What’s your goal for the rest of the fantasy season? Perhaps for some, the season is lost and we’re just looking to acquire players with high ceilings for our keeper our dynasty leagues. Of course, for most of us it’s to win the league. But how can we get there? What categories do we stand a chance to climb the ranks and gain more points in? With what little FAAB we have left, we need to be extremely strategic as far as where and how we spend it.
Relievers are rotating, veterans are getting designated for assignment and young bucks are getting a shot at the big leagues over the final few weeks of the season. Our job is to leverage that information and put our teams in position to gain from it. So let’s dig in and figure out how we can leverage what we know to gain an advantage in our fantasy leagues.
As a reminder, we’re focusing on players who are between 20-25% rostered in most 12-team leagues and/or 25-50% rostered in 15-teamers. Every league is different, so we won’t be labeling player bids with any sort of recommended dollar amount but instead will use a four-tier investment rating system, ranging from a minimal spend to a potential difference-maker (or LEAGUE-WINNER, if you will).
Investment Rating System
SEVEN GAMES: ATL, BOS, LAD, MIL, MIN, TEX
FIVE GAMES: MIA, OAK
Batters
Outfielders
Jo Adell ($$$): Every time I write about Jo Adell, he’s either injured or demoted before the article is even published. Maybe this time is different? Adell has gone 11-for-40 with two home runs and a stolen base over the past two weeks and is getting everyday playing time in the Angels’ lineup. If there was ever a time to break out, it’s now. He’s posted a career-high barrel rate (11.7%) this season and has dropped his K-rate below 30% for the first time since 2021. Managers that scoop him just need a little more consistency out of the former top prospect. He’s still only 25 so there’s still a chance a breakout is coming.
Jake McCarthy ($$): The Diamondbacks’ speedster has hit at a clip over .400 for the past two weeks, including a home run and three stolen bases. McCarthy is worth a streaming FAAB bid at the very least, and if he can stay hot he’ll be worth a lot more than that the final two months of the season.
Parker Meadows ($$): Meadows is finally back in the big leagues and making an immediate impact in Detroit with an 8-for-18 performance at the plate including a home run and a stolen base. He’s the strong side of an outfield platoon at the moment and should get almost everyday at-bats as the Tigers look to evaluate their young talent and make plans for the future.
Pete Crow-Armstrong ($$): PCA is still out there stealing bases in Chicago, and with the Cubs’ lack of outfield depth, he’ll likely play every day the rest of the way. It helps that he’s batting nearly .333 over the past two weeks, and getting on base at a .370 clip. With runs and steals in the repertoire, any power and batting average is appreciated as well.
Dylan Carlson ($): The Cardinals traded away a once-touted prospect outfielder and he’s starting to flourish elsewhere. Sound familiar? Carlson is the latest in a long line of former St. Louis prospects to improve with a change of scenery, and if he continues to get regular playing time in Tampa Bay, he could actually be fantasy-relevant for the first time in a long time.
Infielders
Jorge Polanco ($$$): I’ve been banging the drum for Jorge Polanco for several weeks now, and he continues to mash in Seattle. Though he’s currently mired in a mini-slump, Polanco has hit five home runs in 17 games since the All-Star Break, with a 17.8% barrel rate over that span. Second base isn’t exactly deep, making Polanco even more inticing.
Addison Barger ($$): In 2022, Barger hit .300 or better across three different minor league levels and was poised to take Cavan Biggio’s roster spot on the big league club. Fast forward to 2024 and he’s finally done it, but he hasn’t been close to .300 at any level in the past two years. Batting just .189 in a small sample size at the big league level so far this season, Barger seems to have put it together a little bit over the past two weeks with a pair of home runs and an 8-for-31 (.258) clip in his past nine appearances. With Joey Loperfido struggling and journeyman Ernie Clement as the primary third baseman, there’s opportunity for Barger to get plenty of at-bats the rest of the way. Maybe he can put things together and return to his 2022 form.
Nick Sogard ($$): This nerd again? Nope, not Eric Sogard – his cousin, Nick, is manning second base on a semi-regular basis for the Boston Red Sox. Sogard has at least one hit in five of his six games in the majors, has a .410 wOBA and swiped a bag earlier this week. It’s a SUPER small sample size, but so far I like his contact-oriented approach and hope he can be more aggressive on the basepaths to get managers some more swipes.
