Did you get in on the action last week with players I featured in this very column? Jake Odorizzi, Nick Senzel, Michael Chavis, Griffin Canning, and Pablo Lopez continue to produce, and they will all soon be out of waiver-wire consideration for this weekly piece going forward.
Now, granted, the 10 names in this week’s edition of Category Analysis aren’t as sexy, but sexy doesn’t always mean success. Sometimes, boring options outproduce the shiny new toys.
While we have some new blood listed below, most of these guys are names you’ve heard before or even wondered if they are still in the league. Some may just be on a hot streak, but riding hot streaks with the last spots on your roster is an underrated aspect of fantasy baseball success.
Here are some players who can help you in the traditional roto categories and are owned in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues or fewer.
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Home Runs: Miguel Sano (1B/3B – MIN) – 23%
We’ve been down this road time and time again, only to be disappointed. Well, I’m giving Sano one last run on my team if I really need power. We know that he has 40-homer power, but he’s not going to help you elsewhere.
With Nelson Cruz occupying the DH spot in Minnesota this year, Sano will be forced to play the field, which is always an adventure. The power plays, and the Twins have had plenty of success in that area already this year. If you can live with the warts, add Sano to your team now while he’s on his rehab assignment.
Runs: Leury Garcia (OF – CHW) – 14%
Another week goes by, and Leury Garcia is still toward the top of the league in runs scored. Leading off daily helps, even in a weaker lineup. I keep waiting for Garcia to regress due to his inability to take a walk and his high BABIP, but he, like teammate Tim Anderson, has kept it going so far. Ride it while he’s hot.
Stolen Bases: Kevin Kiermaier (OF – TB) – 16%
We’ve been waiting for that 20/20 season from Kiermaier, and while the power portion hasn’t appeared this year, Kiermaier does have six steals so far on the season. With regular playing time (when healthy) because of his defense, and numbers that won’t hurt you offensively, he should be closer to 40 percent owned than 16 percent.
RBIs: Rowdy Tellez (1B – TOR) – 4%
My biggest takeaway from the past week with Tellez is that the Blue Jays are willing to play him every day, in the middle of the lineup, against righties or lefties. The 32.5 percent strikeout rate is still higher than you’d like to see, but if he can maintain a .250 average, he could come close to 100 RBIs this year once Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets it going.
Average: James McCann (C – CHW) – 27%
With catchers, you want a warm body, but McCann is giving you actual production. Is it likely that he’s in the middle of a hot stretch and will cool down significantly? Yes. Would I still drop guys like Danny Jansen, Austin Barnes, and Wellington Castillo for him? Absolutely, I would.
Wins: Wade Miley (SP – HOU) – 18%
Say what you will about Miley, but he’s put together an ongoing 23-start streak allowing three or fewer earned runs. The last time he permitted more than three earned runs in a game was September 29, 2017. That’s … a long time. I trust the Astros more than almost every other team. While you won’t get excited running him out each week, he won’t hurt you in ERA, and his wins potential is outstanding.
WHIP/ERA: Martin Perez (SP/RP – MIN) – 50% and Anthony DeSclafani (SP – CIN) – 48%
I needed to find a way to get both Disco and Perez on this list. Don’t focus on the designated categories here, but rather, focus on the two pitchers as a whole. Both were popular streaming options this week as two-start pitchers, but both look good enough to roster moving forward.
Perez, more specifically, has me excited with his new mechanics and the addition of a cutter. The new Perez has registered more swings and misses as well as an increase in velocity. He’s pitching in the perfect division, as he faces average to below-average offenses regularly.
DeSclafani is not in a great division like Perez, but he has been using his curveball more en route to an increase in strikeouts and lowered ERA. I feel better about Perez going forward, but I like both guys as the last man on my roster.
Strikeouts: Zac Gallen (SP – MIA) – 1%
It’s just a matter of time before Gallen gets the call to Miami. Once the Marlins send Sandy Alcantara to the bullpen, Gallen should slide right into his rotation spot. Gallen has been cruising through Triple-A so far this season with a 1.12 ERA (3.03 FIP), a 34 percent K rate, 3.6 percent walk rate, and a .126 average against.
He will, like all Marlins pitchers, struggle to get wins. Innings shouldn’t be a concern for him like most young players, though, as he’s coming off a season in which he threw 133.1 innings in Triple-A. He’s one of my top minor league stashes if you have a reserved spot for them.
Saves: Amir Garrett (RP – CIN) – 3%
Raisel Iglesias isn’t happy with the way the Reds are using him this year, and the Reds probably aren’t happy with the production that Iglesias is giving them, either. From a baseball standpoint, it makes sense with the way many ballclubs are approaching their bullpen. Not racking up saves can hurt relievers in arbitration, but there’s not much financially sound with MLB players nowadays.
If searching for someone to get some saves for the Reds, look at Amir Garrett. The former starter has always had terrific stuff. Garrett also benefits from the Reds having two additional lefties in the bullpen, allowing him to work the ninth inning.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
