1. Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies – Well, it took a little longer than expected but Tovar is finally starting to show the talent that made him a popular sleeper during draft season.
This isn’t a one-or-two-week thing either. He’s been hitting solidly over the last month.
- 31/95 (.326) with 14 runs scored, four homeruns, 17 RBI and two stolen bases.
If you need help at shortstop, he is certainly worth a look. He gets a couple tough matchups next week (@ HOU & @ SF) so the Coors Field factor is not in play, but his production is hard to ignore at this point. (38% rostered in Yahoo leagues, +10% over the last week.)
2. Hunter Harvey, RP, Washington Nationals – Reliable closers at this point in the season are hard to come by. Safe to say that Hunter Harvey has solo ownership of the closer role in Washington.
Over the last month, Harvey is 1-1 with four saves, nine Ks, 2.79 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.
No, the Nats are not a team that is going to win a lot of games, but they are better than you think. Also, worth noting that the Tigers were not a great team last year and Soto still came away with 30 saves. Add if you need saves. (24% rostered in Yahoo leagues, +16% over the last week.)
3. Ha-Seong Kim, 2B/3B/SS, San Diego Padres – Another guy I like as a pickup this week, HSK has been tearing the cover off the ball for the Padres.
Over the last two weeks, Kim is hitting at a tune of .333 with nine runs scored, four homeruns, 11 RBI and two stolen bases.
Over the last month, 26 for 87 (.299 AVG) with 16 runs scored, four homeruns, 13 RBI and three stolen bases. So, we’ve seen this consistently from him over the past 30 days.
He’s been hitting leadoff recently (six-of-the-last seven games,) and hitting in front of guys like Tatis, Soto and Machado. So, if he holds that spot in the lineup, there should be plenty of runs scored for Kim. He also qualifies at 2B, 3B and SS. There is a lot to like about him and I’d be adding where he’s available, at least as a “ride the wave” type move.
He gets the Angels and Mets next week in a six-game week. (55% rostered in Yahoo
leagues, +23% over the last week.)
4. Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Baltimore Orioles – No, he’s not yet called up to rejoin the Orioles, but I’d be stashing if he’s available, in all formats and league sizes, as I do think he’s up shortly after the all-star break.
Since being sent down to Triple-A, G-Rod is pitching to the tune of:
- 28.1 innings pitched, 18 hits, seven earned runs, 12 walks, 39 strikeouts to go along with an opponent batting average of .184 and a 1.06 WHIP.
The O’s are scuffling, and I expect them to push their chips all in and really take advantage of their talent in the minors, that includes Grayson Rodriguez and Colton Cowser, their best pitching and hitting prospects. Check my #MKBFBNotes on Twitter at @MKBFantasy for why I think Cowser is on his way to the big leagues, sooner rather than later!
It's clear the O’s need starting pitching. They know their run in the playoffs will be short lived if they don’t acquire a big arm. I think between Grayson Rodriguez and a starting pitcher at the trade deadline can really put this team over the top (Shane Bieber?). Stay tuned folks, the future in Baltimore is extremely bright and going to be super fun to watch for years to come. Fantasy gold! (31% rostered in Yahoo leagues.)
5. TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds – When I said about a month ago that there was not a spot for Christian Encarnacion-Strand (yet,) Jake Fraley and TJ Friedl were a big reason why I said what I said. There just wasn’t a clear spot for him in Cincinnati’s lineup, even though CES had been getting reps in the outfield.
I don’t expect Friedl to hit for much power, but he does have some sneaky pop. His roster percentage has skyrocketed over the past week (+38%) and I think we all know why! Given his recent production at the top of an electric Reds lineup, Friedl over the last two weeks:
- .298 AVG, 11 runs scored, three homeruns, nine RBI and six stolen bases.
He is now hitting against both righties and lefties and I think he remains at the leadoff spot for the Reds for the foreseeable future. If he’s available in your league and you need runs and stolen bases, Friedl is a priority pickup. He gets the four games at Washington and three games at Milwaukee next week. (60% rostered in Yahoo leagues, +38% over the last week.)
Top 5 Friendliest Hitter Matchups:
1. WAS
2. CLE
3. TEX
4. CIN
5. SF
Top 5 Hardest Hitter Matchups:
1. LAA
2. MIA
3. PHI
4. SEA
5. KC
Top 5 Two-Start SP I like this week (Under 60% owned in Yahoo leagues)
1. Brayan Bello (vs TEX, vs OAK) - 59% rostered
2. Gavin Williams (vs ATL, vs KC) - 40% rostered
3. Kyle Hendricks (@ MIL, @ NYY) - 33% rostered
4. Tarik Skubal (vs OAK, vs TOR) – 32% rostered
5. Bryan Woo (@ SF, @ HOU) - 29% rostered
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