Fantasy Baseball Weekly Snapshot (9-2)
Another fantasy baseball week is in the books as we cruise past the halfway point of the season. We are here to get you up to speed on all the hot-hitting, dominant starting pitching, and closing movement. Here is this week's look around the league:
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
This week was the first in the big leagues for Ryan Mountcastle and he made the most of it. The outfielder hit .421 with two homers and five RBIs. He is shortstop eligible in Yahoo leagues and is currently on just 22 percent of teams...Renato Nunez had a good week of production. The first baseman hit .278 with two homers and three RBIs. He has seven homers and 18 RBIs this season and could be a good power source if he is available in your league.
Boston Red Sox
With Mitch Moreland traded to San Diego, first base prospect Bobby Dalbec got the big-league call. In his first game with Boston, he went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer. The door is open at first base for the Red Sox and Dalbec could be the answer. He is only owned in 7 percent of leagues...Matt Barnes has emerged as the Boston closer after Brandon Workman was dealt away. Barnes picked up two saves this week in two chances. He is only owned in 28 percent of leagues for those looking for saves.
New York Yankees
With Aaron Judge back on the IL, Clint Frazier has received more playing time and has taken advantage of the opportunity. He hit .231 this week with four runs scored, a homer, and three RBIs. He is only owned in 27 percent of leagues and should be worth a look...Jordan Montgomery had a good outing this week in a no-decision. He struck out six over 5.0 innings of work. He is 2-1 on the season with a 4.44 ERA and is owned in 24 percent of leagues.
Tampa Bay Rays
Willy Adames is swinging a hot bat lately coming off a week in which he hit two homers and drove in six runs with a .273 average. The shortstop is hitting .283 on the season and has four homers and 14 RBIs. He is only owned in 20 percent of leagues. Shortstop is a crazy-deep position this season, but Adames is worth monitoring...Manuel Margot had a nice week with six hits in 15 at-bats along with a homer, an RBI, and two stolen bases. He is hitting .300 on the season with four stolen bases and is just 5 percent owned.
Toronto Blue Jays
Hyun-Jin Ryu continued his stellar pitching with a no-decision this week. He struck out seven in six innings of one-run ball. The lefty is 2-1 this season with a 2.92 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. He has 40 strikeouts in 37.0 innings pitched. He is one of the top starting pitching options in the league...Reliever Rafael Dolis might be worth a look. He has a win and a save on the season and has not allowed a run in the past two weeks. Anthony Bass is still in the mix for saves, but Dolis should be another option and is only owned in six percent of leagues.
AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Infielder Nick Madrigal is back off the IL for the White Sox. He was 5-for-9 this week in his return with two RBIs and a stolen base. Madrigal should be a pickup in standard leagues. He is only 26 percent owned, but he is hitting in a loaded Chicago lineup and should be a good source of runs, batting average and stolen bases...Overshadowed by Lucas Giolito's no-hitter has been the recent pitching of Dylan Cease. Cease is 4-2 this season with a 3.00 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. After four straight wins, Cease has had no-decisions in his last two outings. He is 56 percent owned.
Cleveland Indians
Cesar Hernandez has been hitting leadoff for the Indians and has some solid numbers to show for it. He was 6-of-24 this week with two runs, a homer, and two RBIs. He is owned in 41 percent of leagues. If he stays atop the Indians' lineup he could be worth a speculative pickup...Tyler Naquin had a very productive week with two homers, seven RBIs and a .348 batting average. He in not a name for shallow leagues at the moment, but is worth keeping an eye on.
Detroit Tigers
Miguel Cabrera turned back the clock this week with an 11-for-22 mark and one homer with seven RBIs. Cabrera is hitting just .241 this season, but his hot stretch puts him on the radar in mixed leagues as he is just 14 percent owned...After lasting just two innings in his first two starts, Tarik Skubal earned his first career win with a five-inning outing against the Twins. He only struck out two, but allowed just a run. He is 11 percent owned.
Kansas City Royals
Ryan O'Hearn was hot this week with a .300 batting average, two homers, and five RBIs. The first baseman is hitting .247 on the season, but does have 17 RBIs. He is just 1 percent owned so he'll have to do more to be ready for a pickup...Brad Keller is having a very nice season even though he had a rough start this week. He is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He is currently the No. 125 ranked player in Yahoo leagues. He is worth rostering in most leagues.
