10 Team Leagues
Scott Kingery 2B, 3B, OF PHI; FAAB Bid: 15-18% - I’m a big believer in Kingery as are the Phillies since they gave him a decent contract prior to his 2018 debut, which proved to be somewhat underwhelming. However, 2019 is proving to be a different story for the young King. Since May 23rd he’s slashing .319/.347/.681 with six home runs, 13 runs scored, and 13 RBI. Not to mention four of those dingers have come in his last four games. He provides position flexibility and can be useful on any fantasy team.
Nick Pivetta SP PHI; FAAB Bid: 10-12% - I’ll go down with this ship if I have to, but I’ve always liked Pivetta. He still isn’t quite putting it all together, but I think he will. Since being recalled from the minors he’s averaging a strikeout per inning and he’s only walked four batters in 26.2 innings of work. Now the bad news is he’s given up five home runs in that span as well. His next start comes Wednesday in Washington and the Nats have been better on offense lately so this matchup comes with some reservations.
Yordan Alvarez OF HOU; FAAB Bid: 30-40% - It seems redundant to put Alvarez in this column again, but at the same time he’s still available in about half of ESPN leagues and almost 25% of Yahoo leagues so to be safe, he’s getting one last shoutout. The 21-year-old lefty crushed it at Triple-A this year with 23 home runs and 71 RBI in 56 games. In just four games with Houston he’s hit three home runs with seven runs scored and seven RBI. If he keeps this up it’s unlikely the Astros send him back down. He’s a phenomenal hitter and needs to be owned everywhere. If Alvarez is unavailable then give Hunter Renfroe a look. He’s coming off a three-home run performance Friday night and now has 21 on the year.
12 Team Leagues
Jackie Bradley Jr. OF BOS; FAAB Bid: 8-10% - JBJ is well known as a player who is reliant on hot streaks. His season long numbers are bad. A sub-.700 OPS doesn’t quite move the needle, but since May 27th he’s hitting .353 with a 1.184 OPS. In two of his last four games he has a pair of stolen bases, and in three of his last seven games he has three home runs. The Red Sox may be in the midst of getting hot before the All-Star Break and Bradley Jr. might play a big role in that streak even if he’s hitting toward the bottom of the order.
Yusei Kikuchi SP SEA; FAAB Bid: 1-2% - If you need a two-start pitcher in a weekly league Kikuchi might be worth a gamble. Kikuchi is a two-start pitcher next week against the Royals and the Orioles, two of the worst offenses in all of baseball. It hasn’t been a great debut season for Kikuchi after coming over from Japan. He has a 4.78 ERA, a 6.57 K/9, and a 1.79 HR/9. None of those numbers make him an appealing pitcher, but he could be useful next week as a two-start streamer.
Michael Chavis 2B, 3B BOS; FAAB Bid: 10-12% - So Chavis got off to a very hot start with the Red Sox and then cooled off. So owners jumped ship and his available in over 50% of leagues. However over the last week he has a pair of home runs and a pair of doubles with seven runs scored and 6 RBI. So while the ownership is dropping it might be time to pounce and get him on your team if you’re in need of infield help.
15+ Team Leagues
Garrett Cooper 1B, OF; FAAB Bid: 8% - Cooper is a guy who won’t generate much fanfare because he plays for the Marlins, but he’s quietly gone on a nice run since May 22nd. Since then he’s batting .354 with a 1.049 OPS. He has six home runs, 20 runs scored, and 18 RBI over that 21-game span. He’s hitting 2nd in the order and seems locked into that spot. The lineup around him is weak, but he is not. He’s definitely worth owning in a deeper league.
Peter Lambert SP COL; FAAB: 2-4% - Lambert’s had a pretty impressive debut so far in 2019. In back-to-back starts against the Cubs he’s gone 2-0 with just two earned runs in 12 innings with a dozen strikeouts. The Rockies top pitching prospect has a good fastball and curveball, and while his changeup could be better, he’s still young and can improve. I don’t expect him to average a strikeout per inning because in the minors he had a 7.61 K/9, but he can be grabbed in deeper leagues if you need to chase some pitching upside.
Chance Sisco C BAL; FAAB Bid: 5-6% - Sisco has been up only a short matter of time, but he’s already making the Orioles look foolish for sending him down to start the season. Sisco hit .289 with a .913 OPS with ten home runs and 37 RBI in 44 games. In just seven games in the big leagues Sisco has already swatted a pair of home runs and should be looked at for help at the catcher position in deeper leagues.