So much for Michael King being back on the right path. After striking out 11 Dodgers over seven shutout innings last time out, the right-hander followed up with one of his worst starts yet, allowing six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Rockies, of all teams -- and at home, no less. King said after the 11-strikeout effort that he had finally gotten his mechanics in line, but it's hard to keep giving him the benefit of the doubt when the majority of his starts look more like Wednesday's. His walk and home run rates are among the worst in baseball, and it's not like he has any sort of track record as a starter pitcher in the majors. All in all, I wouldn't say King is beyond dropping in shallower leagues.

But for whom? Reese Olson, for one, following his eight shutout innings against the Marlins Tuesday, but what about Javier Assad, who lowered his ERA to 1.49 with his six shutout innings Wednesday? What about Brandon Pfaadt and Andrew Abbott, who also dominated Wednesday (both with seven one-run innings) and have solid numbers overall? I'll have more to say about those three -- Assad, Pfaadt and Abbott in a bit -- but as they relate to King, I wouldn't say they're at the same level upside-wise. If you can afford to let King marinate on your bench, that's probably still the preferred choice, but if you have a lineup need and are looking to stop the bleeding, King-for-Assad wouldn't be such a crazy swap.

Among the hitter highlights Wednesday, recent call-up Jordan Beck finally broke through with a big game for the Rockies, going 3 for 4 with a homer and a double. He's still sporting a strikeout rate of nearly 40 percent, though. Paul Goldschmidt is showing signs of life with two homers in five games, but he has also struck out 12 times during that stretch. Aaron Judge. meanwhile, seems firmly back on track after a slow start, going 4 for 4 with a homer and three doubles to give him a .436 (17 for 39) batting average and five home runs in his past 11 games. Likewise, Bryce Harper went 3 for 5 with a homer and is now slashing .364/.481/.682 in May.

Javier Assad, SP, Cubs

Yes, that same bugaboo from the past few years is still in play today: Just how deadened or lively is the ball that they're using? Two years ago, it seemed like the ball had been deadened with the league-wide home run-to-fly ball rate slipping to 11.4 percent, but it bounced back to a more typical 12.7 percent last year. So far this year, it's only 10.8 percent. Granted, the hottest months of the season are when the ball tends to be at its liveliest, and we haven't entered those yet. But as things currently stand, this season is shaping up to be the worst for home runs in over a decade, and as long as it holds, Assad could continue to defy expectations. Maybe not to the tune of a 1.49 ERA, but is 2.90 (as his FIP would suggest) really so far-fetched? Shoot, he had a 3.09 ERA last year. I'd still bet on him turning back into waiver fodder in the long run, but if you want to take a flier on him just in case he's a product of this new environment, it's not a crazy idea.

Erick Fedde, SP, White Sox

So are we in or out on Erick Fedde? You can understand the indecision given that he pitches for a horrible White Sox team and has no standout skill that I can see. His strikeout and walk rates are merely OK. His swinging strike rate (7.9 percent) is straight-up pitiful. His ground-ball rate (45.9 percent) isn't nearly the outlier it was in the Korean league last year. And yet Fedde continues to deliver, to the point he now has a 2.60 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. In the long run, he probably pitches to a mid-threes ERA, which is what his xERA and xFIP suggest he should have now, and with the White Sox lineup and bullpen backing him up, I question how impactful such an ERA would be. But clearly, Fedde is usable for Fantasy, and that meets the standard of a waiver pickup right now.

Brandon Pfaadt, SP, Diamondbacks

Wednesday's start for Brandon Pfaadt is in some part an indictment of the Reds offense, and the fact he had fewer swinging-strikes (eight) than strikeouts (nine) is some Mitch Keller-level weirdness. But overall, Pfaadt's swinging-strike rate is around 11 percent, which is respectable. He's striking out 8.5 batters per nine innings and has been one of the top strike-throwers in baseball, walking just 1.7 batters per nine. The continued fading of his four-seamer, which began in the second half last year, seems to have curbed his home run issues, and his xERA, FIP and xFIP are all in the low threes, suggesting he deserves better than his current 4.17 ERA. I don't see an ace outcome for Pfaadt, but as a stable arm to round out your pitching staff, he's a fine choice.

