Jacob Faria (TB, SP, 12% owned)
What was supposed to be a one-and-done, could very well be changed and in short-order. Matt Andriese, left his start on Saturday with a recurrence of the groin problem that had him spending time on the DL. Faria acquitted himself well in that first start, allowing three hits, two walks, one earned run, and 5 strikeouts over 6 1/3 IP. Hold tight if you own him. Buy him if you don’t.
Mallex Smith (TB, OF, 8% owned)
Kevin Kiermaier goes down with a broken hip (out 8-to-10 weeks), and the Rays immediately turn to Durham and burner Mallex Smith to fill the centerfield void. Three steals Friday night is a good way to greet the Rays faithful. Prepare to dip deep into your FAAB bucks on Sunday and those precious stolen bases could be all yours.
Pat Neshek (PHI, RP, 11% owned)
Jeanmar Gomez and Hector Neris both had their shot. It now appears that it’s Pat Neshek’s kick-at-the-ninth-inning can. The wheels on the closer bus in Philly keep going round and round.
Buck Farmer (DET, SP, 21% owned)
The 26-year-old righty now has two starts under his belt and has yet to allow a run. One would think that he has to be in line for more starts after this strong showing. How much is a Farmer worth? At least a buck.
Adam Lind (WAS,1B, 2% owned)
Ryan Zimmerman is day-to-day with a sore back and Lind finds himself in a situation where he will be looking at extra at-bats. In deeper Leagues he could be one of the few 1B options still available.
Sean Doolittle (OAK, RP, 8% owned)
After missing a month with a shoulder strain, the A’s activated the good Doctor on Saturday. He should revert to his setup role immediately and provide a sprinkling of saves and great peripherals over the duration.
Lewis Brinson (MIL, OF, 37% owned)
The Brewers top prospect and one of the best prospects in the game got the call on Saturday. Is it a cup of coffee or a long-term commitment? I’m leaning on the cup of coffee as the Brew Crew is currently knee deep and then some in outfielders. Until the return of Ryan Braun (which doesn’t appear to be imminent) he’s an intriguing option and with a hot-start has the potential to force the Brewers into thinning the outfield herd.
Sean Newcomb (ATL, SP, 30% owned)
I mentioned last week that Newcomb could be arriving soon and the Braves front office must have been listening. He arrived Saturday to much fanfare and didn’t disappoint, tossing 6 1/3 innings of four hit-ball, while chipping in with seven strikeouts. Last week he was a bargain. This week….not so much.
Trevor Clifton (CHC, SP, 1% owned)
Dynasty League players should be taking note of his solid second year, but with a 1% ownership level, apparently they’re not. The transition to Double-A has been a very smooth one, as he’s currently sitting with a second consecutive sub-three ERA. In eleven starts this year, he’s allowed more than two earned runs once, and that was a three earned run outing. Buying in now, could save you a buck or three as he moves up the Minor League ladder for the Cubs. Next stop is Iowa and then the off-the-radar status disappears. If it all comes together, Clifton could turn into a solid number four starter.
Cameron Maybin (LAA, OF, 36% owned)
I promise, this will be my last mention of Maybin, but how do you ignore the four stolen bases in his first game back from the DL on Friday? The easy answer…..you don’t.
Felipe Rivero (PIT, RP, 42% owned)
The announced closer-by-committee in Pittsburgh, appears to be a one-man affair with Rivero earning saves on back-to-back days this weekend. Strive for Rivero as he’s clearly the best arm in that Pirates bullpen, but backing him up with a smaller bid on Juan Nicasio isn’t a bad plan.
Howie Kendrick (PHI, 2B/OF, 12% owned)
Howie Kendrick slides back to second base to fill in for Cesar Hernandez who hits the 10-day DL with a left oblique strain. Since returning from the DL at the end of May, Kendrick has a pair of homers and three stolen bases under his belt. One could do much worse if looking for a replacement for Devon Travis.
Jose Pirela (SD, 2B/OF, 3% owned)
A great start at Triple-A El Paso, in which he clubbed 13 homers, drove in 42 runs, and stole eight bases, has transitioned to the Padres. Since being called up, Pirela is 9-for-18 with a homer and has quietly slid into hitting at the top-of-the-order. A late bloomer on a tear is always worth a look, especially in deeper formats.
Nik Turley (MIN, SP, 2% owned)
After ten seasons in the Minors, the 27-year-year-old southpaw finally sees his dream come true, and is starting today against the Giants. A fastball that runs 91-93 mph and a Zitoesque 78 mph curve ball are the tools of his trade. In his last start at Triple-A Rochester he struck out 15, yes that’s not a typo, 15. In deeper and single formats that level of strikeout potential shouldn’t be ignored.