nova – Right-shoulder surgery has taken him out for the season.
Texas Rangers
Stock Up:
OF Alex Rios – Proving last year was no fluke, Rios is off to a great start batting .333 with two home runs and five stolen bases
Stock Down:
SS Elvis Andrus – Currently in a 1-22 slump. This could be an excellent buy-low option for you right now if you’re hurting at shortstop.
Injuries:
2B Jurickson Profar – He’s out until at least June with a torn shoulder muscle.
C Geovany Soto – Soto is also out until June, though he is out with a messed up knee.
SP Derek Holland – He’ll hopefully get back in, you guessed it – June.
St. Louis Cardinals
Stock Up:
1B Matt Adams – Adams has started off the year well batting .333. The three-walk-to-24-strikout rate is really troubling though. If you can sell high, I would suggest doing so. Eventually, pitchers are gonna realize they don’t have to throw strikes for this guy to swing.
Stock Down:
Cardinals 2B – The Cards were hoping Mark Ellis had one good year left, but he’s batting well under .200. That means they may stick with Wong at second, who is hitting a “blistering” .220.
Injuries:
SP Jaime Garcia – Garcia was already hurt, but he suffered a setback in his rehab. A mid-May return is probably the earliest he could be back.
Colorado Rockies
Stock Up:
3B Nolan Arenado – On a 22-game hitting streak that brought his average up to .313 with five homers and 20 RBIs.
Stock Down:
C Wilsin Rosario – A .239 average is not what owners were hoping for when they drafted him. He also has now hit the 15-day DL with a viral infection that could have been some of the problem.
Injuries:
SP Tyler Chatwood – Has a right-elbow strain; there is no timetable for his return.
OF Michael Cuddyer – Strained his hamstring. He may be back in a week or two.
SP Brett Anderson – Out at least two months after breaking a finger on his pitching hand.
Baltimore Orioles
Stock Up:
OF Nelson Cruz – Mayybe he isn’t a product of PEDs; eight home runs and an average around .300 have brought Cruz back to upper-tier status.
Stock Down:
SP Ubaldo Jimenez – Always known as a slow starter, Jimenez gotten rocked in all but one start this year to rack up an ERA over five. The Orioles paid him a lot of money, so hopefully for them he turns it around quickly.
Injuries:
SP Johan Santana – Santana could be back from shoulder surgery around the all-star break.
SP Dylan Bundy – Bundy is not expected to be ready to pitch for the Orioles until at least the end of June after Tommy John surgery last summer.
1B Chris Davis – Sprained his left oblique, but should be back by mid-May
OF Nolan Reimold – has a severe neck issue; no timetable for his return
Los Angeles Angels
Stock Up:
2B Howie Kendrick – Batting .314 with seven stolen bases and two home runs. This is the ceiling pace for Kendrick, so if you have depth at second base, trade him now.
Stock Down:
RP Ernesto Frieri – No better way to get a stock down than to lose your closer role. Frieri has done that, and his replacement has looked solid so far.
Injuries:
OF Josh Hamilton – He tore his ACL and is likely out until mid- to late June.
3B David Freese – Fractured finger; no timetable on his return as of yet.
OF Kole Calhoun – Sprained his ankle and should be back by late May.
Boston Red Sox
Stock Up:
SP Jon Lester – Despite the losing record, he has 58 strikeouts in 49 innings this season to go with a 2.59 ERA. He has looked pretty dominant so far.
Stock Down:
SP Clay Buchholz – Despite a .500 record, Buchholz hasn’t looked sharp at all and has an ERA nearing six. He’s allowed 42 hits in 32 innings.
Injuries:
None of note
Kansas City Royals
Stock Up:
SP Yordano Ventura – He’s striking out more than one batter per inning with an ERA of 1.50. Beware that Ventura will probably be on a pitch count this year, so he may get skipped in the rotation a few times as the Royals try to limit his innings.
Stock Down:
3B Mike Moustakas – All the talent in the world, but he can’t put it together – batting .158. Moustakas may not stay in the lineup much longer.
Injuries:
SP Bruce Chen – Bulging disc in his back. These things can take a couple days to a couple months to heal.
RP Luke Hochevar – Out for the season for Tommy John recovery.
OF Lorenzo Cain – Expected back mid-week after hitting the DL for a groin issue.
