(Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire)
Every Tuesday from now until the end of the season, we will be taking a look at players with under 15% ownership (ESPN) that should be on your radar in deep leagues. The majority of fantasy baseball leagues are mixed leagues with 10-12 teams, however we know many of you play in 18-20 team leagues and/or AL/NL only formats. This column is for you all.
A pair of starters and a power hitting slugger highlight this week’s deep league adds.
Ji-Man Choi, 1B/DH, TB (0.5% owned)
Since joining the Rays in July, Ji-Man Choi has slashed .283/.369/.472 with three home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases. His 11.5% walk rate is excellent, and his presence in the middle of Tampa’s lineup should secure plenty of runs and RBI going forward. Choi sits against left-handers, but in deeper leagues with daily roster moves he is a solid option to plug in at first base against right-handed pitching.
Brandon Lowe, SS/OF, TBR (0.9% owned)
Lowe has started at second base, left field and right field for the Rays this season. He has an outstanding 14.7% walk rate on the year, with a .263/.382/.474 line. The 24-year-old rookie is in line for playing time for the rest of the season, and is absolutely worth a look in deeper OBP formats.
Franmil Reyes, OF, SD (4.4% owned)
Since August 5, Padres outfielder Franmil Reyes has slashed .301/.363/.630 with seven home runs. His 31.9% strikeout rate on the year is rough, but he’s cut that down to 23.9% in the last month. Reyes is splitting time in the outfield with Travis Janikowski, but has seen enough of an uptick in playing time recently to be a viable fantasy option in nearly all formats – at least for those in need of some power.
Matt Shoemaker, SP, LAA (2.1% owned)
Shoemaker has put together two solid starts since returning from the DL, giving up three runs in his first outing and tossing five scoreless innings in his Monday outing against the Rangers. His 7/5 K/BB ratio is less than stellar, but he gets the Rangers and Mariners in his next two starts, which should keep his ERA/WHIP in a respectable spot. He is worth a look in 12+ team leagues going forward.
Andrew Suarez, SP, SFG (7.9% owned)
Suarez has had scoreless outings in three of his last four starts, although his 17/8 K/BB ratio leaves something to be desired. Still, he’s posted some solid numbers in the last month and deserves a look in deeper leagues for the rest of the season. His next start is at Colorado (so skip that one) but Atlanta and @San Diego follow. He’s worth streaming at San Diego in all formats, but could be a useful rotation option even in 12-teamers going forward.