Minnesota Twins
Eddie Rosario left a double-header against Detroit early with an ankle injury. He could miss a game or two and is considered day-to-day. The outfielder is hitting .238 this season with seven homers and 23 RBIs and two stolen bases and hopefully return to the Twins lineup shortly...Randy Dobnak has been a nice surprise this season with a 5-2 record and 3.12 ERA. He had a rough start this week in a loss to the the Tigers, but had one five straight starts leading up to that.
AL West
Houston Astros
Kyle Tucker mashed at the plate this week with seven hits in 14 at-bats. He homered twice and drove in nine runs. He is the No. 20 ranked player and has a whopping 29 RBIs this season. The outfielder looks like the real deal...Christian Javier picked up his third win of the season this week with a 5.2 inning outing with five strikeouts in a victory over the Angels. He is owned in 61 percent of leagues and is worth scooping up if available.
Los Angeles Angels
It took a while, but Jo Adell finally hit his first major-league homer. He turned in a two-homer game against Seattle this week. But he was just 3-for-21 at the plate this week and is hitting .181 on the season. He has had a rough time adjusting to the majors and isn't worth starting at the moment...Dylan Bundy continued his fine pitching with a win over Seattle this week. He hurled 5.1 innings with three strikeouts and just one earned run. He is the No. 29 ranked player and is pitching like an ace.
Oakland A's
Closer Liam Hendricks has been lights out with a 2-0 record and 10 saves to go with a 1.10 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. Hendricks is an elite reliever and is proving that again this season...Frankie Montas hasn't won since Aug. 8 and has been touched up in his last three outings to raise his season ERA to 6.06. He is still owned in 84 percent of leagues and should be able to turn things around from this rough patch.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners acquired Ty France in a big trade that sent catcher Austin Nola to the Padres. France should get a shot at every-day at-bats in Seattle and could be an intriguing name to keep in consideration. He is just 1 percent owned...Sam Haggerty stole two bases this week and has four steals on the season. He also drove in three runs and scored three runs. He is mainly in a utility role but could be a nice source of speed.
Texas Rangers
Rafael Montero has pitched well in the closer role, racking up six saves on the season with a 3.12 ERA. He pitched two scoreless innings and picked up a save this week. He is locked and loaded as a reliever that should be owned in all leagues...Sticking with relievers, Jonathan Hernandez could be a name for those looking for ratios and strikeouts in a roto league. Hernandez is 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched.
NL East
Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. returned to the Braves lineup this week after an IL stint. He hit .308 with a homer, an RBI, and a steal. If he stays healthy, he should be a top-tier fantasy player...Nick Markakis doesn't offer a lot in the power department, but he hits for average and drives in runs. In 17 games this season, he has nine RBIs and is hitting .340. He's not a bad option in the Braves' lineup.
Miami Marlins
Jon Berti showed off what he can do on the base paths by stealing three consecutive bases (including home) in a game this week. He's up to eight steals this season and has contributed with 16 runs. He's not a power hitter, but for those looking for steals there aren't many better options...Young starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez pitched seven scoreless innings in a no-decision vs. Tampa Bay this week. He struck out 10 Rays hitters. Sanchez is 51 percent owned and is looking like a must-add.
New York Mets
Michael Conforto is coming off a solid week with five runs, a homer, four RBIs, and a steal all while hitting .345. He is the No. 49 ranked player and should continue having an excellent season...The Mets are stretching out Seth Lugo to be a starter. He struck out seven in 3.2 innings against the Marlins this week. He is 73 percent owned and should be scooped up off waiver wires as he transitions to a starting role.
Philadelphia Phillies
Roman Quinn filled the stat sheet this week with five runs, a homer, an RBI, and three stolen bases to go with a .462 average. He is hitting .284 on the season and offers some stolen base upside with six swipes...Brandon Workman picked up two saves this week in three scoreless innings of work. Between Boston and Philadelphia, Workman has seven saves this season with a 3.75 ERA and a less-than desirable 2.17 WHIP.
