Those who still are competing for a fantasy baseball title are about to find themselves at a very interesting crossroads in late August.
If you’re playing in a head-to-head league, it is about building a roster to carry you through the playoffs. If you’re in a rotisserie league, you’re looking for that extra boost in a category or two to either maintain your place atop the standings or find that one area in which to strike hardest and move up the ranks.
As we witnessed with Daniel Murphy heading to the Cubs, teams are actively shopping players as the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline nears, which means there will be more than just a few September call-ups thrown into full-time duty. Now the question: Which ones are worthy of your fantasy roster?
The Murphy deal was interesting, as it signified the Nationals raising the white flag on the 2018 season. Though most prospect-hunters are anticipating the arrival of speedy outfielder Victor Robles, many are missing the potential addition of infield prospect Carter Kieboom — the younger brother of Spencer, Washington’s current back-up catcher.
Though Carter hasn’t played above the Double-A level, the Nationals have watched him power-up in August with four doubles, one triple, three home runs and eight RBIs. He still is a little raw, but that is what these late-season call-ups are all about — testing the raw kids against big league pitching. It isn’t like they need to watch Wilmer Difo out there anymore.
In fantasy, grabbing under-the-radar September call-ups is what separates the true winners from the losers. We’re all looking at high-profile prospects like Robles and Eloy Jimenez, but while the rest of your league fights for them, you can steal a number of helpful players right out from under their noses. Just figure out your biggest needs and focus.
If pitching is your need, try to avoid some of these lame fourth and fifth starters some teams are just shuttling out to close the year. Middle relievers could be your ticket to success. Arizona’s Jimmy Sherfy is expected to return to the bigs, and if he does what he did last year (0.00 ERA, 0.68 WHIP with nine strikeouts in 10 ²/₃ innings, he is going to be a nice asset. The same goes for Indians righty Ben Taylor, who has seemingly found his slider in Triple-A. If you need a starter, then Atlanta’s Touki Toussaint leads the way.
On offense, start watching for opportunities to open, like in San Francisco where Buster Posey’s hip is opening the door for Aramis Garcia. Watch for Kansas City’s Kelvin Gutierrez. And if you need speed, look for Colorado’s Raimel Tapia.
Big names are easy to hunt, but digging deep could prove more fruitful. It is easier to find success when you’re the only one looking in the right place.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy sports advice, MLB lineups and DFS weather updates.
