Monday, August 21
We have nine games to work with this Monday, including a double dip between the Twins and White Sox. Watch out for spotty showers in Chicago. Delays appear more likely than postponement. Circumstances (i.e. Carlos Rodon) limit the fantasy value of this particular doubleheader.
Pitchers to Use
Rodon and Zach Davies are just over 50 percent owned and are therefore no longer qualified for inclusion here. If they happen to be available in your league, give 'em a spin. Rodon is hosting the Twins while Davies is visiting pitcher friendly AT&T Park.
Four pitchers are widely available on the waiver wire although two of them can be considered experimental. Mike Foltynewicz is the most reliable of the bunch. He's a perfect example of a streaming quality starter. This year, he's tallied 10 wins along with 8.57 K/9, 4.75 ERA, and 1.50 WHIP. That makes for two positive categories and two negative ones. The Mariners are visiting Atlanta this week.
Mike Clevinger is having a strong season despite suspect command. He benefits from big swing-and-miss stuff. Overall, he has a 3.75 ERA with 10.18 K/9 and 4.71 BB/9. If he ever gets a grip on his walk rate... watch out! Clevinger has a scary match-up against the Red Sox. He's capable of surviving the outing, but it's certainly a risky proposition.
And now for those experimental arms. Dillon Gee has experienced a surge in velocity – mostly while working in relief. The 31-year-old righty is throwing more off speed stuff than ever before. When coupled with the improved velocity (still only 91 mph), it's led to a healthy whiff rate. Gee spent most of his career as a ground ball pitcher. He appears to have morphed into a fly ball guy. The Twins have him starting the second game of the doubleheader. He may not last five frames.
Tyler Skaggs is coming off the bereavement list to face Cole Hamels and the Rangers. Although not an ideal matchup, the Rangers have a bottom 10 offense versus left-handed pitching. Too many of their lefty hitters have platoon issues. Skaggs has pitched decently in three starts since returning from the disabled list. His command has been a little shaky.
Pitchers to Abuse
As always, exploits abound. The Mariners are making use of Andrew Albers in a visit to homer happy SunTrust Stadium. The journeyman veteran is having his best Triple-A season ever, although I have no faith in his ability to transfer that success to the majors. Expect a lot of hard contact.
Carson Fulmer, the former sixth overall pick of the 2015 draft, is set to make his 2017 debut for the White Sox. He'll work the second game of the doubleheader. Fulmer has scuffled at Triple-A, posting a 5.61 ERA with 7.01 K/9 and 4.65 BB/9. He's only getting this chance because he's on the 40-man roster. Fulmer's stuff draws positive grades from scouts, but his command leaves much to be desired.
The Twins are asking Tim Melville to handle the first game of the twin billing. Like Albers, Melville is having a career year in the minors – enough so that a trial in the majors is deserved. He's posted a 2.70 ERA, 8.64 K/9, and 3.11 BB/9. I expect his walk rate to spike. Home runs could be a problem too. He's a fly ball pitcher without the stuff to limit big flies.
Other exploitable pitchers include Ubaldo Jimenez, Chris Smith, Doug Fister, Robert Gsellman, and Chris Stratton.
Hitters: Power
Owners in need of a little extra help on offense should take a peek at this doubleheader. Getting two games for the price of one is always a fun bonus. Unfortunately, the Twins bats must first survive a Rodon outing. Many of their most streamable hitters – i.e. Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler – are left-handed. At least they should have an easy time of it versus Fulmer and the bullpen. And Rodon is not immune to meltdowns. Rosario is one of the hottest hitters in the league. He has six home runs since the start of August. Overall, he's batting .302/.341/.505. Kepler has the better lineup role.
Only one White Sox hitter works as a power play. Nick Delmonico has bashed five home runs in 67 plate appearances. He's filling in for the injured Matt Davidson. Delmonico won't maintain this level of production, but he is facing a couple Triple-A pitchers tomorrow. Guaranteed Rate Park is very hitter friendly.
Curtis Granderson is only 26 percent owned. Although his matchup versus Gerrit Cole isn't a top target, he should be owned in most leagues. The newest Dodger is batting .263/.381/.570 with 18 home runs since the start of May. He's been one of the best hitters in the majors. We shouldn't entirely ignore his terrible April – it's instructive as to just how bad his slumps can get. However, his new role with the Dodgers is valuable.
Keon Broxton is just 35 percent owned. He's a streaky hitter who just so happens to be bopping .280/.368/.680 with six home runs over his last 58 plate appearances. Sadly, the Brewers are visiting pitcher friendly AT&T Park. Happily, they'll face Stratton. Try Hernan Perez and Neil Walker too.
Mitch Haniger is back in the majors. His hot April was interrupted by injury. Then his first return attempt was... interrupted by injury. Overall, Haniger is batting .259/.363/.440 with eight home runs in 252 plate appearances. He'll face Foltynewicz at a hitter friendly park.
Try a basket full of Athletics against Jimenez. Camden Yards massively boosts left-handed power which should prove to be a boon for Matt Joyce and Jed Lowrie. Righties are also aided by the park. Give emerging rookie Matt Chapman a try too. Across the aisle, Seth Smith is a good bet to do some damage versus Chris Smith. Don't pick up the wrong Smith.
Ketel Marte isn't a true power threat. If you happen to need a shortstop, he should be on your short list. The 23-year-old switch-hitter is slashing .277/.354/.464 in his third try at the majors. Based on his peripherals, he's probably due for regression. However, a start against Gsellman should help to offset any downward pressure on his batting line.
Other power options include Mike Napoli, Mitch Moreland, Kurt Suzuki, and Brandon Phillips.
Hitters: Speed
Tired of hearing about the doubleheader yet? Let's go back to that well one more time. Byron Buxton has a juicy matchup versus Fulmer in the second game. I'm less enthused about him facing Rodon. In both games, he's very likely to steal if he reaches base. White Sox catchers Omar Narvaez and Kevin Smith are among the worst at holding base runners. Buxton also happens to be hot. Over his last 36 plate appearances, he's hitting .438/.457/.875 with three home runs, two triples, and two steals. Alternatively, Leury Garcia will face a couple mediocre Twins starters. In my estimation, he's less likely than Buxton to steal a base.
With Carlos Gomez sidelined, Delino DeShields is an uncontested starter. That makes him one of the top stolen base threats in the league. Angels catchers aren't particularly prone to base thieves, although DeShields isn't your typical thief. At his very best, Skaggs is a mid-tier pitcher. DeShields could easily find his way aboard.
Few Indians can be found on the waiver wire. The big exception is Bradley Zimmer. Surprisingly, the hulking outfielder is one of the fastest runners in the league. While I don't anticipate any stolen base attempts against the Red Sox, it's possible he'll get a good jump. August has not been a good month for Zimmer. He's posted a .071/.184/.071 batting line in 49 plate appearances. As a positive, his three hits have all come in his last 10 plate appearances.
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