Finally, you can start to exhale. After two weeks, stats are starting to normalize and player values are starting to take shape. Yes, the sample size is still quite small. However, we can begin to see by using Relative Position Value (RPV) how early streaks are effecting player value and team performance. Let’s take a look at the top 25 outfielders ranked coming into the season and their performance YTD in 2016 (heading into Thursday night’s games) Fantasy Black Book style.

Player                                                         PTS           Raw RPV

Jose Bautista (TOR - RF,DH)                37.5          0.544

Chris Davis (BAL - 1B,RF,DH)               37.0          0.524

Bryce Harper (WSH - CF,RF)                36.5          0.503

Carlos Gonzalez (COL - RF)                  36.5          0.503

Starling Marte (PIT - LF,CF)                 32.5          0.339

Mookie Betts (BOS - CF,RF)                 30.5          0.256

Matt Kemp (SD - RF)                              30.5          0.256

Hunter Pence (SF - RF)                          30.0          0.236

Nelson Cruz (SEA - RF,DH)                   29.0          0.194

J.D. Martinez (DET - RF)                        28.0          0.153

David Peralta (ARI - LF,RF)                   27.0          0.112

Jason Heyward (CHC - CF,RF)             26.0          0.071

Giancarlo Stanton (MIA - RF)              24.0          -0.012

Mike Trout (LAA - CF)                            23.0          -0.053

Lorenzo Cain (KC - CF)                           22.5          -0.073

Charlie Blackmon (COL - LF,CF)         21.0          -0.135

Jacoby Ellsbury (NYY - CF)                   20.5          -0.156

Andrew McCutchen (PIT - CF)            19.5          -0.197

George Springer (HOU - CF,RF)          18.5          -0.238

Justin Upton (DET - LF)                         17.5          -0.279

Adam Eaton (CWS - CF,RF)                  17.5          -0.279

Ryan Braun (MIL - LF,RF)                      17.0          -0.300

Yoenis Cespedes (NYM - LF,CF)           16.5          -0.320

Carlos Gomez (HOU - CF)                     5.5             -0.773

Adam Jones (BAL - CF) DTD                 3.0             -0.876

As you can see, some top guys like Bryce Harper, Jose Bautista and Chris Davis have delivered the goods. Justin Upton, Carlos Gomez and George Springer have been underwhelming and are actually in the significant negative RPV pool. Adam Jones on the other hand hasn’t been healthy, nor has Charlie Blackmon who ended up on the DL this week. You have to give those guys a pass and hope for a rebound next month. Perhaps Andrew McCutchen has been the biggest disappointment in the early going considering his ADP and auction pricing. Or so it would seem…

Speaking of auction pricing, let’s take this list of ours a step further by adding in the average auction price these same players went for on draft day. This will give us their RPV per Dollar (RPVPD). That will determine just how cost effective the production they’ve delivered has been over the first two weeks.

Here’s the same group with auction prices added and sorted by RPV per Dollar (RPVPD):

Player                                                         PTS           Raw RPV           Salary          RPV Per Dollar

Hunter Pence (SF - RF)                          30.0          0.236                  $    16           0.646

Matt Kemp (SD - RF)                              30.5          0.256                  $    17           0.630

Carlos Gonzalez (COL - RF)                  36.5          0.503                  $    22           0.599

David Peralta (ARI - LF,RF)                   27.0          0.112                  $    17           0.582

Jason Heyward (CHC - CF,RF)             26.0          0.071                  $    17           0.565

Jacoby Ellsbury (NYY - CF)                   20.5          -0.156                 $    15           0.514

Chris Davis (BAL - 1B,RF,DH)               37.0          0.524                  $    30           0.461

Adam Eaton (CWS - CF,RF)                  17.5          -0.279                 $    16           0.392

Jose Bautista (TOR - RF,DH)                37.5          0.544                  $    36           0.362

Starling Marte (PIT - LF,CF)                 32.5          0.339                  $    32           0.346

J.D. Martinez (DET - RF)                        28.0          0.153                  $    29           0.312

Ryan Braun (MIL - LF,RF)DTD             17.0          -0.300                 $    18           0.296

Nelson Cruz (SEA - RF,DH)                   29.0          0.194                  $    32           0.267

Mookie Betts (BOS - CF,RF)                 30.5          0.256                  $    34           0.259

Lorenzo Cain (KC - CF)                           22.5          -0.073                 $    26           0.232

George Springer (HOU - CF,RF)          18.5          -0.238                 $    22           0.210

Bryce Harper (WSH - CF,RF)                36.5          0.503                  $    46           0.162

Justin Upton (DET - LF)                         17.5          -0.279                 $    23           0.127

Charlie Blackmon (COL - LF,CF)         21.0          -0.135                 $    29           0.082

Giancarlo Stanton (MIA - RF)              24.0          -0.012                 $    38           -0.052

Yoenis Cespedes (NYM - LF,CF)         16.5          -0.320                 $    27           -0.087

Andrew McCutchen (PIT - CF)            19.5          -0.197                 $    39           -0.329

Mike Trout (LAA - CF)                            23.0          -0.053                 $    47           -0.358

Carlos Gomez (HOU - CF)                     5.5             -0.773                 $    24           -1.900

Adam Jones (BAL - CF)DTD                  3.0             -0.876                 $    24           -4.317

When you invest in a stock you either want to pay for premium company shares and receive a premium return or buy cheap and see moderate to high returns. Why shouldn’t we demand the same performance out of our fantasy players? Well look who shoots up to the top of the NEW board! “Old Reliable” Hunter Pence has bounced back in a big way to open 2016 and right now he’s been the best outfield investment YTD. Of the previous TOP 5, only Carlos Gonzalez remains in that standing holding his return on investment. Jacoby Ellsbury’s spring training hit by pitch incident reduced his cost that last week or so heading into the season. If you took a chance on him, so far he’s paid off quite nicely.

Bautista and Davis have held their value pretty well. Harper on the other hand drops significantly, but the real anchor is Mike Trout who hits nearly rock bottom. Sure, it’s a slow start for Trout and he’s a “super elite” player as far as talent goes. However, we have just quantified how much your Mike Trout investment is hurting your fantasy team right now. That knowledge, my friends, is priceless!

Now we have a better understanding of these players return on investment and that’s the difference between first and last place in leagues. If we can develop a deeper understanding of a player’s true value, we become better owners, able to make better trades and acquisitions based on need. We then know what our weaknesses and our strengths are and can avoid overreactions and bad decisions. Once you identify the players delivering strong returns on investment from the ones bleeding your fantasy team dry, you’ll ready to take the next step with your fantasy game.

Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17) is the seven-time best-selling author of the Fantasy Black Book Series for baseball and football. He hosts Fantasy Sports Tonight on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and the Dear Mr. Fantasy Podcast.