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Astros in Fantasy: Fantasy Players of the Week- Week 5
A Look at Fantasy Baseball Through the Lens of an Astros’ Fan
Here is how I did in Week 4:
Week 4 Hitter:
George Springer– 5/23 H/AB, 3 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, .217 BA
Springer’s performance at the plate was a good representation of how the Astros did this week.
In 6 games, Springer hit only .217 with three runs scored and recorded only one extra-base hit. At the top of the lineup, Springer is a critical piece in the Astros offense. So, fantasy owners can expect if the two-hole hitter is struggling, the offense, as a whole, is struggling.
However, a positive sign in Springer’s game this week was that every time he recorded a hit, he eventually scored in that game. This stat shows that the offensive performance of Springer really hinges on whether the entire offense is performing well or not.
What does this mean for fantasy owners? This means if the Astros as a whole are doing very well, then fantasy owners should be having a field day with the statistics Springer is putting up.
Week 4 Pitcher:
Mike Fiers– 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 W, 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
With a matchup against not a proven offensive attack at one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in Major League Baseball, Fiers was proven to have a good week.
Against the Oakland A’s, Fiers had a solid start, pitching seven innings giving up seven hits and two earned runs while racking up five strikeouts.
However, this did not keep him from giving up his 7th home run of the season to Coco Crisp, which gave the A’s their two runs against Fires. Fiers now leads the American League in home runs given up and is three away from matching his total of 2015.
The home run did not prevent Fiers from going seven strong innings while recording his best start of 2016 so far. His next start will most likely be against the Twins on May 4th at Minute Maid Park.
Next: Week 5 Hitter
Week 5 Hitter:
Jose Altuve (Owned in 99.2% of all ESPN Fantasy Leagues)
Not only has Altuve been impressive according to Houston standards, but he is also getting attention league wide for his great start. The recipient of AL Player of the Week in the week of April 11th to the 17th, Altuve has a.306 batting average and 1.036 OPS through 25 games this season.
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- Astros prospect Hunter Brown throws 6 shutout innings in debut
- Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
- Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer
He has been a remarkably valuable fantasy piece not only for his ability to get on base, with a .404 on-base percentage, and to steal bases, with an AL-leading nine in ten attempts, his power has increased dramatically. He has 18 extra base hits with an AL-leading 11 doubles and seven home runs. He also has driven in 14 RBIs from the leadoff spot in the lineup.
With the Astros starting a ten game homestand, Altuve has been known to be very successful at Minute Maid Park. In 2016, he has hit .381 through 10 games with nine extra-base hits and eight RBIs. He compares that with a .250 average on the road.
Like George Springer batting second, the Astros need Altuve to provide offense for them to be successful. This will prove well for fantasy owners once the Astros offense gets to where it was expected to be.
Next: Week 5 Pitcher
Week 5 Pitcher:
Dallas Keuchel (Owned in 98.8% of all ESPN Fantasy Leagues)
The ace for the Astros is off to a rough start in 2016. Through 5 starts, Keuchel is 2-3 with a 4.41 ERA and a 1.408 WHIP. His hits given up and walks given up per nine innings have skyrocketed up to 9.1 and 3.6 respectively.
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- Just how much better is the Houston Astros playoff rotation than the rest?
- Houston Astros: A Lineup Change to Spark Offense
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- Always faithful Astros World Series champion Josh Reddick defends the title
- Michael Conforto declines Astros’ 2-year, $30 million offer
So why is Keuchel the best fantasy starter the Astros have going this next week? It’s his home field advantage.
According to a tweet from MLB.com correspondent Richard Justice, the Astros are 20-2 in Keuchel’s last 22 home games. In those games, Keuchel is 17-0 with a 1.47 ERA. In fact, four of his five starts this year have been on the road. In his only start at Minute Maid Park so far this season, Keuchel was stellar, pitching 8 shutout innings, giving up only 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.
Keuchel will have two home starts this week first against the Minnesota Twins tonight and against Seattle on Saturday.
Also, despite his mediocre numbers to start 2016, Keuchel has been stellar at keeping the ball in the park. Through his 32.2 innings pitched, Keuchel has given up only 1 home run. This will especially come in handy against Seattle this weekend after he struggled against them in his last start on April 26th, giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits.
Next: Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins Series Preview (May 2-4)
With Keuchel’s Korner in full swing at Minute Maid Park twice this week, not only do I think that Keuchel is going to be the best pitcher on the Astros this week, I think he could be the best pitcher in the AL this week. Make sure he is starting for your fantasy teams!
***Stats from Baseball-Reference***