Week 3 Fantasy Baseball Revelations: National League

1. Matt Kemp Has a 700-Pound Fantasy Elephant in His Absurdly Large Living Room

The way things are progressing, it wouldn't be a shock if Kemp (9 HR, 22 RBI, 17 R, .450 BA) competed for the National League triple crown all season. But the lone consequence of this "April to remember" lies with his one steal (out of three attempts).

Is Kemp's slow start in that category more fluke than trend? Has he even encountered enough opportunities to maintain last year's pace of 6.7 steals per month?

Of course, it's not like Kemp needs steals to preserve his No. 1 overall fantasy ranking. It's just weird that he may fall considerably short of his per-season average of 32 steals (2008-11)—like two years ago (19).

It's also strange that one of baseball's most physically gifted athletes could miss out on a personal best in steals off a monster campaign that includes a .500 on-base percentage.

Bottom line: If Kemp is going to make another serious charge at 40 homers and 40 steals—and become the fifth member of that exclusive club (Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Alfonso Soriano)—he'll have to step it up on the basepaths in the coming weeks.  

2. Michael Cuddyer May Be the Rockies' Second-Best Fantasy Asset

The above statement isn't a referendum on the special talents of Carlos Gonzalez. It's more of a hearty endorsement for Cuddyer (2 HR, 11 RBI, 8 R, 2 S, .345 BA, 1.005 OPS) and his like-a-glove fit in Colorado's outfield and Coors Field at large.

Cuddyer is the Rockies' current leader in hits, doubles, batting average and OPS (minimum 30 at-bats), and come next week, he may own the club highs in triples and homers, too.

Adding to the intrigue, Cuddyer is also the best fantasy option with triple-position versatility (1B/OF, 2B in some leagues), trumping Emilio Bonifacio and Howie Kendrick in that realm.

Regarding shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 1 S, .296 batting), there are no concerns with his somewhat mortal start to the season. In fact, he remains a solid bet for 28 homers, 98 RBI, 86 runs, nine steals and a .306 average by season's end.  

3. Don't Fall Asleep on Yovani Gallardo's Fantasy Greatness

Check out Gallardo's numbers minus his Opening Day clunker against the Cardinals—1-0, 1.71 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 21/4 K/BB ratio over 21 innings. This three-start run of dominance is the calling card of a top-15 starting pitcher who's dialed into hitters and may compete for Cy Young honors by season's end.

On the trade front, if you're in the process of surrendering Troy Tulowitzki, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera or Ryan Braun in an early blockbuster to revitalize a sluggish roster, it's vital to land Gallardo as the pitching piece of a 2-for-1 or 3-for-2 megadeal.

Right now, I'd want Gallardo over David Price and Dan Haren. 

4. Don't Be Afraid to Sell High on Jonathon Niese...but Do Not Trade Brandon Beachy or Lance Lynn Below Market Value

Niese is a superb talent and the likely fantasy ace of New York's staff, but I'm also leery of the Mets' season-long chances to compete in the National League East. The current roster, even with David Wright's white-hot start to 2012, remains a work in progress.

As a consequence, it's hard to imagine Niese (2-0, 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 17/7 K/BB) maintaining a sub-3.00 ERA or sub-1.15 WHIP. On the flip side, I will buy him at 160 strikeouts this year.

Regarding Beachy (2-1, 0.47 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 14/6 K/BB) and Lynn (3-0, 1.42 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 17/4 K/BB), I'm amazed at how quickly they've assimilated to major league hitters and the mental rigors of preparing for starts (31 total for Beachy, five for Lynn).

Hence, they can be expected to have similar success throughout the season—despite their relative inexperience and once-tenuous spots in their respective rotations, before Tim Hudson (Atlanta) and Chris Carpenter (St. Louis) incurred injuries.

In 12-team roto leagues, Beachy has the 1-for-1 trade value of hitters like Shane Victorino or Adam Jones, with Lynn's price residing in the neighborhood of Freddie Freeman or the aforementioned Bonifacio.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.