There is no greater feeling in fantasy sports than drafting a player not expected to do too much, or picking up a player just as he starts to get hot. But, the trick is finding the peak of that players’ value and making a deal that will ensure success for the rest of the season.
A.J. Burnett is 6-3 with a very un-Burnett-like 2.01 ERA (almost two points lower than his career 3.96) and 1.24 WHIP. While his strikeouts are down (he is punching out 7.9 per nine innings), he is walking a career-low 2.5 per nine innings and has a 2.64 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), which is more than a full point below his career FIP.
What do all these positive numbers say about a pitcher who hasn’t finished a season with a winning record since 2012? Roto Files believes it says this: “It’s time to sell Burnett.”
Consider this: Burnett is a solid first-half pitcher, going 84-75 and 3.79 ERA in his career in the first half, while going 77-78 with a 4.17 ERA in the second half. He also has his highest ERAs in August (4.55) and September/October (4.03), when you need your best to be their best. These numbers aren’t as comforting as the ones above.
Let’s face it, you already have gotten more than expected from the 38-year-old. Sell, sell, sell! Here are others who can bring a nice payday:
- With a .272 batting average, 23 homers, 47 RBIs and a .905 OPS before Friday’s action, those who drafted (or kept from seasons past) Albert Pujols are smiling ear-to-ear. He is smashing the ball like he did in St. Louis, and is having his best season since 2012. He’s healthy, he’s relevant, but he’s not getting any younger. If you’re in a keeper or dynasty league, injecting to some youth into your squad isn’t a bad thing, and Pujols could be the right form of currency.
- With Chris Davis, you know what you’re getting: A power hitter whose strikeout numbers per season rival the number of selfies a Kardashian takes in an hour. Though he does strike out about 37 percent of the time, Davis has been more than a one-trick power pony since June 7, hitting .283 with three homers, 11 RBIs and a .864 OPS. In other words, he has put on his makeup to make himself more attractive to prospective buyers. He looks pretty, right?
- https://vip.nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/06/jt.jpgJustin TurnerAPJustin Turner, who is eligible at about every position, was the most added position player in both ESPN and Yahoo leagues this week, which is not all that surprising considering he was hitting .352 with five homers, 16 RBIs and a 1.07 OPS for the month heading into Friday night. He’s playing above his head and you should take advantage of it … now!
- Over the last few seasons, Mark Teixeira has been as valuable to fantasy owners as a flaming bag of feces. This season is a different story. He entered Friday night 10th in homers (18), seventh in RBIs (51) and had a respectable .255 batting average. He also had his highest OPS (.917) since 2009, the last time he was an All-Star. The last time Teixeira played more than 123 games in a season was 2011, and frankly, we’d rather not find out if 35-year-old parts can last through the season. Roto Files recommends selling to the highest bidder.
- Jason Heyward has come to life at the plate since May 27, batting .360 with five homers, 14 RBIs, three stolen bases and a .978 OPS. For a guy who never has lived up to the hype offensively, he certainly has turned on the jets lately, and striking while the iron is hot by putting him in a multi-player deal could bring back solid returns.
- Scott Kazmir is 4-4 with a 2.70 ERA and 79 strikeouts over his first 14 starts, including going 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA over his last three starts. No, it’s not the 11-3 All-Star caliber performance of 2014, but he has been serviceable (despite his nine-game winless streak from April 19-June 5). Yes, over the course of his career he has pitched better in the second half of the season, but he did go 4-6 with a 5.42 after the break last year and had a little scare with shoulder tightness in May. Roto Files believes now is the time to stick him in a multi-player deal.
Big hits
Brock Holt 3B/2B/OF, Red Sox
The poor man’s Justin Turner was 25-for-80 (.313) with a homer, eight RBIs and three stolen bases in his 21 games this month.
Kevin Pillar OF, Blue Jays
From June 2 through Thursday, Pillar hit .380 with four homers, 17 RBIs and five stolen bases. Third most added player in ESPN leagues.
Carson SmithGetty ImagesCarson Smith RP, Mariners
Since June 6, Smith is 5-for-5 in save opportunities, while sporting a 3.18 ERA and eight strikeouts over 5 ²/₃ innings.
Marco Estrada SP, Blue Jays
He is 4-0 with a 2.94 ERA with 30 strikeouts over five starts this month, and has allowed just three hits and one run over his last two starts. He is available in 80 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Big whiffs
Shin-Soo Choo OF, Rangers
Before Friday’s action, Choo was 11-for-58 (.190) with no homers, three RBIs and a .490 OPS since June 7. More like Chin-Soo Eww.
Andrew Cashner SP, Padres
He is 0-2 over five starts this month, allowing five runs or more three times en route to a 7.62 ERA.
Brett Cecil RP, Blue Jays
From June 10 through Wednesday, Cecil was 1-2 while allowing 10 runs over 6 ²/₃ innings en route to a 13.50 ERA. He saved three games, blew one save and, oh, yeah, lost the closers job … again.
Alfredo Simon SP, Tigers
His past two starts have been brutal, allowing 12 runs over nine innings (12.00 ERA) and a .341 opponents batting average.
Quick hits
The latest Mets phenom, Steven Matz, is expected to make his season debut Sunday against the Reds. He was the fourth-most added pitcher in ESPN leagues and the most added player in Yahoo leagues.
Red-hot Rookie Alert: Maikel Franco is 34-for-90 (.378) with eight homers, 21 RBIs and a 1.16 OPS in his first 23 games this month, raising his batting average from .212 to .303.
Early favorite for the Adam Dunn Award: Luis Valbuena, who was hitting .199 with 19 homers heading into Friday night’s action. Valbuena, along with teammates Evan Gattis and Chris Carter, are 159-for-755 (.210) with 44 homers (two better than all Braves combined) and 223 strikeouts. Is there any other job in the world where doing well 21 percent of the time is considered a success?
Aaron Harang update: After his six-inning, four-earned-run effort Friday night in a Phillies loss, he is 0-7 with a 6.05 ERA over his past seven starts. If you own him, here are some new team names to consider: Harang-ing by a Thread or The Harang-over: Part III.
Team Name of the Week
A Man Walks into Aybar