Michael Stefanic ($): Most thought that Stefanic would lose playing time with the return of Anthony Rendon, but he’s played in four of five games since then and continues to get on base. With multiple hits in five of six games in August, Stefanic doesn’t have much pop but does hit for average and score runs. He’s like David Fletcher 2.0.
Ty France ($$): Saddled with injuries at the corner infield position, the Reds have turned to France at first base on a relatively regular basis. France has rewarded them by batting 8-for-30 with two home runs in nine games. The upgrade in home ballpark is enough to pique my interest in France, who was once a sneaky power source for fantasy squads.
Catchers/UT
Adrian Del Castillo ($): With Gabriel Moreno on the IL, Del Castillo will get a chance in Arizona at catcher. He hit a walk-off home run earlier this week and has gone 4-for-7 from the plate so far. He’s a streaming name to watch and probably irrelevant as soon as Moreno returns.
Joey Bart ($): Bart has four home runs in his last 40 at-bats and is getting close to regular playing time in Pittsburgh. In two-catcher leagues, that’s enough to justify a pickup.
Pitchers
Starting Pitchers
Paul Blackburn ($$$): Blackburn looked really good in the first few starts of the season, tapered off since and has come back to life with the contending Mets after moving at the deadline. Granted his last five pitching matchups have been against Miami, Colorado, the Angels (twice) and Seattle, so it’s not like he’s going against top-flight lineups, but the bad lineups continue. He gets a two-step against Oakland and the Marlins this week. Grab him while you can!
Tyler Mahle ($$): Mahle allowed just one run in five innings during his season debut, but struck out just two batters over 76 pitches, generating seven whiffs. Four of those seven whiffs came on his splitter, which he threw 18 times, 10 for strikes. If he can continue to grow his pitch count, while remaining effective and accurate, Mahle could be a great add for fantasy managers and the Rangers’ rotation as well.
Alex Cobb ($$): Pitching for the Guardians after a long injury to begin the season, Cobb got touched up for nine hits in his first outing but we’re taking the chance that he settles in moving forward. Hopefully, we can write off his first appearance of the year as a Still Ill and he improves in his next few starts. The sinker-splitter combo plays if he can locate his pitches.
Davis Martin ($): Martin allowed just two hits and a walk in six shutout innings last time out against the Oakland Athletics. He faces the Yankees this week, but should be in line for starts against San Francisco and Detroit in his next two outings. I don’t mind the young White Sox arm in either of those starts and I’m willing to take a flyer in deep leagues.
Cody Bradford ($): Bradford hasn’t been the same in his two appearances since returning from injury. But he was outstanding earlier this year. If he can find a way back to his early-season form, Bradford would make an instant impact on most fantasy rotations. With pitch counts of 46 and 60 since returning, it may take a couple of weeks to get back to a full workload but he could be a rewarding gamble if managers scoop him now before he pops off.
Relief Pitchers
Ryan Walker ($$$): Doval has been optioned?! It seems like an odd move for a team that has relied so heavily upon this one guy for a few years now, but I guess when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I think Walker is next in line for high-leverage spots in San Fran. Walker has been a solid setup man in San Francisco and should hold off the Rogers brothers for saves at least for the time being.
Justin Martinez ($$$): Martinez has gotten each of the Diamondbacks’ last two save chances this week and converted them for two saves and a win. With a filthy sinker-splitter combo, Martinez could be a difference-maker down the stretch for teams in need of saves. The Snakes are getting hot at the right time (again).
Hunter Harvey ($$): It only took five months and two teams, but Hunter Harvey finally recorded his first save of the season. Now with the Kansas City Royals, Harvey is battling Lucas Erceg and James McArthur for closing duties and looks to be the lead dog. EDIT: Harvey was placed on the IL on Saturday, making Erceg more appealing as a speculative add. The Royals have repeatedly shown they are not confident in McArthur.
Yennier Cano ($$): The Orioles have demonstrated that they don’t trust Kimbrel on a heavy workload, so as long as there are save opportunities in Birdland, Cano has a shot at taking over in the ninth.