Brad Ziegler (MIA, RP, 7% owned)
After listening to A.J. Ramos trade rumours forever, they finally come to fruition and the Fish have moved on. The moving on is to Brad Ziegler, recently activated from the DL. He’s getting a bit long in the tooth, but he’s got the job, and as I’ve mentioned many times, having the gig is half the battle.
Lewis Brinson (MIL, OF, 37% owned)
Remember everything I said about Brett Phillips last week. Well forget it. The Brewers and yours truly shared a difference of opinion and promoted Lewis Brinson to fill the vacancy in center field. Brinson struggled in his first go-round in June, but if his quick start (homers in back-to-back games this week) is any indication, this time could be a very different story.
Luke Weaver (STL, SP, 28% owned)
A solid five-inning debut for the 23-year-old righty, in which he allowed four earned runs, all on one mighty swing of JD Martinez bat. He’s not the first, nor will he be the last to make that mistake. Adam Wainwright is due back this week, but the Cardinals desire to find a new home for Lance Lynn, makes Weaver a solid buy for the stretch run.
Johan Camargo (ATL, SS/3B, 7% owned)
The recent demotion of Dansby Swanson, has created at least a temporary opportunity for Camargo. The bigger question has to be, if the Braves are serious about giving it a go, why is Ozzie Albies still at Triple-A? Camargo is filler until the arrival of help from the farm, but could hold value in Only formats until that help arrives.
Andrew Cashner (TEX, SP, 15% owned)
A funny thing has occurred. The strikeouts are way down for Cashner, but the overall success is way up. Is our “Little Andrew” finally becoming a pitcher and not just a thrower? The free passes are still a bit high for my liking, but he’s now tossed four consecutive quality starts, amassing three wins. In deeper Leagues that holds value. In any League that holds value.
Dominic Smith (NYM, 1B, 21% owned)
Lucas Duda has been traded to the Rays. Is it time for the Mets to give their future at first base an audition? If the Mets are going to contend in 2018, now is the time to get some of that young talent some playing time. This year at Triple-A he has hit 15 homers, driven in 69 runs, scored 74 runs, and is tearing the cover off of the ball to the tune of a .341 BA. It’s time. Let’s hope the Mets agree.
Lucas Duda (TAM, 1B, 29% owned)
19 homers in 256 at-bats, and Duda is owned in only 29% of the Leagues playing at CBS. Are homers that easy to procure?
Blake Parker (LAA, RP, 5% owned)
Do the Angels move Bud Norris? After today’s implosion, the odds haven’t lessened. Cam Bedrosian doesn’t seem to be the popular choice with the Angels hierarchy, and Parker has had a heckuva year. I’ll invest a buck in Parker, just to see how this shakes down.
Ryan Dull (Oak, RP, 2% owned)
2017 has been a huge disappointment for the 27-year-old Dull, but we only have to look back at the production from a healthy Dull in 2016 and there could very well be value moving forward. In Keeper/Dynasty Leagues, he could prove to be a sneaky buy, with both Blake Treinen and Santiago Casilla proving to be far from stellar ninth-inning options.
Guillermo Heredia (SEA, OF, 2% owned)
Mitch Haniger caught an errant pitch in the face from Jake deGrom and subsequently hits the 10-day DL with a facial laceration. Let’s hope for the best and that his DL stint isn’t a long one. Heredia is likely to see the majority of the at-bats until Haniger returns and in the past week has gone 7-for-16 with a homer and six RBI. A cheap investment could generate a positive return.
Anthony Alford (TOR, OF, 6% owned)
Does Jose Bautista or any of the other Jays outfielders find their way to a new team at the deadline? If so, expect to see Alford playing full-time in the Jays outfield down the stretch. If not, we’ll catch him in September. Buying in now could save one a buck or three.
Jerad Eickhoff (PHI, SP, 36% owned)
In four of his past five starts he has allowed a total of four earned runs. He’s going 5-to-6 innings deep in virtually every start. He’s far from being an ace caliber pitcher, but in deeper Leagues the options to fill the back-end of your Fantasy rotation is getting very lean.