Welcome back to another FAABulous Sunday! Whether our teams are in head-to-head playoff matchups or the final weeks of roto leagues, the matchups and opportunities for players are amplified. Seven teams have two days off this week while 10 have at least seven games – five of those are scheduled for eight, and Cincinnati has nine games this week. It will be very difficult to use any but the most elite players (and maybe even them depending on our options) from those teams with just five games in weekly lineup and even semi-weekly lineup leagues.
Tampa and Baltimore both travel to Toronto. As Adam Howe (@EightyGrade) brought up on this morning’s episode of On the Wire (@OnTheWirePod), Anthony Santander did not make the Toronto trip last time, so unless something has changed, he will play two games at the most this week – brutal timing for teams that have benefitted from his 27 HR and 79 RBI already this season.
I may miss out on a big game here or there, but I am prioritizing volume the rest of the way. Let’s get to some names!
First Base
Triston Casas (4% ME, 1% OC, 13% Yahoo) – Right off the bat is an example that will be a popular add, but someone I’m not using a roster spot for. It’s not the slow start, but Boston’s schedule (five games this week, six the following while several have 14+ over the two periods) will keep me away from Casas. If I need a first baseman, the next guy qualifies.
Second Base
Michael Chavis (45%, 2%, 2%) – 1B – Pittsburgh has eight games this week – four of them at Great American Smallpark. Chavis has been better vs lefties this season hitting .261 with 8 HR in 165 PA, and the Pirates are scheduled to face two left-handed starters vs the Reds. I will plan for another option for the weekend in NFBC formats as he’ll see three righties including Jacob deGrom, but he’s a nice option for the first half of the week and in deep weeklong formats.
Third Base
Josh Jung (0% ME, 1% OC, 20% Yahoo) – Due to a shoulder injury in February, Jung wasn’t able to start hitting until late July or begin his AAA season until just over a month ago. He hit .273 with 6 HR in just 106 PA and was called up to the Rangers on Thursday. He hit a home run in his first MLB at bat, had a double in his second career game Saturday, and will be a nice addition for power the rest of the way. Texas has a seven-game week in spite of an off day Thursday with a doubleheader on Monday.
Shortstop
Andrew Velazquez (11% ME ,1% OC, 0% Yahoo) – This is a stolen base play only, but it’s the time of year when that may be what some of us need in certain leagues. Velazquez will hurt our batting averages and not contribute in other categories (he does have 8 HR this season, but I’m not counting on him adding to that total) – his OBP is actually lower than the league batting average. BUT! He has started running again. A week ago he had only one of his 13 SB this season after the break, but he has swiped three in his past five games. The Angels will play two three-game series against Cleveland and then Seattle this week, both in the bottom third of MLB in stolen bases allowed.
Outfield
Kerry Carpenter (45% ME, 2% OC, 1% Yahoo) – Across two minor league levels and 20 MLB games Carpenter has 34 HR and is slashing .284/.338/.552 with 4 HR in 74 PA for the Tigers. He has sat vs some lefties, but Detroit is set to face righthanded starters in five of their six games this week.
Pitcher
It’s all about matchups for the starting pitchers I have listed below. They all have their flaws and concerns, but they also have opportunities vs teams that will help hide those flaws.
Hunter Brown (0% ME, 0% OC, 35% Yahoo) – He’ll be expensive for a guy that we’ll most likely only get two starts from, but they will both be this week and vs Detroit and Oakland.
Luis Patiño (79% ME, 14% OC, 6% Yahoo) – Patiño has had an up-and-down season both in terms of performance and between the Rays and AAA. He gets Texas this week, a bottom-five team in OPS vs righties.
Glenn Otto (70% ME, 3% OC, 5% Yahoo) – He still walks too many hitters which can lead to high run totals. I’m not using him where I’m protecting or chasing ratio categories, but I fully expect a win and double-digit strikeouts this week as he faces Miami and Tampa.
Dane Dunning (77% ME, 35% OC, 11% Yahoo) – He went 6 IP with 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 K last month vs Oakland. I expect similar on Wednesday – hopefully with another win and a couple of additional strikeouts.
Jon Gray (28% ME, 21% OC, 44% Yahoo) – Don’t expect a win this week as he’s been out nearly six weeks and did not have a rehab assignment. However, I do expect nice ratios and a game’s worth of strikeouts combining his starts vs Miami and Tampa.
Keep grinding, good luck tonight and the rest of the way, and enjoy the games!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire