Earlier this week we suggested not to pick up Scooter Gennett after his four homerun game and we’re here to tell you.. avoid him again. There are a lot of really good options this week so let’s dive right into it!

 

10-team leagues

Felipe Rivero, PIT RP (47% ownership), FAAB Bid - $20 – Now that Tony Watson has blown four straight save opportunities, Rivero will be apart of a closer by committee timeshare with Juan Nicasio. Rivero has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball allowing just two runs in 31 innings pitched. It’s only a matter of time before he is the full-time closer so get him while you can.

Aaron Altherr, PHI OF (46% ownership), FAAB Bid - $17 – Altherr has been slumping since getting off to such a hot start but his ownership is dropping, which is the perfect time to buy some Altherr stock. That said, he’s heating up, hitting .292 with a .375 wOBA in June. Get your shares before people begin to realize he’s mashing again.

Mallex Smith, TB OF (21% ownership), FAAB Bid - $13 – Now that Kevin Kiermaier is out for the next couple of months, Smith will man the reigns in CF full-time. Smith had a monster first game back with the club as he belted a HR and stole three bases. Smith’s stolen base potential alone is valuable as picking players up at this point in the season who are specifically good at one thing is very valuable.

 

12-team leagues

Jarrod Dyson, SEA OF (17% ownership), FAAB Bid – $8-10 – We’ve gotten to the point of the season where targeting specific positions is the way to approach the rest of the year and Dyson fits the mold. Although Dyson hasn’t performed well this year, he’s stolen 15 bases and has been more than valuable in almost all formats.

Carlos Rodon, CWS SP (41% ownership), FAAB Bid - $7 – Rodon is progressing very fast and should be in the big leagues before you know it. Earlier this week he made his first rehab start at High A. Rodon was able to strike out six batters before being pulled, but more important than the results were the fact he has felt fine during the days after the outing. We shouldn’t expect to actually see him before the All-Star break, but if you have an available DL spot, make sure you give Rodon a look.

Buck Farmer, DET RP (5% ownership), FAAB Bid - $6 – Farmer has made just two starts this year, but both have been impressive as all hell. Farmer has 16 K’s in 13 innings and has yet to allow an earned run. Detroit has not commented whether or not Farmer will be sent back down, but he’s been so good it’s likely he’ll stay with the big league team.

 

15-team leagues

Jacob Faria, TB SP (5% ownership), FAAB Bid - $10 – The 23-year old is back in Triple-A, but won’t be for long. Faria has been excellent at Triple-A, posting an impressive 12.9 K/9 mark. He struck out just five over 6 1/3 innings during his major league debut, but induced 16 swings and misses so the strikeouts will come. The Rays are going to fall completely out of the AL East race before you know it and Faria will be apart of their rotation for the remainder of the season once that takes place.

Pat Neshek, PHI RP (20% ownership), FAAB Bid - $1 – We’re only bidding one stinkin’ buck because who knows how long this will last. Neshek has been named the closer – for now – as Hector Neris continues to struggle. This situation seems eerily similar to the one in Seattle with Edwin Diaz. Diaz was removed from the closers role because the team wanted him to work everything out, which is exactly what’s happening with Neris. Neshek has a 0.82 ERA on the year, so he’s a temporary fix to your saves situation.

*ownership percentages courtesy of Yahoo

** FAAB bids based on $100 budget