Josh Reddick went on a tear last week

We are now in May. The fantasy baseball honeymoon period is over. The euphoria experienced last month will soon be replaced by the Dog Days of Summer. Until then, this will be an important month. Some prospects may be called up, and performances will soon have validity, as the sample size will be larger. You should have a pretty good idea of what kind of team you have by now, so be vigilant on opportunities to improve as needed. Still, there is still no reason to panic. Lots of baseball remains to be played. In this weekly recap, I will highlight the best and worst players over the past week. As usual, I will try and refrain from talking about the Mike Trout’s of the world.

RISERS

• Josh Reddick (OF-Oakland Athletics) – Reddick has been on a tear the last week and a half. Since April 22nd, Reddick has an eleven-game hitting streak. He hit .500, scored 10 runs, hit three home runs, and drove in 15. He’s hitting in the third spot, replacing the injured Ben Zobrist. The most encouraging sign is that Reddick has only struck out five times all season. It seems like he has a different approach at the plate this year, sacrificing power for contact. If that’s the case, Reddick could be in line for a great season. Personally, I have my doubts. A leopard cannot change its spots. Reddick has never profiled as a high-contact, high-average hitter. It’s rare to find 28-year-olds drastically changing their profile. It has happened so I’m not completely disregarding the possibility, but it’s very rare.

• Jake Marisnick (OF-Houston Astros) – Break up the Astros! They are currently leading the AL West by seven games (18-7). One of the reasons has been the play of their center fielder, Marisnick. The 6′ 4″, 220 pound, 24-year-old was one of those project prospects; a player that had potential but needed a lot of work. Last week, he collected a hit in every game, hit .428, scored seven runs, hit two home runs, drove in six, and stole five bases. For a big man, the speed is impressive, and his minor league numbers back it up. He was hitting ninth in the order until recently being moved up to the seven-hole. If he continues to play at this level, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Astros move him to the two-hole. I believe there is some hesistancy because of Marisnick’s minor league numbers; .279 AVG, .790 OPS, 48 HRs, 119 SBs, and 239 RBI in 2051 plate appearances. He’s obviously not going to hit at this pace all season long, and his minor league numbers do not scream star, but there are some encouraging signs. He’s only struck out 10 times in 72 plate appearances. The thing to watch is if the Astros move him to the two-hole because that will indicate more trust and belief from the coaching staff and possibly mean that Marisnick is not just a flash in the pan.

• Colby Rasmus (OF-Houston Astros) – Rasmus collected eight hits, scored seven runs, hit three home runs, drove in six, and stole one base. True to Rasmus form though, he also struck out 11 times. He’s hitting sixth in a now potent Astros’ lineup. We know who Rasmus is. He has power and will hit home runs, but at the expense of striking out. The Astros’ GM definitely likes to acquire a certain type of player.

• Evan Gattis (C/DH-Houston Astros) – Another Astro. I filleted him when he was terrible to start the season, so I need to give him some love when he performs. I love Gattis’ story, and he has the coolest nickname in the game, El Oso Blanco. Gattis collected nine hits, scored seven runs, hit five home runs, and drove in 16. Like all the Astros not named Jose Altuve and Marisnick, Gattis fits the mold of swinging for the fences at the expense of striking out. See ball, hit ball far, and if you miss at least swing really hard.

• Joc Pederson (OF-Los Angeles Dodgers) – The phenom for the Dodgers has been the real deal. As a Dodgers’ fan, I’m so happy they didn’t trade him for an aging, over-the-hill arm. Joc is one of the reasons Matt Kemp was traded, and he’s been as advertised. Last week, he collected five hits (four home runs), scored five runs, and drove in eight. The most important development last week was that Mattingly moved him to the lead-off position. After being stuck in the eight-hole all season, the cream has risen to the top. With his speed, power, and on-base skills (OBP .447), Joc is the perfect lead-off man for the Dodgers, and could deliver a huge season hitting in front of Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez.

• Brandon Phillips (2B-Cincinnati Reds) – Phillips collected nine hits, scored three, hit one home run, drove in six, and stole three bases. It was a nice week for Phillips, but don’t expect a renaissance. While the Reds’ offense is definitely better than last year, Phillips is hitting sixth in the order and is 33 years old. I’m sure no one was expecting his glory days numbers of 18 HRs, 100 RBI, and 20 SBs, but he should be better than last year; 10 HRs, 65 RBI, and 8 SBs looks very reasonable.

• Glen Perkins (RP-Minnesota Twins) – The Twins’ closer notched four saves last week. He only struck out two, but only allowed two hits, and zero earned runs. On the season, Perkins has an ERA of 0.82 and 0.64 WHIP. Not much to say here. He good.