Washington Nationals
Howie Kendrick had a nice week with six hits in 16 at-bats. He recorded a homer and four RBIs. He is hitting .310 on the season with two homers and 12 RBIs and is owned in 35 percent of leagues...Daniel Hudson has six saves this season, but it hasn't been smooth sailing for Nats' closer. He has a 6.17 season ERA, but is still one of the more solid closer options.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
Kyle Schwarber had the power stroke on display this week with four homers and seven RBIs. He also stole a base and was 6-for-27. The batting average is always a risk (.228 this season) but he is an above-average power source...Jeremy Jeffress has emerged as the closer for the moment for the Cubs. He earned a save this week and with Rowan Wick and Craig Kimbrel struggling should see most of the save chances. He is 41 percent owned.
Cincinnati Reds
Jesse Winker stayed red-hot with four homers and seven RBIs this week to go with a .333 batting average. Winker is the No. 53 ranked player and is owned in 69 percent of leagues. He should definitely be added in all leagues...Tyler Mahle has been good lately and is coming off a win this week in which he lasted 6.2 innings and struck out 11. His season ERA is down to 3.91 and he has a 1.13 WHIP. He is owned in only nine percent of leagues and is worth watching.
Milwaukee Brewers
Josh Hader blew his first save of the season when he walked five batters against the Pirates this week. He hadn't allowed a run this season prior to that outing. It's just a hiccup for one of the most dominant closers in the game...Corbin Burnes earned his first win of the season with six scoreless innings against the Pirates with 10 strikeouts. Burnes has 46 strikeouts in 32.1 innings and is an excellent waiver wire pickup.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Jacob Stallings drove in five runs this week with a .400 batting average. He is hitting .323 this season with a homer and 12 RBIs. He should be monitored as a potential fill-in at catcher...Nik Turley picked up his first career save this week. He could be a ninth-inning option along with Richard Rodriguez. It's probably a situation to avoid until either Turley or Rodriguez emerges as the primary closer.
St. Louis Cardinals
Paul DeJong hit .407 this week with four runs and four RBIs. He is hitting .313 on the season and is owned in 60 percent of leagues. He only has one homer and eight RBIs but could help teams in the batting average category...Adam Wainwright is 3-0 this season with a 2.65 ERA and is coming off a complete-game win over Cleveland with nine strikeouts. He is still just 62 percent owned and should be on all rosters.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Christian Walker continues to hit and is coming off a week of three homers and 10 RBIs with a .364 batting average. He is approaching .300 on the season and has driven in 21 runs. He is 54 percent owned and could be a good first base option...Zac Gallen picked up his first win of the season this week. He beat the Giants with 7.0 innings of one-run ball and five strikeouts. He is an elite starting option.
Colorado Rockies
Anthony Senzatela pitched seven scoreless innings against the Padres this week, but earned a no-decision. Senzatela is 3-1 on the season with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He is probably the safest Rockies starting pitcher to own at this point...Daniel Bard recorded two saves and a win this week. He is now the Rockies primary closer and is only owned in 17 percent of leagues.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Max Muncy turned in a nice week with two homers and seven RBIs while hitting .250. His average is holding him back a bit, but he is a solid option with first, second, and third base eligibility...Dustin May only has one win this season but has a sparkling 2.83 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He pitched well in a no-decision this week and the secret is out on the youngster who is owned in 80 percent of leagues.
San Diego Padres
Eric Hosmer hit .385 this week with two homers and seven RBIs. He is now the No. 55 ranked player and is having a productive year for the upstart Padres...Zach Davies continues to pitch well with a 5-2 record and a 2.61 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. He won at Colorado this week in 5.2 scoreless innings. He is 74 percent owned.
San Francisco Giants
Brandon Belt was red-hot this week with two homers and six RBIs to go with a .429 average. He is hitting .313 on the season and is worth a look in deeper leagues...Tyler Rogers earned his second save of the season this week and appears to be the Giants' closer moving forward. He is just 9 percent owned.
Brian Buckey
Brian Buckey is an avid fantasy sports player dating back to his first fantasy baseball league in junior high school, with fantasy experience in all four of the major sports. Brian currently is a sports writer for The Toledo Blade newspaper in Toledo, Ohio where he grew up. Brian is a proud Indiana University graduate, with a degree in journalism and is excited to provide fantasy analysis for FantasyData.