New York Mets
Stock Up:
1B Lucas Duda – With Ike Davis being shipped off to Pittsburgh, the job is Duda’s. He makes for a low-tier utility option when needed.
Stock Down:
OF Curtis Granderson – Never known for his batting average, we at least expected more than .170.
Injuries:
Closer Bobby Parnell – He’s out for the year after needing Tommy John surgery.
Cincinnati Reds
Stock Up:
OF Billy Hamilton – After a rough opening series, he has batted around .270 with 11 stolen bases.
Stock Down:
SP Homer Bailey – Two wins, and ERA of 5.50 and a WHIP of 1.61; not the start many were expecting of Bailey after a breakout 2013.
Injuries:
SP Mat Latos – Latos was supposed to be back this week, but his elbow keeps acting up on him. At this point, we may not see him until mid-May.
Closer Aroldis Chapman – Chapman got destroyed in the face by a baseball. He’s slated to throw his first rehab appearance, but don’t expect him back until the middle of May at the earliest.
OF Jay Bruce – Knee surgery; out at least a month
SP Tony Cingrani – He’s on the 15-day DL with shoulder tenderness that is not considered serious. The Reds are treating him with kid gloves – for now.
Seattle Mariners
Stock Up:
3B Kyle Seager – Has multiple hits in give of his last nine games. See if an owner hasn’t noticed and will move him to you for cheap. The turnaround has already begun.
Stock Down:
SS Brad Miller – Unfortunately for me, Miller has not reached my sleeper expectations. If he keeps batting below .200, he might as well go to bed.
Injuries:
1B Logan Morrison – Hamstring issues; no current timetable for return, but should be back by the end of May at the latest.
SP Taijuan Walker – Shoulder issues; expected to make a bullpen session this week, which should lead to a rehab assignment shortly after.
Philadelphia Philles
Stock Up:
SP AJ Burnett – Solid WHIP and ERA to go along with five wins. Burnett is a first-half pitcher, so ride this until late June before shipping him off for whatever pieces you need.
Stock Down:
OF Dominic Brown – Batting .243 on the year, Brown has six total hits in his last eight games with nine strikeouts.
Injuries:
Nothing of fantasy relevance.
Toronto Blue Jays
Stock Up:
OF Jose Bautista – Recently had a 13-game hitting streak and has reached base in 31 consecutive games. He is on a rebound season it appears.
Stock Down:
SS Jose Reyes – Off to a miserable start that has him batting just .188. I believe in Reyes though and promote him as a buy-low candidate if there is an owner in your league willing to dump him for pennies on the dollar.
Injuries:
SP Brandon Morrow – Torn finger tendon. He is out until at least August and may opt for season-ending surgery.
RP Casey Janssen – Back strain. Scheduled to pitch bullpen sessions soon. If successful, he will begin a rehab assignment that should take a few weeks.
IF Maicer Izturis – His knee has him out until late June at the earliest.
Miami Marlins
Stock Up:
IF Casey McGehee – The stint in Japan seems to have done wonders for McGehee. He is currently batting over .300 with 20 RBIs in a surprisingly productive Marlins lineup.
Stock Down:
SP Jacob Turner – If for whatever reason you owned him, stop. He has an ERA of over nine and is in danger of losing his rotation spot.
Injuries:
MI Rafael Furcal – Furcal should be back by mid-May after sustaining a hamstring strain.
Tampa Bay Rays
Stock Up:
1B James Loney – Still provides no power, but you can do a lot worse than a .330 average with 18 RBIs.
Stock Down:
SP Jake Odorizzi – Through six starts, Odorizzi is just getting pummelled. He may lose his rotation spot once Cobb returns.
Injuries:
SP Matt Moore – Moore has a either a strained elbow or a torn UCL depending on the report. Chances are he’s headed toward Tommy John surgery and is out for the year. What a blow against the Rays.
SP Jeremy Hellickson – Hellickson is recovering from offseason surgery. He is expected back at the beginning of June.
sp Alex Cobb – Hurt an oblique muscle that will keep him out until late May.
Chicago White Sox
Stock Up:
SS Alexei Ramirez – A .333 average with four HR and 19 RBI is far exceeding the expectations of his draft position.
Stock Down:
SP Felipe Paulino – Four starts and an ERA above eleven. I really don’t have much to explain here do I?
