Week 1 of the 2015 MLB season is in the books and some players are already improving their fantasy stock by outperforming initial expectations. On the other side, some are worsening their fantasy stock by having dismal opening weeks. While we can’t just completely change our outlook on these players based on one good or bad week, it is wise to keep an eye on them to see if they can keep up their respective hot streaks or break out of their respective slumps.

Fantasy Baseball Stock Report Week 1

Week One Players’ Stock on the Rise:

Jason Grilli, RP, Atlanta Braves

Out of all the parties involved in the Craig Kimbrel trade, Jason Grilli was perhaps the biggest beneficiary. All signs point to him holding down the closer role in Atlanta for the rest of the year (unless he is traded as well) as he has the experience that managers love so much, strikeout ability, and the ability to get both lefties and righties out. He is 4/4 in save opportunities so far with 7 strikeouts in 4 innings.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

We’ve heard this one before: Mike Moustakas has a good week or a good Spring Training and all of a sudden he’s the next George Brett. The problem with that is he usually goes on to underperform offensively for the rest of the year. He’s only 26 though, so is he finally reaching his potential while in his prime years? He’s batting .360 with 7 runs, 2 homers, 2 RBI, and a stolen base over the first 7 games of the season.

Aaron Harang, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Fun fact, Harang finished sixth among pitchers in quality starts last year. He’s not going to have great ratios or strikeout numbers, but he’s going to go out there and eat up quality innings—something valuable for the back of your fantasy rotation. So far he has 2 quality starts and has given up just one run in 12.1 innings of work.

Jose Iglesias, SS, Detroit Tigers

The hit tool and the speed tool have always been there for Iglesias, he’s just had trouble staying on the field in the past. The 2 steals and .455 AVG in the first week are a good sign that his shins are healed up from the injury that caused him to miss the entire 2014 season. He doesn’t offer much power, but his speed and ability to make contact give him a ceiling of about .280 with 20ish stolen bases.

Miguel Castro, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

After one appearance in the ninth inning, the Blue Jays decided they’d seen enough of Brett Cecil, and relegated him to setup duties for the time being. They replaced him with rookie fireballer Miguel Castro, who, despite never pitching above A-ball, has shown great poise in converting his first two save opportunities. Keep an eye on the situation, as the Blue Jays have not openly committed to Castro as their long-term closer, but he is worth an add for now in all formats.

Also keep an eye on:

Bartolo Colon, SP, New York Mets

Jimmy Nelson, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

Adam Lind, Milwaukee Brewers

Devon Travis, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays

Anthony Gose, Detroit Tigers

Week 1 Players’ Stock on the Fall:

Carlos Beltran, OF/DH, New York Yankees

Beltran had himself a pretty bad first week for the Yankees, batting .143 with no homers, no steals, and just 2 runs and 3 RBI. The 37-year-old had offseason elbow surgery, so it’s possible that it could still be nagging at him. The good news is he has started every game for the Yankees so far, so it looks like he’ll still be getting regular plate appearances for the foreseeable future, but owners should keep an eye on his struggles.

Joaquin Benoit, RP, San Diego Padres

A few hours before the first pitch of the 2015 season, Benoit went from sneaky-good pick in the lower tier of closers to virtually irrelevant in standard fantasy formats thanks to the Craig Kimbrel trade. In standard formats, he’s useful for extra strikeouts and as a handcuff to Kimbrel (if your bench is deep enough), but he’s droppable unless it is a deep league or a league that counts holds as a category.

Wilin Rosario, C/1B, Colorado Rockies

Rosario was a top-10 target at catcher in some early fantasy drafts, but the Rockies made it clear pretty early on by signing Nick Hundley and re-signing Michael McKenry that they did not want Rosario behind the plate any longer. His poor defense has relegated him to pinch hitting duties and the occasional spot start at first when Justin Morneau needs a day off. Through the first week, Rosario has just one start and 6 PAs, although he did have a pinch-hit home run. Barring injury to Morneau, Hundley, or McKenry– or a trade to a catcher-needy team- Rosario is droppable.

Kyle Lohse, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

Kyle Lohse has always been a good source of wins, quality innings, and an ERA that won’t kill you. He has been terrible this year so far though, giving up 12 earned runs over 9.1 innings in his first two starts. A well-established track record suggests that he will get things back on track, but it would be wise to monitor the performance of the 36-year-old righty.

Adam Eaton, OF, Chicago White Sox

Eaton was a popular sleeper pick going into this season due to his ability to hit for average and steal bases (when healthy) and the fact that he would be hitting leadoff for the ChiSox right in front of the likes of Melky Cabrera, Jose Abreu, Adam LaRoche, and Avisail Garcia. A 2/25 week with 0 runs, 0 homers, 0 RBI, and 0 stolen bases have soured owners on him, and he is now among the most dropped players in ESPN leagues. It’s worth watching, as the White Sox offense has struggled as whole so far, but all of those zeroes are troubling.

Also keep an eye on:

Brett Cecil, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

Matt Latos, SP, Miami Marlins

Kendall Graveman, SP, Oakland Athletics

Marlon Byrd, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Minnesota Twins

Main Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images