Players who are not dead yet highlight this Week’s Week That Was.

Loyal readers know that I co-host Colton and the Wolfman with my college buddy and fellow fantasy sports hall of famer Rick Wolf.  They also know that the Wolfman is always saying “he’s dead to me” when he gives up on a player.  When he does that, he reminds me of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy of Star Trek fame and his famous line was “he’s dead Jim”.  Well, with the players below, both the Wolfman and the good mythical doctor may have been a bit too quick to diagnose the patient.  Now, with all the hyped AAA studs coming to the show for September, the question is what to do with players who you thought were roto dead but may not be.  So without further delay, the week that was . . . .

Robinson Cano:  No one has bemoaned Cano’s drop from roto superstardom more than I have.  However, some miracle medicine from the Dr. McCoy may have done the trick.  In the last week, the 250 Million Dollar man (a lot more than the 6 Steve Austin cost and he was bionic but I digress) has been on fire to the tune of a .407 average and .965 OPS.  With his HR total of 14, he has equaled last year and has his average (that hovered around .240 most of the year) all the way up to .283.  Given the talent and the fact that the BABIP is still a little low for him, there is every reason to think Cano has made a full recovery.  Perhaps it was the adrenaline cure Dr. McCoy used in The Deadly Years?   

Carlos Santana:  But for Robbie Cano, Santana would be my number one target for wrath of underproduction this baseball season.  I was sure that in his second year removed from catching with a great batting eye, this switch hitter would soar.  It did not happen.  On the year, Santana still sits at a pedestrian .233 with 15 dingers.  But wait, perhaps he finally figured out how to escape that alternative universe as Kirk did in Mirror Mirror.  Stated another way, it looks like Carlos has transformed himself from bad Carlos to good Carlos.  In the last week, Carlos is hitting .357 with 7 RBI and a cool .900 OPS.  Do not give up on Santana for some young fly-by-night AAA hitter now!

Justin Verlander:  Ok, we have all heard enough Kate Upton analysis to last a lifetime.  Verlander has not been anything like himself for a very long time and Kate is not to blame.  Indeed, she is no more to blame than Miramanee was for Kirk’s confusion in The Paradise Syndrome.  Indeed, it seems that all on his own, Verlander has found himself.  After dragging down many a roto staff, Verlander has been the ace of years past over his last 6 starts with a 1.43 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and more than a K per inning.  Go back and watch that almost no hitter and tell me Verlander is not back.  Replace him with a young AAA fireballer in September at your own risk.

Mike MoustakasAfter a hot start, Moustakas began to look like a sagging starship Constellation in the Doomsday Machine.  However, just as Matt Decker managed to overcome the odds and destroy the machine, Moose too has defied the odds.  Over the last week, Moose is hitting .423 with a 1200+ OPS.  Yes, 1200+.  With 15 dingers, a .283 average and a hot streak pointing those numbers higher, there is every reason to think Moose will help you defeat the enemies of the Federation this September.

Jedd Gyorko:  All things considered, Jedd’s slow start after his line drive ways of the 2014 2d half surprised me more than most.  Perhaps I had too much faith in the kid just as Kirk had too much faith in Ensign Garrovick in Obsession.  At first, the kid disappointed because too much was expected of him but when the chips were down, the kid came through.  So too is Jedd.  Over the last month, Gyorko has hit .286 with 5 HR and 21 RBI.  Who would not take that from a guy eligible at 2B and even SS in most leagues?  Forget the slick fielding 21 year old MI that comes up in September and stick with Jedd.

Joe Kelly:   Lost in all the hubbub of Jake Arrietta’s great August is that Joe Kelly also went 6-0.  Forget the Star Trek references on this one and let’s talk simple facts – here is a guy who has won 6 straight starts and whose AVERAGE fastball velo is over 95.5.  I have believed for a long time and been burned many times but I think Joe has finally learned to pitch rather than throw.

And now the moment you well, may or may not be waiting for, the Baron of Bottom of the Page pontificates a/k/a Schultz says: “Kicking around in the recesses of Schultz' brain is some roto-philosophy about acting smart. If the brain cells aren't totally faulty, acting smart seems to entail paying attention to the actual team for whom each member of your roto-squad plies his trade. No matter what the Marlins are saying about Jose Fernandez, floundering teams tend not to rush ailing superstars back onto the field for meaningless games or overwork younglings getting their first taste of major league glory. Because of this, roto-players should be eternally grateful for the addition of the second wild card team to the post-season.  

With all eyes focused upon upcoming fantasy football drafts, it might have escaped general notice that the Twins, Indians and Rangers have not only finished August by playing some strong ball but have positioned themselves for a meaningful September. For roto-purposes, this means you can rely on Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton to play hard to the finish, barring true injuries Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer will likely gut out the rest of the season (as will a rejuvenated Josh Tomlin) and Cole Hamels may find himself once again leading a club to the playoffs.

While the American League seems like it will go down to the wire, the National League seems to be an all or nothing proposition: win the division or go home (unless you are the Pirates or Cubs).   For the homestretch, you surely aren't going to bench your stars or the guys that have brought you this far. However, when deciding on your last outfielder or final starter, it may behoove you to consider whether they are playing for something or just simply playing. Some people just might say that's playing SMART.”

Response:  Yes, the T in SMART stands for Team!  Great stuff!