Deep in the Hole- Fantasy Baseball Week 20

By Charlie Wright on August 17, 2014

This is my weekly fantasy baseball column where I discuss the rising and falling stocks of certain players. Hopefully this information can help with your lineup decisions, and maybe give you some ideas when looking for a boost from the waiver wire. But, of course, do not sit your studs just for these guys, or drop a guy just because he appears on the list. These are just suggestions, albeit supported ones.

 

Heating Up

Carl Crawford, Los Angeles Dodgers (OF) ­– At 33, Crawford is past his prime. He was hurt for all of June, and struggled upon returning in July. Crawford seems to have found his swing this month though, with 17 hits in 54 at-bats. He has five multi-hit games in his last six starts, and stole three bases in that stretch. The surplus of outfielders in L.A. has limited Crawford’s starts, but for now Andre Ethier is the odd man out. There are plenty of negatives when considering Crawford, but he appears healthy and is playing nearly every day. Crawford is owned in less than half of ESPN leagues, he’s worth a flier given his pedigree.

Adam Lind, Toronto Blue Jays (1B) – Lind missed five weeks with a foot injury, but returned to the lineup this week. He’s picked up where he left off, with a couple two-hit games in four starts. Lind’s counting numbers are down, partially due to the missed time, but his average sits at a solid .318. He has a prime spot in the middle of a potent lineup, but will sit against tough lefties. Lind could provide top-10 production at first base down the stretch, those still trying to replace Joey Votto or Paul Goldschmidt should take note.

 

Cooling Off

Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles (1B) – Davis is not cooling off, because he was never hot. He has struggled all year, but is mentioned in this article because he is still owned in nearly all of ESPN leagues. Naturally, Davis’ gaudy numbers from 2013 make it difficult to cut ties with him. Struggling sluggers certainly deserve a long leash, but it’s the middle of August. Davis is still hitting under .200 and is currently outside the top-20 first basemen in terms of fantasy points. He has 21 homers, but so does Mark Reynolds. Would you want to own Mark Reynolds?

Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees (OF) – Beltran has put up decent power numbers this year, with 14 home runs and 45 RBIs. He hits in the middle of New York’s lineup, but a weak supporting cast has limited his numbers. Beltran is stuck in a 1-for-26 slump, and his average has slipped to .237. Beltran still plays in a hitter-friendly park, so he could threaten 20 homers, but he is probably best left on your bench.

Minor League Chatter

The San Diego Padres brought up Rymer Liriano this week. Viewed as one of their top hitting prospects, Liriano hit .452 in 16 games after being promoted to Triple-A. He is expected to be an everyday starter.

 

Nugget of the Week- On August 16th, Jedd Gyorko hit his 31st career homer to become the San Diego Padres all-time leader for second basemen. Three players have already hit at least 31 homers this season (Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Abreu, and Nelson Cruz).

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