Each week, we’ll look at a handful of players who fantasy managers should consider picking up in deeper fantasy baseball leagues. Many of these players will have the most value in larger leagues where waiver wire options aren’t as plentiful. Still, they could also occasionally be useful additions in other, more standard-sized leagues, depending on your options at each position.
All roster percentages mentioned in this column are via FantasyPros as of Friday afternoon.
Andre Pallante – 8%
Andre Pallante, who was featured in this column earlier this season, continues to find success by inducing grounders at a decidedly above-average rate.
Pallante entered play on Friday with a 64.6% ground-ball rate on the season, a number that ranks in the 99th percentile league-wide. Among qualified starters, only the Los Angeles Angels’ José Soriano at 65.8% had a higher ground-ball rate.
Overall, Pallante has pitched to a 4.10 ERA and a 4.43 FIP in 17 starts spanning 94.1 innings of work for the St. Louis Cardinals, registering a 15.8% strikeout rate compared to a 7.8% walk rate and just 1.14 home runs allowed per nine innings. He’s been decidedly more effective as of late, giving up two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five outings, a stretch that’s seen him register a 2.22 ERA and a 3.16 FIP in 28.1 innings since June 9.
Furthermore, Pallante has found recent success both against struggling teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also in starts that have been less than fantasy friendly on paper, like a home matchup against the Chicago Cubs, or a road matchup in Milwaukee versus the Brewers.
For fantasy managers in leagues with 14 or more teams looking for rotation reinforcements, particularly those in leagues where quality starts are part of the scoring format, he’s worth a look.
As one of a number of pitchers getting extended looks in the Minnesota Twins rotation due to injuries impacting the American League Central club’s pitching staff, the 24-year-old, like Pallante, has been plenty effective as of late. The right-hander has allowed just four earned runs in his last four starts spanning 21 innings of work. During that span, he’s turned in a 1.71 ERA and a 3.19 FIP in the process while striking out 16 batters and scattering seven walks and a home run.
Assuming the Twins’ rotation continues as is without any interruptions, Woods Richardson will close out the first half with starts against the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, both at home.
The Cubs start is probably one to avoid, considering Chicago entered play on Friday with the league’s third-highest wRC+ as a team, but the right-hander is very much worth a look as a streaming option in the short-term against a Pirates team that has hit the majors’ second fewest home runs and also ranks in the bottom six in the sport in wRC+, runs scored and on-base percentage.
Logan Allen – 4%
Logan Allen, like both Pallante and Woods Richardson, has found success on the mound as of late.
Allen has allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts. All told, he owns a 4.27 ERA and a 4.44 FIP in 78 innings this season, making 16 total appearances, 15 of which have been starts. And while Logan’s lower strikeout rate (17.5%) and slightly elevated walk rate (9.9%) limit him to more of a streaming option than a long-term rotation option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues, he’s very much worth a look in the right starts as a short-term option.
Assuming Cleveland’s starting rotation remains as is without any interruptions, Allen will finish the first half with two starts on the road. One against the Detroit Tigers at home on Saturday and another in Chicago next week against the White Sox. Similar to Woods Richardson, the first start is probably one to avoid. The Tigers entered play on Friday ranking fifth in the league in wRC+ and wOBA, fourth in runs scored, and sixth in ISO.
However, the second outing, and last before the All-Star break, is extremely fantasy-friendly on paper. Only the Colorado Rockies have a lower wRC+ among major league teams than the White Sox. Only the Kansas City Royals have scored fewer runs.
Graphic by Carlos Leano.