J.D. Martinez, DH, Mets

J.D. Martinez had 33 homers and 103 RBI in 113 games for the Dodgers last year. Prorated for 162 games, those numbers come out to 47 homers and 147 RBI. With that in mind, there are only two reasons I can fathom for why he's so available in Fantasy. The biggest is that he signed late in spring training, forcing him to spend the first four weeks in the minors. That wait was just too much for some people, I guess. The second is that he's DH-only, and in smaller Head-to-Head lineups, it's likely that some teams have an extra infielder or outfielder to fill that spot already. But he's active now, playing every day for the Mets, and heating up, having gone 7 for 20 (.350) with two homers and two doubles in his past five games. Surely someone in your league could use an extra big bat.

Joey Ortiz, 3B, Brewers

When Joey Ortiz went to the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade this offseason, it seemed like a golden opportunity for a player who had demonstrated quality bat-to-ball skills and impressive high-end exit velocities in the minors. For the first few weeks, though, he faced the same problem as with the Orioles: no place to play. That's beginning to change, though. The Brewers have started Ortiz in eight of their past 10 games and recently optioned his primary competitor, Oliver Dunn, to the minors. In his part-time role, Ortiz has delivered a .277/.384/.511 slash line, which would certainly be good enough for most Fantasy leagues. His 49.3 percent ground-ball rate undermines his high-end exit velocities to some degree, but it's at 40 percent since April 25, during which he has hit all four of his home runs.

• Gerrit Cole threw approximately 36 pitches in a bullpen Tuesday. He sat 89 MPH with his fastball, which might sound bad, but pitchers usually throw with less velocity during their initial ramp up.
• Trea Turner went through agility drills and fielded grounders on Wednesday. He's less than two weeks removed from the injury so perhaps he'll be able to beat the initial six-week timeline.
• Austin Riley has now missed three straight with left side inflammation.
• Joe Musgrove threw a light bullpen on Monday, his first time since going on the IL with right elbow inflammation.
• Josh Jung played catch on the field Wednesday, his first baseball activity since he had wrist surgery on April 2.
• Max Scherzer was transferred to the 60-day IL. He's been dealing with a thumb injury that will now keep him out until June at the earliest.
• Nick Lodolo was randomly placed on the IL with a left groin strain. The hope is he'll only require the minimum of 15 days.
• Lane Thomas ran the bases Wednesday, his first time doing so since being diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.
• Nico Hoerner has missed two straight with left hamstring tightness.
• Ronel Blanco will not appeal his 10-game suspension, which began here on Wednesday.
• Reynaldo Lopez, who left his last start with back tightness, has been cleared to pitch this Sunday against the Padres.
• The Orioles shook up their lineup against lefty Yusei Kikuchi on Wednesday: Jordan Westburg was moved up to leadoff with Gunnar Henderson batting cleanup.
• J.P. Crawford is likely to rejoin the Mariners this weekend in Baltimore.
• Rays manager Kevin Cash said Brandon Lowe will rejoin in Tampa and will resume swinging the bat before heading back out on a rehab assignment. He recently dealt with renewed soreness in his right oblique.
• DJ LeMahieu is expected to resume his rehab assignment on Thursday or Friday.
• Tylor Megill will return to the Mets' rotation either on Sunday in Miami or Monday in Cleveland.
• Alex Wood was placed on the IL with left rotator cuff tendinitis.
• Prospect update: Junior Caminero made his first start of the season at second base at Triple-A on Tuesday, a position he hasn't played since 2022. What do you make of this? I kind of feel like defense is the main reason he isn't up with the Rays yet.