He was even better in 2020, but it’s been a struggle since, and he missed nearly a year with a shoulder injury until making his season debut on Thursday. Okay, so it was a rough start for the long-time Cub, but it was only natural for there to be plenty of rust. However, once Hendricks’ usually steady command returns, he’s going to pay dividends, so grab him now.

The Cubs are loaded at outfield, so a trade could be coming this summer to give some of the youngsters a look, and given the power Velazquez has flashed, he really intrigues us as someone that could provide second-half value if he gets regular PT. He’s also got a pretty good arm, but with an uncertain role in the Show, he’s a gamble.

This year, he was showing some bounce back potential before landing on the IL with a forearm injury, and while it’s not clear how long he’ll be sidelined (he’s scheduled to begin a throwing program in about a month), he makes for an intriguing stash option if you have space. Okay, there’s always the chance he’ll need Tommy John surgery, rendering this pick pointless, but it wasn’t long ago that Rogers was among the top Marlins’ prospects.

Jackson’s been a real workhorse so far and has been used in higher leverage situations compared to last season, and while he’s allowing too many baserunners, it hasn’t hurt his bottom line numbers yet. A third round pick by Toronto in 2016, Jackson’s biggest issue throughout his career has been walks, so that’ll be something he needs to overcome to become a successful closer. But if you’re hard up for saves in an AL-only league, give him a look.

However, he’s actually winning games as a full-time rotation member early on this season for the Pirates (yes, another Bucco SP… small wonder they’ve improved, right?). Better yet, Velasquez has a date against the NL-worst offense (Washington) this weekend. We’d like to see him up his groundball rate and he’s likely due for a bit of regression moving forward, but is still an asset in mixed leagues.

Given how well Lucchesi performed at Triple-A to begin 2023 (1.15 WHIP with over a K per inning) and how dominant he was in his debut with the Mets on Friday (seven shutout innings with nine Ks), he’s worth a look in NL-only leagues, especially considering that he’s shown nice strikeout capability over his career (9.3 K/9).