MLB Week 25 FAAB Insights

Welcome back to another FAABulous Sunday! We have just two weeks to go in the 2021 MLB regular season, two weeks to go in our rotisserie fantasy baseball seasons, and it’s championship week in many head-to-head fantasy baseball seasons. As with the past couple of weeks, I’m looking for players that are currently going well and look to have nice opportunities ahead. Let’s get to it!

 

Catcher

 

Elias Díaz (90% TGFBI, 17% Yahoo, 79% OC) – The Rockies head home to Coors for six games this week. It’s that simple. At home this season, Díaz is slashing .279/.346/.543 with 9 HR, 22 RBI, and 29 R in 156 PA. He’s available in a handful of 15-team, two-catcher leagues and a vast majority of shallower single-catcher formats. Colorado is facing a couple of tough matchups in the Dodgers and Giants, but I’m betting on Coors Field. The Rockies also remain at home for the first half of the final week of the season vs the Nationals.

 

First Base

 

LaMonte Wade Jr. (98% TGFBI, 13% Yahoo, 83% OC) – OF  and Tommy La Stella (51% TGFBI, 13% Yahoo, 10% OC) – 2B – The Giants have been tough to manage this season with all of the matchup-related shuffling they do, but they are set to fave right-handed starters in five of their six games this week including two of their three games in Colorado. Wdae Jr. has hit .280 vs righties with 18 HR, 49 RBI, 46 R, and 6 SB in 299 PA. La Stella has all five of his HR, 20 of his 22 RBI, and 18 of his 19 R vs RHP in 177 PA. Just to be sure, double-check the availability of Brandon Belt and Mike Yastrzemski for these matchups as well. 

 

Second Base

 

Matt Duffy (1% TGFBI, 2% Yahoo, 1% OC) – 3B – The Cubs traded away their superstars and then started scoring runs – they’re third in the NL over the past month. Duffy is in the lineup nearly every day and has hit .316 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, and 2 SB the past couple of weeks – really nice for a guy that is available everywhere!

 

Third Base

 

Luis Rengifo (0% TGFBI, 0% Yahoo, 0% OC) – 2B, SS, OF – Since returning to the Angels’ lineup September 4, Rengifo has at least one hit in nine of 12 games and has been sixth or higher in the order in seven of the past nine (one of those was as a pinch-hitter). He has hit .308 with 3 HR, 7 RBI, and 7 R over that span. The Angels have a seven-game week on tap and he’s their everyday shortstop.

 

Shortstop

 

Leury García (24%TGFBI, 12% Yahoo, 7% OC) – 2B, 3B, OF – As Todd Whitestone (@telestar7) pointed out on this morning’s episode of On the Wire (@OnTheWirePod) with Adam Howe (@EightyGrade) and myself, García is in line for a whole lot of playing time for the White Sox the rest of the way. Over the past couple of weeks, he’s rolling along with a .333 BA, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, and 1 SB. The White Sox have eight games scheduled this week.

 

Outfield

 

Austin Hays (98% TGFBI, 37% Yahoo, 98% OC) – Nearly universally rostered in even the 12-team Online Championship leagues, Hays should be in a starting lineup in the shallowest of leagues. Over the past two weeks, he’s hit .298 with 7 HR, 16 RBI, and 10 R in 61 PA. The Orioles have three games at Philadelphia and four back home at Camden this week.

Brett Phillips (5% TGFBI, 1% Yahoo, 0% OC) – Yes, he’s hitting .207. Yes, his K% is over 38%. However!!! This season vs RHP, Phillips is hitting .253 with 12 of his 13 HR, 39 of 42 RBI, 43 of 47 R, and 11 of 14 SB in just 192 PA! Ideally, this is a daily lineup-league play, but the Rays are set to face righty starters in two of three games next weekend for those in leagues such as NFBC where hitting lineups may be changed on Friday.

Pitcher

 

Carlos Hernández (98% TGFBI, 30% Yahoo, 84% OC) – With Brady Singer set to return Monday, Hernández is now set to face Cleveland in back-to-back starts — missing the nice matchup vs Detroit next weekend. I still like him in at least the first outing vs a Cleveland lineup that has yet to see him. Since becoming a member of the KC rotation on July 18, he’s thrown 59 innings in 11 appearances with a 3.51 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 43 K – all of that despite 4 IP with 9 H, 4 BB, 7 ER, and only 3 K last time out vs Oakland. Over the past month, Cleveland is 11th in the AL in runs scored vs RHP.

Touki Toussaint (83% TGFBI, 21% Yahoo, 85% OC) – In Toussaint’s first seven starts of the season (beginning July 20), he threw 39 innings with a 3.69 ERA and 40 K. He’s struggled a bit recently which contradicts my opening paragraph, but a trip to Arizona may be just what the doctor ordered for a guy that has only managed to complete 10 total innings in his past three starts. The Diamondbacks are 23rd in MLB in runs scored vs RHP over the past month. Worried about the second start of the week at San Diego? The Padres are 29th.

Madison Bumgarner (93% TGFBI, 38% Yahoo, 75% OC) – MadBum has been extremely streaky this season, and while it’s not something we can quantify in our analysis, streaks most definitely exist in MLB – more so for some players than others. In his first three starts of the season, he only got through five innings once and gave up at least 5 ER in each. He then went six starts reaching five-plus innings in all but one, giving up 2 ER or less each outing (including the infamous non-no-hitter vs Atlanta who he faces this week). Then three starts combining for 12 IP with at least 5 ER in each. Next, seven starts never allowing more than 2 ER, going at least five innings in each and six-plus innings in six of the seven. He then gave up 19 ER in 23 IP over his next four starts. He got back on track in his last outing, allowing only 1 ER in 7 IP at Houston. I’m rolling with this new streak, especially as he heads to San Francisco where he is beloved and back home for some Rocky Road for his final week of the season two-step.

 

If you’re in a daily-lineup, weekly-FAAB league, realize that next Monday, September 27, there are only two games scheduled. Grab some Rockies, Nationals, Athletics, and Mariners tonight if you have the room – your opponents will all be in on them next week. As always, good luck tonight, and enjoy the games!

 

Photo from John Griffin/Icon Sportswire | Design by Quincey Dong (@threerundong on Twitter)