Fantasy baseball: Pick up Steven Souza, Chris Archer, Anthony DeSclafani

It’s good to be a cynic in fantasy sports. Many times, recency bias is our worst enemy because it results in short-term overreactions.

However, disregarding hot stretches early in the baseball season can be catastrophic. If you’ve struck gold with these guys, don’t go “selling high.” They’re the real deal.

Suit up Souza

Steven Souza Jr. did not come out of nowhere. He hit .350 with 18 homers and 26 steals in Triple-A last year, was a third-round pick in 2007 and was a key piece of the Wil Myers trade. We don’t think of 26-year-old prospects as exciting in the era of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, but this is a prime age for most mortal players. Souza, batting second in the Rays’ lineup nightly, is here to stay.

Arches in the park

We knew Chris Archer would be a viable mixed-league asset based on the two solid MLB seasons already under his belt. We also knew he’d have All-Star kind of upside if he took a leap forward. So far Archer has done just that, striking out 30 batters in his first 25 1/3 innings while sporting a 1.07 ERA. It’s in line with what we saw at the very end of last year and what he’s capable of given his fastball/slider combination.

Fat Tony from Jersey

Anthony DeSclafani, from New Jersey, is not a character in an upcoming Martin Scorsese film. He also won’t overwhelm you with eye-opening stuff. But DeSclafani knows how to pitch, highlighted by an excellent walk rate, a hard-breaking slider for a strikeout pitch and a reasonable 3.23 ERA in the minors. At just 25-years-old DeSclafani has a good chance to keep getting better while already in the Reds’ big-league rotation.

MLB Pickups of the Week

Drew Smyly, SP, Rays – Over his shoulder issue and appears ready to rock as soon as Friday. Gobs of talent here.

Wade Davis, RP, Royals – Even once closer Greg Holland (pectoral) returns, Davis will sustain value as an elite setup man.

Addison Russell, 2B, Cubs — The No. 11 overall pick in 2011 has the power/speed combo and fills the tough middle infield positions.

NFL News

Chip Kelly has cut DeSean Jackson, extended Riley Cooper, overdrafted Marcus Smith, dumped a pile of money on running backs and refused to try Brandon Boykin outside. Adding Tim Tebow to the offseason roster isn’t anywhere near his most questionable move. That said, people downgrading DeMarco Murray’s projection because they think Tebow will steal goal-line carries are silly. If Tebow even makes the team, he’s not stealing anything from an elite-level short-yardage runner Chip has identified as an ideal fit for his rushing scheme.