This article is part of our Regan's Rumblings series.
While wondering where Ryan Lochte is currently hiding out and what really happened in the alleged robbery in Rio, I thought I'd check in on a few guys that could help fantasy owners down the stretch. I realize we all play in different leagues, so guys like Joe Mauer and Gary Sanchez are going to be owned in all AL-only and deeper mixed formats, but many of these guys can also be of at least short-term use in shallower formats.
Note: Ownership percentage in Yahoo leagues is in parentheses.
CATCHER
Gary Sanchez (NYY 44%) – Some prospect come up and flop, return to Triple-A or lose MLB playing time, and then eventually settle in as solid options while others hit right away and eventually fade a bit. Sanchez looks to be in the latter category, as he has a 1.027 OPS through his first 49 PA's. Sanchez posted an .807 OPS in Triple-A this year, and while his numbers progressing through the Yankees' system have never been spectacular, they've never been awful either. He's part of the team's youth movement, and with Brian McCann expected to spend most of his time at DH, Sanchez should play at least five times a week.
Very deep league option:Tucker Barnhart (CIN 4%) – Barnhart is well-known in deeper formats, but in 12-team mixed leagues, maybe not so much. Barnhart is batting a solid .267/.331/.410, but in his last two weeks, that's spiked to .362/.438/.638. His 80% contact rate should help keep his BA at a decent level, but Barnhart doesn't run, and he never hit more than six home runs in any minor league season, so the power may drop off a bit backstop at a time, I'm not sure how much you'll benefit from his services unless you happen to catch him on a hot streak.
FIRST BASE
Joe Mauer (MIN 25%) – Mauer's 10 home runs this year match his 2015 total, and his .801 OPS is highest mark there since the 2013 season. In his last 14 games, Mauer is batting .400/.491/.600, so now may be the time to pounce if you need a 1B or CI in shallower leagues. Mauer isn't likely to go on a power surge, but if you need a guy to hit for a solid BA or rack up a big OBP if that's a category in your league, Joe could be your guy.
Very deep league option:Justin Morneau (MIN 2%) – Look, Mauer and Morneau. Good times. Morneau is a DH-only these days, so don't expect to get anything out of him in interleague play, but in 90 PA's, Morneau is batting .301/.344/.518 with four home runs.
SECOND BASE
Yoan Moncada (BOS 9%) – Moncada is still in Double-A, but as we saw with Dansby Swanson this week, promoting a top prospect from Double-A to the big leagues does happen. Swanson was batting .261/.342/.402 upon his promotion while Moncada is currently batting .287/.366/.539 in Double-A and .299/.405/.520 overall. He has 13 home runs and 44 stolen bases, and the home runs have improved greatly in Double-A: nine in 36 games. Given that the Red Sox are unlikely to push Dustin Pedroia to the bench, Moncada has been playing some third base lately, and with Travis Shaw / Brock Holt / Aaron Hill an average trio at best at the hot corner, Moncada should get his shot in short order. We haven't seen a fantasy prospect with his all-around skills at the plate in some time.
Very deep league option:Tyler Saladino (CHW 1%) – Saladino is batting .262/.298/.396 overall with six home runs and nine stolen baes in 202 at-bats. The rate stats are subpar, but the counting stats project to 18 homers and 27 steals over 600 or so at-bats, so that's good. In addition, he's had three multi-hit games in his last four and should get plenty of playing time down the stretch. Multi-position eligibility helps as well.
SHORTSTOP
Didi Gregorius (NYY 34%) – The Yankees are flush with shortstop prospects (Gleybar Torres, Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade, and more), but Gregorius is either staking his claim as Derek Jeter's successor or he's pumping up his winter trade value. Gregorius is batting .287/.315/.468 with a surprising 16 homers and five steals. He's making great contact (13.2% K%), with the only missing part of his offensive game being the ability to draw a walk (3.2% BB%). That's a big thing to be missing, so in my mind it casts a bit of a shadow over his future. The power is great, but when you're swinging at everything, pitchers are going to adjust. I think he'll have solid value the rest of this year, but longer term I'm not quite as optimistic.
Very deep league option:JJ Hardy (BAL 4%) – We all know Hardy's history, but he hasn't had a really good season at the plate since 2013. This year's .710 OPS is his best mark since that year, and in his last 30 games, he's hit .289. The power won't ever return to 2011
levels (30 homers), but perhaps he has a solid finish to this year.
THIRD BASE
Yangervis Solarte (SD 32%) – Solarte may be the most unexciting guy to own in all of 12-team mixed leagues. Low ceiling, poor ballpark for hitters, and no talent around him. That said. This is the point you realize he's batting .290/.353/.495 with 13 homers in 276 at-bats. Solarte has an excellent 13.9% K%, a number that stands up well to the elite K% rates he posted in the minors. These are Joe DiMaggio type strikeout rates: 7.7%, 7.6%, 6.9%, etc. Solarte also has five homers in his last 99 at-bats, so perhaps his power is developing. As a bonus, he also qualifies at 1B and 2B in many leagues.
