If you need a fill-in for an injury or are simply looking for a short-term spark, Scott White has you covered with 10 sleeper hitters for the upcoming scoring period, all rostered in no more than 75 percent of CBS Sports leagues. They're not must-starts by any stretch, but they're the best you'll find off the waiver wire.
- Week 3: Sleeper pitchers | Two-start pitchers
All information is up to date as of Sunday afternoon.
Sleeper hitters for Week 3 (April 10-16)
Nolan Gorman is off to a nice start, showing his usual power and improved plate discipline, and his Cardinals have the most favorable hitter matchups this week, beginning with a trip to Coors Field. With only one lefty on the schedule, he's a good bet to stay in the lineup, too.
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A slow start has led to Rowdy Tellez being dropped in enough leagues that I can now mention him here. He still has huge power and is a good bet to take advantage of the fourth-best hitter matchups this week against pitchers like Madison Bumgarner, Nick Martinez, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
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Garrett Mitchell has impressed with his power and is overdue for a big stolen base binge. He tends to sit against lefties, but there's only one on tap for the Brewers' seven games this week, with the righties including some mashables from the Diamondbacks and Padres rotations.
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Have you heard the Brewers have favorable matchups this week? Well, their hottest hitter of all is Brian Anderson, who may not have quite the upside of Rowdy Tellez or Garrett Mitchell but is a better bet to stay in the lineup for all seven games.
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Early indications are Joey Wiemer's goofy swing will hold up to major-league pitching, in which case there's a lot of power and speed to tap into. He'll have seven games to do it this week, and except for Zac Gallen and Yu Darvish, none of the scheduled pitchers would strike fear in the heart of most hitters.
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Though we know top prospect Francisco Alvarez is coming up to replace the injured Omar Narvaez, there's still a question of how much he'll play given that he's a liability behind the plate. But with four lefties on tap this week, we'll be seeing him at DH at least, and three of those four lefties (Ryan Weathers, JP Sears and Kyle Muller) are pretty mashable.
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Jorge Mateo has been running wild under the new rules and so far has hit well enough to stick in the lineup. The Orioles have the second-best hitter matchups this week, mostly because of a four-game series against the Athletics.
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The surprise winner of the Braves' shortstop competition this spring has so far justified the decision offensively, making high-quality contact and scoring some runs from the nine spot. The Braves' have the fifth-best hitter matchups this week, going against the Reds and Royals rotations.
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Boy, the Brewers lineup better come through this week, given all the hitters I'm recommending from it. Turang has been a solid contributor so far, getting on base at a nice clip and flashing some wheels. He should be in the lineup for six of the seven games.
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Myles Straw worked to fix his swing this offseason following a disappointing 2022 and has so far maintained a batting average well over .300 between spring training and the regular season. It won't last, but maybe it will against pitchers like Domingo German, Trevor Williams, Chad Kuhl and Patrick Corbin this week. And rest assured, there will be stolen bases.
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Best hitter matchups for Week 3
1. Cardinals @COL3, PIT4
2. Orioles OAK4, @CHW3
3. Angels WAS3, @BOS3
4. Brewers @ARI3, @SD4
5. Braves CIN3, @KC3
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Worst hitter matchups for Week 3
1. Diamondbacks MIL3, @MIA3
2. Twins CHW3, @NYY4
3. Tigers @TOR3, SF3
4. Marlins @PHI3, ARI3
5. Giants LAD3, @DET3