• Wil Myers (OF-San Diego Padres) – Myers collected seven hits, scored nine runs, hit one home run, drove in five, and stole one base. He’s batting lead-off for the Padres and is spearheading a rejuvenated attack. He’s not a prototypical lead-off guy, and his 21 strikeouts so far is a concern. The Padres seem committed to him, and he seems more jovial playing in San Diego, so Myers could very well be more valuable than his 178 ADP.

• Denard Span (OF-Washington Nationals) – Span collected nine hits (five in one game), scored seven runs, hit two home runs, and drove in six. Since coming back from core muscle surgery, Span has provided a much-needed boost for a struggling Nationals’ squad. He looks healthy and should provide value with runs scored and stolen bases the rest of the season. He did rest for two days last week because of soreness, but all looks fine. This is obviously something you want to monitor the rest of the season.

• Kevin Pillar (OF-Toronto Blue Jays) – The center fielder of the Blue Jays has been hitting and playing great defense. As a result, Dalton Pompey was sent down to Triple-A, and it looks like Pillar will have consistent playing time. Last week, he collected 11 hits, scored six runs, drove in six runs, and stole two bases. He’s hitting sixth in a stacked Blue Jays’ lineup. While he doesn’t profile as a power hitter, he will steal some bases and had a career .322 minor league average.

FALLERS

• Mark Buehrle (SP-Toronto Blue Jays) – After three consecutive quality starts for wins, Buehrle was humbled and pummeled in his two starts last week. The Rays tagged him for 13 hits, five earned runs, and knocked him out after 5 2/3 innings. The Indians wanted in on the fun and got him for 11 hits, eight earned runs, and chased him after 4 1/3 innings. Buehrle is a control pitcher, who eats up innings, and can frustrate batters with his location and change of speed. When he’s off, he gets rocked..

• Jimmy Nelson (SP-Milwaukee Brewers) – Nelson got rocked in Cincinnati last week for seven earned runs on six hits. He was chased after 2 1/3 innings. He just couldn’t harness his control, as evidenced by his five walks. He bounced back on Sunday against the Cubs and allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. In a strange scheduling quirk and possible glitch in the matrix, Nelson will face the same team in back-to-back starts for the first three teams he pitches against. 4/11 Pirates 4/17 Pirates 4/22 Reds 4/27 Reds 5/3 Cubs 5/8 Cubs. Guess which games he lost? And the destruction by the Reds? The second time they faced him in a week. Nelson will be fine. His arsenal is great; mid-90s fastball with the new curveball everyone is talking about. Pitching against the same team twice in the span of a week is tough for anyone. I’ll give him a pass for the weird scheduling coincidence there. The one concern I do have is his mental strength. His body language is terrible when faced with adversity and his bouts of wildness. Because of that, I find it hard for him to ever be elite, but he can be a valuable fantasy asset because of his ability to strike out batters.

• Mark Teixeira (1B-New York Yankees) – Man, that was fast. After being on the rise last week, the stay at the top was a quick one as he came down just as fast. Before Sunday’s game, he collected one hit with one run scored. He was able to hit a home run on Sunday to salvage some respectability to the week, but it was still terrible. This is Teixeira. He will hit some home runs but at the expense of a very poor average.

• Mike Napoli (1B-Boston Red Sox) – Napoli continues to struggle to begin the 2015 campaign. Before Sunday’s game, he collected one hit with no other counting stats. Like Teixeira, he hit a three-run home run on Sunday to put something on the board. Manager John Farrell said that he will stick with Napoli at first base, so at least he will continue to receive playing time. Napoli won’t be this bad forever. He will pick it up and hit. He won’t hit for a high average, but should provide some pop. He does take his fair amount of walks so he’s more valuable in OBP leagues.

• Billy Butler (1B/DH-Oakland Athletics) – Butler collected one hit with two runs scored last week. He’s been very solid this season, so this may have just been one of those weeks. He’s a career .294 hitter, so I wouldn’t be too concerned.

• Justin Maxwell (OF-San Francisco Giants) – Was on the same elevator as Teixeira. Came back down as fast as he went up. Last week, Maxwell collected two hits with one run scored. He also sat two games. Unlike Teixeira, Maxwell doesn’t have a track record. Also, what happens when Hunter Pence returns?

• Steven Souza Jr. (OF-Tampa Bay Rays) – Souza collected three hits and scored two runs last week. He struck out 15 times, including two games with four. He is prone to striking out often, but I wonder if a forearm cramp he suffered the prior week isn’t contributing to his poor play. He’s still batting in the two-hole, so that’s a positive. His power is undeniable, so there’s a ton of upside, but it definitely comes at a cost. I wouldn’t be too concerned unless he gets moved out of the two-hole.

Good luck to everyone in Week 5.

Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.