Welcome back to another FAABulous Sunday! I’m really looking for volume tonight – not only for this week, but the weekend coming out of the break as many won’t focus as much on that until next week’s FAAB run. Let’s get to some names!
Catcher
Seby Zavala (15% ME, 2% OC, 2% Yahoo) – With Yasmani Grandal not expected to return until after the break, Zavala is a nice fill-in this week in two-catcher leagues. He’s started at least four games in each of the past three scoring periods and has hit .339 on the season with 1 HR, 7 2B, 12 RBI, and 8 R in just 68 PA. He also had 8 HR in 169 PA at AAA earlier this season. Yes, the .500 BABIP is ridiculous, but we’re talking a second catcher with playing time for a team with eight games scheduled this week. He’s not starting Sunday, so I expect at least five starts for the period.
First Base
Michael Chavis (81% ME, 9% OC, 3% Yahoo) – 2B – Chavis has just four hits and zero BB in his past 14 games (34 PA), but is still hitting .238 with 9 HR, 29 RBI, and 23 R for the season. This is as simple, and risky, as getting a streaky hitter with moderate power for a seven-game week with a weekend trip to Colorado.
Second Base
Matt Carpenter (13% ME, 2% OC, 8% Yahoo) – OK, this isn’t funny anymore. I wrote a few weeks back that it would be negligent to not pay attention to what Carpenter was doing in New York. As recently as a week ago, six of his past seven appearances had been for a single AB as a pinch hitter. Well, Aaron Judge missed a day, Anthony Rizzo missed a handful, and Matt Carpenter has hit .421 this week with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 2 R in 21 PA bringing his season total to 9 HR, 20 RBI, and 15 R while hitting .328 in just 73 PA. He’s slugging .820! Now, we can’t add those totals to our fantasy rosters now, but it’s to the point where it would be negligent for the Yankees not to get him into the lineup most days, and they did just that with both Judge and Rizzo back on Saturday. I’m not just paying attention anymore, I’m adding him and gambling on playing time as the Yankees are home for six games as we head into the break and they are one of three teams to have five games the first scoring period after (most have three).
Third Base
Nolan Jones (0% ME, 0% OC, 9% Yahoo) – After offseason ankle surgery and a lower back issue, Jones did not make his season debut at AAA until June 6. In 23 games there he hit .311 with 3 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, and 4 SB (five attempts). He’s off to a hot start with Cleveland going 4 for 7 with a double, a homerun, and 4 RBI in his first two games. There are concerns – while his K% has been better this season, it’s only been 25 games; while it was only 23 games, he had a 59.0 GB% at AAA; and most importantly, what happens to his playing time when Oscar Gonzalez returns after the break? I believe he can play his way into keeping fulltime ABs, but it really hinges on him keeping the K% well below 30%.
Jonathan Villar (96% ME, 50% OC, 14% Yahoo) – 2B, SS – We knew Villar would find a home. What we didn’t know was the playing time and stolen base opportunity situation. He’s played in five straight (leading off in all five) for the Angels with 3 R and a SB this week. With Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Taylor Ward, and Jared Walsh behind him, there should be plenty of runs scored accompanied by a few stolen bases, especially if he gets his OBP up to .300 or better.
Shortstop
Diego Castillo (38% ME, 2% OC, 3% Yahoo) – OF, 2B – Through June 12 in 154 PA Castillo hit .203 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R, and 1 SB. Since, he has hit just .188 but with 8 HR, 13 RBI, and 10 R in 69 PA. His K% is up to 31.9% during his power surge. In 440 AA and AAA plate appearances he hit around .280 with a K% below 20%, 19 HR, and 9 SB. Projections have him with a K% below 20% and a .250ish average ROS as well. What’s this all mean? For the K% to come down that much, he’ll most likely give some of the power back. He plays all over the field and all throughout the lineup, so his playing time is safe for now. I definitely like him this week with seven games (three at Colorado), and I’m optimistically keeping a close eye on the K% to determine his long-term value.
Outfield
Seth Brown (98% ME, 44% OC, 6% Yahoo) – 1B – Another low .200s BA guy with around 10 HR on the season that is available in over half of 12-teamers and widely available in shallower leagues, Brown is appealing as an add this week as Oakland is one of those teams with five games the first weekend after the break. They’ll face Detroit pitching for two and Texas for three – nothing frightening there. After an eight-game hitting streak with multiple hits in half of them at the end of June, Brown has just 3 H and 1 BB in his past 30 PA. That’s the way it goes with Brown as he’s been streaky all season. This is most definitely a volume play hoping to time a good streak, and a SB or two of which he has sprinkled seven of throughout the past couple of months would be icing on the cake.
Pitcher
Glenn Otto (53% ME, 3% OC, 3% Yahoo) – The walks have been an issue all season for Otto, even in his good outings. There are not many starters that aren’t heavily rostered that I have much interest in this week, but Otto has a couple of nice matchups. Oakland is the worst in MLB in terms of OPS vs right handed pitching and Seattle is a mediocre 17th. In spite of the walks, Otto had given up 2 ER or less in seven of eight appearances to start the season before a couple of blowups vs Washington and the Mets. He bounced back nicely at Baltimore last time out, so I’m willing to use him where I’m short on starting pitching with the two favorable matchups on tap.
Mychal Givens (4% ME, 2% OC, 2% Yahoo) – Givens is just an example of the type of pitcher I’m filling every roster spot I have available with in every league. Coming out of the break, it’s unlikely we’ll have six to seven starting pitchers who we’ll see in the shortened week – we need relievers to fill out our pitching lineup. Givens specifically hasn’t given up a run in nine consecutive starts and has 43 K in 34 1/3 IP on the season. I’m looking to guys like this for a couple of innings of nice ratios, a couple of strikeouts, and just maybe a vultured win or save to top it off.
We’ve just crossed the half-way point. Keep grinding, good luck tonight, and enjoy the games!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Joe Robbins & Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire