A little extra flavor never hurts. Especially when puttin’ together a fantasy squad. 
When I’m in the kitchen I make moves. If something aint selling, I take it off the menu. If a staff member isn’t doing their job, they’re gone. That’s how I run my fantasy teams.
Each week I will hit you with the players moving up the rankings that you NEED to know about. I don’t care if it is the No. 8 hitter on the Rays or the No. 4 starter for the Astros. If they are producing, you’re gonna know about it.
With less than a week of action in the books making pickups this early in the season can be risky but the rewards could be endless. Below are the players that either need to be added immediately or need to be added to watch lists after a hot start. Just keep in mind, we are dealing with an extremely small sample sizes here folks, so don't be droppin' perennial fantasy studs who are starting off slow for a new up-in-coming name.
The Hackers
Dilson Herrera, 2B (NYM)--With David Wright expected to miss at least a week of action, the Mets decided to call up Herrera, who has been providing Triple-A Las Vegas with plenty of production both offensively and defensively. Through his first 19 games Herrera is slashing .375/.407/.513 with a home run, 11 RBI and three stolen bases and will now take over full time at second base, moving Murphy to the hot corner. Like any youngster he is going go through his growing pains, but the 21-year-old has all the talent needed to succeed in the big leagues, although this time around may be short-lived. Those in deep leagues will want to make the investment, but if Wright is back on time his value won't last long enough for standard league purposes.
Jimmy Paredes, 3B (BAL)--Paredes is off to a solid start since joining the everyday lineup as he is now slashing .385/.400/.769 with three home runs, nine RBI and 10 runs scored through 39 at-bats. To add to his recent production, Paredes has now logged eight hits over his last four games. Although it would be nice to see him take more walks (only 1 BB) as long as his strikeout rate remains low (7 K) this recent move to the starting lineup could become something more regular. Until he cools off, Paredes is worth owning in all league formats as he continues to power his way to relevancy.
Jake Marisnick, OF (HOU)--Marisnick has been on a mission of late as he has now logged four multi-hit games with four extra-base hits and five RBI over his last 10 games. In all he is slashing .379/.422/.621 with two home runs and 10 RBI on the season while seeing regular time in the Astros outfield. Until he gives his manager reason to make a change, Marisnick is going to remain in the starting lineup, especially if his team keeps on winning. Not only has he gotten the job done in the power state, but his eight stolen bases ranks him among the league leaders in that category with is an added bonus. In all you are getting a player that can contribute in all four categories, which is hard to come by these days.
A.J. Pierzynski, C (ATL)--Although Piersynski's best days are behind him, he has shown signs of life since being moved into the starting lineup. He is now slashing .422/.443/.689 with three home runs, 14 RBI and eight runs scored through 45 at-bats as he continues to prove what he can do at the age of 38. Will he be able to keep up the pace? Not likely, but as long as he continues to log regular at-bats he makes for a solid option behind the plate in deep league formats.
The Hurlers
Mike Foltynewicz, RP (ATL)--You might not be able to pronounce his name, but the Braves' youngster will be taking the mound of Friday, starting in place of Trevor Cahill. Through his first 16 big league appearances, Foltynewicz owns a 5.30 ERA, 1.61 WHIP with a 14:7 K:BB rate through 18.2 innings, which is nothing special. However, he has had a great start to the season for Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.08 ERA, 1.27 WHIP with 30 strikeouts over 21.1 innings. Considering the inefficiencies of Cahill there is a chance he could remain in the big leagues with a good start against the Reds. For now those in deep league formats will want to give him a strong look but if he comes out firing his stock will rise with an extended stay in the Braves starting rotation.
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP (BAL)--Jimenez has started the season off on the right foot as he is now sitting 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA, 0.79 WHIP an a 22:8 K:BB rate through 22.2 innings. What is even more impressive is that Jimenez has been able to keep the ball low in the zone unlike recent seasons, which has resulted in solid production for both the Orioles an his fantasy owners alike. Although we have seen instances in the past where he has shown flashes of his younger years, this start seems to be legit so far and with any luck he will be able to keep up the pace for long-term purposes. Until the wheels fall completely off, Jimenez is a must-add in all but the shallowest of formats.
J.A. Happ (SEA)--Happ managed to resurrect his career with a move to the Mariners as he is now sitting 2-1 with s 2.30 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a 18:3 K:BB rate through 27.1 innings. Although he isn't going to strike out a batter per inning, Happ's low walk rate has made him an intriguing add off the waiver wire for those in need of help in the WHIP category. As long as he keeps on pitching deep into games while limiting both home runs (2 HR) and walks, he is someone worth adding in most formats while performing at the best level we have seen from him in years.