Halterman called Agustin Ramirez a must-add in any league where you can use catcher speed. The 22-year-old debuted Monday and opened 5-for-6 with three doubles, a steal, and even got caught once—evidence he’s willing to run. Ramirez swiped 22 bags last year and is already on pace to lead all catchers (only J.T. Realmuto has reached double-digit steals in the past decade). He pairs speed with legit bat skills: .267 average, 19 % K-rate, 11 % BB-rate, and 25 homers in Double-A. Halterman expects him to beat out Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks, and Rob Brantly for regular work; if that happens Ramirez could provide rare category juice at the thinnest fantasy position, though his value could dip back to two-catcher formats once Fortes returns.

Halterman advised adding or stashing Cade Smith with Emmanuel Clase dealing with shoulder discomfort after a noticeable drop in strikeouts (24 % → 17 %) and ground-ball rate (60 % → 45 %). Smith already has two saves this week while Clase sits. Since last season he’s logged 88.1 IP with a 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 35 % K-rate, 6 % BB-rate, and just one homer allowed—no other reliever pairs that strikeout punch with that level of control. Even if Clase rebounds, Halterman believes Smith is rosterable for elite ratios; if the shoulder issue lingers, fantasy managers could luck into five months of top-tier closer production.

Halterman wants fantasy managers to scoop up Tony Gonsolin before his season debut later this week. With Blake Snell shut down, Gonsolin should lock down the back-end rotation spot—always lucrative for wins in L.A. The right-hander owns a career 2.51 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 25 % K-rate prior to his 2023 Tommy John campaign. He reached five innings in his final rehab start, so quality-start volume is plausible immediately. While 2023’s 4.98 ERA shows risk, Halterman is willing to ride the Dodgers carousel: roster the current fifth starter, bank ratio help and wins, then churn when the next arm surfaces.

Halterman suggested streaming Mickey Moniak during Colorado’s schedule stretch that features four home series out of five. Now in Coors Field, the former No. 1 overall pick shows signs of life: strike-out rate down to 19 % (from a career 32 %), hard-hit rate up to 50 %, and a consistent 10 % barrel rate despite past struggles. He already cut his K-rate to 27 % last season, indicating progress. At 26 there’s still underlying talent, and even a league-average bat can pop in Coors. Halterman views Moniak—as well as Kyle Farmer or Michael Toglia—as viable short-term adds, but Moniak’s pedigree and recent plate-discipline gains make him the preferred flier while the Rockies are at home.

Halterman recommended adding Caleb Durbin as a more well-rounded version of Chandler Simpson. Recalled Friday after the Brewers manipulated his service time, Durbin faces minimal playing-time competition (Oliver Dunn, Vinnie Capra, Isaac Collins). Through his first six MLB games he owns a .261 average with a homer, a steal, and—importantly—zero strikeouts. In the minors he’s run three straight 30-plus steal seasons while never striking out more than 9 % of the time and already has two homers down there this year. Halterman believes Durbin can provide batting average, 20-plus SB pace, and at least low-double-digit home-run upside—ideal for roto managers needing speed without a power zero.

Erick Halterman said Chandler Simpson should be added immediately anywhere you need steals or batting-average help. Simpson swiped 104 bases last season and 94 the year before, all while posting single-digit strike-out rates that separate him from past no-power speedsters like Esteury Ruiz, Mallex Smith, and Billy Hamilton (who all hovered in the 15–20 % K-range). Halterman expects Simpson to hit for a useful average by legging out infield singles, projects plenty of runs atop Tampa’s lineup, and even recommends grabbing him in trade-friendly leagues just to flip to the manager who really needs speed. The only risk he flagged is a potential demotion when Josh Lowe returns in May, but the upside comp he used was Juan Pierre—an outfielder who could go a whole year without homering yet still finish as an elite fantasy asset thanks to 60-plus steals.