If you began playing fantasy baseball within the past five years, then, to you, Mike Trout is more of a curious folk myth than an actual player.<\/p>\n
You weren\u2019t managing rotisserie rosters during Trout\u2019s 10+ WAR seasons. You missed the seven consecutive years in which he was the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts.<\/p>\n
For you, Trout is just a guy who makes a brief cameo appearance each season before returning to his summer home on the IL. He\u2019s played only 396 games in the past five years, averaging fewer than 80 per season. Trout is now more rumor than athlete. At Philadelphia Eagles games, he\u2019s the guy on the sidelines who isn\u2019t a football player or Big Dom.<\/p>\n
During the opening weekend of the 2026 season, however, Trout reminded us that he is, in fact, an all-time inner-circle destroyer of baseballs.<\/p>\n
Mike Trout is off to a scorching start to the season. He\u2019s 3-for-3 with a solo homer after going deep here in the fifth. He also went 1-for-2 with a homer, three walks and a stolen base yesterday. pic.twitter.com\/hopGRuquEB<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) March 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Trout homered in each of the Angels\u2019 first two games, finishing the Houston series 6-for-13 with five runs, three RBIs and one steal. Vintage stuff.<\/p>\n At 34, Trout probably won\u2019t continue to produce like the mid-20s version of himself \u2014 a player who finished top-five in MVP voting in nine consecutive seasons \u2014 but we can\u2019t completely reject the concept. This man\u2019s Statcast page was full of red<\/a> last season, so we know the raw skills haven\u2019t significantly degraded. Bat speed definitely isn\u2019t a concern. His barrel rate (15.8%) placed him in the 93rd percentile among all hitters in 2025. This spring, Trout also flashed the sort of elite sprint speed<\/a> we hadn\u2019t seen from him in years.<\/p>\n When healthy, Trout is a dangerous man. All-time greats age differently than everyone else, following a unique set of rules, so let\u2019s not dismiss the possibility of a throwback season. We all deserve a Mike Trout renaissance. Trout himself certainly deserves it. He begins the week with a visit to Wrigley Field, where he\u2019ll face the most vulnerable segment of the Cubs rotation; Jameson Taillon was crushed throughout the spring and Matthew Boyd was mauled on Opening Day.<\/p>\n Chase DeLauter playing like he\u2019ll get $900 million from the Dodgers in 2032<\/p>\n OK, yes, that may represent a best-case scenario, but we can\u2019t rule it out. DeLauter is coming off an outrageous spring for the Guardians (.459\/.535\/.838) and he\u2019s somehow improved since the regular season began. The 24-year-old homered four times in his first three MLB games, including a pair of bombs in his debut. On Saturday, he launched a 10th-inning two-run shot off one of baseball\u2019s premier relievers:<\/p>\n CHASE DELAUTER DID IT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com\/JSdl4iixV9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Andres Munoz had the rookie in a 2-2 count and looking unsteady, then delivered a please-chase-me fastball at 97 mph, high and away \u2026 and the kid simply flicked it over the wall to the opposite field. Very rude.<\/p>\n We should probably open ourselves to the possibility that DeLauter may possess a few special traits. He\u2019s dealt with a medley of difficult injuries during his minor league career, but plate discipline has been a strength, and, clearly, he does not lack power. He\u2019s looking like a fantasy win.<\/p>\n Approved streaming options for the week ahead<\/p>\n If you\u2019re chasing wins and Ks (unburdened by a low tolerance for risk), the following starters are playable options this week and potentially available, depending on your platform of choice:<\/p>\n Cody Ponce, Blue Jays (vs. COL, at CWS): It\u2019s basically a dream two-start situation for a guy tied to an excellent team and coming off a stellar spring (0.81 WHIP). Ponce is likely long gone at NFBC and Fantrax, but he\u2019s widely available in shallower, sleepier games. Carlos Estevez was rocked in his season debut for the Royals, retiring just one batter and allowing four hits, two free passes and a no-doubt walk-off grand slam to Dom Smith. As we\u2019d previously discussed around here<\/a>, Estevez couldn\u2019t dial up his fastball beyond 91-92 mph in the WBC \u2014 a catastrophic loss of velocity for a guy who\u2019s averaged 96-97 mph for his entire career. Lucas Erceg converted a low-stress save opportunity for Kansas City the following night. It would seem flagrantly irresponsible to give Estevez another look in the ninth anytime soon. For now, he\u2019s officially sidelined by an ankle contusion, but it sure sounds like his next few appearances will be in low-leverage situations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jordan Romano was among the most popular fantasy pickups from opening weekend after converting a save chance in the Angels\u2019 opener. Romano has teased us at various points over the past two seasons, never quite returning to the form that made him an upper-tier closing option back in 2021-2023. If you whiffed on him last week, maybe take a long-term flier on flamethrower Ben Joyce, currently on the IL and working his way back from a shoulder issue. The vibes seem good on Joyce<\/a>, and he definitely has the classic closer\u2019s arsenal.<\/p>\n Considering the alternatives in St. Louis, let\u2019s not completely write off Riley O\u2019Brien as an option for saves just yet. He\u2019s made two late-inning appearances so far, both of which involved Junior Caminero at the plate in key situations. O\u2019Brien might actually be the most trusted member of the Cardinals bullpen, if not the locked-in closer. Ryne Stanek collected the team\u2019s first save, but we might still be dealing with a committee arrangement.<\/p>\n If your fantasy roster is light on steals, David Hamilton has made a pair of early starts for the Brewers, occupying the strong side of a third base platoon. Hamilton has reached base five times in his nine plate appearances, swiping three bags. He is exactly the sort of rehab project that always seems to work out for Milwaukee. Hamilton has 95th-percentile sprint speed, and he delivered three separate seasons with 50-plus steals in his minor league career. Suddenly, he\u2019s looking like a dark-horse candidate to lead the National League in steals.<\/p>\n
\nRyan Weathers, Yankees (at SEA, vs. MIA): Weathers is here for a good time, not necessarily for a long time. The quality of his arsenal has never been an issue, and he made velocity gains this spring.
\nJustin Verlander, Tigers (at AZ, vs. STL): At age 43, it\u2019s wild that he\u2019s still throwing in the mid-90s with apparent ease. His velocity is certainly not age-appropriate. Verlander still deserves attention in a two-start week.
\nJose Soriano, Angels (at CHC): Yeah, sure, he\u2019ll only get one start this time around, but he\u2019s lined up for two the following week. Soriano was simply dirty in his season opener (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 7 K). What kind of freak throws a 95 mph splitter? This guy right here<\/a>. Undeniable arm talent, trapped in Anaheim. He\u2019s opposing Jameson Taillon on Tuesday, so the win is certainly in play.
\nBrandon Pfaadt, Diamondbacks (vs. DET, vs. ATL): This is probably a terrible idea, and you should ignore it. Look at those matchups. Not safe. I, however, have a weakness for strikeout potential. Pfaadt was a regular finishing move for my Zero SP squads.
\nSaves, steals and other delights<\/p>\n