Rising Stock

Welington Castillo C, BAL- The Orioles catcher has been on fire over the last week, hitting .417 with six runs, five home runs and seven RBI.  On the year Castillo is enjoying the best season of his career, hitting .300 with 41 runs, 19 home runs and 49 RBI which has him ranked among the Top 5 fantasy catchers when he is healthy.

Matt Olson OF, OAK- The A’s Matt Olson has come out of nowhere to hit .292 with five runs, five home runs and 10 RBI over the last seven days. On the season Olson is hitting just .262 with 19 runs, 14 home runs and 29 RBI so while you should ride out this current stretch he is not a reliable fantasy commodity.

J.D. Martinez OF, ARI- Martinez went and hit four home runs on Monday to certainly boost his production over the last week but he has been a bright spot for the Diamondbacks since joining the club as he has already hit 18 home runs over his last 40 games.

Doug Fister SP, BOS-  Fister was not even on a major league roster to start the season but injuries to the Red Sox rotation saw him picked up off of waivers an into the Red Sox rotation.  Fister had a few hiccups early on but since his start on July 31st he has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his five starts.  Fister has helped solidify the backend of the Red Sox rotation and adds a veteran presence to what is generally a young squad.

 

Falling Stock

Pablo Sandoval 3B, SF- If there was anybody that thought a return to San Francisco is what Sandoval needed to recharge his career there is nobody in that crowd anymore as Sandoval has gone hitless in his last 10 games (0-for-34).  He is hitting .196 as a member of the Giants in what could be his last season in the big leagues.

Miguel Cabrera 1B, DET- There’s a running theory among my friends that Miggy saw getting into a fight as his only way of getting away from the Tigers ballclub after they have dismantled what was once a contending team.  In his own right Cabrera has been downright dreadful this season, hitting just .248 with 45 runs, 14 home runs and 57 RBI.  He is currently in the middle of a six-game suspension stemming from his brawl with the Yankees.

Travis Shaw 1B, MIL- Red Sox fans know all about the second half disappearing act of Travis Shaw after he hit just .194 after the All-Star break in Boston last season.  With the Brewers Shaw has been a little better than 2016’s post All-Star break but it’s still not great as he is hitting just .232 with an OPS of .742.  Over the last 15 days Shaw is just 2-for-19 with three runs, one home run and three RBI.

Jason Vargas SP, KC- I will admit that Vargas has managed to remain useful this season despite all the peripheral numbers suggesting he was due to crash and burn but then again maybe we are finally starting to see that fate come to as he has allowed 29 earned runs over his last 28.1 innings.  Since the All-Star break Vargas is just 2-6 with a 6.80 ERA over nine starts.

 

Stock to Watch

Garrett Richards SP, LAA

It was initially thought that Richards was going to miss the entire season after suffering a biceps injury during his first start of the season.  He worked his way back slowly and after a rehab assignment that went without setbacks he was activated from the DL and slated to pitch Tuesday night against the A’s.  The Angels are currently vying for a Wild Card spot in the American League and Richards, when healthy, is the best pitcher on their staff bar none.  The team will likely have him on a pitch count to start but it’s rare that somebody with his upside is available on free agency this late into a fantasy season.  He is currently owned in under 20-percent of standard leagues and is certainly worth a flier in all formats.