Very deep league option:Cheslor Cuthbert (KC 8%) – Overall in 330 at-bats, Cuthbert is batting a solid .294/.330/.448, but in his last 30 days, he's been even better - .317/.366/.467. Cuthbert doesn't run and his power is above average for a corner infielder, but at 23 and as a former highly-rated prospect, he probably should be more highly owned.
OUTFIELD
Joc Pederson (LAD 61%) – Pederson's struggles to hit for average are well-documented, but he's looked much better at the plate in recent games, batting .324/.444/.676 in his first eight games in August. That's been enough to push his overall line to .252/.346/.510 with 18 homers and five stolen bases. He also has a 1.016 OPS since the All-Star break, and though he's still striking out too much, I have seen him to go to the opposite field more lately than I had earlier in the year. There's a decent chance he's already owned in 12-team mixed leagues, but he is available in my 10-teamer (well, not anymore!).
Yasiel Puig (LAD 49%) – Puig clearly doesn't belong in Triple-A from a talent perspective, as the mercurial outfielder is batting a robust .462/.543/.846 through 13 games for Oklahoma City. He has three home runs in his last five games and an overall K:BB of 4:7 (numbers not transposed). Meanwhile, Josh Reddick is batting .163 in 49 at-bats since coming over from the A's. No one outside the organization really knows what went on with Puig, though we certainly love to speculate, and no one knows if he's shown enough improvement in whatever area(s) the team wanted him to improve in. My guess is Puig is recalled on September 1 and initially plays exclusively against left-hand pitching. Where it goes from there is anybody's guess.
Alex Dickerson (SD 14%) – Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot will be up in September to impact the playing time of the current outfielders, but Dickerson is most likely to survive and have value the rest of the way. Dickerson has an .821 OPS, with most of his damage coming against right-handed pitching. If you're a DFS player, use Dickerson in road games against non-elite right-handed pitching.
Very Deep League Options:
Nick Franklin (TB 2%) – If you're in a league with a 10-game threshold for position qualification, Franklin is eligible at 1B, 2B, SS, and the Outfield, so that's highly valuable. Franklin was a highly thought-of prospect a few years ago after batting .322/.394/.502 as a 20 year-old in Double-A and later, .324/.440/.472 as a 22 year-old in 39 Triple-A games. Given his first chance at locking down a starting spot with the Mariners in 2013, Franklin batted just .225/.303/.382 and he's been a part-time guy ever since. Now though, Franklin is batting a stout .292/.362/.516 in 106 PA's and with Brandon Guyer and Steve Pearce having been traded at the deadline, the opportunity is there in the outfield for every day playing time for Franklin. We don't know if this will continue, but Franklin's ratios are solid (11% BB%, 17% K%) and he was a top prospect, so there's hope.
Eddie Rosario (MIN 10%) – He's been good in stints the last couple years, and now Rosario is batting .341 over his last two weeks. His 3.1% career BB% doesn't bode well for his future, but Rosario can still put up some solid numbers, particularly versus LHP.
Keon Broxton (MIL 11%) – Steals, walks, and strikeouts. That's Broxton's game. He's swiped a stellar 15 bags in 120 at-bats, and his OBP sits at .353 thanks to a 15.4% BB% and despite a .233 BA and 37.1% K%. Overall, Broxton has 33 steals on the year.
PITCHERS
Robbie Ray (ARI 22%) – Ray has a 4.47 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, but I can't get past that 10.9 K/9. The home run ball and a 3.3 BB/9 has hurt Ray at times, but it's hard to ignore the strikeouts. Ray has a 1.15 HR/9 rate despite a decent 1.8 GB/FB, so the home run ball will be a bit of a challenge, particularly at home where he has a 5.13 ERA. But a hard-throwing (93.9 mph average fastball) for a lefty is pretty intriguing.
Anthony DeSclafani (CIN 61%) – I thought DeSclafani's ownership rate would be a bit higher, but given the ballpark he spends most of his time in with a putrid offense behind him, and that seems to limit his "wins" upside. DeSclafani has missed two months with an oblique this year, but when healthy, he's 7-1 with a 3.10 ERA in 13 starts. He may very well be the team's 2017 Opening Day starter.
Very Deep League Options:
Rob Whalen (ATL 1%) – Whalen's 7.31 ERA is a bit ugly of course, but he also had a 12:1 K:BB in his last 11 innings over two starts, and his minor league numbers this year were solid: 1.93 ERA in three Triple-A starts and 2.49 ERA in 21 Double-A starts. Whalen doesn't throw hard, but he could be worth using in the right matchup.
Archie Bradley (ARI 10%) – Bradley has 12 strikeouts in 10 innings over his last two starts, but that comes with a 6.30 ERA. His erratic control has resulted in a 1.52 WHIP and 4.91 ERA, but Bradley also has an 8.7 K/9 and a nearly unparalleled prospect pedigree. At some point, things may very well click.
