Every Wednesday, Dapinder joins Pitcher List to outline the best position player buys and sells of the week. He’ll outline the hitters to trust in your lineups and who to shop while their price is high. Make sure to stay ahead of the curve and use the market to your advantage.
BUY
Joc Pederson (OF, Los Angeles Dodgers) – Pederson is batting a robust .357 with 3 HR over the past week. He’s still getting platooned this year but against righties he has a 131 wRC+. With an above average walk rate, Pederson is more valuable in OBP leagues or leagues that reward walks. He’s still has holes in his swing but there has been some improvement.
Travis Jankowski (OF, San Diego Padres) – I had Jankowski here about three weeks ago. To summarize, he’s got a lot of speed. With 21 stolen bases already, Jankowski can be a key steals contributor to any fantasy team. Playing time is no longer an issue as the Padres deadline moves have opened up a clear path for him. He also hits leadoff which is a plus. He’s a good add in OBP leagues where he owns a 14.5% walk percentage. The average isn’t very good. He’s raised it to .236 (it was .220 a couple days back). The issue with Travis has been strikeouts. The good news is that the high strikeout rate will likely not last. In the minors, his highest strikeout rate was 17%. He also has swinging strike percentage slightly below 7%. His looking strikeout rate is 32% above the league average 26%. With some better luck on called strikeouts, Jankowski’s batting average will likely increase closer to .250 as the season goes on. He’s worth a look in most leagues where stolen base aid is needed.
Joe Mauer (1B, Minnesota Twins) – Mauer got off to a scorching start in April and followed it up with a decent May. Since, he hit .223 in June and .250 in July. Since July 24th, Mauer is hitting .366 with a HR. Since he bats near the top of the Twins order, he will provide lots of runs. You can ride the streak or in deeper leagues, use him as a 1B/utility option.
Yasmany Tomas (3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks) – Tomas has 3 HR over the past week while batting .400. He has an above average HR/FB% and ISO making it unlikely he keeps up his power pace this season. In the short term, he’s worth an add.
Jurickson Profar (1B/2B/3B/SS, Texas Rangers) – Profar will have ample playing time now that Prince Fielder is done for the year. He’s held his own against major league pitching batting .290. The former top prospect doesn’t have much power or speed but a good batting average with counting stats here and there make him an intriguing deep league option. The positional versatility is an added bonus.
Aaron Altherr (OF, Philadelphia Phillies) – Altherr is hotter than Death Valley right now. Okay maybe not that hot. In five games, he’s batting .333 with 2 HR and 2 SB. He’s not gonna keep it up; ride out the hot streak.
Jhonny Peralta (3B/SS, St.Louis Cardinals) – Peralta will take over SS duties Diaz is out. The veteran has five HR in 31 games. A .241 batting average on balls in play has hindered his batting average. With some better luck, this should go up making Peralta a decent option at SS or 3B.
Yadier Molina (C, St. Louis Cardinals) – Molina is hitting close to .400 over the past two weeks with a home run and a stolen base. He doesn’t have much power but he provides a good average with decent counting stats.
SELL
Daniel Murphy (1B/2B/3B, Washington Nationals) –Look, Murphy is a different hitter than years past. He has a new approach that has translated into more power output while keeping a good average. The reason to sell: the power pace is unlikely to last. He has never had an ISO above .200 in a given season. Secondly, his batting average on balls in play (.357) is high for his standards (Career .318). He’s been one of the best fantasy players this year and has arguably provided the most value relative to pick or auction dollars. Murphy has been over performing and may net you a better piece(s).