We’ve reached the All-Star Break in MLB. Take a couple of days, reset, pay no attention to your fantasy teams… but not until after tonight’s FAAB bids are due! It seems it’s been something every week recently, and although our lineups will not need to be in until Thursday or Friday, don’t forget to get your bids in on this FAABulous Sunday!
Catcher
Jonathon Lucroy (0% TGFBI, 1% Yahoo) – In a surprising move to many, Atlanta brought Lucroy up while optioning William Contreras to AAA. He hasn’t hit for much power and his BA has dropped significantly each season since his amazing 2016, but in 15-team two-catcher leagues, he looks to be getting at least half of the starts in Atlanta right now and is off to a nice start in the BA, RBI, and R categories.
Jonah Heim (5% TGFBI, 0% Yahoo) – Heim is the guy I’m after if I am in need of a catcher or even hoping for what could turn out to be a nice upgrade at the position. A popular late-round name during draft season, Heim has had three consecutive weeks with double-digit PA going 12 for 41 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R, and 1 SB. There is a threat to that increase in PA with the return of Jose Trevino after the break, but I’m speculating that Heim is playing his way into at least half of the starts in Texas.
First Base
Patrick Wisdom (83% TGFBI, 22% Yahoo) – 3B – Wisdom has continued to be quietly productive after his explosive six-homerun week back in week 10, adding a HR each week and going 9 for 33 with 9 RBI over the past two scoring periods. With the trade deadline looming, and the Cubs presumably sellers, his playing time should become more certain going forward as well.
Second Base
Vidal Bruján (5% TGFBI, 42% Yahoo) – At 23 years old, Bruján has been playing professionally since 2015 and has accumulated well over 1,700 AB! He’s shown nice plate discipline with a mid-teens K% and a double-digit or close to it BB% at each step along the way. The appeal is the 55 SB in 2018, 48 in 2019, and 15 in just 49 games at AAA this season. This is really a SB play only in leagues where you’re comfortable in the HR and RBI categories, especially considering his playing time so far and the Rays history in that regard. BUT! There are definitely situations where those SB can make a big difference in our standings with two and a half months to go.
Third Base
Brad Miller (37% TGFBI, 7% Yahoo) – 1B, 2B, OF – In three of the previous four weeks Miller failed to receive double-digit PA after six consecutive weeks of 15 PA or more; so, unfortunately, very few of us have the 3 HR, 5 RBI, and 4 R he’s totaled so far this week in our lineups even if he’s still on our rosters. He’s in the lineup again today, and with a heavy schedule coming out of the break (just two off days in four and a half weeks – 21 games at home), he should see plenty of PA to add to our HR and RBI totals. He’s streaky, so it’s a month-long commitment as long as he’s getting the playing time.
Short Stop
Elvis Andrus (66% TGFBI, 7% Yahoo) – Over the past 30 days, Andrus is hitting .282 with 2 HR, 13 RBI, 16 R, and 4 SB. After a dismal start to the season, that’s the nice average, double-digit HR, 75 RBI, 90 R, 20 SB guy I was hoping I was drafting in March. He has played his way back into the two-hole in Oakland and is middle-infielder worthy even in the shallower leagues where he is widely available.
Orlando Arcia (12% TGFBI, 2% Yahoo) – With the incredibly unfortunate injury to Ronald Acuña Jr. last evening, the experiment of Arcia as an outfielder in Atlanta may have become a rest-of-season reality. In the lineup as an outfielder for the sixth time this season today, he won’t have that eligibility in many leagues for a couple of weeks. He’s off to a nice start in Atlanta, going 7 for 20 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, and 1 SB while starting five of their last six games. He’s hit .260 since the beginning of 2020, and at still just 26 years old could give us modest production across the board the rest of the way.
Outfield
Eloy Jiménez (81% TGFBI, 59% Yahoo) – The question here isn’t if Jiménez can help our teams, it’s how much are we going to bid in the leagues where he is available; or actually, how much FAAB are we comfortable with having for the rest of the season? As he begins his rehab assignment this weekend, it appears we may see him back with the White Sox by the end of the month. Leagues will vary greatly, but in general, in $1,000 FAAB leagues I don’t want to go much below the $100 remaining threshold yet, especially with all of the injuries we’ve had that will presumably continue.
Garrett Cooper (88% TGFBI, 21% Yahoo) – 1B – I really attempt to go with some different names here each week, but some continue to be under-rostered regardless of league size and format in my opinion. Cooper is one of those guys, hitting .291 on the season with 9 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, and 1 SB in just over 200 AB. Since returning from the IL two and a half weeks ago, he’s a scorching 18 for 38 with 4 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, and that one SB. The Marlins have four games in Philly this week (a doubleheader Friday), and a full seven-game week follows.
Pitcher
David Price (27% TGFBI, 29% Yahoo) – As we come out of the all-star break it will be a bit tricky finding enticing starting pitching and matchups. Most teams will start with the tops of their rotations on Friday meaning most starters this week are rostered in most leagues. Looking ahead, if Price is indeed stretched out and remains in a starting role for the Dodgers, his second start in the first full week of the second half is the ever desirable Rockies on the road. He’ll get the Giants in his first outing, so there is some risk, and he may not get the innings we’d like, but I’m in on the Colorado match-up.
Cole Irvin (98% TGFBI, 46% Yahoo) – Irvin is nearly universally rostered in 15-teamers, but is surprisingly available in over half of Yahoo leagues with a potential two-step next week at home vs the banged-up Angels and at Seattle. He’s gone at least five innings in his last eight starts and has improved his strikeout numbers with 22 in 25 IP over his past four outings.
Josh Fleming (46% TGFBI, 17% Yahoo) – The Rays can be worrisome in how they use a guy like Fleming, but in each of his six starts this season he’s gone at least five innings. The downside is that he’s been touched up for 5 ER in each of his two starts since June 4. I would like to see him in the multi-inning relief role we’ve seen in three of his past four appearances giving up 0 ER in 10 1/3 IP, but if he is indeed the Rays’ fourth starter coming out of the break, he’d get the Orioles in St. Petersburg and head to Cleveland for his two-start week.
Enjoy the Break
As mentioned earlier and seemingly every week recently, absolutely take a couple of days and enjoy the break, but don’t forget to get your bids in tonight. As always, good luck this evening and enjoy the games!
Photos by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Design by Michael Packard (@designsbypack on Twitter @ IG)