Injuries:
OF Avisail Garcia – Garcia is out for the season after tearing a labrum in his shoulder.
OF Adam Eaton –Out until mid-late May with a strained hamstring.
SP Chris Sale –Strained flexor muscle; should be back by the end of May.
RP Nate Jones – Out on the 60-day DL with a back issue.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Stock Up:
RP Mark Melancon – With Grilli injured, the best setup man in baseball gets to close games for a while. Act accordingly.
Stock Down:
1B Ike Davis – Handed a starting job, he has shown that he still sucks.
Injuries:
C Russell Martin – Stained hamstring; may be back by late May.
RP Jason Grilli – Strained oblique; no timetable announced for his return.
San Diego Padres
Stock Up:
OF Cameron Maybin – Has come off the DL hot with an .400 OBP and four doubles in the week he’s been around.
Stock Down:
OF Will Venable – A .184 average, no home runs and 34 strikeouts in 31 games played. Dump him!
Injuries:
OF Carlos Quentin – There is no timetable for his return from a deep knee bruise, but he has recently begun a rehab assignment.
SP Josh Johnson – He is out with right-forearm issues for the season.
3B Chase headley – Will be back MAY 10.
Minnesota Twins
Stock Up:
2B Brian Dozier – Still doesn’t hit for average, but you cannot argue with eight homeruns and 11 stolen bases. The law of averages says that production is going to plummet soon – or his average is really going rise. I vote on the former.
Stock Down:
SP Mike Pelfrey – He’s on the DL, but he shouldn’t even be on the roster. Pelfrey may be the worst starting pitcher in the major leagues.
Injuries:
OF Josh Willingham – Hurt his wrist. Willingham recently tried to swing, but had pain so there is no timetable on his return until that goes away.
SP Mike Pelfrey – Hurt his groin and joined the DL on May 2.
Cleveland Indians
Stock Up:
RP John Axford – Has nine saves; they haven’t been pretty, but he still has nine saves.
Stock Down:
C Carlos Santana – It looks like the move to first base is really messing Santana up in the head. He is batting .152 and generally looks lost out there daily.
Injuries:
2B Jason Kipnis – Out until late May or early June with an abdominal strain.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Stock Up:
SS Chris Owings – Batting .314 with four stolen bases. Recently, Owings has been inserted in the middle of the order, so his RBI opportunities may jump.
Stock Down:
SP Bronson Arroyo – With an ERA over six, it looks like all the innings pitched over Arroyo’s career are finally catching up to him.
Injuries:
SP Patrick Corbin – Corbin is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery.
OF Mark Trumbo – Fractured foot that will see him in a walking boot soon. Don’t expect Trumbo back anytime soon.
Chicago Cubs
Stock Up:
1B Anthony Rizzo – The good Rizzo has shown up this year. He’s batting .421 with six home runs and is walking more than striking out. This was the guy many expected last season.
Stock Down:
2B Darwin Barney – He’s batting .122 – yes, I wrote .122.
Injuries:
RP Jose Veres – Strained oblique; no timetable for his return currently.
Houston Astros
Stock Up:
SS Jonathan Villar – Has improved his batting average 60 points in the past week. Villar has racked up a surprising five homeruns to go with the six stolen bases we knew he’d get.
Stock Down:
OF George Springer – The touted rookie has batted .185 with 24 strikeouts in 16 games. Will be sent back to the minors if he keeps this up.
Injuries:
Closer Jesse Crain – Crain is expected back in May from offseason surgery.
SP Scott Feldman – Has a bicep issue, but he is already throwing simulated games and should get a rehab appearance soon. Feldman should not be gone long.
More 2014 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 8/27 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/4 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/4 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/18 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 8/22 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB - 8/21 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/14 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/12 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 3-WR - 8/7 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/31 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 3-WR - 7/24 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/17 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 7/10 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - PPR - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 2-QB - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - TD - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 8/28 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Articles:
2014 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/3 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: It's All About Value - 9/1 (Kenny)
2014 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 8/31 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
2014 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Quarterback Targets - 8/30 (Walt)
FanDuel $1 Million Contest - 8/30 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 8/30 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy - 8/17 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Running Backs - 3/28 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: Overdrafted Players - 2/16 (Walt)
2014 Fantasy Football: First-Round Bust History - 2/14 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 2/14 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Nov. 25
NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 25
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
