Jeff Erickson told listeners to buy—or simply stop worrying about—Rafael Devers after the third baseman torched May pitching to the tune of a .402 average and a league-leading RBI total entering Friday night. Erickson chalked Devers’ April slump up to the fact he missed all of spring training with shoulder irritation, noting that diminished bat-speed readings in early April have already bounced back to 2023 levels. With the rust gone, Fenway’s cornerstone slugger is back to posting 50-percent hard-hit rates and top-10 barrel percentages, metrics that historically translate into 35-homer, 110-RBI pace over a full season. Erickson advised sending aggressive offers before the narrative fully flips, suggesting a package headlined by a top-25 outfielder (e.g., Christian Yelich) in redraft leagues. He also expects Devers’ DraftKings salary to jump $600-plus within a week, making this the last window to roster him at a discount in DFS tournaments.

Jeff Erickson said he’s steering clear of Ryan Yarbrough’s upcoming two-step. While the soft-tossing lefty draws a favorable opener against the Angels, the back half is at Dodger Stadium, where Los Angeles ranks first in wRC+ versus southpaws. Yarbrough’s strike-out rate sits under 17 %, meaning he relies on batted-ball luck that’s unlikely to hold against Mookie Betts and company. Even after an 8-K gem versus Texas, Erickson believes the strikeout spike is a mirage and expects ratio carnage in Chávez Ravine. He prefers streaming options that don’t require surviving the league’s best lineup.

Jeff Erickson said it is time to cut or at least bench Ryan Pressly after digging into the underlying numbers. Pressly’s strike-out rate has cratered from 23.8 % last season to an ugly 12 % through 18 innings, and his swinging-strike rate has fallen in three straight years (17.7 % → 15.5 % → 12.5 % → 8.5 %). Whiff rate on the four-seamer slid from 18 % to 9 %, while the slider’s whiff rate was halved (30 % to 15 %). Erickson noted the Cubs used Pressly in the sixth inning last week, a clear sign the organization no longer trusts him in save situations. With no long-term financial commitment and Palencia currently closing, Erickson views Pressly as a luxury stash, not a must-hold, in anything shallower than 15-team formats.

Jeff Erickson urged managers desperate for saves to grab Daniel Palencia right now. Palencia has collected Chicago’s last two saves and has been deployed in classic ninth-inning leverage while Ryan Pressly tries to locate his missing fastball in the sixth. Erickson conceded Palencia’s 11 % walk rate keeps the WHIP shaky, but the role trumps the warts. He expects the Cubs to ride the hot hand because they owe Pressly nothing after this year and surrendered only a fringe prospect plus some salary relief to Houston. As long as Palencia holds the job, Erickson sees a month-long window for 6-8 saves that could swing tight roto categories.

Jeff Erickson highlighted that Trea Turner has quietly returned to "old-school" Turner value because he is running at an elite clip again. After swiping 19 bags all of last season, Turner already has 14 steals (four this week) while pushing his OBP to .363 thanks to a modest walk-rate bump. Although the power hasn’t shown up yet (five homers, hard-hit rate down), Erickson argued the huge jump in stolen-base volume offsets the power dip and positions Turner as a high-end fantasy shortstop. If the homers come anywhere close to last year’s 26, managers could get a true five-category stud at what currently looks like a discount.

Jeff Erickson plans to exclude Jordan Spieth from all DFS builds at $9,300, predicting heavy ownership fueled by the career-grand-slam narrative. Erickson emphasized that Quail Hollow’s 7,600-yard, long-par-4 layout does not suit Spieth’s below-average driving distance and cited the Texan’s lack of a PGA Championship title as further evidence the track exposes his weaknesses. With ample similarly priced alternatives, Erickson sees Spieth as a contrarian fade rather than a risk worth taking.

Jeff Erickson tabbed Daniel Berger as his favorite sub-$8K sleeper, citing a third-place finish at the RBC Heritage since returning from injury and steady ball-striking metrics reminiscent of his pre-injury peak. At $7,900, Berger offers top-10 ceiling without forcing managers into the $6K scrub range, making him a strong one-and-done or DFS pivot away from more popular names in the same salary band.

Jeff Erickson declared that, love him or loathe him, Patrick Reed at $8,100 belongs in DFS builds and top-10 betting cards. Erickson trusts Reed’s knack for hanging around leaderboards in majors, noting that his short-game wizardry and ability to scramble in difficult scoring environments align with Quail Hollow’s reputation as a top-10 toughest course annually. The sub-$8.5K salary lets rosters fit a second premium stud while still accessing Reed’s reliable cut-making and Sunday contention profile.