Stephen Strasburg Comes Back Strong, but Will it Last?

May 23, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) reacts in the dugout during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Strasburg has had a tumultuous start to the season with an ERA over 6.00 and going 3-5 in 10 appearances. His struggles culminated in a disabled list stint that seemed to be just as much about letting him rest his mind as his ailing neck.

Flashback to only a few years ago, and he was the hero of the Nationals, striking out hitters left and right and becoming the star of the young franchise. Even after Tommy John surgery in 2013 and a disappointing playoff performance in 2014, he was still projected as a top 5 starting pitcher by most fantasy experts.

However, Strasburg’s disastrous beginning to 2015 has taken away a good amount of that hype. Now the big question is this: has his poor play stemmed from injury, or some kind of mental weakness? And which one is easier to fix?

On Tuesday, the rest appeared to have worked. After a long rain delay, Stephen Strasburg pitched five strong innings, giving up no runs while striking out six. He also gave allowed five batters on base but managed to keep his composure and end the inning each time, proving that he isn’t the mental case that many saw before the DL stint.

While this start seemed promising, can you possibly trust him in daily fantasy leagues? I think he’s completely matchup dependent, which is in iteslf a steep downgrade from his preseason expectations. Stephen Strasburg’s next two projected starts are against the Philadephia Phillies and San Francsico Giants. If the price isn’t too steep, I would definitely put him in my lineup against the terrible Phillies, but wouldn’t even consider him against the Giants.

In weekly and roto leagues, you don’t have much of an option but to put him in your lineups and hope for the best. No one is going to offer you a trade that’s worth what Stephen Strasburg is capable of doing. The beggining of 2015 will hopefully turn out to be an aberration. You need to hang on to him and hope for the best.

Next: The Top Ten RBs for 2015

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