Players who can help you down the stretch highlight this week’s Week That Was.
Yasiel Puig: Attitude, behavior and tantrums aside, Puig will play because he gives the Dodgers the best chance to win. He proved that Sunday going yard and scoring and knocking in 3 runs. With the Dodgers 1.5 games ahead of rival SF and the return of Clayton Kershaw imminent, how can they sit Puig? They cannot. This is exactly the type of guy who can put a real or fantasy team on his shoulders and deliver them to the promised land. Oh, and remember, as a fantasy manager, you do not have to deal with the headaches.
CC Sabathia: Strikeouts are always a key category down the stretch in fantasy playoff races. The formerly flame throwing big guy in NY is once again doing his part. Over his last 6 starts, CC has notched 40K. Not too shabby. The year-long numbers (including a 4.20 ERA and 1.35 WHIP) are hardly eye-popping. However, take note of the 2.30 and 1.02 numbers over the last three starts and see if you can grab CC for a song. The big guy looks motivated and is pitching like it.
Andrew Bailey: Someone has to save games for a team and the Angels appear to be giving Bailey the first shot after Salas and Smith were traded and Street and Bedrosian hurt. It has been a long road back but the 23K in 15 minor league innings followed by the two solid innings he has thrown in LA say why not take a shot. As my radio partner Rick Wolf (aka the Wolfman) likes to say “saves and steals are in the DNA of every fantasy player.”
Byron Buxton: It seems like we have been waiting for Buxton to bust out forever. Well, the wait appears to be over. Buxton went 3-6 with 2 runs, 4 RBI and a dinger Sunday. Since his call up, the Twins OF is hitting .563 with an OPS over 1,800 (yes, you read that correctly). Will Buxton hit 15 HR in September? No. Will he hit .500? No. Can he help you in 5 categories down the stretch? You bet! Throw stats and metrics out the window for a moment. This is a guy who knows he belongs in the show and is clearly motivated to prove it. Enjoy the ride.
Yulieski Gurriel: The Cuban import has yet to hit a dinger. Houston has a ton of options for their lineup. Those are just a couple of the excuses for why people have not bought in. Ignore the excuses and buy in. Since his arrival in the majors, Gurriel is hitting over .300 and making contact at a 90%+ clip. That latter stat is critical as it shows that he is not being fooled by major league pitching. Buy now and enjoy the ride. [Note that he is also not pull-happy, going up the middle or the other way approximately 60% of the time – another sign of a mature hitter comfortable in the show].
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: “With September's expansion of the rosters, roto-owners need to make some slight re-evaluations of how they set their starting lineups. Ball clubs that are out of contention will have little interest in giving meaningful at bats to your fifth outfielder or middle infielder as they may want to give a youngster some experience in the Big Show. If you've been waiting for Byron Buxton to live up to his hype, the Twins are on board with seeing if he can have a special September. Moreover, young pitchers nearing their innings limits are going to be told that it's time to hibernate for the winter. Already the Phillies have shelved Vincent Velazquez and look for the cellar dwellers if every division to follow suit. Aaron Sanchez owners can breathe a sigh of relief that the Jays are in contention but Matt Harvey's 2016 has to loom menacingly over Sanchez' 2017.
As the season winds down, pay attention to who will be playing in meaningful games. The Cubbies and Nats may be playoff bound but they aren't being pressed to play their best down their stretch and will be looking towards the post-season not the present. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, Orioles and Red Sox will be fighting it out until the last day of the season to claim the AL East title and the wild card spots.
You can't win a roto-championship unless your roto-players are on the real life field. Take heed of the teams that are still interested in 2016 and stock your team accordingly.”
Response: Good stuff as the Carlton the Doorman of Fantasy Sports enters September strong.