Tyler Stephenson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson helped lead the team's offensive barrage in an 11-1 blowout of the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. With the Reds leading 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Stephenson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and connected on a grand slam against right-hander Jack Flaherty. Stephenson added a double and an additional run scored in a 2-for-5 afternoon. An oblique injury sidelined Stephenson through April, but the 28-year-old has logged quality production since he made his season debut May 2. Stephenson is hitting .262/.336/.475 with six homers and 22 RBI in 137 plate appearances. However, Stephenson's 35% strikeout rate (up from 22.7 last year) and unsustainable .377 batting average on balls in play point to negative regression. He tallied two more strikeouts Saturday in an otherwise excellent performance.

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson had a great game at the plate in Monday's 7-4 win over the Royals. Stephenson went 3-for-5 with two singles, a two-run home run, and three RBI. The 28-year-old crushed a fifth-inning Michael Lorenzen fastball into the left-field bullpen for his second long ball of the season. Stephenson has had an underwhelming offensive season so far, slashing .209/.312/.373 with two HR and nine RBI in 77 plate appearances, although he did miss time at the start of the season with a left oblique strain. He has been useful at times throughout his fantasy career, but fantasy managers may want to see him produce more consistently before turning to him unless they are in deeper two-catcher leagues.

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson and outfielder Spencer Steer are not in Sunday's lineup when they conclude a series against the Chicago Cubs. Stephenson has been in the starting nine in each of the past six games. During this stretch, the backstop posted a .150/.292/.250 slash line with two doubles. This afternoon, Jose Trevino will be behind the dish and will bat in the six-hole. Steer has been a staple of the starting nine throughout the campaign but will get the day off. Over his last 12 games, Steer has tallied at least one hit in each contest. During this productive stretch, Steer has held a strong .357/.386/.548 slash line. With Steer sitting out, Connor Joe will enter the lineup. The Reds are a strong target in DFS facing Chicago right-hander Ben Brown, who carries a high 5.44 ERA.